Socialist Equality Party (United States)

Last updated
Socialist Equality Party
Chairman David North
Secretary Joseph Kishore
FoundedSeptember 1964;60 years ago (September 1964)
Newspaper World Socialist Web Site
Youth wing International Youth and Students for Social Equality (IYSSE)
Ideology
Political position Far-left
International affiliation International Committee of the Fourth International (ICFI)
Members in elected offices0
Website
socialequality.com

The Socialist Equality Party (SEP) is a Trotskyist political party in the United States. SEP first formed in 1964 as the American Committee for the Fourth International, created by expelled members of the Socialist Workers Party. SEP and its previous forms were associated with the International Committee of the Fourth International (ICFI), a Trotskyist political international.

Contents

SEP describes itself as a revolutionary socialist party, because the SEP believes capitalism is "beyond reform" [1] and only "a revolutionary movement that has as its aim the establishment of workers' power" can win socialism. [2]

Notable members include David North, Jerry White, and Joseph Kishore.

History

Background

In the 1950s, most Trotskyists in the United States were members of the Socialist Workers Party (SWP), which was part of the Fourth International's (FI) tendency International Committee of the Fourth International (ICFI). [3]

In 1958, SWP adopted a policy of "regroupment": Pursuit of former members of Stalinist communist parties, who had been disillusioned by the Secret Speech. [3] :844–845 This SWP strategy also meant greater support for Fidel Castro, whom SWP leadership called an "unconscious" Trotskyist. [4]

In 1961, Tim Wohlforth, James Robertson, and other SWP members who opposed regroupment created a tendency within the SWP, the Revolutionary Tendency (RT). RT saw the SWP as shifting toward the FI's other tendency, the International Secretariat of the Fourth International (ISFI), led by Michel Pablo. RT opposed "Pabloite" politics [3] :864–865 and Pablo's "entryism sui generis" plan, in which Trotskyists would maintain separate parties but personally enter into communist and social democratic parties. RT developed links with the Socialist Labour League in Britain, led by Gerry Healy. [3] :917 Lyndon LaRouche was briefly an RT member. [3] :945

In 1962, the RT split: Robertson's majority kept the name. Wohlforth's minority renamed itself the Reorganized Minority Tendency (RMT). [3] :866

In 1963, in preparation for merging the ICFI with the ISFI, Wohlforth was removed from the SWP's Political Committee. [3] :924

Formation

In November 1963, the SWP expelled Robertson and the RT, who created the Spartacist League. Robertson's appeal was denied in April 1964. [3] :917–918

In September 1964, the SWP expelled Wohlforth and the RMT, who created the American Committee for the Fourth International (ACFI) and launched the biweekly Bulletin of International Socialism. [3] :866,917–918,924 [5] ACFI maintained connections with Gerry Healy and the (non-merged portions of the) ICFI, which they considered the legitimate Trotskyist movement. ACFI became the American section of the ICFI.[ citation needed ]

Wohlforth argued that the split was due to their demand for discussion of the decision by the Sri Lankan Trotskyist Lanka Sama Samaja Party to participate in the national government. [3] :924 ACFI characterized this decision as "opportunism" that originated in the "centrist" position of the LSSP during the split between the ISFI and ICFI of 1953. [6]

Subsequent history

Former SEP logo Socialist Equality Party (United States) logo.svg
Former SEP logo

In 1966, ACFI renamed itself to the Workers League (WL). [3] :866

In 1973, WL entered serious organizational crisis. About 150 members and most of its founding leaders left. At Healey's insistence, Wohlforth was forced out of leadership. [3] :927

In 1985, ICFI split in two. The Workers Revolutionary Party (WRP) in Britain argued that ICFI should support nationalist leaders like Saddam Hussein and Muammar Gadhafi. [3] :928 In 1985, the WRP expelled Gerry Healy, and WL sided with the ICFI majority over Healy's minority. [3] :929

In 1995, parties affiliated with ICFI each renamed themselves as Socialist Equality Party. In 1998, the ICFI launched the World Socialist Web Site. [7] ICFI runs the publishing house Mehring Books, formerly named Labor Publications. [8]

In 2006, the Socialist Equality Party relaunched its student movement (the Students for Social Equality) as the International Students for Social Equality (ISSE). In 2012, the SEP renamed the ISSE as the International Youth and Students for Social Equality (IYSSE). [9]

Ideology

SEP is a Trotskyist party. [1]

SEP supports a "revolutionary struggle against capitalism" and rejects socialist reformism, stating that "our aim is not the reform of capitalism, but its overthrow". [1] In its list of transitional demands, the SEP includes: Universal employment, universal healthcare, ending foreclosures and evictions, workplace democracy, high inheritance taxes, nationalization of large corporations, and replacement of the volunteer-based US military with "popular militias controlled by the working class and with elected officers". [1]

Election results

The SEP has fielded electoral candidates in the United States for local, state, and federal offices. SEP candidates usually run as official SEP candidates on their own ballot line.

