Party for Socialism and Liberation

This article is about the US party. For the former Moroccan party, see Party of Liberation and Socialism. For the Brazilian party, see Socialism and Liberty Party.

The Party for Socialism and Liberation (PSL) is a communist political party in the United States. PSL formed in 2004, when its members split from the Workers World Party.

Party for Socialism and Liberation
Abbreviation	PSL
Leader	Central Committee[1]
Founded	June 18, 2004; 20 years ago (2004-06-18)[1]
Split from	Workers World Party
Headquarters	San Francisco, California Washington, D.C.
Newspaper	Liberation News
Ideology	Communism Marxism–Leninism[2][3][4][5]
Political position	Far-left
International affiliation	International Peoples' Assembly[6]
Colors	Red
Members in elected offices	0
Website
www.pslweb.org
Politics of the United States Political parties Elections

PSL describes itself as a revolutionary socialist party, as the party believes that only a revolution can end capitalism and establish socialism.^[7][8] PSL pursues this goal by participating in local protests, running candidates in elections, and conducting political education.

Notable members include Claudia De la Cruz, Eugene Puryear, Gloria La Riva, Jodi Dean, and Michael Prysner.

Organization

Membership

PSL does not release membership numbers.^[9][10] In 2022, PSL claimed an "organized presence in over 100 cities".^[11] In 2024, PSL was "in over 50 cities across the United States".^[12]

PSL is a democratic centralist party,^{[13][14][15][16][17]} which means that "all members, including those who disagree, are duty bound to publicly defend and carry out" all PSL decisions.^[17] PSL's highest body is its Party Congress, held "every two to three years", which selects its Central Committee leadership.^[17] The PSL Central Committee can appoint up to "40 percent" of Congress delegates.^[17]

Associated groups and individuals

ANSWER Coalition

When ANSWER was founded, many of ANSWER's lead organizers were members of the Workers World Party (WWP) and its International Action Center,^[18][19] such as Brian Becker.^[20] Many of these founders later created PSL.^[21][22]

After PSL split from the WWP, ANSWER became more tightly tied to PSL than to WWP. ANSWER's National Coordinator is Brian Becker,^[23] a PSL co-founder who said "we do a great deal of work through" ANSWER.^[24] The New Republic described ANSWER as a PSL "front group",^[25] and the two have significant financial overlap.^[26][20]

BreakThrough News

PSL leadership are closely involved with BreakThrough News (BTN).^[20] In 2023, BTN's anchors were PSL co-founders Brian Becker^[27] and Eugene Puryear,^[27][28] and Rania Khalek;^[27][28] its editor-in-chief was PSL central committee member Ben Becker;^[20][28] and its secretary was Claudia De la Cruz.^[27] BTN works closely with Tricontinental Institute for Social Research and has often hosted Tricontinental founder Vijay Prashad.^[27]

The People's Forum

PSL leadership are closely involved with The People's Forum, an event space in NYC, which hosts the BreakThrough News studio.^[20][29] People's Forum was directed by Claudia De la Cruz^[27][30] and funded by Neville Singham.^[27][20][29]

Neville Singham

Many of the organizations above are funded in part by Neville Roy Singham,^[27][20][29] a Shanghai-based American businessman who supports organizations and media outlets that have been noted for echoing pro-Beijing talking points.^[31] Most of this funding comes from the Justice and Education Fund (JEF), to which Neville Singham has donated more than $20 million, and for which Claudia De la Cruz works as a coordinator.^[27][20]

History

PSL protesters at the 2016 Democratic National Convention in Philadelphia

PSL was formed in June 2004^[8][1] when the San Francisco branch of Sam Marcy's Workers World Party left the organization. The San Francisco branch, alongside other members, announced that "the Workers World Party leadership is no longer capable of fulfilling [the] mission" of building socialism.^[3] PSL co-founders included Richard Becker,^[3] Brian Becker,^[27] Gloria La Riva,^[3] and Eugene Puryear.^[27]

In 2020, at least five PSL members were arrested during protests against the Aurora police department for the killing of Elijah McClain.^[32][10]

On October 8, 2023, after the Hamas-led attack on Israel, PSL Central Committee member Eugene Puryear helped organize a rally in support of Palestine in Times Square,^[33][34] in which he stated: "[T]here was some sort of rave or desert party where they were having a great time, until the resistance came in electrified hang gliders and took at least several dozen hipsters, and I'm sure they're doing very fine despite what the New York Post says."^{[25][35][36][37][38][39]}

