Metro DC DSA announces endorsements for 2026 Primary Elections; Metro DC DSA members choose new 2026 Steering Committee and priority campaigns; Lewis George introduces bill to resist the mass deportation machine as Bowser and Pinto cement their collaborationist legacy
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.
NOTE: THIS UPDATE WILL BE THE LAST WEEKLY UPDATE OF 2025. The Metro DC DSA Pubilcations Team will be taking a brief hiatus next week to rest. A truncated version of the weekly newsletter will go out on January 2nd, with the Weekly returning in full force on January 9th.
UP FRONT
Metro DC DSA announces endorsements for 2026 Primary Elections; socialists preparing electoral mobilization in early 2026
Following an extensive
endorsement process which concluded in a vote of the membership, Metro
DC DSA has endorsed the following members in Democratic primary
elections across Maryland and DC:
Former Chair of the chapter Aparna Raj for DC Council, Ward 1
Gabriel Acevero for Maryland House of Delegates, District 39
Zola Shaw for Montgomery County Council, District 3
Josie Caballero for Montgomery County Council, At Large
Former member of the Steering Committee Imara Crooms for Prince George’s County Council, District 9
Raaheela Ahmed for Maryland State Senate, District 23
The
number of endorsements suggest 2026 will be the most ambitious year yet
for DC-area democratic socialists. Leftists across the DMV will be
converging to elect and then govern with comrades in office. As the
wider economy flails and President Trump continues to escalate his war
against working people, the slate of democratic socialists seeks to
anchor a resistance based in tenant protections, social justice, worker
rights, and economic socialization.
The
democratic socialists’ electoral operations will be carried out through
the chapter’s Electoral Working Group, with engagement by the chapter’s
branches in Prince George’s and Montgomery counties. In the new year,
the chapter will release specific calls for mobilization as the
socialist electoral apparatus is reactivated.
Metro
DC DSA’s membership will consider at least one more round of
endorsements. At the chapter’s recent convention, Metro DC DSA held its
first reading on an endorsement for Janeese Lewis George in the DC
Democratic mayoral primary election. The endorsement process will
continue in early 2026, which will include a candidate forum, chapter
discussion and vote. Chapter members will also consider re-endorsement
of incumbent Shayla Adams Stafford (PG County District 5 councilmember)
early in the new year.
Metro DC DSA published official announcements on Instagram here, here, and here. Follow the candidates to learn how to keep up with the campaigns on social media.
Metro DC DSA members choose new 2026 Steering Committee and priority campaigns
Members in good standing in
Metro DC DSA also had the opportunity to vote for members of their
leadership body, the chapter Steering Committee, and to select five
priority campaigns for the next year. Results of the vote, which was
participated in by over 430 chapter members, concluded on Tuesday
evening. Results are as follows:
2026 Steering Committee (elected through the approval voting method):
Joe R (Groundwork slate); Julia P (Groundwork slate); Kurtis H
(Groundwork slate); mina/nat s (Groundwork slate); Dieter LM (Groundwork
slate); Nell G (Left Unity slate); Diego J (Left Unity slate); Avani P
(Left Unity slate); Sam N (Secretary, no slate); Ken B (Treasurer,
Groundwork slate); Far (Campaigns Coordinator, Left Unity slate).
Lewis George introduces bill to resist the mass deportation machine as Bowser and Pinto cement their collaborationist legacies
On Monday, Councilmember
Janeese Lewis George filed the Safe Community Places and Policing
Amendment Act of 2025, with Councilmember Brianne Nadeau, Councilmember
Zachary Parker, Councilmember Charles Allen, and Councilmember Robert
White signing on in support. This Act is a direct response to the
pressure that campaigns like Families Not Feds have been putting on the
DC Council to stand up for the district in the face of the occupation.
The Act prohibits the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD) from
providing transportation to any federal agent for immigration
enforcement, conducting surveillance or patrols as part of any
immigration enforcement activity, or conducting any immigration law
enforcement operations alongside federal agents. The Act also specifies
hospitals (or any facility providing healthcare, including behavior
healthcare), schools, daycares, libraries, emergency sites, courthouses,
shelters, Department of Human Services and WIC offices, and any space
working with the Child and Family Services Agency as “safe community
places,” where any coordination between MPD and federal officers is
prohibited. Despite the increased pressure on Councilmember Pinto,
including another noise demonstration at her home and a sit-in in her office,
she chose not to sign onto Lewis George’s act, instead continuing to
pledge her allegiance to corrupt pigs and masked goons. A recent article published in The Washington Socialist follows Pinto’s inability to do her job even when advocates are standing outside her front door begging her to.
