Michael Payne
Michael Payne is a Charlottesville Democratic Socialists of America activist. [1]
Victory
Charlottesville Democratic Socialists of America co-founder Michael Payne—also co-founder of Indivisible Charlottesville—won a seat on Charlottesville City Council on a platform of building community wealth, funding affordable housing, police accountability, and becoming a carbon neutral city.[2]
Infiltrating the Democrats
Charlottesville DSA shared Our Revolution Charlottesville's photo. April 21, 2017;
- An important deadline for influencing the direction of the Democratic Party of Virginia is coming up TODAY at 5pm! Join us and Our Revolution Charlottesville (Formerly C'ville & Central VA for Bernie) in organizing to get our voices heard within the state party. If you vote in Albemarle county, fill out this form to be a delegate at the 5th Congressional District Committee Convention by 5pm today:
- Emily Cone-Miller
- Michael Payne
- Nic McCarthy
- Lena Seville
- Belle Cifu
- Ross Mittiga
- Jason Peterson
- Peter Pooya
- Douglas Olson
- Mieke Zylstra
- Katie Spencer White
- Our Revolution Charlottesville with Emily Cone-Miller and 10 others at Burnley Moran Elementary.
- The Bernie-inspired political revolution continues, right here in Charlottesville...
- Last night we showed up in numbers at the C'ville Dems caucus to select delegates for the 5th Congressional District Convention.
- The progressives/Bernie-crats took 13 of the 17 delegate positions.
- All but one of the Bernie wing (13 from 14) were selected as a delegate, and that was only because the 14th was on the other side of the country and couldn't make the caucus. She is, however, one of eight alternates.
- This, this right here...this is what Bernie means when he says it's going to take all of us.
- And it starts by showing up. Let's make no mistake, the Democratic party in Charlottesville was transformed last night, and they never saw it coming. We showed up.
DSA Endorsement Press Conference!
DSA Endorsement Press Conference! Public · Hosted by Ross Mittiga for Delegate.
Thursday, May 4 at 4:15 PM - 5 PM EDT
605 E Main St, Charlottesville, VA 22902-5337, United States.
- On Thursday, 5/4, at 4:30pm, at the Freedom of Speech Wall in front of City Hall (605 E Main St), the Democratic Socialists of America (DSA) will announce its endorsement of Ross Mittiga in the Democratic primary race for the House of Delegates seat representing Virginia’s 57th district.
- Speakers at the event include David Duhalde, the national Deputy Director of DSA; Emily Cone-Miller and Michael Payne, leaders of the local Charlottesville DSA chapter; Hannah Beaman, a chief volunteer in Ross Mittiga's campaign; and Ross Mittiga, the candidate for Delegate.
Council run
Charlottesville DSA May 13 2019:
We are proud to announce our endorsement of Michael Payne for city council! Michael has the knowledge and bold vision that we need to build a better Charlottesville where people come before profits. Join us in supporting our comrade and vote for him on June 11!
National DSA endorsement
Democratic Socialists of America October 4 2019·
DSA is proud to endorse Michael Payne for City Council of Charlottesville, VA, up for election Tue, Nov 5th.
Michael is a community organizer and advocate for affordable housing who co-founded Charlottesville DSA
As a member of city council, Michael will fight for affordable housing, including the redevelopment of public housing, a living wage, and tackling climate change by transitioning Charlottesville to 100% clean energy and divesting from fossil fuels.
Won primary
David Duhalde June 11 2019·
Congrats to Michael Payne for advancing in the Charlottesville, VA city council elections. Michael was instrumental in one of the first DSA National endorsements in years of Ross Mittiga in 2017. Ross helped force the leftist-turned-corporate Democratic House of Delegate minority leader into retirement and paved the way for socialist victories in the Commonwealth. Our Revolution also endorsed Ross in that election.
DSA didn’t win anything else tonight but Our Revolution’s Kenny Allen Boddye won a Occoquan Board of Supervisors. I first met Kenny at a DSA meeting in 2017 and he ran for House of Delegates with OR’s backing that year.
While Yasmine Taeb and Irma Corado did not win they showed progressives are gaining against Virginia’s old boys. Yasmine nearly defeated a 30-year incumbent who out spent her 10-to-1 with dirty energy money and establishment support. I hope she can force another retirement and open the space for more insurgent candidates.