{"id":1052,"date":"2020-12-04T17:00:00","date_gmt":"2020-12-04T17:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.radiofree.org\/?p=132587"},"modified":"2020-12-04T17:00:00","modified_gmt":"2020-12-04T17:00:00","slug":"after-sweeping-statewide-races-dsa-aims-to-put-a-socialist-caucus-on-new-yorks-city-council-through-democratic-grassroots-powered-campaigns-and-an-army-of-volunteers-socialists-a","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/radiofree.asia\/2020\/12\/04\/after-sweeping-statewide-races-dsa-aims-to-put-a-socialist-caucus-on-new-yorks-city-council-through-democratic-grassroots-powered-campaigns-and-an-army-of-volunteers-socialists-a\/","title":{"rendered":"After Sweeping Statewide Races, DSA Aims to Put a Socialist Caucus on New York\u2019s City Council \u2013 Through democratic, grassroots-powered campaigns and an army of volunteers, socialists are flexing their muscle to bring a left-wing policy agenda to New York City."},"content":{"rendered":"
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On Jan\u00adu\u00adary 9<\/span>, ten\u00adant orga\u00adniz\u00ader Michael Hollingsworth joined a human chain block\u00ading bull\u00addoz\u00aders from enter\u00ading a work\u00adsite in Brooklyn\u2019s Crown Heights neigh\u00adbor\u00adhood. The pre\u00advi\u00adous spring, a judge in a rezon\u00ading suit had issued a tem\u00adpo\u00adrary restrain\u00ading order on con\u00adstruc\u00adtion, but real estate devel\u00adop\u00aders had ignored it. New York City police offi\u00adcers present at the site also refused to rec\u00adog\u00adnize the judge\u2019s order and arrest\u00aded Hollingsworth and his fel\u00adlow orga\u00adniz\u00aders who formed the blockade. <\/p>\n

Hollingsworth links the ordeal to bad deci\u00adsions made by his City Coun\u00adcil rep\u00adre\u00adsen\u00adta\u00adtive, Lau\u00adrie Cum\u00adbo. Cum\u00adbo, who vot\u00aded in favor of the rezon\u00ading and is named in the law\u00adsuit, is one of 35<\/span> New York City Coun\u00adcil mem\u00adbers whose seats will become \u200b\u201c<\/span>open\u201d next year as incum\u00adbents face term lim\u00adits, out of the 51<\/span>-mem\u00adber Coun\u00adcil. \u200b\u201c<\/span>We had to sue her because she nev\u00ader engaged with the com\u00admu\u00adni\u00adty in terms of what we want\u00aded for rezon\u00ading,\u201d Hollingsworth says. After his arrest, Hollingsworth wrote to his ten\u00adant union, say\u00ading \u200b\u201c<\/span>that emp\u00adty City Coun\u00adcil seat in 2021<\/span> is start\u00ading to look real\u00adly good.\u201d <\/p>\n

On Novem\u00adber 14<\/span>, the New York City chap\u00adter of the Demo\u00adc\u00adra\u00adt\u00adic Social\u00adists of Amer\u00adi\u00adca (DSA) endorsed Hollingsworth and five oth\u00ader social\u00adists run\u00adning for City Coun\u00adcil: Adol\u00adfo Abreu, Alexa Avil\u00e9s, Tiffany Cab\u00e1n, Bran\u00addon West and Jaslin Kaur. The endorse\u00adment announce\u00adment came less than two weeks after the Novem\u00adber gen\u00ader\u00adal elec\u00adtion, which saw all of NYC-DSA\u2019s endorsed can\u00addi\u00addates on the bal\u00adlot\u2009\u2014\u2009for seats rang\u00ading from state sen\u00adate to the House of Rep\u00adre\u00adsen\u00adta\u00adtives\u2009\u2014\u2009win their races. <\/p>\n

