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Freedom Socialist Party

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Template:Short description Template:Infobox political party Template:Socialism US The Freedom Socialist Party (FSP) is a Trotskyist and socialist feminist political party in the United States. FSP formed in 1966, when its members split from the Socialist Workers Party. FSP views the struggles of women, people of color and sexual minorities as intrinsic to the struggle of the working class. Notable FSP members include Megan Cornish, Heidi Durham, Richard S. Fraser, and Clara Fraser.

MembershipEdit

FSP has branches in the United States, as well as Australia, England, Germany and New Zealand.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> FSP is affiliated with Radical Women, a socialist feminist organization.

HistoryEdit

File:Newfsmastheadtr.png
Former FSP logo
File:Seattle Freeway Hall.jpg
FSP was headquartered in Freeway Hall in Northlake, Seattle
File:Seattle - Columbia City - New Freeway Hall 01.jpg
FSP is headquartered in New Freeway Hall in Columbia City, Seattle

BackgroundEdit

The immediate forerunner of FSP was the Kirk-Kaye tendency within the Socialist Workers Party (SWP), led by Richard S. Fraser (Kirk) and Clara Fraser (Kaye) who were then married.<ref name="Sheppard">Template:Cite book</ref>

The Kirk-Kaye tendency primarily disagreed with SWP leadership on three points: The Kirk-Kaye tendency supported revolutionary integrationism, in contrast to the SWP's support for Black nationalism and the Nation of Islam. The Kirk-Kaye tendency argued that socialist feminism must be a top priority for socialist organizations. And the Kirk-Kaye tendency claimed that the SWP was undemocratic.<ref name="Alexander1991" />Template:Rp

FoundingEdit

FSP formed in 1966, when its members split from the Socialist Workers Party. The party's Seattle branch, with support from individuals in other cities, split off from the SWP over what it described as the SWP's entrenched opportunism and undemocratic methods.<ref name="Alexander1991">Template:Cite book</ref>Template:Rp

FSP advocated for class solidarity of Black and white workers, called for a greatly expanded understanding of and attention to women's emancipation, and urged the anti-war movement to support the socialist, anti-colonial aims of the Vietnamese Revolution.

FSP became a pole of attraction for Seattle leftists opposed to the SWP's internal politics and established a home at Freeway Hall.<ref name="Crowley">Template:Cite book</ref><ref>Template:Cite book</ref><ref>Template:Cite book</ref> The party formed Radical Women with the dual goal of building a revolutionary socialist feminist organization and teaching women the organizational and leadership skills that were often denied to them in male-dominated organizations.<ref name="NotableWomen">Template:Cite book</ref>

Subsequent historyEdit

In 1978, FSP joined the Committee for a Revolutionary Socialist Party (CRSP), an attempted united front of Trotskyist parties. In 1980, CRSP collapsed.<ref name="Fraser" /><ref name="Alexander1991" />Template:Rp

In 1989, FSP founded the United Front Against Fascism (UFAF), an anti-fascist organization that included a broad coalition of the Left, the LGBT community, labor unionists, feminists, people of color, Jews, and civil libertarians. UFAF took the lead in mobilizing against neo-Nazis in the Pacific Northwest in the 1980s and 1990s.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref><ref>Template:Cite news</ref><ref>Template:Cite news</ref><ref>Template:Cite news</ref><ref>Template:Cite news</ref><ref>Template:Cite book</ref>

In 1991, the Seattle FSP ran two members for Seattle City Council, Heidi Durham and Yolanda Alaniz, who campaigned on guaranteed income for families living in poverty, community control of the police, and domestic partnership rights for same-sex couples.<ref name=Fraser>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref>

In 2003, Lyndon LaRouche filed a complaint with the Federal Election Commission that FSP's Red Letter Press and its managing editor, Helen Gilbert, had violated campaign finance laws. Gilbert had issued a pamphlet critical of LaRouche's ideology and political history.<ref>Helen Gilbert, "Lyndon Larouche: Fascism Restyled for the New Millennium", Redletterpress.org</ref> The FEC found LaRouche's complaint to be without merit and dismissed it.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref>