Finally
caving to the nonstop pressure and bad public press, Pinto joined her
fellow councilmembers in signing a letter sent to outgoing Chief of
Police Pam Smith on Thursday to ask for answers on MPD’s cooperation
with federal agents on law and immigration enforcement, saying that the
answers will build “accountability and bolster public trust.”
Pinto’s
fellow collaborator, Mayor Bowser, announced on Wednesday that Proud
Boys protector Jeffery Carroll will serve as interim Police Chief once
Pamela Smith steps down on December 31. Creepy Carroll is well-loathed
by District residents for leading MPD’s collaboration with federal
agents, enabling mass-harrassment of female MPD officers and going easy on white extremist officers.
Jeffery Carroll, though, may be best known for leading the Siege of
Swann Street — where MPD hunted and pursued a legion of racial justice
protesters during the 2020 George Floyd uprising in the city. Before
Carroll’s forces could mass apprehend the protesters, local hero Rahul
Dubey flung open his doors to rescue protesters, allowing over 70 people
to evade assault and arrest by MPD’s forces. (The experience has since been immortalized in song by local anarchists as The Ballad of Rahul Dubey.)
Carroll
as chief raises serious concerns among district residents. With Bowser
implying that she would love for him to stay in the position
permanently, it seems like she is happy to cement her legacy as one of
the Trump administration’s most enthusiastic collaborators.
BRIEFS
Metro DC DSA continues support in week four of Starbucks Workers United strike — Join a picket near you today
Metro DC DSA is going into week four of picketing in support of Starbucks Workers United’s No Contract No Coffee boycott campaign.
The open-ended strike is to address workers’ demands for better
staffing, higher pay, and resolution for hundreds of unfair labor
practice charges. Join one of the flyering events at non-union Starbucks
to tell people not to cross the picket line:
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.
Northern Virginia Mutual Aid passes bylaws, prepares for next knitting circle and distro
The Northern Virginia Mutual Aid Working Group (NoVA MAWG) passed their bylaws
at their December meeting, and are now in the process of soliciting
volunteers to be sorted into their 2026 Standing Committee. The Standing
Committee will continue the work of coordinating the different
committees of the working group and other administrative tasks.
Among those committees, the fiber arts contingent will be meeting on Saturday, January 3
from 12 – 2pm at the Chantilly Regional Library. People are encouraged
to bring their own projects to work on, or to knit hats, gloves, or
scarves to be donated. The distribution contingent, after fighting the
bitter cold on December 14, is planning their January distribution at the Crystal City Metro Station on January 11 from 11am – 2pm. You can donate to their distribution fund here or purchase directly from their wish list.
They will also be accepting donations at the distribution, so anyone is
free to bring any packaged food, water, hygienic supplies, clothes,
etc. that they’d like to donate. There is also discussion of an extra
December 28 distribution if enough donations come in fast enough. Anyone
interested in getting involved with NoVA MAWG should reach out in #nova-mutualaid or by filling out their interest form.
Join the Bodily Autonomy Working Group for their 2026 Kickoff
Join the Bodily Autonomy Working Group (BAWG) on Thursday, January 8, from 7 – 9:30pm at “as you are.”
DC for their 2026 kick-off event. BAWG will be doing an overview of the
group’s goals for the new year, followed by a social for new and
current members to drink, eat, and meet. BAWG looks forward to
celebrating the new year as a community. MASKING STRONGLY RECOMMENDED — KN95s will be provided at this event. RSVP here.
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 — socialism is not arcane or mysterious, but common
sense. 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;
go live or in person with comrades in political ed with our reading
groups (new round coming soon, so watch this space). 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 the Winter issue is in editing — but submit anytime, member or not.
Email submissions or questions to [email protected].
Members, look in on us or join at #publications on Slack.
DMV LEFT COMMUNITY BULLETIN
Amigos Park Holiday Decorating on December 20 | Amigos Park Coalition
The Amigos Park Coalition is fighting
for Amigos Park in Mt. Pleasant. Celebrate the end of the year with
them this Saturday, December 20, from 12pm – 2pm at the corner of Mt.
