Triangle DSA Endorsement Process Resolution

Whereas DSA has formally adopted the position that electoral politics is a central pillar of a viable socialist strategy in a formally democratic state;

Whereas Triangle DSA members have gained significant experience in electoral politics in recent years;

Whereas Triangle DSA’s growing influence has begun to put it in a position to make impactful local electoral endorsements;

Whereas Triangle DSA has no existing formal endorsement process;

Whereas a standard endorsement process across the chapter will allow Triangle DSA to exercise strategically sound and consistent judgment in endorsement decisions;

Be it therefore resolved, Triangle DSA adopts the following standard endorsement process:

Preamble: This document lays out guidelines for Triangle DSA’s electoral endorsement process. The chapter and its branches may deviate from this process as appropriate for any given candidate. The lists of suggested questions are not exhaustive or final - they will remain open to revision at any time (i.e., questions may be added, removed, or changed as necessary by the Endorsements Committee based on our endorsement experiences). The official process itself should only be altered with the approval of membership.

Step 1: Candidates request an endorsement meeting using a form on the Triangle DSA website

Potential Questions for Application for DSA Endorsement

Basic info:
1. Full name
2. Pronouns
3. Email address
4. Phone number
5. Office sought
6. Election date
7. Any previous elected offices held
8. Any previous runs for elected office
Short bio with reason for running (max 250 words)
Where are you in the process of developing your candidacy (e.g., considering running, filed, actively seeking endorsement, etc.)?
Name three of your top priorities as an elected official and briefly explain your reasoning. (max 150 words)
Would you describe yourself as a socialist? What does being a socialist mean to you? (max 100 words)

Applications should be received at least 16 weeks before the election date in order to give the chapter sufficient time to run the endorsement process. Applications received after this time may be acted upon, but we cannot guarantee the process will be complete before the deadline for applications for DSA national endorsement, which must be received by the National Electoral Committee at least 10 weeks before the election date.

Step 2: Triangle DSA Endorsement Committee reviews incoming applications

The Triangle DSA Endorsement Committee will review website questionnaire responses, make a first impression assessment of the candidate and the basic context of the race, and make a reasoned recommendation to the appropriate steering committee as to whether the candidate should receive an endorsement meeting. The steering committee will have full autonomy as to the decision to grant a candidate an endorsement meeting. If the steering committee does grant a meeting, it should be communicated to the candidate that DSA endorsement requires alignment between DSA’s vision and the candidate’s.

Step 3: Branch endorsement meeting

(if the candidate’s race would more appropriately be handled by the chapter initially, skip to step 5)
While branches have full autonomy as to how to conduct their meetings, the recommended procedure is for branches to hold a 90 minute endorsement meeting. Ideally, the meeting should be recorded so that members who cannot attend can still participate in the process. Any video should ideally be posted only on internal channels, to limit the possibility of it reaching people outside DSA. Videos can also be sent to individual members via email upon request as well. Sending videos via email will be the responsibility of the appropriate steering committee.
In advance of the meeting, the branch should send to the candidate questions regarding campaign logistics and strategy, to be answered in writing so that members may review prior to the meeting. Members may ask follow up questions in the meeting. The suggested logistics and strategy questions are below:

Campaign Logistics and Strategy (in writing)

Who is/are the incumbent(s) for your office?
How would you describe your opponents’ electoral strength? Are you aware of any other significant challengers? How would you describe the “winnability” of your race?
How many votes do you think you need in order to win? Please provide contextual historical data.
1. If applicable: provide a breakdown of what vote totals you will need from constituent voting regions for your office.
Do you think you need to expand the electorate in order to win? If so, what is your plan for doing so?
How many doors do you think you need to knock on? How many phone calls do you think you will need to make? How many pieces of different kinds of literature/signage do you think you will need to drop/post?
What are your plans for lit dropping, canvassing, and phonebanking?
How much money do you think you will need to raise for your campaign? How do you plan to spend your funds? How do you plan to raise this money?
Please provide population and demographic data on your constituency.
What volunteer roles do you envision for your campaign, and how many volunteers will you need for each role? Do you already have volunteers for these roles? How do you plan to fill out your volunteer needs?
Please list any other significant endorsements you have received for this campaign or for prior races.
How will your messaging appeal to working class voters? How will your messaging appeal to middle class voters?
How will you effectively mobilize working-class voters who have been neglected by political/electoral systems?
What strategies can be used to ensure unhoused citizens are able to vote if they so desire?
What are your plans for helping transport people to the polls on election day and/or for early voting?
What organization(s) would you encourage your supporters to join after the election? (It does not have to be DSA)

