We are democratic socialists: we believe working people should run both the economy and society democratically to meet human needs, not to make obscene profits for a tiny company-owning class. We are committed to replacing today’s system with a socially-owned economy, and we each contribute our own unique strengths to this goal. If you feel called to make your contributions from inside elected office, we invite you to apply for a Portland DSA endorsement.
We are a member-led force of energetic socialist organizers going from win to win. We are not an advocacy nonprofit. Our endorsement is not a sticker of tacit approval. Our endorsement means Portland DSA is making a substantial investment of our time, energy, and shoe leather in both you and your campaign – in place of or in addition to our other organizing responsibilities.
To earn that investment, be prepared to demonstrate your commitment to socialism and make a clear and compelling justification for why we should invest in you, and how investing in your campaign will build socialism and working class power.
If we award you our endorsement, in turn, you take on your own fairly substantial commitment to Portland DSA. Regardless of the ballot line you run on, DSA is your party. You should expect to serve as an “organizer-in-chief” and have a priority relationship with us, including regular meetings with Portland DSA representatives, coordinating your work in office with our organizing and legislative priorities, identifying your support needs in office and seeking ways we can meet them, and using your pulpit to agitate, movement-build, and recruit to DSA around widely and deeply felt issues.
Candidates for local, state, or federal office seeking endorsement from the Portland chapter of DSA: follow the process that is outlined on this page and more fully described in the policy linked below. If you are instead seeking endorsement for a ballot measure, please refer to our ballot measure endorsement policy.
- Read the current Portland DSA endorsement policy in order to understand the process for endorsement of “DSA cadre candidates” and “externally endorsed candidates” and decide which you would like to pursue.
- Submit an endorsement application form and email electoral@portlanddsa.org to let us know you have done so.
- Shortly after receipt of your application, it will be circulated among our membership. If at least 25 Portland DSA members choose to nominate you for endorsement consideration, we will send you a questionnaire allowing you to describe your background, positions, and goals to our membership.
- Following receipt of your completed questionnaire, you will be invited to present at our monthly general meeting and answer questions. Our membership will then vote on whether to make an endorsement. A two-thirds supermajority is necessary for endorsement.
Please contact electoral@portlanddsa.org with any questions prior to or during this process.