Member Statements on ER4: Endorse Adam Cunningham for Maryland State Senate, District 39

Statements from chapter members in favor and against ER4: Endorse Adam Cunningham for Maryland State Senate, District 39 will be posted in this thread.

Statements will be posted as they are received, until the deadline of 8:00 pm ET on Sunday, December 12, 2021.

Statement from Nicole Z - Against - regarding ER4: Endorse Adam Cunningham

I think Adam is a perfectly nice person and I wish him well, but I think that he lacks the seriousness needed to take on an incumbent and win. For example, during our candidate interview with him, Adam said that he would need 50,000 votes to win this election. There are less than 50,000 registered Democratic voters in his district. The fact that he does not even know how many votes he needs to win is deeply concerning to me.

Statement from Stu K - Against - regarding ER4: Endorse Adam Cunningham

I am voting against Adam Cunningham’s endorsement because this is not one of the recommended endorsements of the PEC. Chapter members can read the PEC endorsements here: MDC DSA Political Engagement Committee Endorsement Recommendations - Google Docs The political engagement committee recommended endorsing Del. Gabriel Acevero for Maryland House of Delegates District 39, Max Socol for Maryland State Senate District 18, Brandy Brooks for Montgomery County Council At-Large, and Zachary Parker for D.C. Council’s Ward 5 seat.

I am also voting against this endorsement because it does not appear that a progressive-labor-left coalition will emerge to support Adam’s candidacy. This type of coalition has been critical for the success of our chapter’s endorsed candidates. As the PEC noted in their report:

Our chapter has never succeeded electorally when we were not part of a broader labor-left coalition. Such a coalition is not a guarantee of victory, but the absence of one—based on outcomes from the past four years—almost certainly indicates a loss.

I hope Adam stays involved in the chapter as a member and, perhaps in a later election, as an endorsed candidate. However, in the case of endorsing Adam in this election, I will vote against