Early history at a
DSOC meeting held at the
1980 DNC in
Manhattan , September 17, 2011 The
Democratic Socialists of America (DSA) and its predecessor, the
Democratic Socialist Organizing Committee had a presence in
New York City since the 1980s. DSA member
David Dinkins likewise served as a
state assemblyman and Manhattan borough president. Representative and former
state senator Major Owens was a DSA member, though
City & State notes that "his socialist pursuits never garnered much attention".
Brad Lander, who served as a city councilor and
comptroller, was a member of DSA from 1987 to 2023. Representative
Jerry Nadler was a member. In
1989, Dinkins defeated incumbent mayor
Ed Koch in the Democratic mayoral primary, going on to defeat Republican candidate
Rudy Giuliani. Despite Dinkins' association with DSA, "no one attributed his mayoral victory to the organization". However, in
1993, Dinkins lost re-election to Giuliani. In
1997, Messinger won the Democratic nomination for mayor, though ultimately lost to Giuliani. In 2011, NYC-DSA activists participated in
Occupy Wall Street, which animated leftists in the city and attracted many future DSA members. In 2021,
Jabari Brisport wrote in
The Forge that four years prior, the chapter was holding meetings of less than 30 people in
Brooklyn. Peter Sterne wrote that before 2016, NYC-DSA acted as "little more than an advocacy group". Barkan wrote in
Jacobin that Sanders' run "was almost single-handedly responsible for reviving DSA across the country and laying the groundwork for the New York City chapter's emergence as a force in local politics." By 2017, NYC-DSA had at least 2,000 members. That year, it ran two candidates for city council:
Khader El-Yateem, a
Palestinian Lutheran minister, and Jabari Brisport, an actor. El-Yateem was the first Arab-American to run for city council, and tried to appeal to minority communities in
City Council district 43 in southwest Brooklyn. Brisport ran on the
Green Party ballot line in
35th city council district in central Brooklyn, protesting
gentrification. Both focused on housing issues. Hundreds of DSA members volunteered for their campaigns. El-Yateem ultimately lost the Democratic primary to his opponent
Justin Brannan.
Carlina Rivera was a DSA member when she won her city council election that year. NYC-DSA organized with the
Crown Heights Tenant Union against turning the
Bedford Union Armory into luxury housing and pushed the city council to pass a police reform bill. The year prior, DSA activist
Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez began her campaign for
New York's 14th congressional district in
the Bronx and
Queens. She railed against powerful establishment incumbent
Joe Crowley and campaigned for
Medicare For All, a
jobs guarantee, free public college, and abolishing
Immigration and Customs Enforcement. NYC-DSA endorsed and advised her campaign, with many members canvassing for her. In what has been described as "the most shocking
upset" of the 2018 primary season, Ocasio-Cortez defeated Crowley with 57.5% of the vote. Ocasio-Cortez quickly became a national figure, and endorsed several other progressive candidates nationwide. Ocasio-Cortez easily defeated her Republican opponent in the November general election with 78%. The excitement around her victory contributed to an increase in DSA membership. That year, DSA organizer
Julia Salazar ran against incumbent
Martin Malave Dilan in the
18th State Senate district in northern Brooklyn. Energized by Ocasio-Cortez's win, NYC-DSA ran an "aggressive ground game" in the district. Salazar criticized gentrification and claimed Dilan contributed to the eviction crisis. Salazar defeated Dilan and won her general election in a campaign that attracted wide attention. Salazar's housing bill in the state senate failed, though a separate tenant protection bill passed, partly attributed by Sam Lewis in
Jacobin to progressive electoral victories. NYC-DSA also endorsed socialist city councilman
Jumaane Williams for
Lieutenant Governor and socialist
Cynthia Nixon for
Governor. Williams campaigned on
criminal justice reform,
gun control, and women's health. Nixon supported universal healthcare, universal
rent control, and more affordable housing. while Nixon
lost to incumbent
Andrew Cuomo with 35%. Williams went on to become
public advocate in 2019 and unsuccessfully ran for governor in 2022. By 2019, NYC-DSA had 5,000 members. On February 14, 2019, Amazon announced that it would cancel the planned Long Island City location due to opposition, celebrated by NYC-DSA as a victory. That year, the chapter endorsed
public defender Tiffany Cabán for
Queens District Attorney. Cabán ran on ending
cash bail and not prosecuting "crimes of poverty", including
sex work and
fare evasion. DSA "brought its canvassing army" to support Cabán,
Socialist bloc By 2020, NYC-DSA had 7,000 members. NYC-DSA activists supported and canvassed for Sanders'
2020 presidential campaign. That year, NYC-DSA ran a slate of candidates in local races: Salazar for re-election, Brisport for state senate, and
Phara Souffrant Forrest,
Marcela Mitaynes, and
