The progressive wing of the Democratic Party has reached a new peak. Representative Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez and Senator Bernie Sanders have raised record-breaking sums of money this year, signaling that their movement now controls the direction of their party.

Reports from federal election filings show Ocasio-Cortez brought in $19.8 million from the beginning of the year through the fall. That’s already more than she raised during the entire 2023–2024 election cycle, when her total stood at $15.2 million.

Senator Sanders, her longtime ally from Vermont, pulled in nearly the same amount. His $19 million haul this year is over half of what he raised during his previous five-year fundraising span. The two appear unstoppable — and their growing war chests show that their message is dominating the base.

The progressive surge comes at a time when Democrats are struggling to define themselves. Between a drawn-out government shutdown, questions about party leadership, and the rise of radical voices, figures like Ocasio-Cortez and Sanders have stepped into the spotlight.

Senator Elizabeth Warren, another key player in the party’s far-left faction, said the surge of donations shows that Democratic supporters are responding to what they see as a fight for survival.

“More than 7 million people showed up on No Kings Day,” Warren said, referencing mass anti-administration protests that swept Washington and other cities. “They are deeply worried about the direction that Donald Trump is taking this country, and they want a way to fight back. Political contributions are part of the way to being in the fight.”

She said the reaction may be the result of how aggressively President Trump has pushed his agenda since returning to office.

“It’s beyond anything we’ve seen in modern history,” Warren said. “Folks might be excused for not having anticipated it.”

While the rest of the Democratic Party struggles to find balance, progressives are expanding their presence inside and outside Washington. Sanders pointed to Zohran Mamdani, a socialist-leaning Democrat running for New York City mayor, as proof that the movement is finding new faces to carry its torch.

“He’s got 80,000 volunteers knocking on doors. He’s generated a lot of excitement. He’s exactly the type of candidate we need all over this country,” Sanders said.

Republicans, meanwhile, say what’s happening is no accident. They argue that Democratic leaders have let the radical wing take over out of fear. Some conservatives claim the ongoing shutdown is being used to protect party leadership from losing even more ground to the far-left base.

House Speaker Mike Johnson voiced that concern directly.

“This shutdown is nothing more than political cover for Chuck Schumer and the Democrats,” Johnson said. “They are worried about the Marxist flank in the Democrat Party. The Marxists are about to elect a mayor in New York City. That’s Chuck Schumer’s state, and he’s terrified that he’s going to get a challenge from his far left.”

Inside the Capitol, Johnson has warned that the longer Democrats allow this shift, the more their party will resemble a socialist movement instead of a political coalition. Many moderates now face pressure from both voters and activists to pick a side.

When asked if this is a defining moment for progressives, Sanders gave a simple answer.

“The platform changes every day with the changing world,” Sanders said. “It’s a tough situation.”

For many Democrats, though, the message is clear. The progressive wing isn’t waiting for permission — it’s taking over. The fundraising, the protests, and the new candidates all point to the same reality: the far left has moved from the fringe to the driver’s seat.