2021 Local Elections - Steering Committee candidate statements

Individual candidate statements will be uploaded as individual posts below.

Lauren K. (She/her)

Steering Committee Treasurer, Candidate | Metro D.C. DSA

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Please describe your past and current involvement in DSA. This may include your involvement in the metro D.C. chapter, another chapter, and/or work at the national level.

I am currently the Steward for the Growth & Development Committee for the Administrative Committee (AdCom). Since getting involved in the chapter in the summer of 2020, I have been involved with:

  • AdCom. I co-drafted the proposal that laid out the current structure for AdCom, and have been part of the core team that has built it out. I helmed the mass mobilization program that we have used to build out volunteers for Adcom, doing more than 60 one on one onboarding calls myself.

  • Finance Committee. I helped build out the Finance Committee team, and drafted the Chapter’s first participatory operating budget.

  • Working Group Support. I have gotten involved with several chapter campaigns providing coordination and help accessing chapter resources.

Why do you believe that you are a good fit for this position?

I am a structure builder. When I enter a system I can’t help but try to put some order to it and break it down into components I can understand. It has been my goal that resources within the chapter should be transparent, easy for anyone to access, and not based on the need to know the right person to contact.

I will bring these skills to build out a Finance Committee that is responsive, actively fundraising, and able to maximize our spending power towards both achieving our priority goals and gaining power.

I, and the rest of the Anchor Slate, believe that DSA is the only weapon for the entire working class to create a better world. We will continue to build out this chapter as a powerhouse to make this change happen.

What do you hope to accomplish for the chapter if elected to this position?

I have drafted a comprehensive plan for building out the Finance Committee. I will build out volunteer-run departments for: Accounting, Fundraising, and creating a Merchandise Store.

Our chapter and the national organization have seen tremendous growth over the last two years. Our membership dues have finally put us into a position where we can begin to make strategic spends to help us to win. As Treasurer, I will open a chapter-wide dialogue about how we can make strategic spends in accordance with our values to grow socialist power within the Metro DC region.

I also plan to continue my work with the Mobilization program, to expand this program from servicing primarily Adcom to helping fill needed roles throughout the chapter.

To learn more about me, you can read my longer statement here. To learn more about the Anchor Slate, visit our website here.

Kurtis H. (He/him)

Steering Committee Campaigns Coordinator, Candidate | Metro D.C. DSA
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Please describe your past and current involvement in DSA. This may include your involvement in the metro D.C. chapter, another chapter, and/or work at the national level.

For the past year, I have been a member of the Metro D.C. Chapter’s Steering Committee. As a member of Steering, I have been a member of the Bylaws Reform Commission, the HGO Selection Commission, and the Branch Commission. Less formally, I have been active in helping plan the Fund Care Not Cops rally and march from the summer of 2020 and the May Day PRO Act Rally in 2021. Prior to my election to Steering, I was a co-chair of the MDC DSA for Bernie working group.

Why do you believe that you are a good fit for this position?

From the outset of my current tenure on Steering, I have had the portfolio of working group liaison. I worked to stand up the long dormant Campaign Council to provide a space for strategy and sharing. As a member of the Bylaws Reform Commission, I helped draft the working group, priority campaign, and Campaign Council sections. Upon the passage of the reformed bylaws, I took up the role of acting Campaigns Coordinator and worked to implement the new expectations. This included drafting the quarterly report, helping establish Stewards, assisting working groups in filling out the quarterly report, reviewing submitted reports, creating a report summary, and guiding working groups through the priority campaign proposal process.

What do you hope to accomplish for the chapter if elected to this position?

If elected, I would like to continue the great work of the Campaign Council, maintaining an open line of communication between working groups, priority campaigns, and sections. I would also like to see the Campaign Council expanded with the addition of more sections. Broadly speaking, I would like to help guide the chapter towards the effective operation of outward facing efforts and democratic accountability. This means maintaining reporting expectations and sharing what works and what doesn’t work.

Long form statement HERE.

Brendan G. (He/him)
Steering Committee Secretary, Candidate | Metro D.C. DSA
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Please describe your past and current involvement in DSA. This may include your involvement in the metro D.C. chapter, another chapter, and/or work at the national level.

I joined the chapter in late 2019 and became its National Technology Liaison in December of that same year. I was responsible for bringing Action Network, mass texting, and a website redesign online, which I accomplished just prior to the pandemic. Since then I’ve stewarded the former Technology Committee and the now Administrative Committee, which I continue to do to this day. I also attend rallies such as the May Day PRO Act rally along with assisting setting up phonebanking and mass texting.

