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Freedom Socialist Party

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.

Freedom Socialist Party
Founded1966; 58 years ago (1966)
Split fromSocialist Workers Party
HeadquartersSeattle, Washington
NewspaperThe Freedom Socialist
Ideology
Political positionFar-left
International affiliationCommittee for Revolutionary International Regroupment (CRIR)
Members in elected offices0
Website
www.socialism.com Edit this at Wikidata

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.

Membership

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FSP has branches in the United States, as well as Australia, England, Germany and New Zealand.[2] FSP is affiliated with Radical Women, a socialist feminist organization.

History

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Former FSP logo
 
FSP was headquartered in Freeway Hall in Northlake, Seattle
 
FSP is headquartered in New Freeway Hall in Columbia City, Seattle

Background

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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.[3]

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.[4]: 936 

Founding

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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.[4]: 937–938 

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.[5][6][7] 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.[8]

Subsequent history

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In 1978, FSP joined the Committee for a Revolutionary Socialist Party (CRSP), an attempted united front of Trotskyist parties. In 1980, CRSP collapsed.[9][4]: 936–938 

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.[10][11][12][13][14][15]

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.[16] The FEC found LaRouche's complaint to be without merit and dismissed it.[17]

Ideology

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FSP is a Trotskyist revolutionary socialist organization.[1][18] FSP leaders Clara Fraser and Gloria Martin hoped to build a Leninist party that is "socialist-feminist" in ideology and practice.[19][20]

Election results

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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 elections

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Year Presidential candidate Vice presidential candidate Popular votes % Electoral votes Result Ballot access Notes Ref
2012 Stephen Durham Christina López 117
0.00%
 0 Lost
164 / 538
 write-in campaign [21][22][23][24][25]

In 2016, FSP critically endorsed Jeff Mackler of Socialist Action for president.[26]

In 2020, FSP again critically endorsed Jeff Mackler of Socialist Action for president.[27]

In 2024, FSP declined to make a presidential endorsement and instead suggested voters spoil their ballots by writing-in "free Palestine."[28]

Congressional elections

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Year Candidate Chamber State District Votes % Result Notes Ref
2018 Steve Hoffman Senate Washington Class 1 7,390
0.43%
 Lost all-party blanket primary, did not advance to general [29][30]

State legislature elections

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Year Candidate Office Area District Votes % Result Notes Ref
2004 Jordana Sardo State Representative Oregon 45 2,297
8.74%
 Lost ran as Freedom Socialist Party candidate [31][32][33]
1998 Marian Sunde State Senate California 22 7,665
10.53%
 Lost ran as Peace and Freedom Party candidate [34][35]
1998 Adrienne Weller State Representative Oregon 18 496
3.99%
 Lost ran as independent candidate [34][36]
1998 Guerry Hoddersen State Representative Washington 37 1,439
4.56%
 Lost ran as Freedom Socialist Party candidate [34][37]
1998 Stephen Durham State Assemblymember New York 71 366
1.80%
 Lost ran as Freedom Socialist Party candidate [34][38]

Local elections

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Year Candidate Office Area District Votes % Result Notes Ref
2005 Linda Averill City Council Seattle 4 16,584
15.79%
 Lost all-party blanket primary, did not advance to general [39][40][41]
1991 Heidi Durham City Council Seattle Lost all-party blanket primary, did not advance to general [9][42]
1991 Yolanda Alaniz City Council Seattle 1 27,991
17.5%
 Lost general election [9][43]

In 1991, the Seattle FSP ran two members for Seattle City Council, who campaigned on guaranteed income for families living in poverty, community control of the police, and domestic partnership rights for same-sex couples.[9]