In 2023 and 2024, PSL organized numerous rallies in favor of Palestinian liberation.^[25][40]

In 2020, PSL denied an accusation that it mishandled a sexual abuse allegation in its Philadelphia branch.^[41] In 2024, PSL presidential candidate Claudia De la Cruz again denied these allegations, some of which she described as misinformation "doing the job of agents".^[42]

Ideology

A PSL supporter protesting against the 2021 killing of Ma'Khia Bryant

PSL is a Marxist-Leninist party.^[2][3][4][5] PSL's program and constitution simply identify PSL as Marxist,^[17][43] while PSL's other writings identify PSL as a Marxist-Leninist party^[44][45][46] in the Leninist party model.^[13][14] Other socialists, such as Green presidential candidate Howie Hawkins, label PSL as second campist.^{[47][48][49][50]}

PSL describes its primary goal as the revolutionary overthrow of capitalism and the institution of socialism, stating that "humanity today has only two choices: an increasingly destructive capitalism, or socialism".^[7] PSL holds that the United States is "a dictatorship of the capitalist class" that cannot change "without a socialist revolution".^[51]

Domestic affairs

PSL's program demands nationalization of the largest 100 domestic corporations,^{[52][53][54][55]} prohibition on "exploitation of labor for private profit", guaranteed employment, "guaranteed living income", comprehensive social benefits, a 30-hour workweek, and public healthcare including childcare,^[43] universal public housing capped at 10% of income,^[43] abolition of private rental housing,^[56] expanded public transit,^[56][54] "ending all fossil fuel and nuclear energy use", and nationalization of the energy industry to create a national electricity grid based on renewable energy.^[52][56]

PSL supports a guaranteed right to abortion,^[43] equal pay regardless of gender, protection against gender-based or sexuality-based discrimination and violence,^[43][57] and national self-determination and reparations for African Americans and residents of US territories in Puerto Rico, Samoa, Guam, the Virgin Islands and Mariana Islands.^[43]

International affairs

PSL calls for a 90% cut to the military budget of the United States,^[54][52] the closure of all overseas military bases,^[52] and a halt of US aid to Israel.^[52][58]

PSL supports the Worker's Party of North Korea.^[8][57][25] PSL describes North Korea as a "communist government" and North Korea as "one of the few top-to-bottom, actually-existing, alternatives to the global capitalist system".^[59] PSL has defended North Korea's human rights record against criticism by the United Nations, which it calls "thinly veiled justification for U.S. aggression toward North Korea",^[60][61] and argues that "conditions in North Korea are vastly better than those in other developing countries".^[60] PSL supports North Korea's nuclear weapons program.^{[8][62][59][63]}

PSL supports the Communist Party of China,^[8][57][62] criticizing only Chinese economic reforms into a "market socialist economy".^[64][65] PSL argues that "militant political defense of the Chinese government" is necessary to stave off "counterrevolution, imperialist intervention and dismemberment".^[57][65] PSL defends China's human rights record,^[8] and strongly denies that the People's Liberation Army massacred peaceful student protestors in the 1989 Tiananmen Square protests and massacre.^[57][66][64] PSL denies that China has suppressed democracy in Hong Kong.^[67][68]

PSL supported the 2014 Russian annexation of Crimea.^[67][69] PSL did not support the Russian invasion of Ukraine in 2022, but blamed the invasion on NATO and the United States.^[67][70] In its statement on "Russia's military intervention", PSL highlighted the "plight of ethnic Russians [...] in the Donbas", Russia's "legitimate security concerns", and NATO's "provocative behavior".^[67][71]

PSL opposes US intervention in the Syrian Civil War, and has generally been supportive of former Syrian President Bashar al-Assad,^[67][64][25] and Russian military efforts in Syria.^{[72][73][74][64]} PSL denies that the Syrian government used chemical weapons.^[75][72]

Election results

PSL has fielded electoral candidates for local, state, and federal offices. No PSL candidate has yet won an election for those offices.^[53] PSL candidates sometimes run as independent candidates or as third party candidates, such as with the Peace and Freedom Party or the Green Party.

