East Bay Democratic Socialists of America

From KeyWiki
Jump to navigation Jump to search
Demsoc.jpg

East Bay Democratic Socialists of America is a Northern California affiliate of Democratic Socialists of America.

2024 electoral work

At our June 2024 convention, members chose Jovanka Beckles’s campaign for State Senate as one of the chapter’s priority campaigns. This resulted in the campaign’s work being housed primarily outside of but still working closely with the Electoral Committee. With California’s state senate districts being larger than congressional districts, averaging a million residents per district, this was by far the most difficult electoral challenge the chapter has taken on. Facing a well-funded opponent with widespread political and labor support, Beckles lost, receiving 43% of the vote in the two-way general election, but the chapter’s efforts in the campaign were nevertheless impactful, particularly in helping Beckles progress to the general election, and were successful in activating and bringing in new organizers.

At the local level, we endorsed candidates in Oakland, Berkeley, and Richmond. Most of our members live in Oakland and Berkeley; the two cities are home to the highest concentrations of DSA members in the state and therefore benefit the most from volunteer capacity. All three cities have existing grassroots progressive local political infrastructure, but Berkeley’s “moderate” wing has taken control in recent years, and conservative forces and moneyed interests mounted a powerful attempt to wrest back control of Oakland and Richmond from their respective progressive majorities as well.

In Oakland, we endorsed Sasha Ritzie-Hernandez for Oakland School Board District 5 and Carroll Fife for Oakland City Council District 3. Ritzie-Hernandez is an active chapter member who ran for the same seat in a special election last year, being endorsed by the teachers’ union, the Oakland Education Association, in both campaigns. Unfortunately, while the chapter played a pivotal role in her 2023 campaign, our greater number of endorsements this year led to chapter capacity being spread thinner. She ultimately came up short, receiving 46% of the vote in a two-way race against a charter-backed opponent, though this was an improvement from her performance in 2023, when the district had a slightly more conservative profile.

Fife, an incumbent councilmember whom the chapter endorsed in her 2020 victory, approached and was endorsed by the chapter late in the cycle, so we were not able to play a meaningful role in her campaign, but we nevertheless supported her because she has been a reliable ally and faced unprecedented attacks from the right, being one of the four elected officials targeted as “priorities” this cycle by the conservative Empower Oakland group.

Despite being outspent and heavily targeted, Fife emerged victorious, winning with a comfortable 58% of the vote after ranked-choice voting (and nearly winning outright in a six-candidate field before ranked-choice). Her win can be attributed in large part to the deep canvassing carried out both during and outside of election season by the Care 4 Community organization that came out of Fife’s 2020 campaign, a model DSA should certainly take lessons from, as well as her strong backing from labor unions.

Richmond is the only city in the United States where a majority of city councilmembers are DSA members and endorsees. This is thanks to the groundbreaking work of the Richmond Progressive Alliance, a local party-like organization founded 20 years ago that develops and runs candidates and supports them while in office, a model DSA should strive to emulate. While local elections are non-partisan, RPA includes Democrats, members of other parties, and independents; its first elected official, Gayle McLaughlin, was elected mayor in 2006 while a member of the Green Party, though she has since become an independent . RPA has successfully taken on powerful interests, in particular Chevron, which operates a refinery in Richmond, is the city’s largest employer, and has spent millions of dollars in its attempts to defeat RPA candidates, including $3 million in 2014 alone. While East Bay DSA does not have a large membership base in Richmond, we are allied with RPA, support their candidates, and seek to develop a stronger relationship with them and greater involvement in Richmond politics.

We endorsed two RPA candidates this cycle, both of whom were incumbents we endorsed in 2020: Melvin Willis and Claudia Jimenez; a third RPA candidate, Sue Wilson, who was running to succeed the retiring McLaughlin, did not seek our endorsement due to logistical issues. Jimenez won with a whopping 61% of the vote, but Willis lost with 40% to his opponent’s 49%. We still have more to learn about the reasons behind this loss, but we certainly must grow in Richmond in order to play a more impactful role and help secure victories in future elections. Nevertheless, with Wilson’s victory, RPA maintains a majority on the Richmond City Council, including the mayor’s office, held by Eduardo Martinez, whom we endorsed in 2022.