With the major\u00adi\u00adty of seats com\u00ading open on the New York City Coun\u00adcil, at least 300<\/span> can\u00addi\u00addates have already thrown their hats in the ring. All of NYC-DSA\u2019s endorsed can\u00addi\u00addates will be run\u00adning for open seats, with the pri\u00adma\u00adry elec\u00adtion slat\u00aded for June 22<\/span>, 2021<\/span>. This will also mark the first elec\u00adtion to use ranked-choice vot\u00ading since the demo\u00adc\u00adra\u00adt\u00adic reform was adopt\u00aded as a bal\u00adlot mea\u00adsure in 2019<\/span>. <\/p>\n

Should the DSA slate be vot\u00aded in, can\u00addi\u00addates have sig\u00adnaled they intend to form a social\u00adist cau\u00adcus on the City Coun\u00adcil. Accord\u00ading to DSA orga\u00adniz\u00aders, this cau\u00adcus could work in coali\u00adtion with oth\u00ader pro\u00adgres\u00adsives to form a large enough bloc to bring sig\u00adnif\u00adi\u00adcant changes to the body, from choos\u00ading the next Speak\u00ader of the Coun\u00adcil to pass\u00ading a bud\u00adget that pri\u00ador\u00adi\u00adtizes work\u00ading people. <\/p>\n

NYC-DSA, with a mem\u00adber\u00adship cur\u00adrent\u00adly num\u00adber\u00ading over 5<\/span>,800<\/span>, has made sig\u00adnif\u00adi\u00adcant inroads into local gov\u00adern\u00adment since Rep. Alexan\u00addria Oca\u00adsio-Cortez won her his\u00adtoric pri\u00adma\u00adry in 2018<\/span>. But it wasn\u2019t until the orga\u00adni\u00adza\u00adtion swept<\/a> in its endorsed state races this year that its local\u00adly endorsed can\u00addi\u00addates came to be viewed as poten\u00adtial fron\u00adtrun\u00adners. The Novem\u00adber elec\u00adtion saw Jabari Brisport win a seat in the New York State Sen\u00adate (where he joins DSA-endorsee Julia Salazar), while DSA-backed Phara Souf\u00adfrant For\u00adrest, Marcela Mitaynes and Zohran Mam\u00addani were elect\u00aded to the State Assembly.<\/p>\n

DSA\u2019s win\u00adning strat\u00ade\u00adgy, accord\u00ading to its Nation\u00adal Elec\u00adtoral Committee\u2019s strat\u00ade\u00adgy doc\u00adu\u00adment<\/a>, includes devel\u00adop\u00ading its own can\u00addi\u00addates and build\u00ading out a cam\u00adpaign infra\u00adstruc\u00adture that is demo\u00adc\u00adra\u00adt\u00adi\u00adcal\u00adly con\u00adtrolled by mem\u00adber\u00adship. Accord\u00ading to DSA, this mod\u00adel allows the orga\u00adni\u00adza\u00adtion to stand up to the Demo\u00adc\u00adra\u00adt\u00adic Par\u00adty estab\u00adlish\u00adment by devel\u00adop\u00ading its own pow\u00ader base\u2009\u2014\u2009one that includes data col\u00adlec\u00adtion, fundrais\u00ading and field\u00adwork, with a vol\u00adun\u00adteer can\u00advass\u00ading army in the thou\u00adsands. The aim is to have can\u00addi\u00addates rely on DSA, instead of the cor\u00adpo\u00adrate Demo\u00adc\u00adra\u00adt\u00adic machine, for cam\u00adpaign support. <\/p>\n

