Susie Lee and Adam Gray Among Just 15 Democrats to Sign ‘Not Socialist’ Pledge

Democrats have reached the self-parody stage of their socialist meltdown. Rep. Susie Lee (D-NV), Rep. Adam Gray (D-CA), and just a handful of colleagues felt compelled to sign a “Promise to America” pledge declaring “We are capitalist, not socialist”— even as the vast majority of their party steers hard left. 

Out of more than 200 House Democrats, only about 15 members and candidates have signed the document, underscoring how rare these so-called moderates are within their own caucus. 

Lee, who represents the competitive NV-03 district in Las Vegas, and Gray, a Central Valley Democrat who narrowly flipped a Republican-held seat, joined the tiny group in an apparent effort to distance themselves from the party’s radical, communist elements ahead of what is expected to be a tough midterm election.

But no meaningless press-release pledge can erase their records of alignment with the far left. Lee has voted in lockstep with socialist Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez 88% of the time. Adam Gray? 79% of the time. 

The National Republican Congressional Committee (NRCC) fired back sharply:  

“Susie Lee and Adam Gray’s fake pledge is worth less than the paper it’s printed on. Their pathetic pledge won’t hide the truth: Lee and Gray are just rubber stamps for the Democrats’ socialist agenda,” said NRCC Spokesman Christian Martinez.  

The “Promise to America” initiative calls for “growth, competition, and broad prosperity,” “fiscal discipline,” and “confident patriotism.” Yet Lee’s dismal 6% Heritage Action score for the 118th Congress and consistent support for expansive government spending, Green New Deal-style policies, and progressive priorities reveal the disconnect.

As the Globe has documented, Gray has voted for over $14 billion in higher taxes and fees at a time when Californians are fleeing the state due to crushing costs of living due to expanded government, bureaucracy, regulations, rampant fraud and fiscal malfeasance. 

This paltry turnout, roughly 7% of House Democrats, reveals a party deeply entrenched in socialist-leaning policies, where even mild affirmations of capitalism are treated as controversial. The effort, co-led by Gray and Rep. Tom Suozzi, follows recent primary successes by democratic socialists. 

Lee’s and Gray’s districts remain key battlegrounds. Voters continue to grapple with inflation, Biden’s border chaos, related crime, and the economic fallout from progressive governance in their respective legislatures. 

In such an environment, a symbolic signature from just 15 Democrats out of hundreds does little to reassure constituents that their representatives aren’t fully aligned with the AOC wing of the party.

As the NRCC noted, actions in Congress, not carefully worded pledges, define priorities. Democrats’ desperate need to publicly affirm basic American principles signals a party in deep ideological crisis, the result of a far-left hijacking of their own making.