Why do you believe that you are a good fit for this position?

I believe I am a good fit for the position because I work closely with the current Secretary and perform the day-to-day duties of running the Administrative Committee that the Secretary oversees. I would continue to ensure the Administrative Committee operates effectively and that it grows with the rest of the chapter.

What do you hope to accomplish for the chapter if elected to this position?

I hope to work closer with branch, section, and working group leaders to further their access to the common infrastructure of the chapter, allowing them to better pursue their missions without duplicating work.

Stephanie G. (She/her)

Steering Committee At-Large, Candidate | Metro D.C. DSA
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Please describe your past and current involvement in DSA. This may include your involvement in the metro D.C. chapter, another chapter, and/or work at the national level.

I’m currently the newly created Security department steward, where I have worked to create a vetting system to best ensure that those who have access to your membership data in our records are trustworthy comrades. The Security Department has only begun it’s important work to ensure the chapter can react quickly to threats with intelligence and recommendations to keep our comrades safe. I’m best suited to do this given my time as Steward of the Security Department and my vision will best direct the resources available to create a robust, holistic Security Department that can handle all main facets of Security including: in-person meetings, direct actions (Red Rabbits), and data.

Why do you believe that you are a good fit for this position?

Not long after moving here, I finally felt able to come out as trans and was able to access great resources in DC to help me through transition. There was one thing that wasn’t among those resources: a sense of security. Trans women are and have been the target of violence. I’ve had a number of encounters ranging from sexual harassment to being robbed at gun point. These experiences have led me to enact my own personal security system and have piqued my interest in various forms of physical and digital security methods. It’s because of these experiences that I’m the best suited to take on the challenge of delivering what I wasn’t able to get from my transition resources: a sense of security.

What do you hope to accomplish for the chapter if elected to this position?

Strengthen chapter security by hardening digital and physical chapter spaces to keep our members and their data safe. As part of the ACT Coalition’s six month plan of work I will assist the Physical Security commission in ensuring we have adequate security as we transition back to in-person organizing and events.

Philip B. (He/him)

Steering Committee At-Large, Candidate | Metro D.C. DSA
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Please describe your past and current involvement in DSA. This may include your involvement in the metro D.C. chapter, another chapter, and/or work at the national level.

I joined the Metro DC chapter after Charlottesville. I had been a dues paying member since then and became more active from attending GBMs, taking on responsibilities in AdCom, and becoming involved in Afrosoc. As a member of AfroSoc I work to see it become a section so it can then benefit from chapter resources.

Why do you believe that you are a good fit for this position?

I’m running to bolster our chapter’s outreach to our neighbors in Wards 7 and 8. We need a strategy of robust recruitment while ensuring work is available for anyone who wants it, with oppressed identities in mind. I can identify what people feel are barriers to entry and meet people where they are while making clear what opportunities exist within the chapter. This is very important to me. Over the past year, I have gone from an idle dues paying member to an active full participant, running for steering, and this was only possible for me by attending socials, joining AfroSoc and AdCom, and working to get involved in more and different opportunities as they presented themselves.

What do you hope to accomplish for the chapter if elected to this position?

If elected to steering I will:

  • Direct outreach services to wards 7 & 8.
  • Build durable relationships with Community groups that have shared values/interests.
  • Introduce a Recruiter role to be embedded in each working group/campaign.
  • Identify members in our own chapter from wards 7&8 to begin exploring organizing and recruitment in that region.

Kareem E. (He/him)

Steering Committee At-Large, Candidate | Metro D.C. DSA
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Please describe your past and current involvement in DSA. This may include your involvement in the metro D.C. chapter, another chapter, and/or work at the national level.

Like most, I became aware of DSA in 2016. Initially I was not a member, but I frequently attended public events which were affiliated with MDC DSA. As a member of the Bernie 2020 campaign staff, I was constantly surrounded by hard working, committed members of DSA. Their commitment to growing the socialist movement moved me enough to become a dues paying member last march. Since then, I have been an active member of the AdCom team, specifically on the events team and scheduling regular e-socials for the adcom department, and as a member of AfroSOC, where I was recently elected to the 5 seat leadership council. I am fortunate to have had these opportunities within the chapter, and plan to use my experience to help move the chapter forward.

Why do you believe that you are a good fit for this position?

I believe I am a good fit for this position for a number of reasons. I have leadership experience within the AfroSOC caucus as a member of the leadership council, which will directly translate to my ability to be an effective steering committee member. Additionally, my main priority as a member of the steering committee will be managing the transition out of Covid, and keeping engagement high along the way. During my time in DSA I have successfully scheduled multiple socials for the Adcom department, and I have learned about what makes an event successful, and how to make sure they are well attended.