As local New York pol\u00adi\u00adtics have moved left in recent years, many can\u00addi\u00addates now run on pro\u00adgres\u00adsive plat\u00adforms, but only a select few earn access to DSA\u2019s resources. Lean\u00adna Ballester, a DSA orga\u00adniz\u00ader who was involved in can\u00addi\u00addate selec\u00adtion for the 2021<\/span> races (and serves as cam\u00adpaign man\u00adag\u00ader for DSA-endorsed City Coun\u00adcil can\u00addi\u00addate Bran\u00addon West), says the process includ\u00aded in-depth can\u00addi\u00addate inter\u00adviews, ques\u00adtion\u00adnaires and research on dis\u00adtrict demo\u00adgraph\u00adics. After weeks of assess\u00adment, can\u00addi\u00addates were select\u00aded and pre\u00adsent\u00aded at can\u00addi\u00addate forums and then, in Octo\u00adber, vot\u00aded on by the mem\u00adber\u00adship at geo\u00adgraph\u00adic branch loca\u00adtions. Final\u00adly, this demo\u00adc\u00adra\u00adt\u00adic process was rat\u00adi\u00adfied by an elect\u00aded rep\u00adre\u00adsen\u00adta\u00adtive body known as the City\u00adwide Lead\u00ader\u00adship Com\u00admit\u00adtee. Out of over 50<\/span> indi\u00advid\u00adu\u00adals who sought the group\u2019s endorse\u00adment, just six received it. This \u200b\u201c<\/span>long demo\u00adc\u00adra\u00adt\u00adic process gets us to can\u00addi\u00addates that the mem\u00adber\u00adship has bought into and is real\u00adly excit\u00aded about,\u201d Ballester says. <\/p>\n

With meet\u00adings moved to Zoom dur\u00ading the pan\u00addem\u00adic, hun\u00addreds of mem\u00adbers were able to attend the DSA can\u00addi\u00addate forums. Atten\u00addees were giv\u00aden the oppor\u00adtu\u00adni\u00adty to speak and to ques\u00adtion poten\u00adtial can\u00addi\u00addates, with more well-known DSA mem\u00adbers such as for\u00admer New York guber\u00adna\u00adto\u00adr\u00adi\u00adal can\u00addi\u00addate Cyn\u00adthia Nixon and Women\u2019s March co-chair Lin\u00adda Sar\u00adsour, as well as cur\u00adrent elect\u00aded office hold\u00aders, wait\u00ading their turn to speak along\u00adside rank-and-file members. <\/p>\n

The can\u00addi\u00addates select\u00aded from this process run the gamut of left-wing orga\u00adniz\u00ading in New York City. Like Michael Hollingsworth, Alexa Avil\u00e9s in Brook\u00adlyn and Adol\u00adfo Abreu in the Bronx have back\u00adgrounds in hous\u00ading jus\u00adtice orga\u00adniz\u00ading\u2009\u2014\u2009a high pri\u00ador\u00adi\u00adty for the slate giv\u00aden the high rents and hous\u00ading short\u00adage in New York City. Jaslin Kaur, 24<\/span>, is an orga\u00adniz\u00ader in Queens who has advo\u00adcat\u00aded against gen\u00adder dis\u00adcrim\u00adi\u00adna\u00adtion in schools. Bran\u00addon West is a cam\u00adpaign man\u00adag\u00ader at the Cen\u00adter for Pop\u00adu\u00adlar Democ\u00adra\u00adcy and an orga\u00adniz\u00ader in DSA\u2019s Afroso\u00adcial\u00adist Cau\u00adcus. Tiffany Cab\u00e1n, prob\u00ada\u00adbly the most well-known mem\u00adber of the slate, was a pub\u00adlic defend\u00ader who ran for Queens Dis\u00adtrict Attor\u00adney in 2019<\/span> on a decarcer\u00adal plat\u00adform and came with\u00adin a hair\u2019s breadth of victory. <\/p>\n

