Our Mission
One prime way to build Syracuse DSA is through electoral work; petitioning and campaigning for candidates who run on DSA principles. DSA is not a political party but can endorse candidates running on any number of ballot lines (e.g. independent, Green, Democratic primaries). This is the age of Bernie Sanders and Alexandria Ocasio Cortez. One hundred Bernie’s! Four hundred AOCs! Now is the time for DSA to inject its platform of socialist solutions at every opportunity, on the street, in the media, and at the ballot box.
The DSA Electoral Working Group will only endorse candidates who can demonstrate a strong grasp of socialist principles and/or represent a strategic opportunity to spread DSA ideas through electoral organizing. The DSA is open to endorsing candidates at every level of government, including municipal, state, and federal (in NY State this includes cities/towns, counties, state and federal levels). Our goal is to endorse candidates who have a serious chance of winning office. Every election opportunity will be sought to share democratic socialism to working class sisters and brothers.
DSA electoral campaigns will be living, working examples of socialist democracy; promoting inclusion, the voices and thinking of all, and operating from just, wide-reaching decision making. The wisdom and energy of all active DSA campaign members will be tapped. We will resist the conventional drift toward cult of personality and authoritarian campaign structures. Candidates will swap “I believe…..”/ individual proclamations in favor of “The democratic socialist idea/ position/ platform/ belief/ argument/ outlook/ hope….. is that……” The Electoral Committee will coordinate Syracuse DSA’s support for candidates as laid out by our policy on endorsements.
While recognizing a fundamental difference between government elections and other forms of democracy, the DSA supports all forms of democratic participation. We will be willing to support socialist candidates and platforms in trade unions, worker-owned enterprises, tenant’s unions and neighborhood associations, consumer cooperatives – including credit unions and food cooperatives – and student governments.
Our Campaigns
Past Endorsements
2018
Cynthia Nixon, Governor
Jumaane Williams, Lt. Governor
2019
Misse Ross, Onondaga County legislature, District 15 (came within less than 50 votes)
Bernie Sanders 2020, US president
2020
Shadia Tadros, Syracuse City Court Judge (win!)
2021
Joe Bennett, Onondaga County legislature, District 15
Twiggy Billue, Syracuse City School District Commissioner of Education (win!)