Only one other elected body in the country also has a DSA majority: the Berkeley Rent Stabilization Board, a unique body that has produced unique opportunities for the left, the tenant movement, and DSA. Berkeley’s is one of only two elected rent boards in the US, alongside Santa Monica’s. For decades, a coalition of progressive organizations, tenant groups, and labor unions has come together every two years for the Berkeley Tenant Convention, a primary-like nominating process in which a progressive, pro-tenant slate is democratically determined ahead of the general election. In recent years, DSA has joined and contributed to this process.

This year’s slate of four candidates entirely comprised DSA members, two of whom are active members, and we supported their campaigns alongside City Council candidate Jenny Guarino. The slate also ran alongside a ballot measure, the Tenant Protection and Right to Organize Act, which would strengthen protections for Berkeley renters and make it easier to form tenant unions, for which DSA members gathered signatures to place on the ballot. Three out of four slate members were victorious; the fourth seat was taken by an incumbent who was not renominated at the Tenant Convention but chose to run anyway in violation of its rules. We hope to work with the elected and existing Rent Board Commissioners to continue to protect tenants’ rights in Berkeley.[1]

Beer, Burgers and Bernie

12963797 481903305350017 5948386892205121632 n.jpg

East Bay Democratic Socialists of America presents:

Bernie’s Plan: Free Public College Tuition

Find out how we can pay for public higher education, put an end to student debt, and invest in youth. Voice your concerns, hopes, and opinions!

Saturday, April 23, 2016 3101 Shattuck Ave at Prince St – 2 blocks from Ashby BART at the Starry Plough Pub in Berkeley

FREE – all ages welcome, please buy food & drink at the Pub. For info, contact Karl Knobler, DSA-East Bay is working for Bernie because we can believe in him. Kayla Pace, of Young Democratic Socialists and a tuition activist at UC Davis; Nicky Gonzalez Yuen, community college instructor and trustee, Peralta Community College District, and Gene Ruyle, emeritus professor, CA State Long Beach will speak about this important issue. Stay in touch to find out how we can build a political revolution.[2]

Bernies plan

13151489 498127703727577 2324125971682775609 n.png

Jodi Reid, a leader of the fight to preserve social security, and Don Goldmacher, producer of the documentary "Heist", participated in a May 21 2016, East Bay DSA event.

Contact

Ben Fife, was in 2017, contact for East Bay Democratic Socialists of America.[3]

East Bay DSA comrades 2022

Attendees at East Bay Democratic Socialists of America June 2022 conference.[4]

East Bay DSA Steering Committee, 2024

East Bay DSA at large Steering Committee, 2022

In 2022 East Bay Democratic Socialists of America's at-large Steering Committee members are Yari Gonzalez, Nick Ratto, Matthew Tal, Max Morrison, Renee Paradis, Michael S., and Matthew Lewis.[6]

2021 committees

2021 Steering Committee candidates

DSA 2021 National Convention Delegate Candidates

Admin

Organize for Power slate

Sssssherry.PNG

2020 East Bay Democratic Socialists of America Organize for Power slate consisted of Luci Riley, Katie Ferrari, Jess Banks, Benny Zank, Allie Lahey, Rex LG, AJ Acosta.

2020 steering committee candidates

Co-Chair

Vice-Chair

Treasurer

Recording Secretary

Communications Secretary

At-Large

Former ISO comrades

East Bay Democratic Socialists of America running on the Wave slate for steering committee in 2020 (Erica West, Emma Wilde Botta, Alex Schmaus, were all ex-International Socialist Organization members. Wave slate running for steering committee. Other former International Socialist Organization members in the branch included Helios Alonso,, Elaine Alt (SF DSA), Camille Avian, MaLychi Casper, Maya Desai, Hannah Fleury, Zakiya Khabir, Yojo Kim, Hana Lee, Jasmin Lim, Diana Macasa, David McCarthy, Lucia Obregon Matzer, Alex Moyle, Laura Ross, Bruno Ruviaro, Stevie Schwartz, Ashley Simmons, Amy Marie Solidarity, Rebecca Ansell Song, Casie Stone, Derron Thweatt, Alessandro Tinonga, Michael Titone, Jeremy Tully, Melanie West.[10]

