Dec 2022 Chapter Steering Committee Election: Candidate Statements

Candidate answers to the 2022 candidate questionnaire.

Imara

  • Q: 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.

    • A: Having been radicalized into DSA as a result of the Bernie 2020 campaign, I’ve been an active member of the MetroDC chapter since early 2020. I struggled early on to find my place within DSA until falling headlong into our local efforts to defund the police and invest in our community. My Defund work focused largely on organizing, advocacy efforts with local officials and members of the public and supporting/developing the local coalition of activists committed to this aim. Through working on Defund, MetroDC DSA became my political home. The friendships and camaraderie built in the chapter pushed me to invest further in member onboarding and relational organizer trainings where I worked to share some of the lessons learned both professionally and in my volunteer political work.
  • Q: Why do you believe that you are a good fit for this position?

  • A: I’m honestly not sure I would be, my aim is to be there and to help. I’ve always been somewhat averse to leadership within DSA, but I realize now that this is a political home for me and that even when I don’t perfectly align with my peers on issues I’m willing to speak my mind and listen to my comrades. I’ve often been asked to participate in leadership roles before and have refused, this year I thought I’d give it a shot.

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

  • A:

      1. I hope to support ongoing efforts to make us a threat to power.
      1. I hope to help diversify the chapter and make it more representative of the MetroDC area.
      1. I hope to help support the work of the PG branch, and to help grow leftist power in the county.
  • Q: What pronouns do you use?

  • A: He/they is fine - no strong preference

  • Q: Would you describe yourself as a person of color?

  • A: Yes

Carl R.

  • Q: 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.

    • A: I joined DSA in 2018. I’ve organized with Green Country DSA in my hometown of Tulsa, Oklahoma, where I was involved in electoral, labor, & tenant organizing. Since moving to DC in 2019, I was one of the co-chairs of our local DSA 4 Bernie group. Elected to steering for the 2022 term, I’ve been one of our lead electoral organizers, chairing the PEC for the majority of the term, helping with grant applications, training comrades how to cut turf, & assuring compliance with campaign finance law - while individually knocking thousands of doors for our 4 endorsed campaigns. I’ve handled the chapter’s security & marshal program. I am also a member of the International Committee’s Europe subcommittee.
  • Q: Why do you believe that you are a good fit for this position?

  • A: As an incumbent, I’m bringing previous steering experience to the role. We’ve navigated some really tough issues during this last term, and I’ve played a key role in getting the chapter through to the other side safely and smartly. I also bring a real passion for DSA and our chapter specifically - I’ve spent untold hours, sometimes at the drop of a hat, working to make sure Metro DC remains one of the best chapters in the country. With my electoral organizing especially, I’ve played a key role in some of our biggest wins in 2022, and I’d like to build on that work in 2023 to ensure it means we see new legislation in MD and DC that benefits the working class broadly and our chapter’s organizing specifically.

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

  • A: I’m proud to be running on the Solidarity Slate, and I’d like to accomplish all of the goals in our platform. More specifically, I want to make sure that we are set up for election cycles ahead through intentional candidate recruitment - of chapter cadre - across our entire chapter, and I’ll work with our electoral organizers and branches to make that happen. I also hope to strengthen our working groups’ connections both to our electeds and to the legislative processes in all three states we organize in, with an eye towards seeing internal collaboration between working groups leading to priorities our endorsed and elected members work on.

  • Q: What pronouns do you use?

  • A: He/him

  • Q: Would you describe yourself as a person of color?

  • A: no

Howard Daniels

  • Q: 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.

  • A: I have been a member of DSA since April 2020. Prior to joining Metro DC DSA in 2021, I was part of DSA At-Large and Delaware DSA. I am currently a member of the Political Engagement Committee for Virginia, and have been heavily involved in our chapter’s electoral campaigns and electoral organizing in northern Virginia. I am also a member of the International Committee (in the Anti-War, Europe, and Climate & Labor Subcommittees), and have been involved in our chapter’s Internationalism Working Group’s Cuba Campaign. Additionally, I have participated in events for just about every working group in our chapter, including Medicare for All, Stump Out Slumlords, Defund MPD, and Labor.