Presidential elections

Year	Presidential candidate	Vice presidential candidate	Popular votes	%	Electoral votes	Result	Ballot access	Notes	Ref
2024	Claudia De la Cruz	Karina Garcia	171,786 (#6)	0.11%	0	Lost	220 / 538	The Peace and Freedom Party and the South Carolina Workers Party also nominated De la Cruz.[a]	[55][62][76]
2020	Gloria La Riva	Sunil Freeman[b]	86,239 (#6)	0.05%	0	Lost	195 / 538	The Peace and Freedom Party also nominated La Riva.[c]	[81][82]
2016	Gloria La Riva	Eugene Puryear	74,027 (#8)	0.05%	0	Lost	112 / 538	The Peace and Freedom Party also nominated La Riva, with Dennis Banks as her running mate.[d]	[83]
2012	Peta Lindsay	Yari Osorio	7,791 (#7)	0.01%	0	Lost	146 / 538		[84]
2008	Gloria La Riva	Eugene Puryear	6,818	0.01%	0	Lost	137 / 538		[85]

In 2024, the Democratic parties of Georgia and Pennsylvania successfully sued to remove PSL from the ballot. In Georgia, some early ballots still contained De la Cruz's name.^[86] Claudia de la Cruz claimed that 6,000 volunteers helped PSL win ballot access in the 2024 United States presidential election.^[58]

Congressional elections

Year	Candidate	Chamber	State	District	Votes	%	Result	Notes	Ref
2022	José Cortés	House	California	CA-51	3,327	2.2%	Lost	ran as Peace and Freedom Party candidate; did not advance to top-two general	[87][88]
2020	José Cortés	House	California	CA-50	1,821	0.9%	Lost	ran as Peace and Freedom Party candidate; did not advance to top-two general	[89][90]
2018	Jordan Mills	House	California	CA-49	233	0.1%	Lost	ran as Peace and Freedom Party candidate; did not advance to top-two general	[91][92]
2014	Frank Lara	House	California	CA-12	2,107	1.9%	Lost	ran as Peace and Freedom Party candidate; did not advance to top-two general	[93][94]
2010	Gloria La Riva	House	California	CA-8	5,161	2.5%	Lost	ran as Peace and Freedom Party candidate	[95]
2008	Nathalie Hrizi	House	California	CA-12	5,793	2.2%	Lost	ran as Peace and Freedom Party candidate; did not advance to top-two general	[96][97]
2008	Michael Prysner	House	Florida	FL-22	6	0.0%	Lost	ran as write-in candidate	[98][99][85]

Statewide elections

Year	Candidate	Office	State	District	Votes	%	Result	Notes	Ref
2022	Nathalie Hrizi	Insurance Commissioner	California	At-Large	189,289	2.8%	Lost	ran as Peace and Freedom Party candidate	[100][101]
2022	Meghann Adams	State Treasurer	California	At-Large	242,234	3.6%	Lost	ran as Peace and Freedom Party candidate	[102]
2018	Gloria La Riva	Governor	California	At-Large	19,075	0.3%	Lost	ran as Peace and Freedom Party candidate	[103]
2018	Nathalie Hrizi	Insurance Commissioner	California	At-Large	309,399	5.0%	Lost	ran as Peace and Freedom Party candidate	[100]
2014	Nathalie Hrizi	Insurance Commissioner	California	At-Large	212,991	5.4%	Lost	ran as Peace and Freedom Party candidate	[104]
2010	Carlos Alvarez	Governor	California	At-Large	92,856	0.9%	Lost	ran as Peace and Freedom Party candidate	[105][106]
2010	Marylou Cabral	Secretary of State	California	At-Large	164,450	0.9%	Lost	ran as Peace and Freedom Party candidate	[106]

State legislature elections

Year	Candidate	Office	State	District	Votes	%	Result	Notes	Ref
2024	Kevin Martinez	State Assembly	California	6	1,861	1.8%	Lost	ran as Peace and Freedom Party candidate	[107]
2022	Noah Leininger	State House	Indiana	90	259	1.9%	Lost	ran as write-in candidate	[108]
2021	Ernesto Huerta	State Senate	California	30	1,565	2.2%	Lost	ran as Peace and Freedom Party candidate	[109]
2017	John Prysner	State Assembly	California	51	232	1.0%	Lost	ran as Peace and Freedom Party candidate	[110][111]
2010	Corey Ansel	State House	Ohio	22	716	1.4%	Lost	ran as Green Party candidate	[112]
2008	Heather Benno	State House	Illinois	40	2,276	10.1%	Lost	ran as Green Party candidate	[113]
2008	John Beacham	State House	Illinois	14	4,745	14.5%	Lost	ran as Green Party candidate	[113]
2008	Lucilla Esguerra	State Assembly	California	48	11,173	12.9%	Lost	ran as Peace and Freedom Party candidate	[114]

