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.
2026 Timeline
Our 2026 endorsement process is now open! Please email if you’d like to apply.
2026 Endorsements
At the January General Meeting, Boston DSA members voted to endorse Evan MacKay for State Representative in the 25th Middlesex district.
Evan MacKay
Boston DSA is proud to endorse Evan MacKay for State Representative in the 25th Middlesex district! Evan 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, and to take a stand against the failures of the Massachusetts Democratic Party and state house leadership.
Our Endorsed Socialists In Office (As Of 2026)
Somerville
Somerville’s City Council has four at-large councilors and seven ward councilors. Councilors are elected every two years, most recently in 2025.
JT Scott
JT Scott serves on the Somerville City Councillor for Ward 2. They were first elected in 2021, and re-elected in 2023 and 2025.
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 2025.
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, followed by re-election in 2025.
Ayah Al-Zubi
Ayah Al-Zubi, who was running to make Cambridge a dignified and affordable home for all.
Medford
Medford’s City Council has seven at-large councilors. Councilors are elected every two years, most recently in 2025.
Zac Bears
Zac Bears serves on the Medford City Council At-Large. He was first elected in 2021, and re-elected in 2023 and 2025.
2025 Endorsements
In 2025, Boston DSA endorsed one mayoral candidate (Willie Burnley Jr. for Somerville Mayor), and three city council candidates (Marcos Candido for Lowell City Council District 8, Jivan Sobrinho-Wheeler for re-election to Cambridge City Council At-Large, and Ayah Al-Zubi for Cambridge City Council At-Large). Jivan Sobrinho-Wheeler and Ayah Al-Zubi won their elections, while Marcos Candido and Willie Burnley Jr. narrowly lost by 51-49 and 53-47 respectively.
Boston DSA was proud to endorse Jivan Sobrinho-Wheeler for Cambridge City Council At-Large. Jivan was running for re-election to continue building a more affordable, sustainable, and just Cambridge.
Boston DSA was proud to endorse Ayah Al-Zubi for Cambridge City Council At-Large. Ayah was running for City Council to make Cambridge a dignified and affordable home for all.
Boston DSA was proud to endorse Marcos Candido for Lowell City Council District 8. Marcos was running for City Council to lower the cost of living, implement healthy transit initiatives, and provide better childcare support.
Boston DSA was proud to endorse Willie Burnley Jr. for Mayor of Somerville. Willie has been a voice for working people, tenants, and marginalized communities, and was running to fight for a Somerville that works for all.
2024 Endorsements
Boston DSA endorsed one State Representative candidate in 2024: Evan MacKay for Cambridge’s 25th Middlesex district in the Massachusetts State House.
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 were seeking office to be a strong advocate for a transparent government and for working class issues such as rent control, and 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.