IdeologyEdit

FSP is a Trotskyist revolutionary socialist organization.<ref name=RedGroups>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref><ref>Template:Cite journal</ref> FSP leaders Clara Fraser and Gloria Martin hoped to build a Leninist party that is "socialist-feminist" in ideology and practice.<ref name="Love">Template:Cite book</ref><ref>Template:Cite book</ref>

Election resultsEdit

FSP has fielded electoral candidates in the United States for local, state, and federal offices. FSP candidates usually run as official FSP candidates.

No FSP candidate has yet won an election.

Presidential electionsEdit

Year Presidential candidate Vice presidential candidate Popular votes % Electoral votes Result Ballot access Notes Ref
2012 Stephen Durham Christina López 117 Template:Percentage bar 0 Template:No2 Lost Template:Composition bar write-in campaign citation CitationClass=web

}}</ref><ref>Durham/Lopez campaign website, Votesocialism.com</ref><ref>Ballot Access News, January 29, 2012, "Freedom Socialist Party Nominates its First National Ticket".</ref><ref>The Green Papers "Votes for Stephen Gaylord Durham".</ref><ref>Ballot Access News "New York State Posts Final 2012 Election Returns Tally; Presidential Vote Increases by 400,332 Votes".</ref>

In 2016, FSP critically endorsed Jeff Mackler of Socialist Action for president.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref>

In 2020, FSP again critically endorsed Jeff Mackler of Socialist Action for president.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref>

In 2024, FSP declined to make a presidential endorsement and instead suggested voters spoil their ballots by writing-in "free Palestine."<ref>Template:Cite news</ref>

Congressional electionsEdit

Year Candidate Chamber State District Votes % Result Notes Ref
2018 Steve Hoffman Senate Washington Class 1 7,390 Template:Percentage bar Template:No2 Lost all-party blanket primary, did not advance to general citation CitationClass=web

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State legislature electionsEdit

Year Candidate Office Area District Votes % Result Notes Ref
2004 Jordana Sardo State Representative Oregon 45 2,297 Template:Percentage bar Template:No2 Lost ran as Freedom Socialist Party candidate citation CitationClass=web

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1998 Marian Sunde State Senate California 22 7,665 Template:Percentage bar Template:No2 Lost ran as Peace and Freedom Party candidate citation CitationClass=web

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1998 Adrienne Weller State Representative Oregon 18 496 Template:Percentage bar Template:No2 Lost ran as independent candidate citation CitationClass=web

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1998 Guerry Hoddersen State Representative Washington 37 1,439 Template:Percentage bar Template:No2 Lost ran as Freedom Socialist Party candidate citation CitationClass=web

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1998 Stephen Durham State Assemblymember New York 71 366 Template:Percentage bar Template:No2 Lost ran as Freedom Socialist Party candidate citation CitationClass=web

}}</ref>

Local electionsEdit

Year Candidate Office Area District Votes % Result Notes Ref
2005 Linda Averill City Council Seattle 4 16,584 Template:Percentage bar Template:No2 Lost all-party blanket primary, did not advance to general <ref>Template:Cite news</ref><ref>Template:Cite news</ref><ref name=KingPast>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation CitationClass=web

}}</ref>

1991 Heidi Durham City Council Seattle Template:No2 Lost all-party blanket primary, did not advance to general citation CitationClass=web

}}</ref>

1991 Yolanda Alaniz City Council Seattle 1 27,991 Template:Percentage bar Template:No2 Lost general election citation CitationClass=web

}}</ref>

See alsoEdit

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ReferencesEdit

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Further readingEdit

ArchivesEdit

Articles and interviewsEdit

BooksEdit

  • Ellie Belew, High Voltage Women: Breaking Barriers at Seattle City Light, Red Letter Press, 2019.

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