Twin Cities DSA is pleased to announce that our 2023 electoral endorsements process has begun! Each endorsement is decided by membership and only happens with member participation. Candidates who share our vision are encouraged to read our endorsement process and submit their questionnaire by February 28th.
Our Electoral Committee has been reflecting on the electoral work of the chapter and planning for the work to come in 2023. Takeaways from this conversation included the need to establish clear priorities from the chapter to guide this work, to develop channels of communication with and between endorsed officials, and to develop our capacity through being more vocal about our electoral victories.
This has informed our planning for the 2023 election cycle in Minneapolis and Saint Paul. We are proud of what our elected officials have accomplished and of the solidarity they share with movements for change at both the state and local level, and we will continue to develop our structures to increase collaboration as we go forward.
Today I want to lay out what membership can expect from our endorsement process for 2023. The timeline is laid out below. Once candidates submit their questionnaires (due by February 28), they will be provided to members to read. Candidates must then receive a motion of support from 1% of our members (currently equaling 12 members) to be considered for endorsement.
The Electoral Committee will schedule Question and Answer sessions (Q&As) and create opportunities for members to engage with candidates on issues, and we will hold an endorsement meeting to discuss the decision as a chapter prior to voting. Candidates must receive 60% of the vote to be endorsed. You can read more about our process here. Additional updates will be provided to members as we move through the process. If you have any questions, please reach out to electoral@twincitiesdsa.org.
| Endorsement Process Steps | Timeline |
|---|---|
| Questionnaire Deadline | February 28 |
| Candidate Consideration Deadline | March 14 |
| Candidate Q&As | March 15 – March 31 |
| Steering Committee Screening Meeting | April 2 |
| Endorsement Meeting | April 15 |
| Voting Period | April 16 – April 23 |
By Tim H, Electoral Committee Co-chair