In Favor of Class Struggle Elections Priority Campaign

I want to thank Jamie and the Electoral Committee for putting together this priority campaign proposal. Running our own organic DSA candidates would mean that tens of thousands of East Bay workers will be actively considering our ideas and our proposals, and weighing them up against what’s on offer by the establishment.

From the pandemic to jobs, housing, gentrification, and police brutality, the status quo is a disaster for working people, and as socialists we can provide an inspiring lead in a dramatically different direction. This can start by running distinct and exciting socialist campaigns, and it doesn’t end on election day. The idea to build a DSA in Office team is a great idea, and I think we should use that to take further steps towards democratic control in how we use our elected positions.

Surrounded by representatives of the ruling class, the pressure on socialists in office is enormous. Only when backed up by a movement will our working class representatives be able to withstand and expose the backroom dealing and the corporate machine in the halls of power. Ultimately, what our class is able to win in city halls, school boards, and assembly is based primarily on the size, breadth, and political clarity of the movements that have been built up outside the state. DSA can be the political backbone for these candidates by organizing working people in the East Bay for the campaigns that our candidates are also fighting for.

For the best shot at winning these elections and winning concrete victories out of them, I think we should consider running a slate of DSA candidates with a shared platform. The central planks, whether we decide they should be aimed against police brutality or for social housing or something else, can become a discussion in homes and workplaces across the East Bay if we focus our energy and take a serious approach towards campaigning. This resolution represents a concrete step towards building working class political independence, and I encourage comrades to support it!