2018 East Bay DSA electoral campaigns

East Bay Democratic Socialists of America worked on three electoral campaigns in 2018: National DSA endorsee Gayle McLaughlin, running as an independent for lieutenant governor; Jovanka Beckles, an East Bay DSA member running for state assembly; and a ballot initiative to repeal state-imposed limits on local rent control. The three campaigns fit together nicely: When McLaughlin and Beckles served together on the Richmond City Council, they helped pass the state’s first new rent control measure in 30 years, inspiring housing activists in other cities around the state to follow suit.[11]

Beckles primary victory

East Bay Democratic Socialists of America June 14 at 6:32 PM · 🚨🚨🚨 PRESS RELEASE 🚨🚨🚨

  1. AD15 #CaliforniaPrimary2018 #Jovanka Jovanka Beckles
East Bay Democratic Socialists of America (DSA) is celebrating the primary victory of DSA member and Richmond City Council Member and Vice Mayor Jovanka Beckles, who will advance to the run-off election for California Assembly District 15 (AD15) in November. With some ballots still remaining to be counted, Beckles has clinched the second place slot over Oakland City Council Member, Dan Kalb, who conceded this afternoon.
Without financial or political backing from corporate interests, the Beckles campaign relied instead on support from DSA, Our Revolution, and Richmond Progressive Alliance. Based on her record of passing the first rent control law in California in decades as well as "Ban the Box", and leading the way in forcing Chevron into compliance with environmental and worker safety standards, Beckles has organic support from the working people of the East Bay. She is strongly committed to repealing Costa Hawkins and implementing rent control and affordable housing, passing single-payer healthcare, and funding education by closing corporate tax loopholes.

Jovankasdfd.JPG
DSA organized 250 volunteers who knocked more than 8,000 doors in competitive AD15 neighborhoods, made 2,500 voter turnout calls and canvassed thousands of voters in public locations ahead of the primary. DSA directly turned out 750 supporters and influenced thousands more to vote for Beckles, who has been declared the winner with a narrow 300 vote lead over Kalb. This electoral success builds on recent DSA-backed political victories, including 18 DSA members elected in 12 states last November, four DSA-backed Pennsylvania state House candidates who won their primaries in May, and the June 5 success of San Francisco's DSA chapter in campaigning for Proposition F, guaranteeing right to counsel for tenants facing eviction.
Beckles will face Buffy Wicks in November. Wicks is a corporate-funded, Democratic Party careerist: a former Hillary Clinton 2016 campaign director and newcomer to AD15 with no experience as an elected official. Far out-spending all her opponents in the most expensive primary race in the district’s history, Wicks raised more than four times as much as Beckles to fund a massive primary operation, demonstrating the power that corporate elites and the Democratic Party establishment can wield in our political system. The Govern for California PAC, which was founded and is funded by Walmart Chair Greg Penner, tech investor Ron Conway, and David Crane, former advisor to Arnold Schwarzenegger, alone poured half a million dollars into campaigning for Wicks.
Zach McDonald, co-chair of East Bay DSA, issued the following statement:
"Going into November, DSA calls on working people and progressive organizations like the Richmond Progressive Alliance, labor unions, tenants rights organizations and environmental activists to build the movement that can stand up for working class interests. DSA sees a clear choice between a candidate for and by working people on the one hand, and Buffy Wicks, who is for and by corporate donors and the Democratic Party establishment. When Jovanka is elected to the legislature, democratic socialists, unions, and progressive activists will continue to fight alongside her against corporate greed to carry on Bernie Sanders’s political revolution and grow the movement that can transform our society into one that puts people over profits."[12]

Jovanka supporters

East Bay Democratic Socialists of America, June 6, 2018.

With just 182 votes separating DSA member Jovanka Beckles from Dan Kalb in Assembly District 15, we still don't have final results from yesterday's primary - but we do know that our work on this campaign has been a win for democratic socialism and the working class!

