These democratic voters are battling over what their party stands for

Democratic socialist candidates, including Claire Valdez in Brooklyn, are defeating establishment-backed incumbents in primaries, powered by voters drawn to populist policies like universal healthcare.

Michigan state Rep. Donavan McKinney is challenging U.S. Rep. Shri Thanedar in Detroit's Democratic primary, with the election scheduled for August.

Centrist Democrats like Rep. Josh Gottheimer (D., N.J.) fear the party's leftward shift could alienate independent voters and doom the party in future elections.

Voter Christine McClellan, 72, supports McKinney because he wants to end American wars overseas, citing her nephew's deployment amid the Israel-Hamas conflict and the U.S. war with Iran.