DC residents continue to pressure Pinto after MPD Chief Pam Smith announces resignation; Local socialists convene at convention — OpaVote ballot to include endorsements, priority campaign spending, and local leadership elections for 2026; New ward captain program to build socialism in DC’s neighborhoods
This is the weekly newsletter of the Metro DC Democratic Socialists of America (MDC DSA), which is
produced by local members of the chapter's Publications Working Group. The Weekly Update publishes every
Friday at 9am. Want to fight fascism from the heart of empire? Join DSA and fight to build socialism!
Paid for by Metro DC DSA (mdcdsa.org). Not authorized by any candidate or committee.
UP FRONT
DC residents continue to pressure Pinto after MPD Chief Pam Smith announces resignation
Metropolitan Police Department Chief Pam Smith announced Monday morning that she would step down, following in the footsteps of fellow capitulator Mayor Muriel Bowser. Smith’s last day as MPD chief will be December 31. As with Bowser, the final months and weeks of Smith’s term have been defined by her department’s flagrant collaboration with the federal forces terrorizing the District and increased police violence. Curiously, the DC police “union” took the opportunity to snipe at Smith’s egress — accusing her of manipulating crime statistics (a conspiracy touted by local and national right-wing groups, who allege that DC must be more dangerous than official data suggests).
On Sunday, Metro DC DSA’s Community Defense Working Group rallied together with the Families Not Feds campaign to continue pressuring Ward 2 Councilmember Brooke Pinto after last week’s public safety hearing, which lasted over 11 hours. The group assembled in Logan Circle and marched to Pinto’s home, spending over an hour chanting about her capitulation to Trump and the gestapo, and delivering fiery speeches demanding an end to MPD’s collaboration with ICE. Though Pinto never showed herself, she has certainly felt the pressure, saying that the next police chief needs to honor the Sanctuary Values Act.
Ward 4 Councilmember Janeese Lewis George is also set to introduce a new bill to the Council on Monday that would ban the MPD from assisting in transporting any federal agents, designate areas such as schools and hospitals as safe zones where MPD cannot coordinate with federal agents, and expand the Sanctuary Values Act to cover all agencies.
In other DC political news… DC residents are looking forward to a contentious 2026 electoral cycle. Councilmember Anita Bonds (at-large) — a frequent opponent of labor and tenants in the District — announced her intent to depart the Council over the weekend, leaving the at-large Democratic primary field wide open. One of the CM’s aides — Kevin Chavous, long believed to be holding the CM’s office together over the last few years — has announced his intent to fill her place; it is unclear at the time of writing whether he intends to stake a more progressive or conservative direction. The Democratic primary race will be crowded, with ex-Lewis George staffer Candace Nelson and DC Shadow Rep. Oye Owolewa already seen as rival front-runners in the left-labor lane of the race.
Local socialists convene at convention — OpaVote ballot to include endorsements, priority campaign spending, and local leadership elections for 2026
Last weekend, well over 200 members of Metro DC DSA attended the chapter’s two-day local convention. The event — which included a keynote address by Ward 4 Councilmember Janeese Lewis George — demarcated several structural changes to come to Metro DC DSA:
the chapter adopted a two-year program, which will guide Metro DC DSA’s ongoing political work going forward — a digital copy for external distribution is being prepared;
a new childcare fund will be established and organized by the chapter’s Administrative Committee, to organize childcare support for parents and families to attend DSA events and actions;
a new Socialists in Office (SIO) program will be established to organize and coordinate with socialist electeds;
branches of Metro DC DSA will now have their yearly budget allocation increased from $1,000 to $3,000;
a new DC branch commission will be established to outline creation of a proper DC branch to be housed within Metro DC DSA;
additionally, the chapter voted to move a chapter endorsement of CM Lewis George’s run for mayor to the next stage, where she will need to engage in a candidate forum before the membership.
Members with access to the chapter Slack can consult the #2025-local-convention channel to see updates, lingering discourse, and summaries of events. A full review of what passed will be made available on the chapter’s internal wiki soon.
