Delegate Town Hall 2019 Candidates

When each candidate has submitted their profile, it will be posted on this page.

Twin Cities DSA is electing 19 delegates to send to the August national convention in Atlanta. Voting will take place at a chapter meeting and social on Saturday June 8. Proposed rules for the meeting can be found here.

Tl;dr: There will be a simple ballot with the option to vote for up to 19 candidates. The top vote getters will be delegates and any others will be eligible to be sent as alternates.

Town Hall Forum

There will be an online town hall forum on Wednesday, June 5 6/5 from 8pm to 9:30pm for all candidates and members who are available. The town hall will include a combination of pre-written questions from moderators and questions from the members in attendance as time permits.

The forum will be conducted using the meeting service Zoom. Members can find the link and call-in numbers in the meeting notice which went out via email on 6/2 or on the TCDSA Slack.

Resolution on Reproductive Rights

The resolution passed at the May general membership meeting mandates that elected delegates commit to voting for a national version of the same resolution. The full text of the resolution can be found here.

Meet the candidates

Rita A.

They/them, she/her

I am so excited to collaborate with comrades from across the country to see how they are building power in their communities, and share what we are doing and learning here! In TCDSA, I have been most involved with health justice and inreach and would like to get further involved with socfems, housing justice, and sex worker solidarity. A vote for Rito is a vote for good vibes.

Anders B.

He/him

I am a highly active member of my chapter (Twin Cities) where I believe I have earned the respect and trust of my comrades through more action than words. I believe as a delegate I can serve as a conduit for my local comrades views and needs, while also building connections and gaining knowledge to help interlock our local struggles with campaigns regional, national and beyond.

Bol B.

He/him

I serve as cochair of the Labor Branch, and have been at TCDSA for almost a year! Outside of the DSA I’ve been active for four years with a multitude of organizing experiences. I’ve been apart of 7 electoral campaigns, 2 successful workplace organizing drives and the Movement for Black Lives coming out of the 4th Precinct Occupation. My interests are in building a mass organization responsive to the interest of poc, young folks and all of the working class. As one of the younger folk in the chapter and one of a few black people, I believe our organization has some ways to go before becoming the anti capitalist mass working class org we can be. I believe with my broad and intense organizing experience I have a lot to bring to national, and determined to bring along the fighting will of the Twin Cities to Atlanta to build the foundation of what the DSA can be.

MacKenzie B.

She/her

I have been an active member of TCDSA since the spring of 2017 doing work with the Socialist Feminist branch and the Clinic Defense working group, Inreach, the Grievance Process creation, as well as some marshaling. I hope to attend the national convention to continue my work in these areas and share and gain knowledge as we work for a socialist feminist future! In the two years I have been active with TCDSA I have learned and grown more than I could have imagined. It has been more meetings and hours of preparation, more signal loops, slack reminders, and google docs poured over than I would have believed possible. And in that time I have not only seen seeds of change planted, and help to sew a few myself; I have seen our socialist future begin to grow. At convention I intent to support bylaws and resolutions that direct funds, and resources including training, to local chapters. I believe in strong local and grassroots organizing foundations. I believe that these strong foundations, tied together in regional and national networks, are how we will achieve power. I believe in democratic processes built out of an intersectional, abolitionist, anti-imperial, feminist socialist framework. A better world is possible, but there is a lot of work to do and I want to be a part of it.

Anne B.

She/her

You might know me from check-in at a general meeting, or my dog that tried to lead the May Day parade, or the goofy asides in the newsletter. You may have used airtable forms I’ve created or been contacted because of a turnout event I helped organize. In the near future you’ll be able to use tech and organizing tools I’ve helped bring early to our chapter as a (remarkably persistent) member of the National Tech Committee. Currently, I’m helping launch a tech action reading group, co-writing member data privacy guidelines, and building up our internal organizing capacity, in addition to actively working in the Socialist Feminist branch & the Operations Committee. In short, I’m a passionate (and extremely busy) rank and filer. As for my personal politics: I believe in the power of organized people working together. I believe that we will win if we can build trust, transparency, accountability, and effective communication – which require solid data, tech, and communication infrastructure in place to empower the rank and file. I believe in consensus, and I believe in getting shit done, and I believe in kindness to comrades. Those are the priorities I’ll be bringing to the convention.

