New York City Democratic Socialists of America

Last updated
New York City Democratic Socialists of America
AbbreviationNYC-DSA
Governing bodySteering Committee
Co-chairsGustavo Gordillo
Grace Mausser
Membership (2025)Increase2.svg 11,000 [1]
Ideology
New York State Assembly (NYC)
6 / 65
New York State Senate (NYC)
3 / 19
New York City Council
3 / 51
House of Representatives (NYC)
1 / 14

The New York City Democratic Socialists of America (NYC-DSA) is the New York City chapter of the Democratic Socialists of America. It is the largest chapter of the organization with over 11,000 members.

Contents

NYC-DSA has been active in the city since the 1980s, but it became a serious political force after Bernie Sanders' 2016 presidential campaign. The chapter began to run candidates in 2017, including winners Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez and Julia Salazar. In the early 2020s, it ran several slates of candidates, winning primaries in the state assembly, state senate, city council, and House of Representatives. In 2025, NYC-DSA assemblyman Zohran Mamdani won the Democratic mayoral primary in an upset victory, attracting national attention and growing the chapter.

NYC-DSA is made up of several local branches and lead by its Steering Committee and co-chairs. Candidates go through a strict endorsement process, and almost always run on the Democratic Party ballot line. Outside of its electoral work, NYC-DSA has supported police reform, pro-Palestinian activism, tenant protection, and combatting climate change, and LGBT+ rights. The chapter sits at the progressive wing of the Democratic Party, and has been described as "the most dynamic and powerful left-wing organization in the country".

History

Early history

Messinger at a DSOC meeting held at the 1980 DNC in Manhattan Ruth Messinger 1980 Alt Edit.jpg
Messinger at a DSOC meeting held at the 1980 DNC in Manhattan
DSA activists during Occupy Wall Street Democratic Socialists Occupy Wall Street 2011 Shankbone.JPG
DSA activists during Occupy Wall Street

The Democratic Socialists of America (DSA) and its predecessor, the Democratic Socialist Organizing Committee had a presence in New York City since the 1980s. [2] DSA member Ruth Messinger was elected to serve as a city councilor and later as Manhattan borough president. [3] [4] DSA member David Dinkins likewise served as a state assemblyman and Manhattan borough president. [5] [6] Representative and former state senator Major Owens was a DSA member, though City & State notes that "his socialist pursuits never garnered much attention". [7] [8] [9] Brad Lander, who served as a city councilor and comptroller, was a member of DSA from 1987 to 2023. [10] [11]

In 1989, Dinkins defeated incumbent mayor Ed Koch in the Democratic mayoral primary, going on to defeat Republican candidate Rudy Giuliani. [12] Despite Dinkins' association with DSA, "no one attributed his mayoral victory to the organization". [2] According to Ross Barkan in The New Republic , in Dinkins' first year as mayor, he gave a speech to the Socialist International. However, in 1993, Dinkins lost re-election to Giuliani. [13] In 1997, Messinger won the Democratic nomination for mayor, though ultimately lost to incumbent Giuliani. [14]

In 2011, NYC-DSA activists participated in Occupy Wall Street, which animated leftists in the city and attracted many future DSA members. [15] [16] [17] In 2021, Jabari Brisport wrote in The Forge that four years prior, the chapter was holding meetings of less than 30 people in Brooklyn. [18]

Rise in influence

The chapter, like the rest of the organization, significantly grew after socialist senator Bernie Sanders's 2016 presidential campaign and the election of Donald Trump. [19] Barkan wrote in Jacobin that Sanders' run "was almost single-handedly responsible for reviving DSA across the country and laying the groundwork for the New York City chapter’s emergence as a force in local politics." [16] Weeks after Trump's victory, NYC-DSA formed its electoral working group. [2]

By 2017, NYC-DSA had at least 2,000 members. That year, DSA member and endorsee Khader El-Yateem ran for City Council district 43 in southwest Brooklyn. El-Yateem is a Palestinian Lutheran minister and became the first Arab-American to ever run for city council. [20] DSA activists canvassed weekly for El-Yateem, who tried to appeal to minority communities in the district and focus on housing issues. [21] [22] El-Yateem ultimately lost the Democratic primary to his opponent Justin Brannan. [23] NYC-DSA-endorsed candidate Jabari Brisport ran on the Green Party ballot line in the 35th city council district in central Brooklyn. [24] Brisport protested gentrification and advocated for more affordable housing in the district. Hundreds of DSA members volunteered for Brisport. [25] In November, he lost to incumbent Laurie Cumbo with 29% of the vote, the highest for an independent candidate since 2003. [2] [26] That year, NYC-DSA organized with the Crown Heights Tenant Union to turn the Bedford Union Armory into housing and pushed the city council to pass a police reform bill. [27]