What do you hope to accomplish for the chapter if elected to this position?

My main priority for the chapter will be managing the transition out of Covid. Engagement numbers at GBMs, caucus meetings, and other chapter functions have seen an increase in engagement. As we transition out of pandemic life, we need to ensure that we are carrying newly activated chapter members along with us, as well as bringing in new members. Another concern as we transition back to in person events will be the recent spike in stochastic right wing extremism and violence. I will work closely with Stephanie G. and the security department to ensure member safety at all chapter events.

Abel A.

Steering Committee At-Large, Candidate | Metro D.C. DSA
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Please describe your past and current involvement in DSA. This may include your involvement in the metro D.C. chapter, another chapter, and/or work at the national level.

I first learned about DSA during the 2016 Sanders campaign and about MDCDSA while volunteering for Jeremiah Lowery’s campaign for a seat on the DC Council. I joined MDCDSA in October 2020 and became active in December 2020. Since then, I have been most active in the M4A Working Group where I serve as one of the co-chairs leading on our vaccine outreach and DC M4A resolution campaigns. I have also been involved in Defund MPD and the National PRO Act campaign, helping with phonebanking and copyediting of pro-act.dsausa.org. I am a member of the leadership council of our chapter’s AfroSOC Caucus. I also serve as a Regional Organizer for the National M4A campaign for MD/VA/DC/WV and helped start a BDS/Palestine Solidarity group in our chapter.

Why do you believe that you are a good fit for this position?

I have attended almost every single meeting of the Steering Committee since becoming active and become familiar with the issues brought to SC and the roles of the various SC members. I have been involved in several different formations within the chapter and am familiar with their membership, goals, structure, and priorities. I have shepherded the M4A Working Group through two ongoing successful campaigns. In the process, I learned a lot about organizing within Metro DC DSA, and developed connections with organizers in National DSA and local coalition partners. With coalition partners both locally and nationally, I helped organize a campaign that convinced the Biden administration to support the TRIPS Waiver. (Look ma, I am on Teen Vogue!)

What do you hope to accomplish for the chapter if elected to this position?

I would like to serve on the Steering Committee to expand our capacity for legislative outreach and advocacy, and serve as one of 3 members of the SC on the 5-person Political Engagement Committee (PEC). Per §6.1.4 of our bylaws, the PEC is responsible for assisting with legislative advocacy efforts and I would like to make this one of my major responsibilities. As an at-large member of the SC, I would like to further refine our priority campaign program and better define the relationship between said campaigns and branches. I also want to ensure that identity-based sections are given additional funding and resources for recruitment and retention towards the goal of building DSA as a multiracial and multigenerational mass socialist movement.

Saoirse G. (She/her or they/them)
Steering Committee At-Large, Candidate | Metro D.C. DSA
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Please describe your past and current involvement in DSA. This may include your involvement in the metro D.C. chapter, another chapter, and/or work at the national level.

I am a current member of the Steering Committee and in this capacity chaired the commission that wrote the new chapter bylaws which passed at convention with 98% support, hearing dozens of written submissions and hosting half a dozen open forums. I also have helped to keep in contact and troubleshoot issues with National DSA on behalf of the chapter. I also helped to establish the national DSA Housing Justice Commission last year and am a steering committee member there currently, helping to share skills and resources for organizing tenants around the country, I have helped to write legislation for chapter legislators including Vaughn Stewart’s Social Housing Act and generally been a resource for legislative advocacy for MDC DSA since I joined in 2018. I was a national convention delegate in 2019 and helped to pass the package of housing justice resolutions.

Why do you believe that you are a good fit for this position?

I think that I have served the chapter well on steering and that I have more to give. I support the definition of the steering committee’s role set down in our bylaws, which is that steering provides political leadership for the chapter in between GBMs and plays an important role in interpreting the bylaws, enforcing the code of conduct and making decisions. I am committed to making DSA into a mass organization of the entire working class in the DC region, a fighting force for socialism in our region. I have served the chapter well as a steering member and I believe that I have both the competency and the clear political judgment necessary to build our movement and give back power and wealth to the working class of our region.

What do you hope to accomplish for the chapter if elected to this position?

I am running on the Anchor Slate alongside Lauren K. for Treasurer, Kurtis H. for Campaigns Coordinator, and Brian W., Stuart K. and Irene K. for at-large positions. You can read our full platform for what we’d like to accomplish at anchorslate.com.