Can\u00addi\u00addates from such dif\u00adfer\u00adent cor\u00adners of left-wing orga\u00adniz\u00ading could poten\u00adtial\u00adly bring large coali\u00adtions togeth\u00ader around their plat\u00adforms. For Jaslin Kaur, this coali\u00adtion devel\u00adop\u00adment will be a vital part of her work on the Coun\u00adcil if she wins her race in East Queens. In her juris\u00addic\u00adtion, she plans on using her campaign\u2019s \u200b\u201c<\/span>rela\u00adtion\u00adal orga\u00adniz\u00ading<\/a>\u201d\u2009\u2014\u2009which facil\u00adi\u00adtates out\u00adreach between friends and neigh\u00adbors\u2009\u2014\u2009to con\u00adtin\u00adue cam\u00adpaign\u00ading \u200b\u201c<\/span>beyond just the bal\u00adlot.\u201d In order to build demo\u00adc\u00adra\u00adt\u00adic social\u00adism through the City Coun\u00adcil, Kaur says the slate \u200b\u201c<\/span>will need to expand the elec\u00adtorate, build out a DSA mem\u00adber\u00adship, and build out social\u00adism with\u00adin our respec\u00adtive dis\u00adtricts so we can con\u00adtin\u00adue build\u00ading this orga\u00adniz\u00ading mod\u00adel and bring\u00ading peo\u00adple into these pol\u00adi\u00adcy issues.\u201d<\/p>\n

Bran\u00addon West believes that if the slate is elect\u00aded to the Coun\u00adcil, this coali\u00adtion devel\u00adop\u00adment will be key to pur\u00adsu\u00ading its pol\u00adi\u00adcy agen\u00adda. \u200b\u201c<\/span>I think the social\u00adist cau\u00adcus can be an oppor\u00adtu\u00adni\u00adty for us to set the nar\u00adra\u00adtive of what real change is,\u201d he says. West believes that one of the ways they can accom\u00adplish this is through work\u00ading with left-wing unions in the city that \u200b\u201c<\/span>have rank-and-file folks who are push\u00ading the union lead\u00ader\u00adship in the direc\u00adtion they should go in, who are tak\u00ading the polit\u00adi\u00adcal cen\u00adter of grav\u00adi\u00adty from where it\u2019s always been.\u201d <\/p>\n

A can\u00addi\u00addate like West, who has both worked in May\u00ador de Blasio\u2019s Office of Man\u00adage\u00adment and Bud\u00adget and<\/em> helped orga\u00adnize the June occu\u00adpa\u00adtion of New York City Hall<\/a> to defund the NYPD, could help bring togeth\u00ader orga\u00adni\u00adza\u00adtions and com\u00admu\u00adni\u00adty groups that would not oth\u00ader\u00adwise be in the same spaces. A num\u00adber of the DSA-endorsed can\u00addi\u00addates boast this mul\u00adti\u00adplic\u00adi\u00adty of expe\u00adri\u00adences in which they have one foot in gov\u00ader\u00adnance or pro\u00adgres\u00adsive non\u00adprof\u00adits and the oth\u00ader in local grass\u00adroots organizing. <\/p>\n

Bian\u00adca Cun\u00adning\u00adham\u2009\u2014\u2009a for\u00admer NYC-DSA Co-Chair who also helped orga\u00adnize the June occu\u00adpa\u00adtion of City Hall\u2009\u2014\u2009attend\u00aded Bran\u00addon West\u2019s forum and encour\u00adaged the mem\u00adber\u00adship to vote for him because of his DSA bona fides. \u200b\u201c<\/span>Bran\u00addon is cadre,\u201d she said, describ\u00ading him as an active orga\u00adniz\u00ader who had been with her on the front lines of the protests.<\/p>\n

Sean Reil\u00adly, a DSA mem\u00adber and orga\u00adniz\u00ader in Brook\u00adlyn, attend\u00aded Hollingsworth\u2019s endorse\u00adment forum and sup\u00adport\u00aded his can\u00addi\u00adda\u00adcy, impressed with his work with the Crown Heights Ten\u00adant Union\u2009\u2014\u2009an orga\u00adni\u00adza\u00adtion that had helped Reil\u00adly orga\u00adnize a ten\u00adant asso\u00adci\u00ada\u00adtion in his own building. <\/p>\n

