A platform for our 2026 Steering Committee slate
Grow the movement to win socialism.
We, the working class, face three problems: a lack of organization, under-developed leadership, and a muddied sense of class consciousness. Portland DSA will face all three problems head-on. We want every active member to be capable of having structured organizing conversations, canvassing, having workplace discussions, and recruiting new members. We will equip chapter leaders with clearly defined roles and work to end burnout by formalizing a second layer of responsible members within our working groups. Further, our Comms Candidates will weave clearly-articulated class politics into chapter media.
One Portland DSA.
We are far more effective when we work together cohesively, for example when Resiliency and Labor working groups recently collaborated to support striking Starbucks workers. We plan to replicate this kind of cross-collaboration through the numerous avenues in our pre-existing structures and organizing strategies. Further, we would like to expand our methods through an Annual Chapter Convention that democratically establishes chapter priorities. This will position us to proactively build a socialist future.
Orient to the masses.
Our Labor Against ICE rally drew 5000 people and 31 participating unions, showcasing speakers that clearly identified capitalism’s role in our present crisis. We will continue to pursue very intentional coalitions with unions, community institutions, and grassroots activists at a rank-and-file level, while steadfastly maintaining our socialist orientation. We will make DSA a regular part of civic life by visibly mobilizing for events like Pride, where we had a fabulous, fun, and impactful presence. We will also work to organize workers through an Emergency Workplace Organizing Committee and a robust salting program.
Decisively lead our own electoral program.
Electoral politics is a key part of orienting to non-socialists and engaging them where they are. We must also expand and strengthen coordination with DSA elected officials to ensure alignment with the chapter’s socialist politics while supporting them as human beings. We can further assist them by expanding our capacity to write our own policy and legislation. We will also work to make DSA a political powerhouse beyond Portland, connecting chapters across the state and intervening in the legislature. While scaling up our political ambitions, we will grow chapter capacity for this work by training and developing our members into strong, confident, and effective socialist organizers.
Generative and Exciting General Meetings.
Every GM should make us feel proud to be members and leave observers excited to join. Our vibrant GMs should educate members on our work, the current political situation, meaningfully involve members in chapter organizing, and motivate new members to get involved. We can implement OpenSlides to streamline procedural portions of our meetings and create more opportunities for political education and discussion. We are the nation’s fourth largest chapter and our meetings can be a celebration of what we are and all we can become as we build a socialist future.