The meeting itself should ideally consist of two portions: 60 minutes of live Q&A with the candidate, followed by 30 minutes of deliberation among members without the candidate’s presence. Members may ask any questions they wish; some suggested questions are below:

Candidate/Campaign Relationship With DSA

What do you envision as DSA’s role in your campaign?
What do you think your campaign can do for DSA and to further the socialist cause? What material gains can you achieve for the working class through your campaign and, if elected, your office? How will you shift power to the working class through your campaign and, if elected, your office?
Would you allow NC Triangle DSA to build its own canvassing raps and a field team which trains its own canvassers and runs its own canvasses? Would you allow us to keep and manage our own data for future DSA projects?
Would you speak at a DSA event? Would you include the DSA logo on your endorsements page? Would you make social media posts in support of NC Triangle DSA and its initiatives?
If you are not already a member, would you join DSA?
If elected, do you pledge to continue to meet with NC Triangle DSA regularly to discuss your work and take our input? How often would you say it is reasonable to meet with DSA?
How will you manage relationships with potential coalition partners who may be opposed to socialism?

Policy

Health Care

Do you support universal and free access to reproductive healthcare for all, including abortion on demand, provision of all contraceptive methods, fertility support, prenatal and obstetric services, and postnatal support for new parents? Do you consider yourself unwavering on all reproductive justice issues?
Do you pledge to be a champion of healthcare for all at the local/state level, including fighting for state-level single-payer healthcare, supporting Medicaid expansion, advocating for removing the profit-incentive from healthcare, and fighting against the insurance industry?
Do you support full access to healthcare for all, including to undocumented immigrants and transgender people?

Labor Solidarity and Support

Please describe your past/present labor organizing and union experience if any.
DSA has set the labor movement as a national priority. Please describe how you will prioritize the labor movement and unions in your campaign, and if elected, during your time in office (referencing what particular issues and approaches you value most).
Do you support or oppose allowing employers and unions to enter into agreements which, when ratified by a majority of employees in a given collective bargaining unit, require all employees who benefit from the union negotiated wages and conditions to pay their fair share of the union’s cost of negotiating and administering the collective bargaining agreement?
Do you support or oppose a living wage of at least $15/hour, inclusive of all industries and tipped workers?
Do you support or oppose a guarantee of full employment, inclusive of a jobs guarantee?
Do you support policies designed to grow the cooperative sector and promote worker ownership of small businesses? How would you support and develop policies to increase worker ownership and control of industries?
How do you plan to both fight legislation like Right to Work at a state level as well as draft and support legislation that makes it easier to form and join a union, like card check at the federal level?
What legislation do you support that will strengthen workers’ rights in your district/state? Please be explicit.
Explain your position on parental leave as it relates to your constituents.

Education

What’s wrong with the current education system? What reforms would you like to see, and has the contemporary educational reform movement been effective at achieving them?
What is the role of charter schools in your desired education system? Would you support an immediate moratorium on charter schools?
Do you pledge to fight for universal pre-K, fully funding public schools, free college and technical programs for all, against school voucher programs, and against school segregation?
Do you support universal childcare for all children in the United States?
Do you support cancelling student debt?
How would you fight in your position for a fairer, more equitable school funding formula that addresses socioeconomic differences across your state?
Would you support legislation that enforces a student loan debt interest cap to ensure nobody pays back in fees or interest payments more than the total amount of their original borrowing?
Do you support a statewide prohibition on exclusionary school discipline (i.e., suspensions and expulsions)? What other steps would you support to end the “school-to-prison pipeline”? Please include your views on the role of police in schools.
(For local candidates) What is the status of the racial achievement gap in your municipality/county, and how can you use your office to improve it?