One of Hollingsworth\u2019s most vocal sup\u00adport\u00aders at his forum was DSA-endorsed Assem\u00adbly Mem\u00adber-elect Phara Souf\u00adfrant For\u00adrest<\/a>. Liv\u00ading in the same build\u00ading in Brook\u00adlyn, they helped orga\u00adnize their ten\u00adant asso\u00adci\u00ada\u00adtion together. <\/p>\n

As DSA endorsees, the City Coun\u00adcil can\u00addi\u00addates are expect\u00aded to work as a team, and to share resources. DSA orga\u00adniz\u00ader and West\u2019s cam\u00adpaign man\u00adag\u00ader Ballester says, \u200b\u201c<\/span>the strength in num\u00adbers is real\u00adly impor\u00adtant when you\u2019re work\u00ading against an estab\u00adlish\u00adment that has a lot of mon\u00adey and a lot of pow\u00ader. From an emo\u00adtion\u00adal and men\u00adtal state, it\u2019s impor\u00adtant not only for the can\u00addi\u00addates but for every\u00adbody doing the work for them. Also, we don\u2019t have to rein\u00advent the wheel because some\u00adbody had already done it and can share.\u201d<\/p>\n

With Covid-19<\/span> cas\u00ades con\u00adtin\u00adu\u00ading to rise, team orga\u00adniz\u00ading is becom\u00ading espe\u00adcial\u00adly impor\u00adtant as cam\u00adpaigns have few\u00ader oppor\u00adtu\u00adni\u00adties for door-knock\u00ading and in-per\u00adson cam\u00adpaign\u00ading. Souf\u00adfrant For\u00adrest believes that this cama\u00adraderie was essen\u00adtial to DSA\u2019s pri\u00adma\u00adry wins over the sum\u00admer. She said of her fel\u00adlow NYC-DSA slate mem\u00adbers: \u200b\u201c<\/span>We come out for each oth\u00ader. It\u2019s every\u00adthing you could imag\u00adine as an incom\u00ading leg\u00adis\u00adla\u00adtor no one wants to let you know. It\u2019s super help\u00adful to have at least four brains work\u00ading togeth\u00ader and that\u2019s what I wish for the City Coun\u00adcil too.\u201d<\/p>\n

DSA orga\u00adniz\u00aders hope that the group\u2019s elec\u00adtoral strat\u00ade\u00adgy\u2009\u2014\u2009com\u00adbin\u00ading demo\u00adc\u00adra\u00adt\u00adic buy-in with a strong infra\u00adstruc\u00adture\u2009\u2014\u2009stands as an exam\u00adple of how a social\u00adist orga\u00adni\u00adza\u00adtion can devel\u00adop stay\u00ading pow\u00ader and expand its base in the face of a pow\u00ader\u00adful Demo\u00adc\u00adra\u00adt\u00adic machine. How\u00adev\u00ader, this empha\u00adsis on elec\u00adtoral work is unique among many grass\u00adroots orga\u00adni\u00adza\u00adtions where, tra\u00addi\u00adtion\u00adal\u00adly, com\u00admu\u00adni\u00adty orga\u00adniz\u00ading pre\u00adcedes elec\u00adtoral vic\u00adto\u00adries. In New York, DSA reversed this old for\u00admu\u00adla to gain trac\u00adtion in the dis\u00adtricts where it\u2019s cur\u00adrent\u00adly build\u00ading bases of sup\u00adport. As Bran\u00addon West puts it: \u200b\u201c<\/span>It\u2019s weird that this has been invert\u00aded, but main\u00adly it\u2019s because the estab\u00adlish\u00adment is so incred\u00adi\u00adbly poor at engag\u00ading peo\u00adple that DSA had to do the work and then run the table very quickly.\u201d<\/p>\n