Zohran Mamdani for state assembly. In
The Nation, Raina Lipsitz wrote that "Two years after helping propel AOC to victory in Queens, NYC-DSA is taking on more races than ever before". Because of the
COVID-19 pandemic, the slate's campaigns had to transition from canvassing to online activism. In the June 23 Democratic primaries, all NYC-DSA candidates defeated their opponents. The slate's "seismic" victory was attributed to the pandemic and associated
economic crisis, and the reaction to
police brutality. The slate won their general elections, along with unendorsed members
Emily Gallagher,
Jessica González-Rojas, and
Shahana Hanif. Following the victories, the newly elected slate formed the
New York State Socialists in Office parliamentary group. López campaigned on universal healthcare, housing as a human right, and
a boycott of Israel. Bowman ran on a platform of Medicare for All, a Green New Deal, and policies addressing racial issues. Bowman defeated Engel with 55.4% of the vote and won his general election with 84.2% in what was described as a major victory for progressive Democrats. Ocasio-Cortez easily won her primary with 74.4% and her general election with 71.6%. López however lost her election, receiving 13.9%. NYC-DSA also ran a slate of six city council candidates in the
2021 election, aiming to create a socialist caucus: Cabán,
Alexa Avilés, Brandon West, Michael Hollingsworth, Adolfo Abreu, and Jaslin Kaur. Several other candidates ran as socialists or supported left-wing positions without an endorsement. The slate was opposed by the pro-business "Common Sense NYC"
super PAC. Of the six candidates, only Cabán and Avilés won their elections. DSA member
Kristin Richardson Jordan won her city council election, though was not endorsed by NYC-DSA. NYC-DSA did not run or endorse a candidate in the
mayoral election, though Salazar endorsed
Party for Socialism and Liberation candidate
Cathy Rojas. In 2022, NYC-DSA ran a slate of 13 candidates, also endorsed by Ocasio-Cortez: its incumbents for re-election, insurgents Illapa Sairitupac, Keron Alleyne, Samy Nemir Olivares, Vanessa Agudelo, and
Sarahana Shrestha for assembly, and insurgents
Kristen Gonzalez and David Alexis for state senate. The endorsements were made with a particular emphasis on
climate change. In the races for assembly, Mamdani, Gallagher, Mitanyes, and Forrest kept their seats while Shrestha won her race, surviving an "establishment counterattack". In the state senate elections, mayor
Eric Adams supported challengers to three DSA candidates. Brisport and Salazar won re-election, and Gonzalez won her race. Ocasio-Cortez faced no opposition. Unendorsed member
Steven Raga won his assembly election. After the elections,
Astoria, Queens became the only place in the country to have socialist representation at the city, state, and federal level, becoming known as "The People's Republic of Astoria". Bowman faced controversy from members of DSA after voting for
Iron Dome funding and was not endorsed by the organization. He let his membership expire over its stance on Israel in 2022. In 2023, NYC-DSA faced condemnation from many elected officials for promoting a pro-Palestinian rally after the
October 7 attacks. NYC-DSA later distanced itself from the rally. A resolution condemning NYC-DSA was introduced in the House on October 11, alleging support of the attack. The chapter took a pro-Palestinian stance during the
Gaza war. Earlier that year, Mamdani was the keynote speaker at the national DSA convention. The "Build Public Renewables Act" passed the assembly, which ordered the
New York Power Authority to move away from electricity and toward
renewable energy. The bill was "a product of years of advocacy by the New York chapter of the Democratic Socialists of America". By January 2024, NYC-DSA faced technical and legal disputes over campaign funding in the 2022 elections and a budget deficit in the national DSA. In 2024, DSA city councilors Cabán, Avilés, and Hanif voted against the city budget in protest, saying it was insufficient for the working class. In April, eight NYC-DSA state legislators signed onto a letter supporting the
Gaza Solidarity Encampment and other
college protests. In June, Bowman attempted to make amends with DSA and said he wouldn't support Iron Dome funding, gaining back NYC-DSA's endorsement. Ocasio-Cortez was also seen by some DSA members as less committed to Palestine, losing her national endorsement but keeping NYC-DSA's. NYC-DSA supported the "Leave it Blank" campaign in the
Democratic presidential primary to protest the Gaza war. That year, NYC-DSA endorsed its incumbents and insurgent candidates Eon Huntley,
Claire Valdez, and Jonathan Soto for assembly. Bowman ultimately lost his primary to
George Latimer. Huntley and Soto lost their races as well. All other NYC-DSA incumbents kept their seats, and Valdez won her race. The elections were described as a "mixed bag" for progressives and socialists. NYC-DSA supported the "City of Yes" housing bill. In early 2025, NYC-DSA organized a rally to protest
NYU Langone denying
gender-affirming surgery to minors.
