The rise of the Democratic Socialists of America (DSA) has been one of the political phenomena of recent years. Socialism had killed more people and impoverished more of humanity than any political philosophy in the history of the world. Yet, it continues to attract adherents.
The DSA has formally endorsed just three candidates and one ballot measure in Orange County: Santa Ana Councilman Ben Vazquez and two left-wing challengers – Sandra De Anda in Ward 4 and Isuri Ramos in Ward 6. The DSA also endorses Measure D in Irvine. This ballot initiative would impose Ranked Choice Voting on Irvine City Council elections. The DSA loves Ranked Choice Voting, which is how Zohran Mamdani was able to win election as mayor of New York City.
The primary difference between a DSA endorsement and a recommendation is that these three underwent the formal endorsement perocess.
DSA is recommending the following city council, school board and special districts.
Keep in mind the DSA wants to:
- Abolish free enterprise
- Abolish of the US Constitution and replace it with a new, socialist constitution
- Abolish of our system of constitutional checks and balances – three separate but co-equal branches of government – by replacing our current Presidency and Supreme Court with an executive and judiciary chosen by Congress and subordinate to it.
- Abolish of the US Senate
- Impose universal rent control and government-owned housing.
- Impose a 32-hour work week with full pay and benefits.
- Cancel of all student debt.
- Force all Americans into government-run health care
- Abolish fossil fuels
- Impose slavery reparations
- End all military and economic aid to Israel and support Palestinian terrorism
- Abolish the police and prison systems
- Open the borders and grant blanket amnesty to every illegal immigrant in the United States
The DSA isn’t saying the following candidates are necessarily socialists. But they do believe that electing them advances their mission to realize their radical political agenda. This is a very old Marxist tactic that has gone under names like “united front” and “popular front.” For example, in 1922, Vladimir Lenin instructed British communists to help elect Labour Party candidates, saying they should support them “as the rope supports a hanged man.”
Following is a list of the Orange County candidates the DSA views as political soulmates, fellow travelers or useful idiots
Aliso Viejo
- District 2: Steven Von der Porten
- District 3: Marie Tsaasan
Anaheim
- District 3: Elia Renteria-Garcia
Costa Mesa
- Mayor: no pick, but “don’t vote for” Mike Buley
- District 4: Angely Andrade Vallarta
- District 5: Kelly Brown
- Measure C: YES
Fullerton
- District 3: Dr. Shana Charles
- District 5: Jozef Maldonado
Garden Grove
- District 1: no pick, but don’t vote for Roger Flanders
- District 4: Hieu Nguyen
- GGUSD Area 4: Tracy La
Huntington Beach
- City Council, at-large: Erin Spivey, Ben Davis, Brenda Glim, Taryn Palumbo
Irvine
- District 5: Betty Martinez-Franco
- IUSD Area 4: Jane Wood
- Measure D (ranked choice voting): YES 🌹
Laguna Beach
- LBUSD Measure A: YES
- Measure E: YES
Lake Forest
- District 2: Becky Keene
- District 4: Amy Stevens
- Measure F: NO
Los Alamitos
- Measure G: YES
Mission Viejo
- District 3: Cynthia Vasquez
Newport Beach
- Measure H: NO
- Measures P, Q, R: YES (these are on a separate mail-only special election ballot)
Orange
- Measure J: YES
- Measure K: NO
Placentia
- Measure L: YES
Rancho Santa Margarita
- No picks, but the DSA opposes voting for Josh Bastian (D1), Anne Figueroa (D2), or Brad McGirr (D4)
San Clemente
- Mayor: Shane Hirschman
- District 2: Mark Enmeier
- Measure M: YES
Santa Ana
- Mayor: Dan Shimell
- Ward 2: Benjamin Vazquez 🌹
- Ward 4: Sandra De Anda 🌹
- Ward 6: Isuri S. Ramos 🌹
- SAUSD Area 4: Katelyn Brazer Aceves
- SAUSD Area 5: Hector Bustos
Tustin
- Mayor: Letitia Clark
- District 3: no pick, but don’t vote for Ray Schnell
Westminster
- WSD Measure B: YES
- Measure O: YES
Other
- Moulton Niguel Water District Board: Jennifer Engle
No recommendations: Board of Supervisors District 4 and District 5, Brea, Buena Park, Cypress, Fountain Valley, La Habra, La Palma, Laguna Hills, Laguna Woods, San Juan Capistrano, Seal Beach, Stanton, and Yorba Linda. The guide also makes no picks in Anaheim’s mayor race, Irvine’s mayor and Districts 1 and 6, Orange’s mayor, District 1, and Measure I, or Santa Ana’s Measure N.
