Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, D-N.Y., campaigns for Democratic presidential candidate Sen. Bernie Sanders, I-Vt., on the campus of Iowa Western Community College in Council Bluffs, Iowa, Friday, Nov. 8, 2019. (AP Photo/Nati Harnik)

The left is currently embroiled in a civil war of sorts, one that will decide the direction of the Democratic Party in the near future. The clash between the far-left progressive crowd and the moderate wing of the party has ripped the left apart and it appears that the battle will get even bloodier in 2020. The victor will determine what the Democratic Party will become: A far-left party cascading towards the Marxism of Bernie Sanders, or a moderate party more closely resembling former President Barack Obama. 

An organization known as the Sunrise Movement announced that they are targeting Democratic members of Congress they deem to be too moderate. The group, which helped to promote Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez’s (D-NY) Green New Deal, is pursuing a similar mission to that of the Justice Democrats, the PAC that essentially created AOC. 

The first lawmaker on the chopping block is Rep. Bobby Rush (D-IL), who has represented the state’s first district since 1993.  The group is supporting Robert Emmons Jr., a young up-and-coming politician who supports the “free everything” platform of the progressive left. 

Rep. Daniel Lipinski (D-IL) who represents the third district, is the second target. The Sunrise Movement is pushing Marie Newman, another “free stuff” champion and a proponent of the Green New Deal. This will be her second time trying to unseat the incumbent. 

The Sunrise Movement’s efforts are not limited to Illinois. They are also targeting Rep. Joyce Beatty (D-OH) in Ohio’s third district. They are backing Morgan Harper, who also supports all of the far-left’s socialistic policies. 

Evan Weber, the political director for the Sunrise Movement lashed out at the incumbents for their failure to address the issue of climate change. He stated that voters are seeking a “new way of doing things” in D.C. He said:

“These insurgent campaigns are a clear indicator of the appetite for an entire new way of doing things, and a restructuring of our society under a populist agenda that guarantees things like living wage jobs, affordable and safe housing, universal clean air and water, and Medicare for All — all policies which we see bundled into the Green New Deal framework.”

The conflict happening on the left is not a small matter; it is something that will determine what the Democratic Party will look like after the 2020 election. The result of the election will serve as a sign of what the conservative movement will be dealing with going forward. The right — and some on the left — are locked in a pitched battle with a socialist left that is aggressively working to normalize their far-left ideas in American society. 

The result of the 2020 elections will show us just how far left the party is going. But it will also tell us what rank-and-file Democrats want in terms of government. Do they favor moderation? Or a deeper descent into socialism? Either way, the nation will find out in less than a year. 

Correction: The original article indicated that Rep. Lipinski supported censure of President Donald Trump over his phone call with Ukrainian President Zelensky. This is not the case and the article has been updated.

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