Ocasio-Cortez in 2018 Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez July 2018 (cropped2).jpg
Ocasio-Cortez in 2018

According to Dissent Magazine, hundreds of activists attended NYC-DSA's 2018 convention. [28] The year prior, DSA activist Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez began her campaign for New York's 14th congressional district in the Bronx and Queens. [29] She railed against powerful establishment incumbent Joe Crowley and campaigned for Medicare For All, a jobs guarantee, free public college, and abolishing Immigration and Customs Enforcement. [30] NYC-DSA endorsed and advised her campaign, with many members canvassing for her. [29] [31] In "the most shocking upset" of the 2018 primary season, Ocasio-Cortez defeated Crowley with 57.5%. [32] [33] Ocasio-Cortez quickly became a national figure, and endorsed several other progressive candidates nationwide. [34] [35] Ocasio-Cortez easily defeated her Republican opponent in the November general election with 78%. [36] The excitement around her victory caused an increase in DSA membership nationwide. [37]

That year, DSA organizer Julia Salazar ran against incumbent Martin Malave Dilan in the 18th State Senate district in northern Brooklyn. [38] Energized by Ocasio-Cortez's win, NYC-DSA ran an "aggressive ground game" in the district. Salazar criticized gentrification and claimed her opponent contributed to the eviction crisis. [39] Salazar defeated Dilan and won her general election. [40] NYC-DSA also endorsed socialist city councilman Jumaane Williams for Lieutenant Governor and socialist Cynthia Nixon for Governor. [41] Williams campaigned on criminal justice reform, gun control, and women's health. [42] [43] Nixon supported universal healthcare, universal rent control, and affordable housing. [41] Williams lost to incumbent Kathy Hochul with 46.7%, [44] while Nixon lost to incumbent Andrew Cuomo with 35%. [45] Williams went on to become public advocate in 2019 and unsuccessfully run for governor in 2022. [46] [47]

In 2019, NYC-DSA endorsed public defender Tiffany Cabán for Queens District Attorney. Cabán ran on ending cash bail and not prosecuting "crimes of poverty", including sex work and fare evasion. DSA "brought its canvassing army" to support Cabán, [2] while the election became a "microcosm of the Democratic Party’s deepening rift between progressives and moderates". Cabán appeared to win the election and declared victory, but after a recount requested by opponent Melinda Katz, she conceded after losing by 20 votes. [48] [49] Salazar's housing bill in the state senate failed, though a separate tenant protection bill passed, partly attributed by Sam Lewis in Jacobin to progressive elecoral victories. [50]

Socialist bloc

Salazar at a press conference in February 2022 (02-16-22) NYS Senator Julia Salazar speaks at a press conference (51886575475).jpg
Salazar at a press conference in February 2022

In 2020, NYC-DSA had 7,000 members. [51] The chapter supported the Black Lives Matter movement and called for decreasing police funding to fund other services. [52] NYC-DSA activists supported and canvassed for Sanders' 2020 presidential campaign. That year, NYC-DSA ran a slate of candidates in local races: Salazar for re-election, Brisport for state senate, and Phara Souffrant Forrest, Marcela Mitaynes, and Zohran Mamdani for state assembly. [51] In The Nation , Raina Lipsitz wrote that "Two years after helping propel AOC to victory in Queens, NYC-DSA is taking on more races than ever before". Because of the COVID-19 pandemic, the slate's campaigns had to transition from canvassing to online activism. [53] In the "seismic" June 23 Democratic primaries, all NYC-DSA candidates defeated their opponents. The slate's victory was attributed to the COVID-19 pandemic and recession, and the reaction to police brutality. [54] The slate won their general elections, along with unendorsed members Emily Gallagher, Jessica González-Rojas, and Shahana Hanif. [7] [55]

DSA-endorsed candidate Samelys López ran for New York's 15th congressional district, campaigning on universal healthcare, housing as a human right, and boycotting Israel. [56] [57] López ultimately lost her election, receiving 13.9%. [58] DSA-endorsed candidate Jamaal Bowman ran against Representative Eliot Engel in New York's 16th congressional district. [59] Bowman ran on a platform of Medicare for All, a Green New Deal, and policies addressing racial issues. [60] Bowman defeated Engel with 54.2% and won his general election with 64.2%. [61] [62] Ocasio-Cortez easily won her primary with 74.4% and her general election with 71.6%. [58] [63]

