The Red Nation Podcast Socialist organizing and the DSA w/ Jorge Rocha, John Lewis, Luisa Martinez
Dec 1, 2025
Join Jorge Rocha, a seasoned anti-imperialist organizer, John Lewis, the national treasurer and labor strategist, and Luisa Martinez, an advocate for immigrant justice, as they dive into the inner workings of the Democratic Socialists of America. They discuss recent convention votes aimed at establishing DSA as an independent socialist party. The panel also tackles the complexities of anti-Zionist resolutions, internal ideological diversity, and the DSA's response to grassroots struggles like ICE raids. Learn about the intersection of labor organizing and global influences shaping today's socialist movements.
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DSA Moves Toward An Independent Party
- DSA is shifting toward building an independent socialist party and running candidates outside the Democratic Party.
- The convention votes formalized a multi-year trajectory from activism to organized electoral formation.
Hold Electeds To Clear Electoral Standards
- Enforce electoral standards by refusing organizational support for officials who materially enable genocide or oppose BDS.
- Use chapter-level organizing and progressive discipline to educate and hold candidates accountable before revoking endorsements.
Standards Test Decentralized Structure
- Implementing national political standards is uncharted territory for a decentralized DSA with 200+ chapters.
- The move signals a new organizational orientation toward consolidated political positions and elected accountability.