Why even moderate Democrats are moving left and changing what it means to be centrist

Betsy Rader’s political agenda includes a check-list of liberal priorities: She unequivocally supports abortion rights, believes in universal health care, talks forcefully about the importance of gay rights, and — per an aide — is “incredibly dismayed” by President Trump’s immigration policy.

So is this House candidate from Ohio considered a progressive Democrat? By her party’s new standards, maybe not anymore.

A wave of liberal candidates running for office since Donald Trump’s election has pushed the Democratic Party to the left, a shift that — culminating Thursday with the year’s final primary in New York — has changed what it means to be a centrist, or progressive, member of the party.

Gone are the moderate Democrats of yesteryear who opposed abortion rights, talked about border crackdowns or supported a Balanced Budget Amendment. Instead, candidates who believe in a litany of unapologetically progressive positions — especially on social issues — are now the norm, even in battleground districts with a recent history of backing Republicans. (Rader’s district, for example, backed Donald Trump by more than 11 points in 2016.)

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