America has never been short on radicals, firebrands, and unapologetic left-wing crusaders.
From socialists who shook the establishment to senators who dragged the Overton window left by sheer force of will, these figures left their mark by demanding more than polite reform.
Here’s a tour through the politicians who pushed hardest against America’s conservative current.
Eugene Debs
The five-time presidential candidate for the Socialist Party, Debs became the voice of labor, railing against corporate power and war. From prison, he still pulled nearly a million votes in 1920.
Huey Long
Louisiana’s populist governor and senator, Long promised to “Share Our Wealth” by taxing the rich and funding programs for the poor. Charismatic, corrupt, and impossible to ignore.
Bernie Sanders
The longest-serving independent in congressional history, Sanders made democratic socialism mainstream, forcing Medicare for All, tuition-free college, and wealth taxes into the national debate.
The youngest woman ever elected to Congress, AOC stormed Washington with the Green New Deal, climate justice rhetoric, and a relentless social media presence.
Bella Abzug
With her trademark hats and louder voice, the New York congresswoman fought unapologetically for women’s rights, LGBTQ rights, and antiwar activism in the 1970s.
Dennis Kucinich
The Ohio congressman opposed the Iraq War from day one, championed single-payer health care long before it was fashionable, and even called for a Department of Peace.
Paul Wellstone
The progressive senator from Minnesota blended populist fire with Midwestern decency, voting against the Iraq War and standing up for unions, mental health parity, and family farms.
Shirley Chisholm
The first Black woman in Congress and the first Black major-party presidential candidate, Chisholm ran on being “unbought and unbossed,” demanding equity decades before it was mainstream.
Henry Wallace
FDR’s vice president turned Progressive Party presidential candidate in 1948, Wallace called for universal health care, desegregation, and peaceful coexistence with the Soviet Union.
Ilhan Omar
Part of the Squad, Omar’s unapologetic left stance on foreign policy, housing, and wealth redistribution keeps her both beloved and vilified.