Pleasant and Kenyon Street. They will have a free raffle, hot drinks,
and music. Find more info on Instagram 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. All proceeds will go to a family in
Gaza. Learn more on Instagram here.
Restaurant Worker Bystander Training on December 22 | ROC-DC
Join bar and restaurant workers to
get trained to be an active bystander to any ICE or police presence in
your restaurant and neighborhood. This interactive and thorough training
will take place on Monday, December 22, from 4:30 – 6:30pm. RSVP for the training 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.
The Trumpists’ new dismissal of Europe in the world power system [Adam
Tooze] “…in a strange way, Europe isn’t really distinct from the
American political space. It’s the same political space. The conflict is
therefore, really uninhibited and overtly partisan. Basically [the
Trump National Security Strategy 2025 document is] asking for European
politics to open the gates to the right. The irony as a European—if
you’re a left progressive European—is the idea that somehow it’s a bulk
of woke progressive liberals opening the door to Muslim migrants; just
go look in the Mediterranean on a bad day, there’s dozens of people
drowning, with Frontex blocking the way. The whole thing is a MAGA
fantasy, but it is projected onto Europe in a really dramatic way.
That’s kind of unique, I think, in the MAGA universe.” Paul Krugman
Talking with Adam Tooze about Europe and the US – dialogue from Paul
Krugman’s substack.
Beckert’s account of capitalism covers the world, identifies distinctly pre capitalist formations as early as 12th century Capitalism
is a global economic system, so a proper chronicle of its rise to
dominance has to examine the entire world, as historian Sven Beckert
does in his massive new book, Capitalism: A Global History…
“Beckert has been a pioneer in the creation of new narratives exploring
how an ever-changing capitalism has been a socially and culturally
rooted phenomenon. At well over a thousand pages, Beckert’s volume
offers a synthesis and occasional recasting of almost everything we have
learned about the history of capitalism, and not just in the closely
studied societies bordering the North Atlantic. It is a global history,
holds Beckert, because capitalism “was always a world economy.” Jacobin review by Nelson Lichtenstein
Socialism After AI “AI
arrives as a technology whose uses are discovered after deployment,
whose boundaries are porous, and whose side‑effects appear in places
nobody designed for. “Generative” is not just a marketing word; it names
a genuine instability. For socialists, this instability poses a
specific challenge. And their reflexes are familiar: Regulate platforms,
tax windfalls, nationalize leading firms, plug their models into a
planning apparatus. But if socialism is to be more than capitalism with
nicer dashboards—if it really is a project of collectively remaking
material life, not just of redistributing its outputs—it has to answer a
harder question: Can it offer a better way of living with this
technology than capitalism does? Can it deliver a distinct form of life
worth wanting rather than just a fairer share of what capital has
already made?” Evgeny Morozov, The Ideas Letter
US’s polarization affecting military ability to remain apolitical, says former joint chiefs chair Retired
Adm. Mike Mullen, who was the US’s top military commander under
presidents George W Bush and Barack Obama, called the political
environment facing currently serving US military officers “challenging”
and “the most dangerous time” in his memory. Speaking at a security
forum, he warned that it had become much harder to maintain the armed
forces’ traditional apolitical stance than when he served as joint
chiefs chair between 2007 and 2011. [He added that] broad cadres of
politically inexperienced officers now faced having to navigate a
politicized environment in which they fear making mistakes could be
costly. The Guardian (UK)
Why Walmart wants to see Starbucks’ barista strike fail The
rise of Starbucks Workers United has energized the U.S. labor movement,
as the struggle to unionize the mega-chain represents far more than
baristas pitted against managers: Starbucks is a trend-setting global powerhouse and one of the top U.S. employers.
Current fights at places like Starbucks and Amazon will shape the labor
movement for decades to come. This is well understood by industry
leaders, in no small part because of Starbucks’s deep interlocks with
major corporations across numerous sectors. [Not only does Starbucks’
board feature former and current Walmart board members, but] the Retail
Industry Leaders Association (RILA), one of the leading industry groups
for major corporate retailers, is dedicated to weakening labor unions
and supporting anti-labor campaigns. Truthout via Portside
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
Sent via ActionNetwork.org.
To update your email address, change your name or address, or to stop receiving emails from Metro DC DSA, please click here.