Members of Metro DC DSA still have three remaining items to vote on, which will be included on ballots sent to every eligible voting member. In a testament to the engagement and internal democracy of the chapter, more than 200 member statements were received on the forthcoming OpaVote ballot from Metro DC DSA’s Local Convention. Ballots (including statements for or against) for priority campaigns, electoral endorsements, and Steering Committee elections will be sent out no later than Friday (today), December 12, and will remain open for five days. Members in good standing will receive their OpaVote ballot via email; those with questions or issues should contact #steering in the chapter Slack.
New ward captain program to build socialism in DC’s neighborhoods
At local convention, Metro DC DSA passed An Eight Ward Strategy: Creating DC Ward Captains,an ambitious resolution that aims to improve membership engagement at the neighborhood level. Over the last year the chapter has grown by 68%, creating new opportunities to run bigger and better campaigns, but requiring MDC DSA to increase internal capacity.
Democratic socialists living in Washington, DC, are now invited to apply to become DSA ward captains. This is a great position for enthusiastic new members living in DC who are ready to hit the pavement and old-timers wanting to pass on their experience to the next generation of socialists. Ward captains will be the vital link that builds socialist power in DC neighborhoods. They will help energize DSA members by creating a vibrant local socialist community, connecting them to DSA campaigns, and forging strong bonds of camaraderie across each ward. This is a great chance to help ensure the chapter is accessible for new members and make DSA a visible and powerful force in every corner of DC.
Help build the socialist movement where you live! APPLY HERE.
BRIEFS
CALLING ALL DC TENANTS: Stomp Out Slumlords to host discussion on tenant organizing and the 2026 elections — Tuesday, December 16
This year, Metro DC DSA members are considering a record number of candidates seeking the chapter's endorsement. With 2026 shaping up to be an important year on the electoral front, the potential for tenant intervention into these elections will be vital for advancing the tenant movement in the DMV. In anticipation of the upcoming year, Stomp Out Slumlords (SOS) — Metro DC DSA’s tenant organizing project — is planning a meeting on Tuesday, December 16 at 6:30pm in DC’s MLK Library to discuss how SOS and endorsed candidates can collaborate to build the tenant movement and fight to protect and expand tenant rights. All socialists, tenants, progressives, and workers are invited to attend — RSVP to the SOS meeting here.
For members curious about the work SOS does, there will be a monthly anti-eviction canvass this Saturday, December 13 at 1:30pm. Even if you’ve never knocked doors before, this is a great way to help neighbors stay in their homes and resist DC’s mounting eviction crisis. More details and RSVP here.
The Starbucks boycott is going strong: Socialists throughout the DMV are organizing in support of Starbucks Workers United
Metro DC DSA continues to lead planned events at local Starbucks locations in support of Starbucks Workers United’s No Contract No Coffee boycott campaign. The activity is happening across Maryland, DC, and Virginia, with a focus on flyering at non-union Starbucks to tell people not to cross the workers’ ongoing picket:
Those interested in helping but who prefer different hours or other locations in the DMV should fill out the intake form here to stay connected and get involved.
Ecosocialists conducting public power outreach event in Cleveland Park — Saturday, December 13
Socialists are hosting an outreach event to spread the word about the evils of Pepco tomorrow, December 13 at 1pm. Members will meet at the Cleveland Park Metro Station and then fan out across the neighborhood putting up posters, tapping into latent anger about DC’s current utility. All materials and training will be provided — dress for the weather (it will be cold). RSVP here.
Metro DC DSA Street Team monthly meeting — Saturday, December 13 at 3:30pm
Join the Metro DC DSA Street Team at its next monthly meeting on Saturday, December 13 from 3:30 to 5pm at MLK Memorial Library, Room 401-D, to learn how to build power and visibility for the chapter’s working groups at upcoming community events in the DMV. Organizers of all experience levels are welcome to discuss topics such as event coordination, how to talk about socialism, and how to best plug-in prospective members of the chapter. The Street Team's mission is to expand the chapter’s base and build a more democratic society by listening to residents talk about what’s going on in their everyday lives and connecting them to the chapter. RSVP here for this in-person Street Team meeting.