The endorsed Coun\u00adcil can\u00addi\u00addates hope to work along\u00adside DSA endorsed state elect\u00aded offi\u00adcials as well as oth\u00ader left-lean\u00ading law\u00admak\u00aders to achieve goals such as undo\u00ading aus\u00adter\u00adi\u00adty, defund\u00ading the NYPD and tax\u00ading the rich. \u200b\u201c<\/span>When it comes down to poli\u00adcies,\u201d Souf\u00adfrant For\u00adrest says, \u200b\u201c<\/span>we ain\u2019t ask\u00ading for half of anything.\u201d<\/p>\n

Should the NYC-DSA City Coun\u00adcil can\u00addi\u00addates suc\u00adceed in their races, the slate will fol\u00adlow in the foot\u00adsteps of the six DSA-endorsed can\u00addi\u00addates elect\u00aded<\/a> to the Chica\u00adgo City Coun\u00adcil in 2019<\/span>. As in Chica\u00adgo, the New York social\u00adists\u2019 capa\u00adbil\u00adi\u00adties in office will be a mea\u00adsure of how well they can build bot\u00adtom-up coali\u00adtions that will come out in sup\u00adport of their poli\u00adcies, even in the face of entrenched cor\u00adpo\u00adrate pow\u00ader in the city. <\/p>\n

The NYC-DSA can\u00addi\u00addates are quick to point out they\u2019re under no illu\u00adsion that the struc\u00adtur\u00adal changes they\u2019re propos\u00ading will trick\u00adle down direct\u00adly from the state capi\u00adtol in Albany, or from the City Coun\u00adcil. The sol\u00adi\u00addar\u00adi\u00adty and cama\u00adraderie built dur\u00ading the cam\u00adpaigns, they say, must extend into the dis\u00adtricts they rep\u00adre\u00adsent to tru\u00adly shift the bal\u00adance of pow\u00ader in New York City from the cor\u00adpo\u00adrate class to work\u00ading people. <\/p>\n

\u201c<\/span>For us to have the changes that are nec\u00ades\u00adsary, the tea ket\u00adtle has to be boil\u00ading, pip\u00ading hot,\u201d Souf\u00adfrant For\u00adrest says. \u200b\u201c<\/span>Peo\u00adple have to be out on the streets, and elect\u00aded offi\u00adcials have to be in ses\u00adsion, scream\u00ading about it. That\u2019s the only way we\u2019re going to get the things we need.\u201d <\/p>\n

As a 501<\/span>\u00a93<\/span> non\u00adprof\u00adit pub\u00adli\u00adca\u00adtion,<\/em> In These Times does not oppose or endorse can\u00addi\u00addates for polit\u00adi\u00adcal office. The author is a mem\u00adber of the Demo\u00adc\u00adra\u00adt\u00adic Social\u00adists of America.<\/em><\/p>\n\n

This post was originally published on Radio Free<\/a>. <\/p>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

On Jan\u00adu\u00adary 9, ten\u00adant orga\u00adniz\u00ader Michael Hollingsworth joined a\u00a0human chain block\u00ading bull\u00addoz\u00aders from enter\u00ading a\u00a0work\u00adsite in Brooklyn\u2019s Crown Heights neigh\u00adbor\u00adhood. The pre\u00advi\u00adous spring, a\u00a0judge in a\u00a0rezon\u00ading suit had\u2026<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":143,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[4],"tags":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/radiofree.asia\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1052"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/radiofree.asia\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/radiofree.asia\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/radiofree.asia\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/143"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/radiofree.asia\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=1052"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/radiofree.asia\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1052\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":1053,"href":"https:\/\/radiofree.asia\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1052\/revisions\/1053"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/radiofree.asia\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=1052"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/radiofree.asia\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=1052"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/radiofree.asia\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=1052"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}