Progressive candidates keep securing wins in primary elections throughout the United States, fueled by a growing left-leaning media network that lets them shape their own national image and avoid traditional Democratic Party gatekeepers.

For Pennsylvania state Representative Chris Rabb, a Democratic socialist who recently won a congressional primary against a more moderate opponent, appearances on shows like The Majority Report with Sam Seder and Breaking Points proved vital to his success.

It boosts my visibility, credibility, and fundraising capacity, Rabb said, calling it a Venn diagram of success.

This expanding sphere of left-leaning websites, podcasters, YouTube hosts, and livestreamers often mixes opinion journalism with activism. It gives candidates a friendly arena to refine their message and rally grassroots backers. Yet analysts warn it may widen rifts inside the Democratic Party and push away moderates in the coalition.

On Tuesday, progressive Abdul El-Sayed narrowly won Michigan Democratic Senate primary against Haley Stevens, the establishment favorite.

Left media lets candidates skip party gatekeepers

El-Sayed, a former state health official and rising figure in left media, was heavily outspent on television ads backed by tens of millions from pro-Israel and other outside groups. Still, he prevailed in a swing state won by Republican President Donald Trump in 2024.

New media entrepreneurs say they fill gaps in mainstream coverage and offer platforms for views long sidelined in Washington. These include calls for universal healthcare, abolishing ICE, and ending military aid to Israel.

There is an audience and demand for different viewpoints, said Mehdi Hasan, a former MSNBC host who started his own news group, Zeteo, in 2024.

The same energy that helped us succeed as a media outlet has helped many political candidates succeed too.

Podcasts build audiences and campaign momentum

The American left has long maintained its own set of shows and publications. But with falling trust in traditional media, independent creators are emerging as political power brokers.

Though smaller and less funded than right-leaning outlets, the left growing web of podcasters, streamers, and digital publishers now shapes Democratic primaries, fundraising, and activist work.

Zeteo has 700,000 Substack subscribers, up 50 percent from last year. The Majority Report with Sam Seder counts more than 2 million YouTube subscribers, with about 75 percent of listeners under age 55.

Progressive commentator Hasan Piker has more than 3 million Twitch followers.

Campaign strategists like the new environment because candidates can hold long policy talks rarely seen on cable news, connect directly with voters, and create clips for social platforms.

We help spark early enthusiasm, said Sam Seder. Our audience includes many activists and people who run activist groups, plus legislative staffers.

Candidates often appear on the same circuit of shows, letting audiences find them through trusted voices, said Jesse Lehrich, a Democratic operative and co-host of the podcast Nobody Knows Anything.

In turn, rising left stars help new media figures grow their brands.

It is interconnected, said Hasan. Neither leads the other.

Progressive media may widen Democratic splits

Most left media figures who rose recently are open partisans.

Breaking Points co-host Krystal Ball joined a livestreamed August fundraiser for El-Sayed and other progressive Michigan candidates.

Piker canvassed last week for Francesca Hong, who seeks to become Wisconsin first democratic socialist governor, and attended El-Sayed election night party in Detroit.

The work is only beginning, he posted on X as final votes came in Tuesday night.

Piker has voiced support for Hamas, used the word cracker for white people, and said America deserved 9/11, a remark he later called inappropriate. He did not reply to a Reuters request for comment.

He has built a loyal following on daily Twitch streams with free discussions on hot topics, much like Joe Rogan, the right-leaning podcaster who backed Trump in 2024.

For Seder, the aim of Majority Report is less about swaying swing voters than educating and motivating those already aligned.

We may be preaching to the choir, but the choir then preaches to independents, he said.

Hans Noel, a Georgetown University government professor, said these creators energize voters who see the party platform as too mild.

At the same time, factional voices are not always open to compromise, he added, which could challenge candidates like El-Sayed when courting moderate Democrats in the general election.

Progressive podcasters enter politics

Jennifer Welch and Angie Pumps Sullivan, friends from Oklahoma City, launched the I have Had It podcast in 2022 as a place to vent about annoyances from reality stars to their own kids.

Only during the 2024 presidential race did they turn to politics, criticizing Trump in their usual irreverent style.

Soon they interviewed Democratic presidential hopeful Kamala Harris and attended the party convention in Chicago.

Their show now has more than 5.2 million subscribers and followers across YouTube, Facebook, Instagram, and TikTok.

Listeners come to us for news and our take on it, Welch told Reuters.

El-Sayed appeared on the podcast twice, and Welch endorsed him on air, calling it a layup.

I think the Democratic base is further left than the establishment realizes, she said, and candidates like Abdul are the future of the Democratic Party if we want to be an opposition party.