Mamdani campaign In October 2024, Mamdani announced he would run for mayor in the
2025 Democratic primary on a progressive and socialist platform. Mamdani's campaign focused on affordability, proposing a rent freeze for
rent stabilized units, free bus service, universal
child care, city-run grocery stores, building
social housing, and raising taxes on the rich. Some NYC-DSA elected officials doubted success, though 81% of members and 90% of delegates voted to endorse him at the 2024 convention. Mamdani was viewed as a "cadre" candidate for NYC-DSA, having strong pre-existing connections to the chapter. in June 2025 Mamdani steadily gained in polls, becoming second place to former Governor
Andrew Cuomo and outright leading in some. Mamdani was supported by many progressives and socialists, while Cuomo was supported by the Democratic establishment. Throughout the campaign, volunteers for Mamdani knocked on over one million doors, largely coordinated with NYC-DSA. Cuomo attacked Mamdani for his identity as a socialist and association with DSA. The race galvanized the chapter, which gained 2,400 members since the start of the campaign by late May. Ranked choice results released on July 1 showed Mamdani with 56%, officially winning the primary. The youthful, multiracial, leftist neighborhoods in Brooklyn and Queens where Mamdani overperformed became known as the "
Commie Corridor". NYC-DSA was described after the victory as "the most dynamic and powerful left-wing organization in the country" and a powerful local electoral machine. NYC-DSA members Hanif and Avilés also won their primaries. NYC-DSA membership significantly increased after the victory, and contributed to an increase in national DSA membership. In July, the chapter reached a membership of 10,000. Shortly after the primary, progressive city councilman
Chi Ossé joined DSA. In the general election, Mamdani faced Cuomo (running as an independent) and Republican
Curtis Sliwa. Incumbent mayor Eric Adams and candidate
Jim Walden dropped out of the race to help coalesce anti-Mamdani voters around Cuomo. Establishment Democrats were reluctant to endorse Mamdani, though many ultimately did. President Trump officially endorsed Cuomo on the eve of Election Day. By the end of the campaign, volunteers for Mamdani knocked on over 3 million doors. On November 3, Mamdani won the election with 50.4% of the vote to Cuomo's 41.6% and Sliwa's 7.2%. Mamdani surpassed one million votes, in the highest turnout election since
1969. Mamdani's victory was celebrated by the left internationally, but drew condemnation from Republicans and pro-Israel politicians. Mamdani, during his victory speech, said: "I am young, despite my best efforts to grow older. I am Muslim. I am a democratic socialist. And most damning of all, I refuse to apologize for any of this." Avilés and Hanif both won re-election. NYC-DSA celebrated the win, and has given Mamdani "wider-than-normal berth" to govern and deviate from its policies.
Mamdani administration and 2026 slate By November, NYC-DSA had 12,000 members. At midnight on January 1, 2026, Mamdani was officially sworn in as the 112th mayor of New York City. At his inauguration, he was sworn in by Sanders, and pledged to govern “audaciously” and not abandon his democratic socialist beliefs. Mamdani appointed multiple NYC-DSA members to positions in his administration:
Elle Bisgaard-Church to be his chief of staff,
Tascha Van Auken to the new Office of Mass Engagement, and
Cea Weaver to the newly reinstated Mayor's Office to Protect Tenants. In his first weeks in office, Mamdani secured additional childcare funding and made minor reforms. Facing a budget deficit, Mamdani and NYC-DSA attempted to pressure Governor Kathy Hochul to increase taxes on the wealthy. NYC-DSA voted on January 22 to endorse Valdez for
New York's 7th congressional district against progressive
Antonio Reynoso and Darializa Avila Chevalier for
New York's 13th congressional district against incumbent
Adriano Espaillat. Valdez's campaign has been seen as the chapter's top priority. Valdez is running on a democratic socialist platform of healthcare, housing, and unions for all, and opposition to the
Gaza genocide. Avila Chevalier was a student organizer during the Columbia University encampments and an NYC-DSA member. She criticized Espaillat as being beholden to
AIPAC and corporate interests, and has called for greater worker ownership and investment in her community. By January 2026, the chapter had about 13,500 members. NYC-DSA trained 4,000 activists for rapid response mobilization to
Immigration and Customs Enforcement operations. For the 2026 elections, NYC-DSA endorsed Huntley, Christian Celeste Tate, David Orkin, Conrad Blackburn,
Diana Moreno, and Samantha Kattan for assembly, and Aber Kawas for state senate, along with its incumbents. González-Rojas also launched an unendorsed campaign against
Jessica Ramos in the state senate, as did Brian Romero and Steven Raga; Lindsey Boylan announced an unendorsed campaign in an April city council special election. Outgoing NY-7 representative
Nydia Velázquez endorsed against Valdez and the Queens DSA slate in January. Mamdani backed multiple NYC-DSA candidates and progressives, with the stated goal of shifting the American working class to socialism or
social democracy. Moreno won her special election in February. In February 2026, NYC-DSA announced the chapter had hit 14,000 members. At an NYC-DSA forum in March, Ocasio-Cortez committed to opposing defensive weapons to Israel and the
IHRA definition of antisemitism, after previously having received criticism for her positions on the issues. She was officially endorsed on April 8, as NYC-DSA prepared for her potential runs for Senate or president. == Ideology ==