I would like to highlight some personal priorities - I think that making the chapter’s functions and structures understandable to all our members is incredibly important. That means more political education and expanding the documentation available to our members, and also making sure that it is available in multiple languages wherever possible. The chapter needs to prioritize intentionally recruiting members of color through our campaigns and efforts, and must also work to build a political machine for the working class of the region that moves from winning elections to wielding true power.

Stuart K. (He/him)

Steering Committee At-Large, Candidate | Metro D.C. DSA
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Please describe your past and current involvement in DSA. This may include your involvement in the metro D.C. chapter, another chapter, and/or work at the national level.

Since joining DSA in January 2017 and serving on the Steering Committee since 2018, my chapter activities have included:

  • Electoral campaigns. I’ve been heavily involved in our chapter’s endorsement of 13 electoral candidates. Since 2017, the working groups for these candidates have contacted ~130,000 voters and forged coalitions across D.C., Maryland, and Virginia.

  • Process improvements. Since March of this year, I’ve chaired the chapter’s first-ever Political Engagement Committee (PEC), which has sought to update our chapter’s electoral endorsement process.

  • Working group support. I’ve assisted chapter working groups through coordinating rallies, facilitating legislative advocacy, and helping campaign leaders navigate intra-chapter processes.

Why do you believe that you are a good fit for this position?

I think I’m a good fit for the Steering Committee because of my track record of working with fellow Metro D.C. DSA members to build strong, chapter-backed campaigns and projects throughout the D.C., Maryland, and Virginia region. Not only have these campaigns contested power (and won), but they have also built out the internal capacity and external posture of the chapter. Internally, these campaigns have brought less-active chapter members into our collective work and, externally, forged lasting coalitions and partnerships with allied groups. As I’m running for my last term on Steering—and plan to focus more on internal organizing efforts—I hope my past experience will be helpful in transitioning to a new cohort of Metro D.C. DSA leaders.

What do you hope to accomplish for the chapter if elected to this position?

I joined DSA because I know a better world is possible. That’s why I’m running for Steering on the Anchor Slate, as I believe our slate’s platform is key to advancing our chapter’s political vision in the D.C. metro region.

As such, I plan on contributing to the below Anchor platform components:

  • Building internal democracy, through regular trainings about our chapter’s collective decision-making structure (and why it’s important).

  • Strengthening community, on a mass party model and through a revived social events calendar (beyond monthly happy hours), as we resume in-person organizing.

  • Expanding mobilization, through one-on-one meetings and the Adcomm mobilizer program, to help chapter members plug in to chapter campaigns.

Irene K. (She/her)

Steering Committee At-Large, Candidate | Metro D.C. DSA
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Please describe your past and current involvement in DSA. This may include your involvement in the metro D.C. chapter, another chapter, and/or work at the national level.

I’ve been involved in our chapter’s electoral work as a lead organizer for Irma Corado and Yasmine Taeb in NoVA in 2019, co-chair of the working group to elect Janeese Lewis George and member of the core leadership team for Ed Lazere in 2020, and current member of the Political Engagement Committee. In these roles, I’ve helped mobilize members for weekly canvasses, phone banks, and GOTV; coordinated strategy and comms; and liaised with our elected officials around legislative priorities. Last year, I helped form the chapter’s Spanish Translation working group and have been actively involved in our AfroSoc Caucus, currently serving on our leadership council. I have been a member of the Steering Committee since 2019 and chair since 2020.

Why do you believe that you are a good fit for this position?

Over the past three years, I’ve knocked thousands of doors for our endorsed candidates, signed up D.C. residents for the vaccine, made phone calls for the PRO Act, helped organize direct actions against deportation profiteers, and supported tenants in their fight against evictions and displacement. I believe that my long-time involvement across the chapter, demonstrated commitment to engaging members and developing new leaders, and familiarity with Steering administrative responsibilities make me a good fit for leadership. As a member of the Anchor Slate, I also strongly believe in our platform and shared vision for how the chapter can continue to grow into a powerful, multiracial organization of and for the working class in our region.

What do you hope to accomplish for the chapter if elected to this position?

In the next six months—and what will be my last term—I hope to continue fostering a culture of rigorous, thoughtful debate around electoral engagement, especially as we face challenging endorsement questions for 2022. I’m excited to build on the inaugural PEC’s work by designing trainings to develop new electoral organizers and engaging in legislative advocacy with our priority campaigns. I also hope to continue my portfolio areas from this term around language accessibility, specifically building up the chapter’s capacity to provide Spanish and ASL translation (and hopefully other languages in the future!) as a resource for working groups, and our Communications department, particularly around developing a formal media and press strategy.