See also

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References

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  1. ^ a b "Red groups in the United States" (PDF). web.cortland.edu. Cortland.
  2. ^ "Where We Are". Freedom Socialist Party. Retrieved 4 November 2019.
  3. ^ Sheppard, Barry (2005). The Party: The Socialist Workers Party, 1960-1988, Volume 1. Resistance Books. p. 104.
  4. ^ a b c Alexander, Robert J. (1991). International Trotskyism, 1929–1985: A Documented Analysis of the Movement. Duke University Press. pp. 761–951. ISBN 978-0-8223-0975-8.
  5. ^ Crowley, Walt (2010). Rites of Passage: A Memoir of the Sixties in Seattle. University of Washington Press. pp. 21–22.
  6. ^ Winslow, Barbara (2007). "Primary and Secondary Contradictions in Seattle: 1967-1969". In Rachel Blau DuPlessis; Ann Barr Snitow (eds.). The Feminist Memoir Project: Voices from Women's Liberation. pp. 227, 230–231, 235–236.
  7. ^ McKay, Ian (2005). Rebels, Reds, Radicals: Rethinking Canada's Left History. Between the Lines. p. 242.
  8. ^ James, Edward T., Janet Wilson James, Paul S. Boyer. Notable American Women: A Biographical Dictionary, Volume 5. Harvard University Press. p. 414.{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
  9. ^ a b c d "Clara Fraser papers - Archives West". archiveswest.orbiscascade.org. Retrieved 2022-07-05.
  10. ^ Kubelbeck, Amy (Aug 4, 1990). "Groups Of Gays Protest Picnic". The Seattle Times. Retrieved 2013-03-17.
  11. ^ Lacitis, Erik (1991-07-16). "An Ax To Grind -- When It Comes To Skinheads And Nazis, Loggers, Gays Unite". The Seattle Times. Retrieved 2013-03-17.
  12. ^ Angelos, Constantine (1990-05-19). "Rice, Citizens Groups Join To Declare Seattle Won't Tolerate Hate Crimes". The Seattle Times. Retrieved 2013-03-17.
  13. ^ Gough, William (Dec 8, 1991). "A Gathering Of Neo-Nazis -- Encampment Draws Protest". The Seattle Times. Retrieved 2013-03-17.
  14. ^ Reang, Putsata (Oct 2, 1996). "Supremacist Guilty In Klan Scuffle -- Federal Way Man Broke Free- Lancer's Camera". The Seattle Times. Retrieved 2013-03-17.
  15. ^ Wilcox, Laird (2002). "Who Watches the Watchmen?". In Jeffrey S. Kaplan, Heléne Lööw (ed.). The Cultic Milieu. Rowman Altamira. pp. 334–335.
  16. ^ Helen Gilbert, "Lyndon Larouche: Fascism Restyled for the New Millennium", Redletterpress.org
  17. ^ "COMPLIANCE CASE MADE PUBLIC". Federal Election Commission. November 4, 2004. Archived from the original on August 31, 2009. Retrieved August 24, 2009.
  18. ^ Baxandall, Rosalyn (2001). "Re-Visioning the Women's Liberation Movement's Narrative: Early Second Wave African American Feminists". Feminist Studies. 27 (1): 225–245. doi:10.2307/3178460. hdl:2027/spo.0499697.0027.116. ISSN 0046-3663. JSTOR 3178460.
  19. ^ Love, Barbara J. (2006). Feminists Who Changed America, 1963-1975. University of Illinois Press. p. 158. ISBN 9780252031892.
  20. ^ Ware, Susan; Stacy Braukman (2005). "Martin, Gloria". Notable American Women: A Biographical Dictionary, Volume 5: Completing the Twentieth Century. Harvard University Press. pp. 414–415.
  21. ^ "Federal Elections 2012" (PDF). Federal Election Commission. July 2013. Archived (PDF) from the original on December 2, 2019.
  22. ^ Durham/Lopez campaign website, Votesocialism.com
  23. ^ Ballot Access News, January 29, 2012, "Freedom Socialist Party Nominates its First National Ticket".
  24. ^ The Green Papers "Votes for Stephen Gaylord Durham".
  25. ^ Ballot Access News "New York State Posts Final 2012 Election Returns Tally; Presidential Vote Increases by 400,332 Votes".
  26. ^ "This Year of the Detestable Election, exercise your democratic rights with a protest vote!". Socialism.com. October 2016. Retrieved 30 July 2018.
  27. ^ "FSP endorses Socialist Action candidate Jeff Mackler for president". Socialism.com. October 2020. Retrieved 3 October 2020.
  28. ^ "2024 Alternative Candidates in Review". Socialism.com. September 24, 2024.
  29. ^ "Union stalwart and socialist feminist Steve Hoffman runs for U.S. Senate". Freedom Socialist Party. Retrieved 13 January 2019.
  30. ^ "United States Senate primary election in Washington, 2018". Office of the Washington Secretary of State. Retrieved June 6, 2019.
  31. ^ "OR State House 45 Race - Nov 02, 2004". Our Campaigns. Retrieved 2016-01-29.
  32. ^ Martínez Zapata, Eduardo (October 2004). "FSP candidate Jordana Sardo challenges the corporate-welfare tax system in Oregon". Freedom Socialist Party. Archived from the original on November 27, 2020.
  33. ^ "2004 General". Oregon Secretary of State.
  34. ^ a b c d Averill, Linda (October 1998). "Enthusiastic support puts radicals on the ballot in four states". Freedom Socialist Party. Archived from the original on November 27, 2020.
  35. ^ "General Election - Statement of Vote, November 3, 1998". California Secretary of State. December 12, 1998. Archived (PDF) from the original on February 11, 2017.
  36. ^ "1998 General Election Official Results ED/19/58867". Oregon Secretary of State. Archived from the original on October 21, 2019.
  37. ^ "Elections Search Results November 1998 General". Washington Secretary of State. Archived from the original on March 3, 2016.
  38. ^ "1998 Election Results". December 15, 1998. Archived (PDF) from the original on February 18, 2020.
  39. ^ Murphy, R.V. (October 2005). "FSP candidate Averill offers "ideas that make sense"". Freedom Socialist.
  40. ^ Brunner, Jim (July 14, 2005). "Mayoral hopeful seeks to conceal donors". The Seattle Times. Freedom Socialist Party.
  41. ^ "Past elections". King County, California.
  42. ^ Bauer, Andrea (December 2015). "Farewell to Heidi Durham: Revolutionary feminist and fighter for the oppressed". Freedom Socialist Party. Archived from the original on June 11, 2023.
  43. ^ "General and Special Elections - CityArchives". seattle.gov. 1963-10-25. Retrieved 2022-08-21.

Further reading

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Archives

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Articles and interviews

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Books

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