Climate and Environment

Do you support a Green New Deal for your district/city/state? What would this legislation entail?
(For local candidates) Do you pledge to fight to make your county/municipality a leader on climate action, particularly where commercial activity is concerned? How?
What is the status of public transit in your county/municipality, and how can you improve it?
Do you pledge to fight to make your county/municipality less car-centric? How?
How would you include the working class in the fight for a healthy environment for all people?
Do you have a position on Duke Energy or other energy monopolies with regards to ensuring energy justice?
Do you support public ownership of utilities?

Criminal Justice

Do you support defunding the police? How would you use your role to advance this work?
What policies do you support to reduce and end mass incarceration?
What is your stance on decriminalizing all drugs?
Explain how you would resolve the issue of marijuana legalization coupled with mass incarceration of people with marijuana-related offenses.
Would you support legislation allowing for legal marijuana business licenses to people previously incarcerated for marijuana possession and/or distribution?
Do you support decriminalizing sex work? How will you advocate for the rights of sex workers in your elected role?

Civil Rights and Discrimination

How would you use your office to fight racial oppression, and help to secure equity in public services and quality of life for people of color?
How would you improve current laws designed to aid and protect people with disabilities? How else can you use your office to aid disabled people?
Do you support pushing back on attempts to discriminate against LGBTQ people, including opposing religious exemptions to anti-discrimination laws, bathroom bills, etc.?
What will you do to support LGBTQ rights in your community? How will you fight discrimination, violence, and oppression against LGBTQ people?
What will you do to address high rates of violence against transgender people, particularly women of color? Will you support full access to healthcare for all, including healthcare needed to support transgender persons?
How would you fight to ensure tribal nations have the autonomy and authority to protect their own peoples?
Do you consider yourself a feminist? Why or why not?
Please describe your experiences/contributions to the feminist movement.
What would you do in office to address the problem of sexual harassment and assault against women in precarious situations, whether in housing, immigration, or low-wage work, that imperils their livelihood, homes, or presence in this country?

Democracy Reform

Do you support basic reforms to increase voter registration and participation by working people, including Election Day registration, automatic voter registration, making Election Day a holiday, and increasing opportunities for early voting?
Do you pledge to accept no money from for-profit corporate donors, for-profit corporate PACs, real estate developers, or lobbyists for for-profit corporations? If yes, how will you ensure your donor base is primary small-dollar donors?
Do you support campaign finance reform? Please explain any specific policies you support, such as public financing of elections.
Do you support alternative voting systems to First Past The Post (e.g. Instant Run-Off, STV, Borda Count, Approval Voting, etc.)?
Do you support a move toward multi-member districts or proportional representation?
Currently in North Carolina, signatures numbering 1.5% to 4% of registered voters are required to run as a third party candidate for state or federal office. Do you think that number is too high, too low, just right?

Economic Development

Describe your plans for worker-centered, sustainable economic development in your locality.
How will you ensure that economic growth is shared equally by all in your community?

Housing

Describe your vision for housing justice. How will you use your campaign and elected office to advocate for this vision? Please cite any specific policy examples.
What are the housing needs and challenges in your locality, and how do you plan to expand affordable housing?
Do you pledge to fight for tenant justice against landlords? What steps can you take in office to protect tenants against predatory landlords?
What approaches do you think are necessary to achieve quality affordable housing?
Do you support collective bargaining rights for tenants?
Do you support universal rent control?
What percentage of area median income (AMI) should be prioritized/targeted when developing affordable housing?
If publicly owned land is to be used for affordable housing, what model do you prefer? A tax credit financing model, a community land trust model, a government owned and administered social housing model, or a housing co-op model? (feel free to elaborate or rank)

Immigration

Do you support abolishing ICE? What does “sanctuary” mean to you?
North Carolina law prohibits sanctuary cities. What can you do to build a true sanctuary environment in your locality?
How would you use your office to combat oppression of immigrants and fight for their ability to participate as equals in our society?
If you have detention centers in your district, would your promise to launch investigations into their conditions? How would you make the realities of immigration detention more transparent?

Foreign Policy

What would you do locally to oppose western imperialist foreign policy and the runaway influence of the military-industrial complex?
Do you support the Boycott, Divestment, Sanctions (BDS) movement?
Do you oppose local or state legislative and executive efforts that penalize individuals, universities, and entities that boycott Israel’s apartheid regime and complicit institutions and companies?