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

  • A: As someone who has been on both the Political Engagement Committee and the International Committee, I know that DSA can and must lead on both its domestic mass action campaigns and international solidarity efforts. I have seen firsthand how these campaigns have increased our organization’s power and grown our membership so that we can achieve real material wins for the working class. I am a good listener and learner, and I have truly stood on the shoulders of giants here at DSA, and it would be an honor to make sure that our chapter harnesses the diverse range of expertise of its growing membership.

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

  • A: I will ensure that our chapter’s campaigns (especially priorities) work in close connection with our endorsed candidates/officials, which will increase electoral accountability. I will maximize our chapter’s presence at community events to build membership, while still ensuring that each event is properly vetted. I will also further our chapter’s growth through website translation and more frequent and structured new member orientations. I will also make sure our chapter increases its impact federally, internationally, and with other chapters while considering our capacity.

  • Q: What pronouns do you use?

  • A: He/him

  • Q: Would you describe yourself as a person of color?

  • A: no

Alison K.

  • Q: 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.

  • A: I’m currently a member of the Steering Committee, a co-founder of the Repro-Justice working group, and Website Steward. I have previously been involved in various actions and canvases across the chapter, and was a member of tech-ops when I first got involved.

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

  • A: I believe I have a good sense of the overall direction the chapter is and should be heading in, and my short time on steering has strengthened that conviction. Also as someone who has found myself in various working group events and have now started a working group, I feel that I could do a lot of meaningful work as Campaigns Council chair, specifically in getting more members involved in ongoing campaigns.

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

  • A: I hope to use my position to strengthen connections across the chapter, so experience and lessons can be easily shared, and so members can more easily find things to do that appeal to them.

  • Q: What pronouns do you use?

  • A: She/her

  • Q: Would you describe yourself as a person of color?

  • A: no

Michael Marmol

  • Q: 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.

  • A: I have been involved with the Metro DC DSA chapter since June of 2020 - starting as a volunteer for the Ed Lazere campaign, canvassing and delivering postcards. After that, I got involved with our chapter’s Publications WG, writing a few pieces about the development of Adcom, our chapter’s newly developed Security Dept., and the work of the Defund MPD WG. Starting in March 2021, I became our chapter’s first Communications Steward to help organize all of the – at the time – disparate committees within comms. Since then, I’ve helped to bring all of the stewards of those various committees together to make sure we’re consistently responding to red desk tickets and cohesively strategizing on language, chapter narratives, and efficiently boosting the work of our WGs, Branches, and Sections. I’ve also done petition circulating, canvassing, and background comms work for the Initiative 82 campaign, as well as canvassing for the Zachary Parker campaign. Additionally, I’ve attended a multitude of chapter protests/events, including the solidarity for Cuba and Palestine protests.

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

  • A: I believe I’m a good fit for Secretary because I have built a foundation of healthy relationships and helped solidify chapter processes within Adcom. As someone who has spent most of my organizing time and effort mobilizing new members within Adcom, I believe I am the best fit to help build upon its success and oversee the work of the new Adcom Steward. I have seen how far we’ve come and know where we need to go to ensure that Adcom becomes even more of a well-oiled machine. Additionally, I am very personable and detail-oriented - which I think will serve me well for the administrative functions of Secretary as well as the necessary relationship building with WG, Branch and Section leaders.

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

  • A: I would like to codify as many processes as possible that are currently ad hoc; build upon the success of Adcom by working closely with the Adcom Steward and the stewards of the various departments and committees within; proactively work with WG leaders to boost their work at GBMs and plug in new members; consistently update the chapter calendar, and help to ensure chapter resources are easily accessible to all members.

  • Q: What pronouns do you use?

  • A: He/Him

  • Q: Would you describe yourself as a person of color?

  • A: no

Tim S.

  • Q: 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.