Runal D. (He/him)
Steering Committee At-Large, Candidate | Metro D.C. DSA
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Please describe your past and current involvement in DSA. This may include your involvement in the metro D.C. chapter, another chapter, and/or work at the national level.

I first became involved with DSA in the early stages of the Jackson, MS chapter where I recruited several people to join. While in MS, I also worked alongside several DSA members when I was a Bernie Victory Captain. I joined MDC DSA in April, 2020. I serve as a Co-Chair of the Defund MPD WG. Prior to becoming Co-Chair, I was a coordinator of the Defund MPD Internal Org Subteam. I am also very involved in the Defund MPD Coalition, which is a black-led coalition composed of abolitionist organizations, and serve on its Steering Committee. I was a Campaign Organizer of the 2020 D.C. Elections WG. I am a member of the chapter’s MoCo branch where I am involved in Defund MoCo PD work. I also serve on the NoVA Branch Advisory Committee where I am helping the NoVA branch expand their police abolitionist work.

Why do you believe that you are a good fit for this position?

I am dedicated to racial and economic justice, and I have a deep commitment to making this chapter a truly regional force for the multiracial, multiethnic, multilingual working class. I am great at developing healthy relationships with chapter members. I am extroverted and friendly and excel in warming people up and making them feel welcome. This will make me a great addition to the Steering Committee and it will help new members feel like they have someone who they can always connect with to get involved. I am an incredibly involved member of the chapter with a strong knowledge and familiarity of available chapter resources, a large majority of which I have utilized with working groups, and branches. My leadership experience will be a great asset to this Steering Committee.

What do you hope to accomplish for the chapter if elected to this position?

I want to increase collaboration between chapter branches, working groups, and other chapter formations. I want to expand and strengthen our regional organizing and provide more reliable support to YDSA chapters. I want to make sure that we do intentional outreach to members of marginalized communities, including those who identify as BIPOC and/or trans/metagender. I want to ensure that more leadership opportunities are available to newer members.I want to help mitigate bottlenecks in the chapter’s Administrative Committee (AdCom). I want to build and strengthen relationships between chapter members, while maintaining camaraderie within the chapter. I want to work with the chapter Labor Working Group in establishing an union-to-DSA pipeline.

Please read my long-form candidate statement here where I go more in depth on everything mentioned above.

Brian W (he, him)

Steering Committee At-Large Candidate | Metro D.C. DSA

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Please describe your past and current involvement in DSA. This may include your involvement in the metro D.C. chapter, another chapter, and/or work at the national level.

I am currently finishing my second term as the chapter’s Treasurer. In those two years I was able to bring about the chapter’s first regularly published financial reports, piloted a participatory budgeting process that got incorporated into the chapter’s new bylaws, and helped stand up the Finance Committee. This has helped direct thousands of dollars into our chapter’s campaigns. Prior to my time on the Steering Committee, I was the Co-Chair of the 2019 NoVA Electoral WG fighting to elect Irma Corado and Yasmine Taeb, I volunteered with the chapter’s Administrative Committee helping with Red Desk & internal elections, and I organized several social events for the chapter, including outings at DC United, the Nats, movie showings, and more.

Why do you believe that you are a good fit for this position?

I’m running with the Anchor Slate because I know the only way we can tackle big projects as a Steering Committee is if you have a shared platform and vision with other members. So while I believe I have the proven skill set necessary to perform this job, experience serving on the committee, and knowledge of chapter history, I believe it is impossible to do this task without some help from others that share your vision. Whether it’s member recruitment, developing a fundraising strategy, or creating leadership development trainings. I’m proud of the work I’ve done as Treasurer, but hope that I can use this final mini-term on Steering to help train others newer to the committee on what we’ve learned worked well and what we may need to avoid.

What do you hope to accomplish for the chapter if elected to this position?

My first priority is ensuring that the new committee takes on its responsibilities to the chapter, namely passing a plan of work and portfolios. The portfolio system works well for dividing up work equitably and holding Steering members accountable to that work. I would be interested in serving on the Political Engagement Committee and helping to craft endorsement criteria and retrospective reports on past chapter electoral work. Beyond that, I will fight along with my other comrades on the Anchor Slate to promote targeted recruitment campaigns, establish chapter organizer trainings, prepare the chapter for the 2020 Local Convention, all with the goal of making DSA into a multiracial, multigenerational organization of the working class.