Candidate Statement: Jess B. - At Large

Comrades—

As I write this, at least 60,000 people in this country have died from Covid-19, jobless claims since mid-March have topped 30 million, and Wall Street is closing out its best month since 1987—capitalism stands in the way of justice and our very survival. Since Super Tuesday, we have tumbled into a crisis with little precedent in American history, but although the conditions of political struggle have been upended, and the trappings of our work will change, our core tactic remains. We will organize like hell, or lose.

I am running for SC to build our chapter into a fighting, mass-membership organization with deep East Bay roots, from Hayward to Richmond. Tenants and frontline workers are waging historic campaigns for safety and dignity; we should support and cohere these organic struggles through rank-and-file participation and coalition-building. As we do so, we need to actively recruit and empower new members—especially our working-class and immigrant neighbors. In particular, this means training new comrades, not just the most ambitious or outspoken, to become chapter leaders, media spokespeople, and political candidates. Finally, we should learn from our Bernie campaign: elections are arenas of mass political experience, and we should use them to agitate for our political vision, grow our membership, and elect socialists.

I came to EBDSA to walk the line with OEA, and stayed because I was actively organized into our Bernie campaign. With the Events Team, I planned fundraisers, happy hours, and watch parties; I helped to strategize our GOTV effort, and built strong relationships on doorsteps and BART platforms. I copy-edit for Majority, am a rank and file member of UAW 2865, and organize with my neighbors against our monstrous landlord. I’m running on the Organize for Power slate and would be delighted to have your vote.

No surrender!