Joanna D.

She/her

I’ve been a member of Twin Cities DSA for about two years; my primary connections are to the Labor Branch and Socialist Feminists. I am also a union activist and member of IBEW 292, and a skilled and experienced organizer. Two of the major projects I’ve worked on as a DSA member have been (1) planning and leading an action at Amy Klobuchar’s office to press her to speak out against family separations, and (2) planning and leading the Erik Loomis event, a panel discussion of his book A History of America in Ten Strikes, which 125 people attended — it was one of the largest events we’ve ever had outside a general membership meeting.  Twin Cities DSA is a wonderful space for socialist, anticapitalist, and antifascist organizing and I’ve been proud to participate in that. In the coming months I plan to work with others on improving our processes for organizing new members into the chapter, and co-facilitate a group study on workplace organizing. I would very much like to attend the National Convention to network and build connections with DSA organizers in other parts of the country, because those ties strengthen all of us. I believe the best role for National DSA is to provide as many resources as possible to chapters while permitting them the autonomy to decide where best to focus their energies in their local communities.  As a delegate, my votes on specific proposals would be based in those two principles.

James E.

He/him

I have been a DSA member and general meeting attendee for nearly a year and a half, and have more recently been active in the ecosocialist branch of twin cities DSA. I am a 22 year old community college student, and burgeoning student organizer. I have lived in subsidized housing for nearly all my life, and was raised by a disabled single mother. I hope to offer a fresh, ecosocialist perspective which understands the urgency of our global environmental crisis, does not lose sight of the immediate material needs of working people, and sees socialism as the only durable solution available. I would be honored to be chosen as a local delegate. Thanks for your consideration!

Brock H.

He/him

Currently I am putting in labor to educate myself fully about what the TC DSA is organizing around and our stances by participating in many branches and working group meetings. I’m new to the Twin Cities and the DSA but not to politics or socialist organizing. In the past I have been elected as a precinct delegate with in the Iowa Democratic Party caucus so I have some limited convention experience, not saying the Democratic Party is socialist but its important political experience. Additionally I have experience in participating in formal large assemblies through participation in Model United Nations, though it is mock it was very formal and committee rules and interactions were very strict. Furthermore, as a member of the youth I would contribute to the youth presence at the convention which is one of the many important perspectives that need to have a strong presence in my opinion. Of note I ask not to be chosen to participate over any individuals of underrepresented groups. Thank you for reading.

John Hep.

He/him

I am asking for your support as a delegate.  I favor an NPC that increases in size and also continues to have measures for representation from women and people of color. I will support amendments to increase the NPC to 32 members and to bring in online voting for all DSA members to have a say in the governing of DSA. I will support and vote for all measures that increase democracy in DSA. I firmly believe in supporting Medicare 4 All, the Bernie Sanders campaign for president, and the Green New Deal. I feel priorities of DSA should include building our organizational capacity and supporting DSA members who run for political office like Rashida Tlaib and AOC and for building labor and local movements. Bringing Democratic Socialism will require a two-pronged approach that utilizes electoral politics and organizing movements to bring political pressure change. My previous service to the Twin Cities DSA includes serving as treasurer, interim political education director, delegate to the 2017 convention, tabling at various events, fundraising so DSA delegates could attend the 2017 convention and helping to write our constitution and bylaws and serving on the Steering Committee. As a delegate to the 2019 convention I will seek the input of the members of the Twin Cities DSA and vote according to the desires of membership. For example, I voted for DSA to leave the Socialist International in 2017 since the membership voted to support leaving the SI. Serving as a delegate to the national convention means representing the membership of the Twin Cities DSA. Thank you.

Tim J.