No SEP candidate has yet won an election.

Presidential elections

YearPresidential candidateVice presidential candidatePopular votes %Electoral votesResultBallot accessNotesRef
2024 Joseph Kishore Jerome White T.B.DT.B.DT.B.DT.B.D
41 / 538
running as a Socialist Equality Party candidate [10]
2020 Joseph Kishore Norissa Santa Cruz345
0.00%
0Lost
9 / 538
ran as Socialist Equality Party candidate [11]
2016 Jerome White Niles Niemuth382
0.00%
0Lost
0 / 538
ran as write-in candidate [12]
2012 Jerome White Phyllis Scherrer1,279
0.00%
0Lost
17 / 538
ran as Socialist Equality Party candidate [13]
2008 Jerome White Bill Van Auken 18
0.00%
0Lost
0 / 538
ran as write-in candidate [14] [15]
2004 Bill Van Auken Jim Lawrence1,857
0.00%
0Lost
45 / 538
ran as Socialist Equality Party candidate [16]
1996 Jerome White Fred Mazelis2,438
0.00%
0Lost
43 / 538
ran as Socialist Equality Party candidate [17]
1992 Helen HalyardFred Mazelis3,050
0.00%
0Lost
33 / 538
ran as Workers League candidate [18]
1988 Edward WinnHelen Halyard18,693
0.02%
0Lost
59 / 538
ran as Workers League candidate [19]
1984 Edward WinnHelen Halyard10,798
0.01%
0Lost
71 / 538
ran as Workers League candidate [20]

Congressional elections

YearCandidateChamberStateDistrictVotes %ResultNotesRef
2006 Bill Van Auken Senate New York Class 1 6,004
0.1%
Lost [21]
2006 Jerome White House Michigan MI-12 1,862
0.8%
Lost [22]
2018 David Moore Senate California Class 1 24,601
0.4%
Lost Top two primary [23]
2018 Niles Niemuth House Michigan MI-12 2,200
0.8%
Lost [24]
2018 Kevin Mitchell House California CA-51 1,473
1.9%
Lost Top two primary [25]

Statewide elections

YearCandidateOfficeStateDistrictVotes %ResultNotesRef
2021 David Moore Governor California 31,160
0.4%
Losturged a "No" vote on the recall [26]
2003 John Burton Governor California 6,748
0.1%
Losturged a "No" vote on the recall [27]

State legislature elections

YearCandidateOfficeStateDistrictVotes %ResultNotesRef
2016Naomi Spencer State House West Virginia 16th921
2.3%
Lost[ citation needed ]
2010D'Artagnan Collier State House Michigan 9th138
0.7%
Lost[ citation needed ]
2006Joe Parnarauskis State Senate Illinois 52nd1,894
3.4%
Lost [28]
2006Eric DesMarais State Senate Maine 32nd296
2.3%
Lost [28]

Local elections

YearCandidateOfficeAreaDistrictVotes %ResultNotesRef
2013 D'Artagnan Collier Mayor Detroit 91
0.1%
Lost [29]
2009 D'Artagnan Collier Mayor Detroit 1,265
1.4%
Lost[ citation needed ]

National congresses

NameDateLocationMain ResolutionReport
Eighth National CongressAugust 4-9, 2024online Tasks of the SEP Opening Report
Seventh National CongressJuly 31-August 5, 2022online COVID-19 and the fight for socialism Build rank-and-file committees
Sixth National CongressJuly 19-24, 2020online Tasks of the SEP
Fifth National CongressJuly 22-27, 2018southeast Michigan Tasks of the SEP Opening Report
Fourth National CongressJuly 31-August 5, 2016 Detroit, Michigan Tasks of the SEP
Third National CongressAugust 2014 Tasks of the SEP
Second National CongressJuly 8-12, 2012 Detroit, Michigan Perspectives of the SEP On the 2012 campaign
First National CongressAugust 11-15, 2010 Ann Arbor, Michigan SEP Program
Founding CongressAugust 3-9, 2008 Ann Arbor, Michigan SEP Statement of Principles Summary

See also

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