Syracuse DSA covers Onondaga, Oneida, Madison, Cortland, Cayuga, Oswego, Jefferson, Chenango, and Lewis counties. If your district is in or covers any of these counties, please feel free to reach out to us.
Please send all questionnaires and inquiries to syracusedsa@protonmail.com!
Syracuse DSA Endorsement Policy
A top priority of Syracuse DSA members is to elect socialists to positions of political power. A key part of this process is endorsing specific candidates. The following is the set of processes and requirements of the endorsement process.
Solicitation and Voting Process
Local Races (for districts either wholly or partially within our DSA chapter territory):
- Candidates must ask for our endorsement.
- Questionnaire is submitted to candidate and the electoral committee designates 1-2 people to deal directly with the campaign.
- The electoral committee reviews the questionnaire and makes a recommendation to steering committee on whether or not to put the endorsement to a membership vote.
- The chapter steering committee votes on whether or not to put the endorsement to a membership vote.
- If the vote is a simple majority, the steering committee decides by consensus whether or not to make this an online our in-person meeting vote among the membership.
- Assuming a quorum exists, a simple majority in the membership vote means endorsement.
State/National Races:
- Candidates are reviewed, discussed and voted on by the electoral committee to submit nominations for endorsement to the steering committee.
- A questionnaire may be submitted to these candidates, but there should be lighter expectations on whether or not a response is required.
- The steering committee discusses and debates nominations, voting on whether or not to put the endorsement to a membership vote.
- If the vote is a simple majority, the steering committee decides by consensus whether or not to make this an online our in-person meeting vote among the membership.
- Assuming a quorum exists, a simple majority in the membership vote means endorsement.
Requirements of Candidates Seeking Endorsement
Candidates seeking the endorsement of Syracuse DSA must meet the following criteria:
- The candidate must understand they are encouraged to become a dues paying member of DSA.
- Local candidates must provide a personal statement and answer a questionnaire detailing their policy priorities and disclosing any conflicts of interest with the priorities of the Syracuse chapter and the national organization
- Candidates must be running to win, not just to make a point
Given endorsement by the Syracuse chapter, local candidates may also seek endorsement from the national Democratic Socialists of America organization. The following are criteria put forth by the national organization that candidates must meet in order to be endorsed:
- The candidate must be running as an open socialist
- The candidate must be running to win, not just make a point
- The candidate must be endorsed by their local chapter
When Syracuse DSA has endorsed a candidate, the chapter will provide the following support to that candidate’s campaign:
- Syracuse DSA will aid the candidate in seeking endorsement from the national organization if the candidate chooses to seek it
- Syracuse DSA will create a campaign in which members will carry petitions, phone bank, enter data, and canvass.
- Syracuse DSA will promote the candidate on its social media platforms
Candidate Questionnaire (subject to change given different campaigns and circumstances)
- Which elected office are you running for?
- Are you a dues paying member of the Democratic Socialists of America? If no, would you consider becoming one?
- Do you identify as a democratic socialist? If so, what does being a democratic socialist mean to you?
- Are you willing to run publicly as a socialist? Have you ever publicly declared yourself as a socialist? If so, where?
- Would you publicize DSA’s endorsement?
- In what ways are your values in accordance with the mission of the DSA in general and Syracuse DSA in particular? In what ways are they different?
- If elected, in what ways do you see the Syracuse DSA providing input on your political decision-making? In what ways would you make yourself accountable to a Syracuse DSA endorsement?
- Do you have any concern about Syracuse DSA values conflicting with the interests of other campaign stakeholders? If there is a conflict now or in the future, how would you manage that situation?
- Please list any other endorsements you have received and/or are seeking.
- Would you pledge not to take any campaign contributions from corporations, real estate developers, lobbyists, landlords and/or police unions? If you cannot make this pledge, are there exceptions to the list above? Are there any other specific groups or sectors from whom you would refuse all contributions?
- If you have held political office, please list all offices held and terms served. Please list actions taken or legislation put forth that aligns with democratic socialist politics and service to marginalized or underserved groups.
- If elected, what are your top 3 priorities?
- What additional support or kinds of material support, if any, are you looking for as a part of an endorsement by Syracuse DSA?
- To the best of your knowledge, do you have investments in companies that conflict with DSA values?