DSA’s Community Defense Working Group to discuss structure and leadership at next meeting — Thursday, December 18 at 7pm
Community Defense, Metro DC DSA’s newest working group, has been fighting for DC’s immigrant community long before its official formation, organizing neighborhood patrols and noise demonstrations. At their next meeting, the group will be discussing structure and leadership roles, debriefing previous actions, and planning upcoming actions. Anyone interested in getting involved is welcome to join the meeting on Thursday, December 18 at 7pm at Dandelion Collective in Columbia Heights. RSVP here for this in-person meeting.
Share with neighbors and build community with NoVA MAWG this weekend
The Northern Virginia Mutual Aid Working Group (NoVA MAWG) is holding their next planned monthly distribution on Sunday, December 14, at 11am in Crystal City, and (at least) every second Sunday for the near future. As temperatures drop, the need for mutual aid rises. NoVA MAWG has assembled a wish list to help meet specific community needs, and one-time donations will go towards the purchase of bulk wholesale goods. Meanwhile, recurring donations help properly scale (and hopefully increase the frequency of) these distributions. Volunteers are also appreciated; specific needs include people to pick up donations from area food banks, store donations between distributions, transport donations to/from the distribution, and table at the distribution itself (especially Spanish speakers). Interested in getting involved with the working group? Check out #nova-mutualaid and fill out their interest form.
INFO ACCESS
The DMV continues to be under siege by militarism-fueled authoritarians, with local officials’ complicity. Want to fight fascism from the heart of the empire? Join DSA and fight to build socialism! We’re the alternative that works for people, not profiteers and their captive politicians. MDC DSA’s chapter spans NoVA, DC, and the big Maryland suburbs — yep, the “heart of empire.” There’s organizational info on our Metro DC chapter — DMV branches, working groups, campaigns, current activities, and enduring values — right here. What’s behind our activism? See the rich archive of our acclaimed Socialist Night School. Members are encouraged to join our Slack for real-time info on working group and campaign events, strategy/tactic exchange, and inspiration. Email [email protected] with your most recent DSA dues receipt to get access.
How to stay current with MDC DSA — Weekly Updates, like the one you are reading, are sent every Friday – sign up here; current and past Updates are available anytime on our website. The MDC Dispatch is the chapter’s new video news series, published on the first and third Sunday of each month. Submit your Update or Dispatch suggestions (or DMV scandal tips) to our tip line. The Washington Socialist, published since the 1970s, offers in-depth analytical/opinion articles on a quarterly schedule; the Fall 2025 issue is available now and winter issue article submissions are invited (deadline: Dec. 19). Anyone, MDC DSA member or not, interested in contributing to the Washington Socialist can email submissions or questions to [email protected]. Members, look in on us or join at #publications on Slack.
DMV LEFT COMMUNITY BULLETIN
Woody Guthrie: Ain’t Got No Home screening on Monday, December 15, 6pm | Reel and Meal at the New Deal Cafe
A documentary on the life of an American troubadour who fought injustice with songs and a guitar. Singing will follow.
IN PERSON at the New Deal Cafe, 113 Centerway (Roosevelt Center), Greenbelt AND ONLINE via Zoom (registration is required).
Restaurant Worker Mutual Aid Fund | ROC-DC
The Restaurant Opportunities Center of DC (ROC-DC) has opened up a mutual aid fund for DMV restaurant workers in need. Although capacity for outtakes has closed, ROC-DC is looking for additional donations to fund support for the workers’ fund. ROC-DC played a pivotal role in the Fair Price, Fair Wage Coalition, which organized workers in defense of Initiative 82 this past summer.
Found Poetry Writing Workshop on December 17 | After The Storm Magazine
A type of poetry created by borrowing and re-arranging words and phrases from existing sources, After The Storm and Bol Coop Bookstore will explore found poetry as a means of intentionally browsing Bol's book collection and co-creating something new together. Participate at Bol’s new Brookland location on December 17 at 6pm. RSVP here.