Commiewssa.JPG

Despite being up against corporate-backed candidates flooding the district with their message, Jovanka managed to out-perform two ... See More — with Luke Thibault, Ashley K.I. Payne, Keith Brower Brown, Ruscal Cayangyang, Soli Alpert, Jamie Gardner, Melissa Martinez, Michael Webbon III, Andrew Richner, Abigail Gutmann-Gonzalez, Sean Murphy, James Nye, Elsa Chinea Stevens, Gabby Martinez and Nick Travaglini.

East Bay Bread & Roses slate 2019

Eastbaydsaslate.PNG

East Bay Democratic Socialists of America Bread & Roses slate for delegates to DSA National Convention.

Mary Virginia Watson, Luke Thibault, Ashley K.I. Payne, Megan Svoboda, Matt Stone, Will Shattuc, Shane Ruiz, Andrew Richner, Frances Reade, Johnny Pearson, Mike Parker, Robbie Nelson, Richard Murphy, Sean Murphy, Jack McShane, Ari Marcantonio, Richard Marcantonio, Max Lapides, Hannah Klein, Abigail Gutmann-Gonzalez, Charlie Herron, Emma Gagliardi, Mark Gabriel, Nick French, Hannah Ehrlinspiel, Keith Brower Brown, Graham Denevan, Dan Deck, Meagan Day, Annika Bastacky, Molly Armstrong, Adam Bradley, Sandy Barnard.

East Bay DSA Steering Committee, 2018

Eastbay2019.jpg

East Bay Democratic Socialists of America, Steering Committee, 2019.

East Bay DSA Steering Committee, 2018

East Bay DSA Elections Committee, 2017

Frances Reade, Jess Dervin-Ackerman, Megan Svoboda, and Michael Kaufman.[14]

Election 2017 nominees

Co-chairs

Vice chair

Secretary

Treasurer

Internal organizer

External organizer

At Large council member

DSA National Convention delegates

"Single Payer"

Immediately after the 2016 presidential election, the California Nurses Association (CNA) jump-started a campaign to win single-payer healthcare in California. This February, East Bay Democratic Socialists of America decided to join the nurses and make the Healthy California campaign our organization’s central fight.

Within a month, our chapter held a preliminary canvassing event to train a dozen canvassing captains. Then we multiplied our capacity and held a second event three weeks later with more than 160 volunteers. These volunteers — mostly first-time canvassers — spread throughout the East Bay to educate the community about the single-payer system and mobilize supporters in favor of SB 562.

DSA canvassers included Jeremy Gong, Marianela D'Aprile, Mary Virginia Watson, Frances Reade, Ari Marcantonio, Simon Brown, Sam Hughes, Mia Lehrer and Jamie Gardner.[16]

EBDSA National convention delegates, 2017

Ebdsa7.JPG

Jeremy Gong, left.

Comrades

Dsafrtg.JPG

East Bay Democratic Socialists of America May 9, 2018;

With Keith Brower Brown, Abigail Gutmann-Gonzalez, Andrew Richner, Alex Schmaus, Jovanka Beckles and Noemi Tungui.

Leadership

Minutes. DSA ExComm Meeting, 01/29/2017

ExComm Members Present at the meeting: Michael Nye, Michael McCowan, Kevin Wright, Susan Chacin, Jess Dervin-Ackerman, Molly Armstrong, Angad Bhalla, Jeremy Gong, Ari Marcantonio, Mary Virginia Watson, Ben Fife.

The Regular twice a month meeting, from here on scheduled for the second and fourth Sunday of each month from 7pm-9pm, of the East Bay DSA Executive Committee was held today, January 29, at 7pm at the Niebyl-Proctor Marxist Library in Oakland CA. The Meeting was Chaired by Jeremy Gong, Co-Chair of the Executive committee. The secretary was also present and recording notes. All officers and at large members of the Executive committee were present. The meeting was open and several committee chairs as well as other members were present in attendance at the meeting. The minutes of the last meeting were approved without amendment but with suggestions for future consistency around the inclusion of names.