  • A: I joined after the 2020 election, and the first event I actually showed up to was the May Day action at Mark Warner’s house in Alexandria, as part of the PRO Act campaign. After the PRO Act campaign ended, I worked on the Green New Deal for Public Schools campaign locally, but got much more involved with the 2022 electoral campaigns. I canvassed a lot for Zachary Parker, some for Gabe Acevero, and a little bit for Max Socol, and learned a great deal about how the chapter works and about local policy and politics. I was also very involved in the Initiative 82 campaign, where I spent a good deal of time on research that we used in creating our social media communications and our literature, in addition to extensive canvassing.

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

  • A: I think I’m a good fit for steering in general because I have a good understanding of what the chapter is up to (although I’m always eager to learn more!) and have time, energy, and skills to contribute to those activities. The chapter is doing a lot of great work in many different directions, and if elected, I’d see my role primarily as helping to realize the work we collectively commit ourselves to at convention. I’m specifically a good fit for the treasurer position because its day to day responsibilities are built around managing data and responding to it, through reporting and managing reimbursement. This is something I’m very comfortable doing, because while I don’t have an accounting background, an increasingly large share of my professional work has been focused on handling data for the last ten or so years. There are established procedures for doing these things that I will continue, and build upon as needed.

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

  • A: I’d like to work with national to improve the process for updating members’ addresses when they move here from elsewhere, which matters for our dues and for list maintenance, and I’d like to work with internal formations (priority campaigns, working groups, etc.) to put together information on how consistent dues money has enabled their work, and on what increased monthly contributions could mean for them. I see the latter as not only a fundraising strategy, but also as a way to activate members and encourage inter-formation collaboration. Apart from these treasurer-specific goals, and from the important day to day reporting, bookkeeping, and reimbursement responsibilities the office holds, I’d like to contribute to improving onboarding and training efforts, to make it easier for new or inactive members to get plugged into consistent roles in the chapter.

  • Q: What pronouns do you use?

  • A: He/Him/His

  • Q: Would you describe yourself as a person of color?

  • A: no

Hayden D.

  • Q: 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.

  • A: I have been an At-large member of the Metro DC DSA Steering Committee since the beginning of 2022. During this time, I’ve held the National Coordination portfolio. In this capacity, I planned and executed the Mid-Atlantic Regional Organizing Retreat with help of DSA National staff. We laid the groundwork for future campaign-collaboration across the region and extended training resources to our comrades. In my work as a member of the Finance Committee, we expanded the offerings of our merch store and laid the groundwork for an aggressive opt-in local dues campaign in the form of the tote bag recurring donation drive.
    Throughout the year, I believe I have contributed to many of our priority campaigns and I’ve been lucky enough to work closely with chapter leaders in DC, Montgomery County, and Northern Virginia.

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

  • A: After a year riddled with challenges, I think it’s safe to say that we had big wins in the face of adversity. I was a part of that team and I’m grateful for the tact and brilliance of my comrades. Together, I believe we are going to continue on the current course and build power. I try to live my life according to my beliefs, as an elected, as a full-time union organizer, and as a voice within this chapter. This is where I believe I can contribute most. I love DSA. I’ve put in the hours along with the rest of my comrades and I believe we should be re-elected.

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

  • A: One person cannot make a change. It takes organizing enough people to build the better world that we know is possible. The Solidarity Slate is a group of people who have a plan to build power for working people in the DC metro area. You can find our full vision here.
    In my capacity, I hope to remain a member of the Finance Committee where I can continue expanding our merchandise offerings, and build out an opt-in local dues program. If given the opportunity to retain the National Coordination portfolio, I hope to use my union organizing skills to work with chapter leaders across the Mid-Atlantic, the great folks on the DSA National Labor Commission, and local union officials to provide critical support in the event of a nationwide UPS strike.

  • Q: What pronouns do you use?

  • A: She/Her

  • Q: Would you describe yourself as a person of color?

  • A: No

Dieter L.M.

  • Q: 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.