A Very Palestinian Bake Sale on December 20 | Lulu’s Cafe
On Saturday, December 20, between 1-5pm, visit Lulu’s Cafe for an afternoon of sweets and treats, like basbusa, sahlab, maamoul, and more. 100% of proceeds will go to a family in Gaza. Learn more on Instagram here.
ESSENTIAL PERSPECTIVES
ESSENTIAL PERSPECTIVES are articles and opinion pieces of
interest to DMV leftists but not, generally, appearing in local media.
They should have links without paywalls. Readers are invited to submit
candidates at our tip line.
Free Buses Can Be a Reality — Just Look at Maryland
Zohran Mamdani’s plan for free buses is not a pipe dream. As Mayor-elect Mamdani and his administration look to grow zero-fare buses in New York, they have a stellar example just a few hours south, where the largest free bus program in Maryland by ridership is in Montgomery County. MoCo first made its “Ride On” buses free to all riders under 18 in 2019. Then on June 29, 2025, it made all of its buses fare-free for all passengers. The system has a fleet of nearly 400 buses, 80 routes, and provided 19.2 million rides in the 2025 fiscal year. Truthout
Trump’s Memo #7 targets activists and the nonprofits who support them
Trump’s Sept. 25 NSPM-7, called “Countering Domestic Terrorism and Organized Political Violence,” is by some accounts (see The Hill and MS.NOW actually being implemented today. Its definitions are less keyed to actions than to attitudes. Here’s how Trump defines illegal beliefs and behavior: “This ‘anti-fascist’ lie has become the organizing rallying cry used by domestic terrorists to wage a violent assault against democratic institutions, constitutional rights, and fundamental American liberties. Common threads animating this violent conduct include anti-Americanism, anti-capitalism, and anti-Christianity; support for the overthrow of the United States Government; extremism on migration, race, and gender; and hostility towards those who hold traditional American views on family, religion, and morality.” The ACLU has a few comments on “what this memorandum targeting civil society does, does not, and cannot do.”
Bernie’s advice to elected socialists
“All over the country you are looking at basic problems people are struggling with. The system is failing. Our job is not to run away from that reality but to offer a real alternative. Because in my view, what the future is gonna be about isn’t establishment Democrats. All over Europe, for example, the establishment parties are fading away. The struggle is going to be between the Trumpists of the world — right-wing extremism — and a democratic socialist alternative, which recognizes the problems that we face and provides concrete and real and bold solutions for working families.” Also, guidance for Mayor-elect Mamdani from Spain’s Left municipal governance, both successes and failures. Jacobin
House votes yesterday to repeal Trump order ending union rights at federal agencies
In the “One Battle After Another” Department: “Twenty-two Republicans joined with Democrats Thursday afternoon to overturn the order, but it faces steep odds in the Senate. ‘President Trump betrayed workers when he tried to rip away our collective bargaining rights,’ said AFL-CIO President Liz Shuler in a statement after thevote. ‘We commend the Republicans and Democrats who stood with workers and voted to reverse the single largest act of union-busting in American history.’ Trump’s order covered the Departments of Veterans Affairs, Defense, State and Justice, and parts of Homeland Security, Health and Human Services, Interior, Energy and Commerce.” WaPo
This is the weekly newsletter of the Metro DC Democratic Socialists of America (MDC DSA), which is produced by
local members of the chapter's Publications working group. The Weekly Update publishes every Friday at
9am.
Paid for by Metro DC DSA (mdcdsa.org). Not authorized by any candidate or committee.
Thinking about it, but want to get this email Update every Friday? SIGN UP
HERE
The flame of thought, the magnificence of art, the wonder of discovery, and the audacity of invention
all belong to revolutionary periods when humanity, tired of its chains, shatters them and stops inebriated to
breathe the breeze of a vast and free horizon. - Virgilia D'Andrea
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