He/him

I joined DSA after becoming disillusioned from an admittedly electoral-centric worldview. I had traveled to DC because I was furious with the 2017 tax cut bill coming down, Democrats failing to push for a clean Dream Act, and net neutrality being repealed—all happening at once. I was inspired after stumbling into direct actions sitting in Senate Democrats’ and Republicans’ offices along with United We Dream activists and Ady Barkan (a Medicare for All activist fighting ALS, who I later learned is a DSA member).

Despite losing these fights, I left with a greater resolve and determination. We clearly needed direct action on a new and much larger scale. Since joining, I’ve focused primarily on work with the Health Justice working group, partnering with the nurses union to organize a Medicare for All Barnstorm, picketing support, canvasses, and taking on new responsibilities as a regional organizer for the M4A campaign.

I believe I’m aware of several of DSA’s shortcomings, and promise to vote in ways that improve transparency, increase democratic control, increase the size and diversity of the DSA membership to better represent the diverse working class. Also, I promise to center opposition to all systems of oppression: capitalism—but also imperialism, ableism, racism, misogyny and gender identity discrimination, classism, transphobia, religious bigotry, etc.

Kevin M.

He/him

I have a lot of experience with building structures within the chapter that I hope to bring to the convention. My personal brand of socialism is that we need a large heterodox movement that is strongly connected, coordinated, and intersectional. I have little interest in fighting fellow leftists, and want to spend my time in Atlanta focusing on creating a DSA that provides the resources and connections we need to be a true national power.

Mandy M.

She/her

I believe our socialism must be unapologetically feminist and intersectional, our democracy must be radical, and our organizing must be grassroots. In that spirit, I’ve organized alongside my comrades to expand the TCDSA Socialist Feminist Branch, create the TCDSA Socialist Feminist Reading Group, introduce and facilitate the first political education element at a chapter meeting, start the Clinic Defense Working Group (which turned into a larger coalition with organizers from four different organizations), call for a National Day of Action for Reproductive Justice with the National Socialist Feminist Working Group, and put forth the Resolution on Reproductive Rights, which was passed unanimously at the last TCDSA chapter meeting. In addition to local organizing, I believe it’s important to learn about the struggles and organizing victories of comrades elsewhere and find ways to work together to build a broader movement. To that end, I’ve attended several national organizing conferences including Labor Notes, Socialism Conference, and the SocFem Convergence. As a potential delegate, I’m dedicated to to expanding our chapter’s influence in DSA on a national level while continuing to help highlight, organize, and support our chapter’s local campaigns and build solidarity with other groups fighting for a better world.

Munira M.

She/her

My interest is solely in representing the issues and beliefs of the Racial justice branch and ensuring that those beliefs are reflected  faithfully in the actions of Twin Cities DSA at this years National Convention.

Despite being so young the branch has already organized  events around ICE detention facilities, collaborated with other branches on intersection of race and labor history and is now setting its sights toward Prison abolition work.

This is the type of work I would want to inform our policies and these are the values I as a delegate would exemplify.

Lauren N.

She/her

National convention takes a lot of time, work, energy, and effort. I want to put in the effort and the time, work, and energy commitment to attend the convention so that I can come back afterwards and use the knowledge I’ve gained to better our chapter. I was a delegate for Twin Cities DSA for the 2017 Convention and learned more than I could ever have expected. From debating our organization’s constitution and by-laws at a local, regional, and national level using Robert’s Rules to participating in workshops and trainings to conversing with comrades from near and far–it was a rewarding experience that allowed me to grow as an organizer. With that knowledge, I came back to our chapter with the main goal of growing other leaders in our local chapter through teaching skills trainings and workshops to other members. I would like to continue this work by attending the 2019 Convention and bringing back even more skills and knowledge to develop more of our members into better leaders and organizers.

