Democratic Socialists of America
From Ballotpedia
| Democratic Socialists of America | |
 | |
| Basic facts | |
| Location: | New York, NY |
| Type: | National Political Committee, 501 (c)(3), 501(c)(4) |
| Top official: | Maria Svart, National Director |
| Founder(s): | Michael Harrington |
| Year founded: | 1982 |
| Website: | Official website |
| Budget | |
| 2016: | $861,265[1] |
| 2015: | $490,928[2] |
The Democratic Socialists of America (DSA) is the largest socialist organization in the United States, claiming 46,000 members as of July 2018.[3] The DSA "fights for reforms today that will weaken the power of corporations and increase the power of working people."[4] The DSA was founded in 1982 by the unification of the Democratic Socialist Organizing Committee (DSOC), founded in 1973 by Michael Harrington, and the New American Movement, founded in 1971.[5]
The DSOC was formed after Harrington resigned as National Co-Chairman of the Socialist Party of America (SPA)[6] Harrington advocated for immediate withdrawal from the Vietnam War, while the majority of the party, who became the Social Democrats USA (SDUSA), advocated U.S. presence as support for anti-communists and labor organizations in the country.[7] Harrington also criticized the SDUSA for what he called "obsessive anti-communism," and supported dealing with the Soviet Union in a diplomatic manner.[8]
The DSA made a "decision in late 2014 to make its number one priority the movement to support Bernie Sanders running for president" in the 2016 election, according to the DSA website, and saw its membership increase from 6,500 to 8,500 by election day. In the eight months following the election, an additional 13,000 people joined the organization.[5]
Political activity
Candidate endorsements
The following table details the DSA's national endorsement of candidates in elections known to Ballotpedia:
| Candidates endorsed by Democratic Socialists of America | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Candidate | Year | Office | Status |
| Cynthia Nixon (D)[9] | 2018 | New York gubernatorial election |  Lost primary
|
| Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D) | 2018 | New York's 14th Congressional District |  Won general election
|
| Bernie Sanders (D) | 2016 | President of the United States | Lost primary
|
Recent news
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Footnotes
- ↑ Propublica, "Non-profit Explorer:DSA," accessed July 17, 2018
- ↑ Influence Watch, "Democratic Socialists of America," accessed July 17, 2018
- ↑ Twitter, "DSA," July 20, 2018
- ↑ Democratic Socialists of America, "Home," accessed July 24, 2018
- ↑ 5.0 5.1 Democratic Socialists of America, "A History of Democratic Socialists of America 1971-2017," accessed July 24, 2018
- ↑ Washington Post, "The Coming Out of US Socialists," March 25, 1979
- ↑ SDUSA, "Our Heritage," accessed July 24, 2018
- ↑ The Progressive Populist," "Socialists See an Opening for Change," accessed July 24, 2018
- ↑ Nixon was endorsed by the New York chapter of the DSA.
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| Main |  |