Democrats have recently seen a surge of progressive primary victories that are reshaping the party’s dynamics ahead of the next congressional session. This momentum among the party’s left flank could present challenges for House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries (D-N.Y.) as he seeks to unify Democrats should they retake the House.

Notable wins include 29-year-old democratic socialist Melat Kiros defeating a 15-term incumbent representative last month. In Michigan, progressive candidates backed by Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) have also scored significant victories: Donavan McKinney defeated Rep. Haley Stevens in a Senate primary, and Abdul El-Sayed won against another moderate Democrat.

Jared Huffman (D-Calif.), vice chair of the Congressional Progressive Caucus, noted that “the ground is shifting, even among moderate pro-Israel Democrats,” highlighting the growing influence of progressives within the party. Huffman also remarked on the urgency of addressing current crises, saying, “The aggression and the atrocities and the lawlessness… It’s become impossible to look away.”

Despite these shifts, Jeffries emphasized a unifying focus for the party, stating in an interview with CNN’s Dana Bash last month, “What unites the party, and certainly what will take place over the next 100 days, beginning today, is a focus on us fighting for an affordable America, based on the reality that life in this country is far too expensive, and everybody agrees that that’s the dynamic that the country confronts.”