NYC-DSA also ran a slate of six city council candidates in the 2021 election, aiming to create a socialist caucus: [64] Cabán, Alexa Avilés, Brandon West, Michael Hollingsworth, Adolfo Abreu, and Jaslin Kaur. [65] Several other candidates ran as socialists or supported left-wing positions without an endorsement. [66] The slate was opposed by the pro-business "Common Sense NYC" super PAC. Of the six candidates, only Cabán and Avilés won their elections. [67] DSA member Kristin Richardson Jordan won her city council election, though was not endorsed by NYC-DSA. [68] NYC-DSA did not run a mayoral candidate in the Democratic primary or general election, though Salazar endorsed Party for Socialism and Liberation candidate Cathy Rojas, who lost with 2.5%. [69] [70] [71]

In 2022, NYC-DSA ran a slate of 13 candidates, also endorsed by Ocasio-Cortez: Forrest, Gallagher, Mamdani, Mitanyes, Brisport, and Salazar for re-election, insurgents Illapa Sairitupac, Keron Alleyne, Samy Nemir Olivares, Vanessa Agudelo, and Sarahana Shrestha [a] for assembly, and insurgents Kristen Gonzalez, and David Alexis for state senate. The endorsements were made with a particular emphasis on climate change. [72] Big business groups and the Democratic establishment attempted to sway the elections. In the races for assembly, Mamdani, Gallagher, Mitanyes, and Forrest kept their seats while Shrestha won her race. [73] [74] In the state senate elections, mayor Eric Adams supported challengers to three DSA candidates. [75] Brisport and Salazar won re-election, and Gonzalez won her race. Ocasio-Cortez faced no opposition. After the elections, Astoria, Queens became the only place in the country to have socialist representation in Congress, both houses of the legislature, and the city council, becoming known as "The People’s Republic of Astoria". [76] [77] Bowman faced controversy from members of DSA after voting for Iron Dome funding and was not endorsed by the organization. He let his membership expire over its stance on Israel in 2022. [78] [79]

An NYC-DSA Gaza war protest Gaza Ceasefire Now Rally NYC DSA, Oct 20, 2023.jpg
An NYC-DSA Gaza war protest

In 2023, NYC-DSA faced condemnation from many elected officials for promoting a pro-Palestinian rally after the October 7 attacks. A congressional resolution was introduced condemning the chapter and calling the rally antisemitic. [80] NYC-DSA later distanced itself from the rally. [81] The chapter took a pro-Palestinian stance during the Gaza war. [82] Earlier that year, Mamdani was the keynote speaker at the national DSA convention. [83] The "Build Public Renewables Act" passed the assembly, which orders the New York Power Authority to move away from electricity and toward renewable energy. The bill was "a product of years of advocacy by the New York chapter of the Democratic Socialists of America". [84]

DSA city councilors Cabán, Avilés, and Hanif voted against the city budget in protest, saying it was insufficient for the working class. [85] In 2024, Bowman attempted to make amends with DSA and said he wouldn't support Iron Dome funding, gaining back NYC-DSA's endorsement. [86] Ocasio-Cortez was also seen by some DSA members as less committed to Palestine, losing her national endorsement but keeping NYC-DSA's. [87] NYC-DSA supported the "Leave it Blank" campaign in the Democratic presidential primary to protest the Gaza war. [88] That year, NYC-DSA endorsed its incumbents Bowman, Ocasio-Cortez, Gonzalez, Mamdani, Brisport, Gallagher, Mitanyes, Salazar, Forest, and Shrestha, [a] and insurgent candidates Eon Huntley, Claire Valdez, and Jonathan Soto for assembly. [89] Bowman ultimately lost his primary to George Latimer. Huntley and Soto lost their races as well. All other NYC-DSA incumbents kept their seats, and Valdez won her race. The elections were described as a "mixed bag" for progressives and socialists. [90]

Mamdani campaign

"Zohran for Mayor" poster in the East Village Zohran for Mayor poster.jpg
"Zohran for Mayor" poster in the East Village

In October 2024, Mamdani announced he would run for mayor in the 2025 Democratic primary on a progressive and socialist platform. [91] Mamdani's campaign focused on affordability, proposing a rent freeze for rent stabilized units, free bus service, universal child care, city-run grocery stores, and raising taxes on the rich. [92] [93] Mamdani however distanced himself from some controversial national DSA positions. [94] Some NYC-DSA elected officials doubted success, though 81% of members and 90% of delegates voted to endorse him at the 2024 convention. [95] [96] Mamdani was viewed as a "cadre" candidate for NYC-DSA, having strong pre-existing connections to the chapter. [97] In early 2025, NYC-DSA organized a rally to protest NYU Langone denying gender-affirming surgery to minors. [98]