Other Issues

What is your profession? Is a significant portion of your income derived from capital holdings (e.g., investments, rent, etc.)?
Describe your record of organizing and public service.
What community organizations are you a part of?
Have you been active in DSA? In what capacity?
How can you use your position to organize in office? How can you use your position to reach marginalized communities that tend to be underrepresented in political processes?
What is your vision for grassroots democracy and community engagement at all levels of government?
How do you propose to change your city/state’s budget and tax structure to better fund public services and redistribute wealth?
If your campaign is endorsed nationally, will you promote a tandem ActBlue page for DSA’s nationally endorsed campaigns on your social media accounts? (When a donor gives on a Tandem Fundraising form, they can easily split their contribution between all of the campaigns listed or choose which ones they’d like to give to).
What have we not asked you that we should?

After the 60 minute live Q&A, members should spend 30 minutes deliberating and discussing the candidate’s responses and share their views on whether the candidate should be endorsed. Relevant considerations should include whether the campaign is a class struggle campaign; whether the candidate is an organizer; whether the race is strategically wise to engage in considering movement-building potential, member capacity, and resources; whether DSA’s support for the candidate would be pivotal to their victory to such an extent that the candidate would view DSA as an essential part of their base; and whether the race is winnable (notably, it is against DSA’s electoral policy to support purely protest/statement campaigns with no path to victory). See the 2021-2022 DSA National Electoral Strategy for more: https://electoral.dsausa.org/national-electoral-strategy/

Step 4: Branch vote

Following the meeting, the branch should send out an online ballot to all members. The ballot should include 4 options: Tier 1 endorsement, Tier 2 endorsement, Tier 3 endorsement, or no endorsement. Higher tiers of support will require more from the candidate - for example, Tier 1 is appropriate for candidates who commit to continuing to meet with our chapter or the relevant branch regularly if elected, consult DSA on their acts in office, be accountable to DSA, and also use their office to help promote and grow DSA.

Tier 3 endorsement:
The candidate can use our name and logo, but DSA will not be involved in the campaign beyond that.

Tier 2 endorsement:
NC Triangle DSA and its branches will make their own social media posts about the campaign and engage in other low effort support, like encouraging individual members to volunteer for or donate to the candidate, but nothing more involved.

Tier 1 endorsement:
DSA will be actively involved in supporting the campaign, helping organize canvasses/phonebanks/literature drops, giving more input on policy, etc. Tier 1 endorsement at the chapter level is required in order to apply for national endorsement for the candidate (which is the chapter’s responsibility).

In order for a successful vote to reflect a strong consensus, branches are encouraged to set the threshold for an endorsement vote at or above 60%. Voting for one tier should be understood as approval for lower tiers as well. Vote counts for lower tiers should be combined with votes for higher tiers (e.g. if a candidate does not meet the threshold for endorsement at Tier 1, the Tier 1 vote count should be added to the Tier 2 vote count to determine the branch’s level of Tier 2 support for the candidate; for Tier 3, votes for all three Tiers should be combined). If the candidate is endorsed at the branch level, the process should move to step 5.

Step 5: Chapter endorsement meeting

At this stage, the chapter steering committee should hold a chapter endorsement meeting for the candidate. The structure should ideally be the same as the branch endorsement meeting outlined in step 3 above. The candidate’s written answers to the logistics and strategy questions should be provided to chapter membership in advance of the meeting (if they prepared these answers for a branch endorsement meeting, they do not need to be resubmitted). The live chapter Q&A can use the same set of questions provided above in step 3.

Step 6: Chapter vote

The chapter should next hold an online vote in a similar manner to that described in step 4 above. The only difference is that the only vote options should be the level at which the candidate was endorsed by the branch and the lesser options (i.e., if a candidate receives Tier 2 endorsement at the branch level, Tier 1 should not be an option for the chapter).

Step 7: National endorsement

If the candidate receives Tier 1 endorsement from the chapter, the chapter should apply for national endorsement for the candidate if the candidate requests it. The application should be prepared by members of the Chapter Endorsement Committee and the Chapter Steering Committee.

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