Daniel PH

He/him

As a member of the Libertarian Socialist Caucus I believe that if we wish to build a new world in the ashes of the old, we must ensure that our internal structures match that dream. Rooting them in Radical Democracy, Freedom, and Solidarity, and the firm commitment to destroying all hierarchies of oppression. The United States is too big and diverse for a one-size-fits-all approach to campaigns and organizing. But DSA desperately needs venues for members and chapters to share their successes and failures across regions and the county. To that end, the main goal of this year’s convention is strengthening internal chapter democracy and autonomy, along with reforming the national organization to better provide chapters with the help and resources they need in fighting capital and building worker power.

Nic R.

He/him

In my two years as a co-chair of Twin Cities DSA, I’ve experienced firsthand the frustration of DSA failing to do what’s necessary for local organizers. But I’ve also seen what our organization is capable of when we have communication between chapters, regions, and the national organization-  the seeds of an independent, democratic institution that is of and for the working class. As a member of the Socialist Majority caucus, I’ll be supporting a DSA that centers the struggle against patriarchy and white supremacy, elects socialists, and builds local campaigns to hit capital where it hurts. This means a coherent national organization that is in contact with local organizers across the country, that gets chapters what they need quickly, that facilitates organizers sharing their skills and talent, and that practices democracy- not just as a process but as a vision of liberation and empowerment for every person. Twin Cities DSA has quietly become a powerhouse of turning people into leaders and organizers- let’s bring that spirit to our comrades from across the country and forge the world we need.

Bree R.

She/her

I would like to join the delegates to the 2019 DSA National Convention as an alternate. I was a delegate elected from our chapter in 2017 to represent the interests of the of the Twin Cities DSA. This time around I would like to be present to help delegates navigate the convention in a support role.

Ian R.

He/him

As an active member of the Labor Branch, Red Rabbits Marshaling Team, Inreach group, and a general TCDSA rabble-rouser, I’m excited to attend the National Convention and learn from our comrades across the country. I believe that I have a broad perspective on our chapter’s work that I can share with others, as well as the time and dedication to share what I learn from others with our chapter upon return. As a voting delegate, I will work to maintain DSA as a broad multi-tendency organization that’s accessible to the newly radicalized and a working class base, while creating the needed structures, security, and organization for deeper organizing and successful campaigns — electoral and otherwise.

Tim S.

He/him, they/them

I’ve co-chaired the TCDSA Ecosocialism Branch since September ’18, playing a key role in organizing chapter-wide actions to fight Enbridge’s Line 3 pipeline and the N. Mpls Upper Harbor Terminal Project. I believe that DSA’s strengths lie in its multi-tendency, decentralized structure and I will work to protect those strengths at the convention, if I’m elected.

Edward S.

He/him

I am a co-founder and co-chair of the Twin Cities local of the Libertarian Socialist Caucus and as such intend to push for structural reforms to the national organization that will increase its democratic legitimacy and responsiveness to membership, as well as devolve power and resources out of New York City back to where it belongs, with the chapters, especially in “flyover country.” ALSO, I am a member of the International Committee and will take part in introducing this relatively new body to the membership and discuss our work with anyone who is interested.

Tahnee T.

She/her

I know that I am a new member and perhaps am not a well known name yet, but I am steadfast in upholding the principles that DSA stands for. Since joining, I have felt such a relieving sense of community by surrounding myself with others who share my same views. Being elected as a delegate would provide me with the proper footing to learn what is necessary to contribute to the DSA mission and to better serve my community. I am diligent, loyal, and hope to put in the legwork to make the convention a success.  

Tracy W.

She/her

Since I joined TCDSA in 2017, I’ve worked with several different parts of the chapter: the Socialist Feminist Branch, Steering Committee, Ops Committee, Mutual Aid/Solidarity Economy Working Group, Bylaws Working Group, and the ad hoc working group that developed the Grievance Process. I’ve been known to say “I love tedium” or “I sit through meetings so you don’t have to,” and by that I mean that I care a lot about democratic processes and building structures that support them. I’m looking forward to supporting resolutions and bylaw amendments that strengthen regional connections between chapters and improve the transparency of the National Political Committee’s work. As per the reproductive justice resolution passed by the general membership on May 18, I’m also committed to supporting the reproductive justice resolution being brought by the national Socialist Feminist Working Group.