Local elections

Year	Candidate	Office	City	District	Votes	%	Result	Notes	Ref
2024	Eduardo "Lalo" Vargas	City Council	Los Angeles	14	1,638	4.66%	Lost	non-partisan election	[115]
2023	Ana Santoyo	City Council	Chicago	45	895	5.59%	Lost	non-partisan election	[116][117]
2021	Colin Dodson	City Council	Urbana	2	57	40.1%	Lost	ran as Party for Socialism and Liberation candidate	[118][119]
2021	Cathy Rojas	Mayor	New York	At-Large	27,982	2.5%	Lost	ran as Party for Socialism and Liberation candidate	[120][121]
2014	Eugene Puryear	City Council	Washington D.C.	At-Large	12,525	3.5%	Lost	ran as D.C. Statehood Green Party candidate	[122]
2014	John Beacham	City Council	Chicago	49	0	0%	Lost	withdrawn from ballot due to insufficient nominating petition signatures[123]	[124][125]
2010	Stevie Merino	Mayor	Long Beach	At-Large	5,057	16%	Lost	non-partisan election	[126]
2009	Carlos Alvarez	Mayor	Los Angeles	At-Large	3,047	1.1%	Lost	non-partisan election	[127]
2009	Francisca Villar[e]	Mayor	New York	At-Large	3,517	0.3%	Lost	ran as Party for Socialism and Liberation candidate	[128][129]
2008	Stephen Hinze	Board of Supervisors	Los Angeles	5	29,875	20.7%	Lost	non-partisan election	[130]
2008	Marylou Cabral[f]	Board of Supervisors	Los Angeles	4	23,703	17.5%	Lost	non-partisan election	[131]
2008	Amanda Todd	City Council	Sioux Falls		12,710	11.1%	Lost		[132]
2008	Sergio Farias	City Council	San Juan Capistrano		1,133	5.0%	Lost		[133][134]
2008	Crystal Kim	Council	Washington, D.C.	At-Large	0	0%	Lost	write-in, votes not tabulated	[135][136]

National conventions

PSL does not publish its party constitution. The 2022 Constitution was leaked.

Name	Date	Location	Report	Program	Constitution
Fifth Party Congress	July 2022		no public report	Program	Constitution, 5th ed
Fourth Party Congress	August 2019		no public report	Program	Constitution, 4th ed
Third Party Congress	April 1–3, 2016	San Francisco, CA	Convention report	Program	Constitution, 3rd ed
Second Party Congress	February 2013		no public report	Program	Constitution, 2nd ed
First Party Congress	February 13–15, 2010	Los Angeles, CA	Convention report	Program	Constitution, 1st ed
Third National Convention	June 2007		no public report	no public program
Second National Convention	February 18–20, 2006	San Francisco, CA	Convention report	no public program
First National Convention	2005		no public report	Program
Founding Convention	June 18–20, 2004	San Francisco, CA	Convention report	Founding statement

See also

• Socialism portal

• History of the socialist movement in the United States
• Democratic Socialists of America
• Freedom Road Socialist Organization
• Socialist Alternative (United States)
• Communist Party USA
• Green Party of the United States

Notes

1. 2024: "Ballot access" above includes all states where Claudia de la Cruz was not a write-in; ie, where they were a listed PSL, PFP, or SCWP candidate. Claudia de la Cruz has write-in status in 22 states, with 243 possible electoral votes from write-ins.
2. PSL initially nominated Leonard Peltier,^[77][78] who withdrew for health reasons^[79][80] but remained on the ballot in Minnesota and Illinois.
3. 2020: "Ballot access" above includes all states where La Riva was not a write-in; ie, where they were a listed PSL, PFP, or LUP candidate.
4. 2016: "Ballot access" above includes all states where La Riva was not a write-in; ie, where they were a listed PSL, PFP, or LUP candidate.
5. Francisca Villar also given as Frances Villar.
6. Marylou Cabral also given as Marilu Cabral Romero.