    • A: I currently serve as one of the At-Large members of the 14th Steering Committee where I have also served as the chair of the Membership Engagement Committee (MEC). This past year, I also served as a leader of the DC Elections Working Group, and I additionally serve on the Steering Committee of the Internationalism Committee at the National DSA level.
  • Q: Why do you believe that you are a good fit for this position?

  • A: I believe I am a good fit for this position because of the proven track record of accomplishments over the past year. Through our electoral work, we helped elect Zachary Parker, re-elect Gabe Acevero, and pass Initiative 82. And as chair of the MEC, I have been able to work with its various component pieces to improve our chapter’s internal organizing. Lastly. as a member of the Steering Committee, I have seen first hand the kind of steady leadership in the face of crisis that is needed to guide a DSA chapter like ours through troubled waters.

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

  • A: What I hope to accomplish if I am reelected is to continue my work with the MEC and reinvigorate our recruitment as well as training and development efforts. I also hope to take what I learned from National DSA’s Multiracial Organizing Cohort to make our chapter more accessible to BIPOC, and provide them with the leadership development and opportunities needed to succeed in our chapter.

  • Q: What pronouns do you use?

  • A: He/Him/His

  • Q: Would you describe yourself as a person of color?

  • A: Yes

Philip B.

  • Q: 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.

    • A: I joined DSA the day after Charlottesville in summer 2017. Since then I have been involved with the Administrative Committee, AfroSoc, and our chapter’s Mobilization Department to identify ways we can overhaul how we can support our campaigns and get new members plugged into that work. Additionally, I helped gather signatures and knocked hundreds of doors for both Initiative 82 and Zachary Parker this year. As an at-large member of our chapter’s Steering Committee this past year, I have been the main point on translation and language justice while continuing to have one-on-ones with new chapter members to ensure that they feel welcomed and immediately plugged into chapter work.
  • Q: Why do you believe that you are a good fit for this position?

  • A: After being on the Steering Committee for a year, I have learned a lot about how adaptable and responsive you need to be to meet the needs of our chapters membership. This often includes being able to exercise sound judgment over sensitive matters and rapid response to crisis. I believe that having been involved with a variety of aspects of the chapter over the last couple of years have given me a pretty solid snapshot of what we are capable of and where we have potential to grow.

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

  • A: If elected, I would like to continue the work I started in the Mobilization Department and see through the overhaul that many folks are currently working on. I believe that is an endeavor that will have immediate and long term results. I would like to continue working on the translation and language justice portfolio and looking into ways that work can be bolstered for the chapter.

  • Q: What pronouns do you use?

  • A: He/Him

  • Q: Would you describe yourself as a person of color?

  • A: Yes

Aparna R.

  • Q: 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.

  • A: I joined DSA in 2019. Since 2020, I’ve organized with Stomp Out Slumlords with a building in Ward 8 on rent strike to protest inhumane living conditions. As an electoral lead this year, I knocked the 4th most doors in the chapter for Zachary Parker, organized fundraisers, and canvassed for Gabe Acevero & Max Socol. On Steering I led Communications, drafting statements and social media and developing strategy. I led the chapter’s Initiative 82 work: canvassing, research, tipped worker outreach, and communications. We knocked 18,000 doors, created videos of tipped workers in favor of 82, posted research threads, and sent mailers to Wards 1, 7, & 8. I82 won every precinct in DC and will raise the tipped wage in DC to DC’s regular minimum wage by 2028.

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

  • A: My work on Steering and with 3 priority campaigns shows my ability to collaborate with people, steer the chapter through moments of crisis, and build long-term power. With SOS, I understand how to organize with folks outside of the chapter and build our base across the region. I led an independent volunteer campaign in I82 that brought together labor and electoral, built relationships with tipped workers inside and outside of the chapter, and won material gains for the working class. On Steering, I’ve helped lead our chapter through difficult decisions and continuously built our reputation in the region. As a member of Solidarity Slate, I’m proud of everything our chapter has accomplished and will continue to build on it next year.