Dan Russell, committee lead of the Education committee made a report for the Education committee.[17]

EBDSA Executive Committee minutes 2/12/2017

I. Opening remarks:

The meeting was called to order by Jeremy Gong, Co-Chair of the ExComm, who chaired the meeting. The secretary, Benjamin Fife was in attendance. Also in attendance were DSA ExComm members at large, Susan Chacin, Ari Marcantonio, Michael Nye, Michael McCowan, Angad Bhalla, Treasurer Jess Dervin-Ackerman, Co-Chair Mary Virginia Watson, Vice Chair Molly Armstrong and DSA members Keith Bower Brown , Michael Kaufman, Bill Klink, Norma Meyers, Karl Knobler, Luke Thibault, and Andy Chirino.

Kevin Wright was sick today and could not be part of the meeting.

Michael McCowan, Member at large and co-chair of the direct action committee put forward a Proposal for East Bay DSA to join Bay Area Resistance Network[18]

East Bay DSA Members Closed Facebook Group

East Bay Democratic Socialists of America members only closed Facebook group, as of May 28. 2017;

This is a group to build community amongst the members of East Bay DSA.

Members only![19]
Eastbayalicious.JPG

Admin

Members

As at Aust 29, 2017

Ebdsaoooo.JPG

Admins

New members as of August 29, 2017

East Bay DSA General Meeting

Eastbayo.JPG

East Bay DSA General Meeting Hosted by East Bay Democratic Socialists of America.

Sunday, April 23 at 1 PM - 5 PM PDT

Oakland Peace Center, 111 Fairmount Ave, Oakland, California 94611

Invited on Facebook

Interested

Going

DSA delegates

Captureskinnerrrrr.JPG

In November 1985, East Bay DSA delegates to the Democratic Socialists of America National Convention included, Suzanna Tadlock, Eileen Luna, Sandy Chelnov, Fran Biderman, Dean Ferguson, Dave Buchanan, Liv Brown, Matthew Hallinan, Alan Snitow, Ray Ahearn, John Katz, Dale Harrington, Angie Fa, Nancy Skinner.

Nobel prize winner

In May 2000, Berkeley Campus DSA held a successful rally and teach-in on campus about the Bush tax plan, with Daniel McFadden, the 2000 Nobel Prize winner in economics, and political satire and music by the Wealth Wielding Wailers. The event made the news and was, according to DSA NPCer Michele Rossi, “the most fun I’ve had doing political education/activism in ages.”[20]

2002 actions

According to Karl Knobler, in 2002 East Bay DSA joined with progressive Democrats and the Committees of Correspondence in the People’s Electoral Project to support propositions and get Tom Bates elected Mayor of Berkeley.[21]

East Bay DSA supported Wilson Riles in his Oakland mayoral campaign and also supportied a Just Cause Eviction municipal referendum. It also put together a forum that included progressive Democrats and Green Party gubernatorial candidate Peter Camejo.[22]

Affiliations

In 2002 East Bay DSA, was active on many fronts, playing key roles in a Socialist Unity Group with non-DSA socialists, which has had a number of forums on topics such as the war and the CA recall campaign; in United For Peace and Justice, and thus the large anti-war movement in the Bay Area; in the Paul Wellstone Democratic Renewal Club of Alameda.[23]

References

  1. ↑ [1]
  2. ↑ East bay DSA Beer, Burgers and Bernie Posted on April 3, 2016 by admin
  3. ↑ [2]
  4. ↑ [3]
  5. ↑ [4]
  6. ↑ [5]
  7. ↑ [6]
  8. ↑ [7]
  9. ↑ [8]
  10. ↑ [9]
  11. ↑ [10]
  12. ↑ [11]
  13. ↑ [12]
  14. ↑ [13]
  15. ↑ [14]
  16. ↑ [http://www.dsausa.org/east_bay_dsa_and_the_california_single_payer_campaign_dl DL. East Bay DSA and the California Single-Payer Campaign Posted by Dsa 🌹 on 03.31.17]
  17. ↑ [15]
  18. ↑ [.https://eastbaydsa.org/meeting-notes/2017/3/16/212-executive-committee-minutes]
  19. ↑ [16]
  20. ↑ Dem. Left Summer, 2001
  21. ↑ Dem. Left Winter 2002
  22. ↑ Democratic Left • Fall 2002
  23. ↑ Democratic Left, Fall 2003
Retrieved from "https://keywiki.org/index.php?title=East_Bay_Democratic_Socialists_of_America&oldid=651359"