California Electoral Roundup
California DSA’s top priorities include electoral work, labor support, and housing. There are no doubt other priorities we could establish. Late capitalism provides us with plenty of opportunities to fight against various forms of social injustice, and many of our members across the twenty chapters of the state are involved with important struggles addressing structural racism, imperialist aggression, and ecocide—in other words, for equality, a sane international policy, and ameliorating the climate crisis by moving to a sustainable green economy. But within the limited resources of an all-volunteer state organization, these are the current designated areas, as voted on by our state council.
The ARCH campaign (see Michael Lighty’s article in this issue of California Red) involves all three priorities. It is focused on changing the position of renters for the better through the state ballot, and its component parts (Propositions 5 and 33) are backed by a number of progressive unions, within a broad community-based coalition.
At the local level, California Red would like to highlight four other DSA-backed campaigns: one each in the East Bay and Los Angeles, and two in San Francisco. As we approach the November elections we will continue to follow these and other local DSA campaign developments.
Volunteers attending Ysabel Jurado’s general election kickoff canvass in Highland Park, Los Angeles
DSA-LA Canvasses for Ysabel Jurado
We have launched and cleared the tower! DSA-LA had its official Ysabel Jurado general election canvass launch on July 14th in Eagle Rock, and it was a great start to the campaign. There was plenty of enthusiasm from our volunteers as they carried the energy of success from the primary into the general election campaign. The response from Eagle Rock residents in this initial canvass was equally enthusiastic for a Ysabel win because she is for the things they care about such as expanding affordable housing, ending homelessness, and tackling the climate crisis, to name a few.
Still, we can’t let up and we have no intention of doing so. Each week, we will be phone banking to gather volunteers for that weekend’s canvass, and on the weekends, we will be knocking on doors reminding people that success in the primary is great, but success in the general is even better. So please join the Ysabel Jurado mailing list if you want to get involved. Here is the link for that.
Shelby, a volunteer for the campaign, had this to say as to why she gives up some of her free time to support Ysabel: “Ysabel is an opportunity to be represented by someone who truly wants better for the district and has a clear plan to do so. With her background as a tenant rights attorney, I know she will work to establish much needed protection for renters. She cares about the community because she is an active member of the community, which we need more of in city hall.”
In order to help foster volunteer enthusiasm, we will soon be handing out nifty Ysabel campaign zines that will keep track of each person’s contribution of time and energy to the campaign. Besides being cool on their own, there will also be a prize at the end of the campaign for the person who contributes the most.
But we are getting ahead of ourselves. The end is months away, and we are making each week count because that is how we get a win for Ysabel Jurado.
If you want to donate to this incredible campaign, please go to Ysabel’s website and donate.
San Francisco: Preston and Fielder
San Francisco DSA members are mobilizing to secure seats on the San Francisco Board of Supervisors for two of their own. Dean Preston and Jackie Fielder, both endorsed by the chapter, are running as proud democratic socialists on bold platforms.
Dean Preston, seeking re-election in District 5, faces deep-pocketed opposition, including most publicly from Elon Musk. During his time in office, Dean has successfully taxed extreme wealth to fund affordable housing and rent relief, prevented tens of thousands of evictions, restored Muni lines and championed Free Muni for Youth, and more.
In his vision for the next four years, Dean plans to launch a public bank to invest in small businesses, affordable housing, and green infrastructure. Bernie Sanders has thrown his weight behind Dean, stating in his endorsement: “We need bold leaders like Dean Preston in every state, at all levels of government.”
To volunteer click here
To donate click here
Jackie Fielder, running for District 9 supervisor, is a Democratic Socialist, renter, water protector, and climate advocate who is dedicated to social housing, community safety, and a public bank. San Francisco DSA is excited to be backing her campaign, which promises to double the number of socialists in office on San Francisco's Board of Supervisors come November!
To volunteer click here
To donate click here
In addition to DSA SF, Fielder and Preston are backed by a strong coalition of unions and progressive community organizations. The chapter has been campaigning hard, making calls and knocking on doors on a weekly basis. The electoral campaigns have focused on building new chapter leaders and organizing new members. While SF DSA knows that electoral victories alone will not bring us to socialism, they view these campaigns as important ways to bring people into our movement and win meaningful reforms for working people.
PHOTO: Campaign kickoff for Dean Preston. March 24, 2024
Jovanka Beckles for State Senate, District 7
East Bay DSA member Jovanka Beckles is running for State Senate in District 7, encompassing a broad swath of the East Bay through Oakland, Berkeley and Richmond. A former member of the Richmond City Council, Beckles is a leader in the fight organized by the Richmond Progressive Alliance against Chevron’s company town platform for profits over people. She is currently serving on the Alameda County Transit District Board of Directors. If elected, Jovanka would be the only current DSA member to hold a state-level office in California.
She is running on a broad platform of working class issues, including paid time off work for mothers, free early childcare, and women’s reproductive rights. Jovanka is fighting for fair wages, workplace power, and reforming Prop 13. She is a champion of quality public health care, transit and education, and demands services such as these to be free to all. She also calls for a Green New Deal for the East Bay.
These commitments have earned her recent endorsements from two major California unions: Service Employees State Council and the California Teachers Association. They join a growing host of labor and community groups determined to stop the corporate-funded juggernaut of apostate Berkeley mayor Jesse Arreguin, who is backed by mega-dollars from Lyft and Uber and wealthy real estate interests against Beckles for the District 7 seat.
With East Bay DSA scheduling canvasses and other events, Beckles has already anchored a ‘Divest from Apartheid’ campaign kickoff in mid-June, attended by dozens of EBDSA members and pro-Palestinian liberation organization activists. On July 14 the chapter organized the first of four canvasses for Jovanka; the next one will be on August 24.
Click here to donate.
Click here to volunteer.
If you are in Los Angeles, San Francisco or the East Bay, volunteer to help these DSA-endorsed campaigns. If you are elsewhere in the state, you can still help out by donating to the campaigns at the links above. Don’t let this opportunity to bring democratic socialists into public office pass you by. Watch future issues of California Red for updates and other DSA-backed campaigns.
Thank you to Dan L. from DSA-LA for contributing to this piece