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

  • A: I hope to focus on external organizing and continuing to develop our chapter’s voice with communications. This year on Steering I supported both internal admin and external organizing. I brought working groups together for multi-issue campaigns, like the joint labor-electoral effort of I82 (and leading I82 canvassing in a building organizing with Stomp Out Slumlords). I want to lean into that next year to make our working groups cohesive and reflect how none of us lead single issue lives. I also would like to continue supporting our incredible Comms Department by bringing it to a more strategic and proactive place rather than reactive by building in strategic decision-making frameworks and exploring the possibility of media trainings.

  • Q: What pronouns do you use?

  • A: she/her

  • Q: Would you describe yourself as a person of color?

  • A: Yes

Bakari W.

  • Q: 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.

  • A: I became active in the chapter in February 2022 when I knocked 1800 doors for Zachary Parker, and went on to canvass for Gabe Acevero and Max Socol in MoCo. During this time I joined our chapter’s protest of the Dobbs decision and helped plan our joint action with Shutdown DC disrupting a Federalist Society meeting. I then joined the field organizing arm of our successful I82 campaign, where I helped to pick canvassing locations, cut turf, and launch canvasses (and brought my door-knocking count for the year to 3000). I also became involved with PoliEd, serving as a marshal during the Housing walking tour, and Stomp Out Slumlords, collecting testimony of landlord mistreatment and canvassing for the tenant union in Marbury Plaza.

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

  • A: I’m a good fit for Steering because my involvement across working groups has shown me how our actions raise consciousness and make our movement stronger. With that perspective, I can help expand on strategies that have worked so we can become even more effective and empower more people.

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

  • A: If elected to steering I will focus primarily on: strengthening our chapter’s external organizing apparatuses (especially east of the river and in communities of color), working with electoral candidates for races in Wards 7/8, recruiting new members, mobilizing paper members, and increasing the amount of collaboration between working groups. These are all points of the Solidarity Slate’s plan, and you can read more details about these and other points in our full platform.

  • Q: What pronouns do you use?

  • A: I use he/him pronouns.

  • Q: Would you describe yourself as a person of color?

  • A: I am a person of color, born in the segregated and gentrifying Ward 7.

Kareem E.

  • Q: 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.

  • A: I have been involved at many levels of our organization. Currently, I am finishing my term as the Chair of Metro D.C. DSA, my second term on the Steering Committee. I am proud of the work we accomplished during my tenure, which I believe was marked by supporting the incredible work undertaken by our various campaigns. In the capacity as chair, I am also currently serving on Metro D.C. DSA endorsed candidate Zachary Parker’s Transition Committee. Additionally, at the National level, I am currently a member of the Multi Racial Organizing Committee. I have been very involved in various chapter campaigns, including having personally knocked well over 1,000 doors in total for Zachary Parker, Gabe Acevero, Max Socol, and Initiative 82. Previous to this term, I have been involved in many levels of this organization. In 2021, I was involved with AdCom on the events team, served as delegate to the National DSA Convention, and served as the 2021 Metro D.C. DSA Convention Chair.

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

  • A: I believe I have strong leadership qualities that make me a great fit for this position. As a leader, I believe I have demonstrated consistent commitment to the work, while also being willing to undertake the difficult tasks that come with leadership. A lot of the issues that the Steering Committee has to consider are often about organizational priorities, and how to support everyone’s work fairly. During my time on the committee, I have consistently supported the priorities decided on at the local Convention. I also believe I am approachable, and do my best to build bridges both within this organization and externally. During the day, I work as a Union negotiator. I know what it takes to move workers towards a goal, and I think this is clear from my record on the Steering Committee.

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

  • A: This year will be critical for our chapter as we look to the future. I intend to have this be my last term on the Steering Committee for some time, and my goal will be leadership development. I think we have already made strides in this regard. I plan to spend this year strategizing around how to make leadership more accessible for marginalized identities, and what can be done to bring new leaders into our organization. Building a strong base ahead of what will be a very tense political moment in 2024 is necessary for the longevity of our movement, so this will be a big focus for me this year.

  • Q: What pronouns do you use?

  • A: he/him

  • Q: Would you describe yourself as a person of color?

  • A: Yes