Run for Office! MADSA's Endorsement Process, Expectations, and Policy

Any candidate seeking MADSA’s endorsement for public office must be an engaged MADSA member and commit to:

• Obtaining and/or retaining membership in Madison Area DSA as a member in good standing.
• Attending and participating in at least one MADSA political education event, such as a DSA 101, Socialist Night School, and/or policy forum, and one social event per year.
• Growing DSA and developing leadership within DSA through their campaign and while in office, by:
  • Having DSA liaisons consistently meeting with and advising campaign leadership, including field leads, the communications director, and the policy director, from the time of endorsement.
  • Regularly attend meetings with MADSA’s Socialists in Office Committee (SiOC) after election, while remaining in compliance with Wisconsin open meetings laws. In the case that a SiOC does not exist, the candidate must commit to regularly meeting with members of MADSA’s Electoral Working Group.
  • Publicly identifying as a democratic socialist and committing to identifying as one on their website, in campaign literature, and in other campaign materials.
  • Committing to using their campaign and elected office to organize and empower the working class.
• Supporting MADSA’s local program and vote in accordance with any future platforms or resolutions passed by general membership outlining political redlines for the chapter.
• Undergoing and cooperating with vetting in consultation with MADSA’s Community Accountability Committee.
• Following Madison Area DSA’s Code of Conduct
• Not publicly disparaging DSA or its principles as described in our national program, Workers Deserve More, during the campaign or while in office. Candidates are further expected to reach out to the Executive Committee if they have any concerns with DSA before publicly communicating those concerns.
• Making the following commitments in solidarity with Palestine and against corporate interests:
  • Agree to support and take actions in the office that uphold the BDS Movement
  • Refrain from any and all affiliation with the Israeli government or Zionist lobby groups
  • Pledge to oppose legislation that harms Palestinians or impedes solidarity efforts, and to support legislation that advances Palestinian liberation
  • Refrain from any and all affiliation with law enforcement, realtor, and landlord associations/unions, and do not accept campaign contributions from their PACs or conduits.
• Allowing DSA to run joint canvasses for all DSA-endorsed candidates whose districts overlap.

Candidates seeking MADSA’s endorsement for public office are generally expected to:

• Commit to building an independent working-class socialist party.
• Guarantee MADSA, via democratically appointed members or chapter bodies, key decision-making roles in campaign strategy.
• Endorse and run on a slate with all MADSA-endorsed candidates running concurrently with their campaign, and:
  • Not endorse against a DSA member endorsed by Madison Area DSA or another DSA chapter.
  • Vote as a bloc with other endorsed DSA members in whatever body they are elected to as a socialist caucus. This applies for votes where the socialist caucus has agreed to vote as a bloc and for votes that MADSA or National have made part of their platform. This does not apply to situations that could violate Wisconsin law.
• Have a background of experience in organizing that includes at least one of participation and, ideally, leadership in DSA or another democratic working-class organization (such as a labor union or tenant union) prior to seeking endorsement.
• Make the best effort to attend General Monthly Meetings (at minimum an average of one per quarter). Report to membership at GMMs on their activity in their office (including but not limited to participation in chapter activities and key votes taken in the office). These reports can be delivered electronically to the Electoral Working Group and will be listed in the GMM agenda.
• Understand and positively communicate DSA’s Workers Deserve More program.

MADSA commits to provide the following support to Endorsed Candidates and Elected Officials:

• Maintaining regular communication with endorsed candidates and elected officials and, where applicable, senior staff or volunteer leaders. Communications should include resolutions passed by the chapter or national DSA that should inform votes and reminders regarding the above endorsement expectations, as well as updates on other campaign endorsements when those are being considered.
• Contribute capacity for carrying out key campaign functions, including but not limited to:
  • Field operations: Leading canvassess, developing field strategy and scripts, training field leads, and cutting turf.
  • Communications: Preparing dossiers in advance of forums, developing social media material, and providing advice on how to message around democratic socialism.
  • Policy: Identifying practicable, popular policies that align with DSA’s program and advance class struggle.

Addendum

• The chapter may intervene, and if doing so the Executive Committee or Electoral Working Group must first inform an endorsed member of the violation of any of these expectations in writing via email, confirm receipt of the message from the candidate, and ask for correction.
• If endorsed members continue to not commit to the aforementioned expectations, their violations may then be discussed at a General Membership meeting, Executive Committee or Electoral Working Group. The endorsed member shall be notified of the discussion ahead of time and the Executive Committee will make a reasonable attempt to schedule the discussion when the endorsed member can attend.
• Only after the discussion may the chapter intervene either by a resolution passed by membership or a motion passed by the Executive Committee or Electoral Working Group to inform an endorsed member of their continued violations of any of these expectations and ask for correction. The endorsed member shall be notified of the purpose ahead of time and invited to join the debate regarding a resolution or motion.
• Endorsed members who continue to not commit to the aforementioned expectations after chapter intervention may be subject to the revocation of their chapter endorsement, following the process defined in the chapter bylaws.
• These expectations, and any other steps around the local endorsement process, will be listed on the chapter’s website for reference.

Following the acknowledgement of a non-endorsed MADSA member running in any race against an endorsed MADSA member, the Executive Committee (or persons/body empowered by them, such as a subcommittee or the Electoral Working Group) shall be tasked with initializing the following process:

• A meeting with the non-endorsed member shall be scheduled to discuss dropping out of the electoral race in conflict, ensuring the non-endorsed member is aware of the nature of the conversation and the consequences for failing to comply. If the candidate drops out, best efforts shall also be made to encourage the non-endorsed candidate to publicly endorse the MADSA candidate, though compliance with this is not required.
• If the non-endorsed member refuses to drop out or refuses to attend such a meeting in the first place, the Executive Committee shall remove the non-endorsed member and any members working for their campaign in an official paid or unpaid capacity from the chapter Slack, any other chapter resources, and any other access to internal chapter information, and ask the non-endorsed member to not publicly identify as a DSA member for no less than 1 week and no more than 3 months past the election date that the MADSA-endorsed candidate wins or looses in the relevant race.