The American left is making strides. But can they win in November?

‘The left has been battle-tested in primaries against moderate candidates ... But a general election in a swing state is a different and less hospitable terrain. Photograph: Rebecca Cook/Reuters

The ideological struggle within the Democratic party continued on Tuesday night with primaries in Kansas, Michigan, Missouri, Virginia and Washington. The results showed an increasingly intense conflict within the party, with high Democratic primary turnout and bruising ideological battles up and down the ballot.

The Democratic electorate is shifting, becoming more progressive and more willing to challenge party leadership, but not as quickly or uniformly as many assumed.