The Socialist Equality Party has announced that it is running D’Artagnan Collier for Mayor of Detroit. The election is August 4, 2009, with any needed run-off set for November 3, 2009.
The Socialist Equality Party seemed to have lost interest in competing in elections after 2006. It had not named any candidates since 2006, except that in September 2008, it announced a write-in ticket for president and vice-president, Jerome White and Bill Van Auken. That ticket didn’t get on the ballot in any state, but filed for write-in status in New York and was credited with 18 votes.
The Socialist Equality Party first appeared on ballots in 1996, but then did not run candidates for public office again until 2003. Under its old name, the Workers League, it ran for public office in 1974 through 1994.
There will be at least four political parties with “socialism” or “socialist” in their party names this year, in the U.S. The other three are the Socialist Workers Party, the Party for Socialism and Liberation, and the Socialist Party.
Speaking of the Socialist Party [SPUSA], on June 5th, 2009, I rejoined the Socialist Party USA. It is my hope, that by setting a personal example, I can convince other State Central Committee members of the Peace and Freedom Pary of California to steer the Party in the direction of affiliating with SPUSA (an almost identical Party) – rather than to continue its misguided plan to organize on a national level itself.
Philippe L. Sawyer, Member
State Central Committee
Sacramento County Central Committee
Peace and Freedom Party of California
A Party seeking to provide leadership for the working class must minimally express the institutional memory of the class; in this case , of the history of social-democrat politics throughout the previous century, leading up to its total international debacle at present, in India and Europe. We end meetings with the singing of the Internationale. Will we be able to bring it over our ribs, if we stand in political solidarity with the likes of the Israeli Labor Party?
The elections for the Detroit city regime happen to be NON-PARTISAN with NO party hack labels in the primary and the general election — however — lots of popularity contest showboat MORONS (especially for the City Council).
P.R. and NONPARTISAN A.V. now.
NO caucuses, conventions and primaries are needed.
Ballot access via EQUAL nominating petitions.
As to Detroit: considering the sorry Post World War II history of South East Michigan/ Winsor [Ontario], a socialist mayor could not be any worse.
Text book of how NOT TO run local government!
——— Donald Raymond Lake
If I may say so, I think it’s great to have open and active socialist parties participating.
It is important to have new parties, even old new parties, campaigning and speaking and running, and dealing with ideas and issues, unlike the two old parties.