Socialists in Your ‘Hood: List of 44 DSA-Endorsed Candidates for Nov. 5 Local Elections

Democratic Socialists of America march in downtown Berkeley, Calif., on Aug. 5, 2018. (Amy Osborne/AFP/Getty Images)

The United States’ largest Marxist organization, the 56,000-member Democratic Socialists of America (DSA), is running at least 44 endorsed candidates in 20 states for the Nov. 5 local elections.

Most are running as Democrats, but some are nonpartisan or independent. While most will fail, the DSA will use their campaigns to recruit more members and spread their message. Those who succeed will join dozens of comrades already in office across the country in funneling taxpayers’ money into socialist projects, employing their comrades, and spreading socialist propaganda with the prestige of their elected office.

It must be remembered that the DSA is an alliance of organizations, which includes several pro-China groups such as the Communist Party USA, Liberation Road, and Committees of Correspondence for Democracy and Socialism. The DSA also incorporates Stalinists from the League of Revolutionaries for a New America and Trotskyists from Solidarity and the recently defunct International Socialist Organization.

The DSA has close ties to several European and Latin American Marxist-Leninist parties and, despite its constant denials, is a de facto communist party.

Not every candidate on DSA’s endorsement list is a DSA comrade—some are members of sympathizing groups such as Liberation Road or Socialist Alternative. All, however, are definitely socialist and have been extensively vetted by the DSA to ensure their purity of thought. If the past is any guide, many non-DSA candidates will formally join the DSA during their campaign, or after their electoral victory.

In several cities, the DSA has more than a thousand members. Every DSA-endorsed candidate can expect dozens or even hundreds of DSA volunteers to hold campaign office, to door-knock, to phone-bank, and to donate. After the primaries are settled, candidates in key winnable races may even expect nationwide DSA support.

This is exactly how 29-year-old bartender Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez beat the fourth-ranked Democrat in the House of Representatives, and first-time candidate comrade Lee J. Carter beat the senior Republican in the Virginia state legislature. In many races, a DSA endorsement can greatly improve one’s chances of victory.

DSA-endorsed comrades standing in your neighborhood this Nov. 5 include the following:

California

Dean Preston for San Francisco Board of Supervisors District 5. Member of San Francisco DSA.

Colorado

Junie Joseph for Boulder City Council.
Juan Marcano for Aurora City Council Ward 4. Member of Denver DSA.
Radhika Nath for Denver School Board District 1. Member of Denver DSA.
Julie Banuelos for Denver School Board District 5. Member of Denver DSA.

Connecticut

Darnell Ford for Middletown Common Council.

Georgia

Andrea Cervone for Clarkston City Council.

Iowa

Chelsea Chism Vargas for Des Moines City Council Ward 4. Member of Central Iowa DSA.

Kansas

Joey Hentzler for Lawrence City Commission.

Kentucky

Shameka Parrish-Wright for Jefferson County School Board District 4.

Massachusetts

Jivan Sobrinho-Wheeler for Cambridge City Council. Member of Boston DSA.
Ben Simon for Cambridge City Council.
Curtis Tuden for Medford City Council. Member of Boston DSA.

Michigan

Brian Stawowy for Ferndale Mayor. Member of Detroit DSA.
Nada Daher for Ferndale City Council. Member of Detroit DSA.
Kat Bruner James for Ferndale City Council. Member of Detroit DSA.
Sara Habbo for Southfield City Council.
Mike McDermott for Westfield City Council. Member of Detroit DSA.
Evan Dalley for Traverse City Commission. Member of Northern Michigan DSA.

Montana

Randy Heinz for Billings City Council District 2. Member of Billings DSA.

New York

Tara Gaston for Saratoga Springs Supervisor.

Ohio

Liliana Rivera Baiman for Columbus City Council At-Large. Member of Columbus DSA.
McCray Powell for Nelsonville City Council. Member of Athens Revolutionary Socialists—a spin-off of the International Socialist Organization.
Ellie Hamrick for Athens City Council. Member of Athens Revolutionary Socialists.
Damon Krane for Athens Mayor. Member of Southeast Ohio DSA.

Pennsylvania

Connor O’Hanlon for Doylestown Supervisor. Member of BuxMont DSA.
Marisa Ziegler for Parkland School Board.
Kendra Brooks for Philadelphia City Council At-Large.
Nicolas O’Rourke for Philadelphia City Council At-Large.
Randall Taylor for Pittsburgh City Council District 9.
Darnika Reed for Woodland Hills School Board Director.

Tennessee

Charles Al-Bawi for Knoxville City Council District 5.
Amelia Parker for Knoxville City Council At-Large Seat C. Member of Knoxville DSA.
David Hayes for Knoxville City Council At-Large Seat B. Member of Liberation Road.
Michalyn Easter-Thomas for Memphis City Council District 7.

Texas

Ashton P. Woods for Houston City Council Position 5. Member of Houston DSA.
Rob Block for State House District 148. Member of Houston DSA.

Virginia

Nicholas Da Silva for Richmond City Council District 5. Member of Richmond DSA.
Jeff Staples for State Senate District 5. Member of Tidewater DSA.
Michael Payne for Charlottesville City Council. Member of Charlottesville DSA.

Washington

Shaun Scott for Seattle City Council District 4. Member of Seattle DSA.
Kshama Sawant for Seattle City Council District 3. Member of Socialist Alternative.
Chanan Suarez for Bellingham City Council Ward 5. Member of Whatcom DSA.

Wisconsin

Alex Brower for Milwaukee Comptroller. Member of Milwaukee DSA.

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What started as a trickle in 2016 and grew to a small stream in 2018 could become a river in 2020 and a torrent beyond. By allowing “communists” to stand on its ballot-line, the Democratic Party is effectively committing a form of electoral fraud.

Unfortunately, most American voters have no idea they are voting for a DSA comrade posing as a Democrat. They have even less understanding that the nice “socialist” or “Liberal Democrat” they think they are voting for is, in fact, a “small c” communist—maybe even a Trotskyist, pro-China Maoist, or an unrepentant Stalinist.

There’s virtually no “mainstream media” coverage of what should be a major scandal.

Why is that, do you think?