Endorsements
Boston DSA endorses candidates who share our purpose of building a mass socialist movement in the US and extending democratic principles into all spheres of life including the workplace and economy. We see our electoral work as inseparable from that mission. We are selective in who we endorse, because we aim to build close relationships with our endorsed candidates, provide them significant support in contacting voters, and build a socialism movement together.
The Endorsement Process
- Questionnaire – Candidates seeking endorsements complete our questionnaire. Email electoral@bostondsa.org to request a copy of the questionnaire and submit responses back to us in either Google Docs or Microsoft Word format. Please do not submit in PDF format as we cannot easily redact the confidential questions about your field plans. Questionnaire answers will be shared with our membership unless otherwise noted.
- Candidate Forum – After you submit your questionnaire, our Electoral Working Group leadership will review your answers and reach out for clarification on any points if needed. Then, we will invite you to an endorsement interview via Zoom. This will be recorded and may be published. Any Boston DSA member will be able to ask you questions about your candidacy or specific policies.
- Electoral Working Group Vote – The Electoral Working Group will do a final review of the candidate, and have a debate and vote on whether to advance the candidate to the general membership.
- Endorsement Vote – We will hold a chapter-wide debate during a General Meeting, and then Boston DSA members will vote online. Candidates will need to reach a minimum of 60% of votes in favor in order to receive endorsement.
- Endorsement Announcement – We will announce the endorsement on our website (like we do below) and through our chapter’s regular communication channels.
2024 Timeline
Once applications open, questionnaires will be accepted on a rolling basis up until the deadlines below. Candidate interviews will be scheduled for as soon as possible upon receipt of questionnaires. The final endorsement vote will happen after the proximate general membership meeting.
- January 26 – Endorsement applications open.
- April 1 – Priority candidate deadline. Questionnaires are due for candidates who wish to have our priority support
- June 1 – Latecomers deadline. This is the final deadline for all endorsement applications. No questionnaires or applications will be accepted after this date.
Our Endorsed Socialists In Office (As Of 2024)
Somerville
Somerville’s City Council has four at-large councilors and seven ward councilors. Councilors are elected every two years, most recently in 2023.
Willie Burnley Jr.
Willie Burnley Jr., a community organizer, former union steward, and DSA member who is currently serving as Somerville City Councilor At-Large. In his first term on the council, Willie has made national headlines for his work on abolishing medical debt, expanding rights for tenants and workers, increased protections for LGBTQ+ folks, and passed first-in-the nation non-discrimination ordinances. He was first elected in 2021, and re-elected in 2023.
JT Scott
JT Scott serves on the Somerville City Councillor for Ward 2. They were first elected in 2021, and re-elected in 2023.
Cambridge
Cambridge’s City Council has nine at-large councilors, elected by a proportional representation process. Councilors are elected every two years, most recently in 2023.
Jivan Sobrinho-Wheeler
Jivan Sobrinho-Wheeler, who is a renter, sidewalk socialist, and DSA member. As a Cambridge City Councilor in 2020-2021, he worked on legislation to add hundreds of new affordable homes in Cambridge, create safer streets, and ban the use of tear gas. Issues he planned to prioritize include: housing justice; childcare; functional transportation; and climate resilience. He was first elected in 2019, and was elected to a non-consecutive second term in 2023.
Medford
Medford’s City Council has seven at-large councilors. Councilors are elected every two years, most recently in 2023.
Zac Bears
Zac Bears serves on the Medford City Council At-Large. He was first elected in 2021, and re-elected in 2023.
2024 Endorsement
At the February General Meeting, Boston DSA members voted to endorse Evan MacKay for Cambridge’s 25th Middlesex district in the Massachusetts State House.
Evan MacKay
Evan MacKay is the former president of the Harvard Graduate Students Union, a local organizer on issues of social, racial, economic, and environmental justice, and an active member of Boston DSA. They are seeking office to be a strong advocate for a transparent government and for working class issues such as rent control. They plan to take a stand against the failures of the Massachusetts Democratic Party and state house leadership.
2023 Endorsements
Boston DSA endorsed eight city council candidates across Boston, Cambridge, Medford and Somerville in 2023. Four of our eight endorsed candidates were elected or re-elected to city council. Read about each of our 2023 endorsed candidates.
Boston DSA also published a 2023 general election voter guide, which was meant to provide members with Boston DSA’s recommendations for how to vote strategically. These recommendations were not endorsements. Endorsements must go through the above outlined endorsement process and be voted on by the chapter.
2022 Endorsements
Boston DSA endorsed one State Representative candidate in 2022. Our chapter first endorsed Erika Uyterhoeven for State Representative of 27th Middlesex, which covers much of Somerville, in 2020. Visit Erika’s website to learn where she stands on the issues and see the work she has done.
Boston DSA also published a 2022 primary voter guide and 2022 general election voter guide, which were meant to provide members and the public with Boston DSA’s recommendations for how to vote strategically. These recommendations were not endorsements. Endorsements must go through the above outlined endorsement process and be voted on by the chapter.
2021 Endorsements
Boston DSA endorsed 12 City Council candidates across Boston, Cambridge, Somerville, and Medford in 2021.
Seven of our twelve endorsed candidates were elected or re-elected to city council. Boston DSA also published a 2021 general election voter guide. Read about each of our 2021 endorsed candidates.
2020 Endorsements
Boston DSA endorsed 3 State Representatives candidates in 2020.
One of our endorsed candidates, Erika Uyterhoeven, was elected to the Massachusetts State House. Boston DSA published a 2020 voter guide, which contains information on our endorsed candidates.
2019 Endorsements
One of our endorsed candidates, Jivan Sobrinho-Wheeler, was elected to city council. Boston DSA also published a 2019 election voter guide, which contains information on our endorsed candidates.