Electoral Politics Committee
The Electoral Politics Committee of DSA-LA exists to help the chapter gain the power and knowledge necessary to work towards and realize its various goals using the existing power of the state as channeled through elected office.
There are many ways to build power and challenge the status quo– and electoral work surely has its limitation— but a reality in this country is that many people understand and conceptualize power through electoral politics. Given this reality, DSA-LA sees electoral organizing as a key strategy for us as socialists to elect our own representatives and pressure other elected officials at all levels of local government to be accountable to working people.
In taking on this work, it’s been astounding to see how much socialists have contributed to shifting the political discourse in recent years. Just two presidential election cycles ago, it would have been shocking to call yourself a socialist or to advocate for radical ideas like single payer healthcare, liveable wages, and not destroying our planet. In March of 2020, Bernie Sanders won LA County by a landslide while running on a platform that committed to housing for all, expansion of social security, elimination of medical debt, workplace democracy, and other policies that prioritize the workers of this country. Nine months later, Nithya Raman and Konstantine Anthony– two candidates endorsed and campaigned for by DSA-LA– won more votes than any candidate prior for their respective city council seats, while also advocating for similar class struggle politics for the benefit of the working class.
The Electoral Politics Committee of DSA-LA continues to boost candidates and policies that fight for and inspire working class people, bringing more and more working people into our movement. Electoral politics is not the only strategy for a transition from racial capitalism to socialism, but it is an entry point through which we organize together for a better world.
Links
Candidate Questionnaire – Google Docs version
Learn more about our candidate and ballot measure endorsement process
Learn more about our Neighborhood Council project
Read about our framework and process for building the Democratic Socialist Program for Los Angeles