Chinese-Born Candidate Warns: Socialist Surge Could Open Doors for Beijing in Washington

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A Rematch With a Personal Message

New Hampshire's 2nd Congressional District will see a rematch on November 3. Republican Lily Tang Williams is challenging Democratic Rep. Maggie Goodlander, who beat her in 2024.

Williams won her party's primary in September with a large lead over her rivals. In her 2024 run, she took about 47 percent of the vote in a district that leans Democratic.

Williams was born in China and often speaks about her family's life under communist rule. According to Fox News, she left the country after the 1989 Tiananmen Square massacre, when the army crushed pro-democracy protests in Beijing.

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"The Country I Left"

In an interview with Fox News Digital, Williams said she fears the United States is drifting toward the system she fled. She believes Beijing would be pleased to see Democrats win both chambers of Congress.

Her reasoning is that the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) looks for weakness in rival nations. She also claims Democratic positions on border security, policing and property rights would make that easier.

These are her views, and Democrats would dispute them. Goodlander, the Democratic Socialists of America (DSA) and the Democratic Party did not respond to Fox's requests for comment.

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The DSA Trips to China

Williams pointed to trips by members of the DSA to China. She said more than a dozen senior members took part and that the trips were meant to produce favorable coverage of the Chinese regime. The DSA is the largest socialist organization in the United States.

Reporting by Newsweek offers some support for the concern. Leaked DSA meeting notes show that activists discussed building ties with the CCP and planning a "two-week itinerary" for visits. During an August 2025 trip to Guizhou province, participants were hosted at a Communist Party school, according to the reporting.

The same reporting adds an important caveat. New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani, who is close to the DSA, did not personally attend the relevant meetings.

The Chinese embassy described such contacts as ordinary local exchanges.

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Border Security and Classified Information

Williams also raised two security concerns. First, she argues that looser immigration enforcement could make it easier for Chinese intelligence operatives to enter the country.

Second, she worries about lawmakers who sympathize with Marxist ideas. She says they could gain access to classified information once they sit on congressional committees.

She also said her opponent has refused to condemn Marxism or figures such as Mamdani when asked. Williams says moderate Democrats may increasingly follow the party's left wing.

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Socialism's Rising Popularity

The warning comes at a notable moment. A Gallup poll released in September found that 43 percent of Americans view socialism positively. That is the highest figure since the pollster began asking in 2010.

Support is strongest among adults aged 18 to 34. The latest increase came mainly from independent voters. Capitalism still has a higher approval rating, at 55 percent.

The numbers are read in different ways. Critics of socialism see a warning sign. Third Way, a centrist Democratic think tank, argues that the poll reflects frustration with the economy rather than a real embrace of socialism.

Axios reported that some congressional Republicans have been warned that the word "socialism" is not a strong attack line. House Republican Conference Chair Lisa McClain said that fear of "communism" resonates more with voters.

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What Comes Next

The district has not been held by a Republican in more than a decade. Observers regard it as leaning Democratic, especially in the current political climate.

Whether Williams' warnings will move voters is an open question. What is clear is that China policy and the role of socialism have become central themes in this year's midterm campaigns.

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Sources

1. Fox News – "China exile-turned-GOP nominee warns socialist surge could give Beijing greater influence in Washington": https://www.foxnews.com/politics/china-exile-turned-gop-nominee-warns-socialist-surge-could-give-beijing-greater-influence-washington
2. The Boston Globe – "Maggie Goodlander, Lily Tang Williams projected to win N.H.'s Second Congressional District primaries": https://www.bostonglobe.com/2026/09/08/metro/nh-primary-goodlander-tang-williams-second-congressional-district/
3. New Hampshire Bulletin (States Newsroom) – "Goodlander, Williams rematch set in 2nd Congressional District": https://www.newsfromthestates.com/node/426698
4. Bitter Winter – "Mamdani's Dangerous Liaisons with Beijing" (summarizing the Newsweek investigation): https://bitterwinter.org/mamdanis-dangerous-liaisons-with-beijing/
5. Axios – "Socialism opinion polls midterms" (Gallup poll coverage): https://www.axios.com/2026/09/24/socialism-opinion-polls-midterms
6. Fortune – "Americans rebel against Trump's red-baiting, sending socialism to a record high in opinion polling": https://fortune.com/2026/10/02/americans-view-socialism-favorably-trump-taxpayer-ads-jd-vance-affordability/

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