Mamdani in May 2025 Zohran Mamdani 05.25.25 (cropped 3x4).jpg
Mamdani in May 2025

Mamdani had to compete with several other progressive candidates such as Brad Lander, Zellnor Myrie, and Jessica Ramos, but City and State editor Peter Sterne wrote that he "[had] the far-left lane all to himself". [95] [99] By March 2025, Mamdani was endorsed by most socialist lawmakers and consistently polled in third or fourth place, behind former Governor Andrew Cuomo and mayor Eric Adams. [100] [101] Mamdani gained in polls, becoming solidly second place and outright leading in some. [102] Mamdani was endorsed as part of the Working Families Party (WFP) and DREAM for NYC slates, who aimed to stop Cuomo and Adams. Adams withdrew from the primary in April. [103] [104] Mamdani was also notably endorsed by Ocasio-Cortez and Sanders, while Cuomo was endorsed by former President Bill Clinton and former mayor Michael Bloomberg. [105] [106]

NYC-DSA was of central importance to the race. Throughout the campaign, volunteers for Mamdani knocked on over one million doors, largely coordinated with NYC-DSA. [107] Cuomo attacked Mamdani for his identity as a socialist and association with DSA, [108] accusing them of antisemitism during the Gaza war. [109] Centrist Democrats were alarmed by Mamdani's rise as the race became a proxy for the conflict between moderates and progressives in the party. [110] The race galvanized the chapter, which gained 2,400 members since the start of the campaign as of late May. [96]

On June 24, Mamdani exceeded expectations, leading Cuomo with 43.5% to his 36.3% in the first round of voting, a margin which "virtually no pollster predicted". Cuomo conceded the race later that night, leaving Mamdani the presumptive nominee. [111] Ranked choice results released on July 1 showed Mamdani with 56%, officially winning the primary. [112] The youthful, multiracial, leftist neighborhoods in Brooklyn and Queens where Mamdani overperformed became known as the "Commie Corridor". [113] Representative Jerry Nadler described the results as "seismic" and compared it to Barack Obama's win in the 2008 election. [114] Daniel Denvir wrote in Jacobin that the victory "made clear" that NYC-DSA was "the most dynamic and powerful left-wing organization in the country". [115] NYC-DSA members Hanif and Aviles also both won re-election. [116]

NYC-DSA membership increased again after the victory. In July, the chapter gained its 10,000th member, personally recruited by Mamdani at a rally. [117] [118] In August, NYC-DSA had 10,500 reported members, [119] and later had 11,000. [1] The chapter began to consider primarying multiple politicians, including House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries. An advisor to Jeffries responded, saying that if NYC-DSA challenged him, "We will teach them and all of their incumbents a painful lesson" in the 2026 elections. [120] Politico, interviewing co-chair Gordillo, reported that he "didn't rule out backing a challenge to Jeffries — in fact, he didn’t rule out anything". [121]

In the general election, Mamdani faces Cuomo (running as an independent), Adams, and Republican Curtis Sliwa. [122] Independent candidate Jim Walden withdrew from the race in September, urging anti-Mamdani candidates to consolidate. [123] Mamdani consistently leads polls, though head-to-head polls against Cuomo are closer. [124] President Trump threatened to deport Mamdani, and has considered weighing in on the race to stop him. [125] [126] Many business leaders opposing Mamdani and socialism have backed Adams. [127]

Organization

As of 2021, NYC-DSA includes the following branches: North, Central, and South Brooklyn; Queens; Lower Manhattan; Bronx/Upper Manhattan; Staten Island; and Labor. [128] NYC-DSA is influenced by multiple caucuses of DSA. [129]

According to the NYC-DSA website:

The Steering Committee is the elected leadership of the NYC-DSA city chapter. The co-chairs, treasurer, secretary, campaigns coordinator, membership coordinator, communications coordinator, and technology and tools coordinator are elected annually. The branch representatives are elected annually by their respective branches. [130]

The current co-chairs of NYC-DSA are Gustavo Gordillo and Grace Mausser. [131]

NYC-DSA has a "Socialists in Office" committee, to coordinate and communicate with its officials. If the committee comes to a consensus and adopts a position, NYC-DSA assembly members are expected to vote as a bloc. [132]

NYC-DSA has a thorough endorsement process. In the case of Cynthia Nixon, she had to complete a questionnaire and answer questions from NYC-DSA members. Then, the Central Leadership Council, which includes representatives from different branches and the Young Democratic Socialists of America, voted on the endorsement. [133] [134]

Notes

  1. 1 2 Shrestha represents the 103rd district outside of the city, though she is still endorsed by NYC-DSA.

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