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. Please 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 will review your answers and reach out for clarification on any points. Then, the working group will vote on whether to invite candidates in for 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.
- Endorsement Vote – We will hold a debate during a General Meeting, and then members will vote online.
- Endorsement Announcement – We will announce the endorsement on our website (like we do below) and through our chapter’s regular communication channels.
Our 2022 Endorsement
In 2022, Boston DSA endorsed Erika Uyterhoeven for State Representative in Somerville (27th Middlesex). Our chapter first endorsed Erika in 2020 and she remains a strong partner and socialist voice in the State House. 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 in the 2022 elections. These recommendations were not endorsements. Endorsements must go through the above outlined endorsement process and be voted on by the chapter.
Our 2021 Endorsements
In 2021, Boston DSA endorsed City Council candidates across Boston, Cambridge, Somerville, and Medford.
Following our endorsements and thousands of door knocks by our members, 7 of our 12 endorsements were elected or re-elected to city council. Our 2021 endorsements are listed below. Boston DSA also published a 2021 general election voter guide.
Boston
Joel Richards, is a BTU activist, first generation Jamaican American, community organizer, and candidate for District 4. As an organizer, he advocated to reduce the BPD budget and get police out of schools. He is running for city council to get more for District 4, more quality public schools, more affordable housing, and more resources for economic justice. Learn more and get involved here.
Joel did not win his election.
Kendra Hicks is a proud socialist, artist, and a first-generation Black Dominican woman running for Boston City Council in District 6. As a lifelong community organizer, she has long fought to bring the margins to the center, a fight she is bringing to city hall. She is committed to defunding the BPD, pushing for rent control, closing the racial wealth gap, and increasing government transparency and accountability. Check out her (self designed) website here.
Kendra won her election.
Cambridge
Jivan Sobrinho-Wheeler is a Boston DSA member and organizer who was endorsed by the chapter in his winning bid in 2019. As the one of the only renters on the City Council, Jivan is a champion for tenants’ rights and housing justice, a critical issue facing Cambridge in 2021. Jivan has also been a leader on equitable transit. In his first term, Jivan has been a consistent voice for a more democratic Cambridge city government and knows how to work with our movement to keep organizing for the change Cambridge desperately needs. You can learn more about Jivan here.
Jivan did not win re-election.
Quinton Zondervan is an Afro-Caribbean immigrant and community activist who won the election to Cambridge City Council with Boston DSA’s endorsement in 2017. Quinton chairs the Health & Environment and the Public Safety Committees. He has been active on climate justice, policing, and advocating for our houseless neighbors in Cambridge. This term, he introduced policy orders seeking to divert a $4.1 million budget increase for the Cambridge Police Department to other City departments and to demilitarize the CPD. You find out what other policies he supports here.
Quinton won his re-election.
Medford
DSA Boston is proud to endorse Zac Bears! A life-long resident of Medford with first-hand experience with the housing affordability crisis, Zac Bears is a DSA member who is running for reelection to continue the fight for the city budget Medford deserves. With an emphasis on using the budget to fund city services and public schools–a modern-day ‘Sewer Socialist’–Zac believes in moving funding away from the city police and toward emergency response services like mental health support professionals and civilian traffic enforcement. Get to know Zac here.
Zac won his re-election.
Somerville
First elected in 2017, JT Scott is a testament to the power of having socialists in office and is running for re-election this year to continue the fight for affordable housing, transparency, as well as racial and economic justice. JT uses his position on city council and as chair of the finance committee to hold the city accountable for the promises they make, as well as fight tooth and nail to make Somerville a more equitable place to live. Help get JT to a third term here.
JT won his re-election.
An advocate for housing justice, Ben has worked to make housing more affordable, sustainable, and secure by establishing a Citywide Affordable Housing Overlay District, overhauling Somerville’s Zoning to improve affordability, environmental sustainability, and green and open space, as well as passing tenant protections like the Tenant Notification Act and the Tenant Right to Purchase. He has also passed a Facial Recognition Surveillance Ban, civilian oversight of police, and a ban on tear gas. Learn how Ben fights for his constituents here.
Ben won his re-election.
As a racial justice organizer and committed socialist, Tessa is running to build a Somerville that is equitable, sustainable, and healthy for all. That means fighting for affordable housing, fully funded public schools, and social services, climate justice, and racial equity on all levels of society. Tessa and her family are deeply connected and committed to the labor struggle, her husband is the President of the Somerville Educators Union. Tessa is inspired by her children and her work as an organizer to fight for a livable and just future for Somerville. Learn more about Tessa here.
Tessa did not win her election.
With a background fighting for food security and accessibility in our state, Becca is a democratic ecosocialist, a renter, and a climate justice organizer with Boston’s chapter and national DSA. Becca’s campaign is built around a Somerville Green New Deal, housing justice, defunding the police, and strengthening organized labor. She is running on her belief in collective struggle and community-based responses to the many crises we face. You can help support her fight for a green future here.
Becca did not win her election.
A fourth-generation Somerville resident, Charlotte is a queer socialist and Boston DSA member. Charlotte has extensive advocacy and organizing experience; as Executive Director of the MEJA, she secured more equitable and better-funded public schools. Charlotte will fight for union-built affordable housing, fare-free public transit, municipal voting rights for undocumented people, citywide broadband, and expanded green space. Learn more about her campaign here.
Charlotte won her election.
A life-long MA resident, Eve has been an organizer in Somerville the past two years, serving as Boston DSA’s co-chair. Eve is fighting for a fare-free transit in Somerville as part of a Green New Deal, Housing for All through protecting tenant rights and unions, and re-distributing police funds to crisis workers, trauma support, and non-congregate shelter. Find out more about their campaign here.
Eve did not win their election.
As a queer community organizer, former union steward, cyclist, and renter, Willie knows there is much more that we can do to stop displacement and evictions and to live up to Somerville’s values. Fighting on the front lines of the most pressing social movements of the day, Willie has seen first-hand the need for urgency and transformative structural change and hopes to bring that much needed vision to City Hall. Find out more about the policies he would bring to Somerville here.
Willie won his election.
2021 Endorsements
2020 Endorsements
In 2020 Boston DSA endorsed 3 candidates. Our 3 candidates are below.
In 2022 Boston DSA endorsed Erika Uyterhoeven for State Representative in somerville (27th Middlesex). Our chapter first endorsed Erika in 2020 and she remainds a strong partner and socialist voice in the State House. Visit Erika’s website to learn where she stands on the issues and see the work she has done.
Boston DSA also published a primary voter guide and 2022 general election voter guide, which were meant to provide members and the public with Boston DSA’s recommendations. There recommendations were not endorsements. Endorsements must through the above outlined endorsement process and be voted on by the chapter.
Your content goes here. Edit or remove this text inline or in the module Content settings. You can also style every aspect of this content in the module Design settings and even apply custom CSS to this text in the module Advanced settings.
Your content goes here. Edit or remove this text inline or in the module Content settings. You can also style every aspect of this content in the module Design settings and even apply custom CSS to this text in the module Advanced settings.