Socialist Equality Party (United States)

The Socialist Equality Party (SEP) is a Trotskyist political party in the United States. SEP first formed in 1964 as the American Committee for the Fourth International, created by expelled members of the Socialist Workers Party. SEP and its previous forms were associated with the International Committee of the Fourth International (ICFI), a Trotskyist political international.

Socialist Equality Party
Chairman	David North
Secretary	Joseph Kishore
Founded	September 1964; 60 years ago (September 1964)
Newspaper	World Socialist Web Site
Youth wing	International Youth and Students for Social Equality (IYSSE)
Ideology	Revolutionary socialism Communism Trotskyism
Political position	Far-left
International affiliation	International Committee of the Fourth International (ICFI)
Members in elected offices	0
Website
socialequality.com
Politics of United States Political parties Elections

SEP describes itself as a revolutionary socialist party, because the SEP believes capitalism is "beyond reform"^[1] and only "a revolutionary movement that has as its aim the establishment of workers' power" can win socialism.^[2]

Notable members include founder Tim Wohlforth, David North, Jerry White, and Joseph Kishore.

History

Background

Main article: Revolutionary Tendency

In the 1950s, most Trotskyists in the United States were members of the Socialist Workers Party (SWP), which was part of the Fourth International's (FI) tendency International Committee of the Fourth International (ICFI).^[3]

In 1958, SWP adopted a policy of "regroupment": Pursuit of former members of Stalinist communist parties, who had been disillusioned by the Secret Speech.^{[3]: 844–845} This SWP strategy also meant greater support for Fidel Castro, which SWP leadership called an "unconscious" Trotskyist.^[4]

In 1961, Tim Wohlforth, James Robertson, and other SWP members who opposed regroupment created a tendency within the SWP, the Revolutionary Tendency (RT). RT saw the SWP as shifting toward the FI's other tendency, the International Secretariat of the Fourth International (ISFI), led by Michel Pablo. RT opposed "Pabloite" politics^{[3]: 864–865} and Pablo's "entryism sui generis" plan, in which Trotskyists would maintain separate parties but personally enter into communist and social democratic parties. RT developed links with the Socialist Labour League in Britain, led by Gerry Healy.^[3]: 917 Lyndon LaRouche was briefly an RT member.^[3]: 945

In 1962, the RT split: Robertson's majority kept the name. Wohlforth's minority renamed itself the Reorganized Minority Tendency (RMT).^[3]: 866

In 1963, in preparation for merging the ICFI with the ISFI, Wohlforth was removed from the SWP's Political Committee.^[3]: 924

Formation

In November 1963, the SWP expelled Robertson and the RT, who created the Spartacist League. Robertson's appeal was denied in April 1964.^{[3]: 917–918}

In September 1964, the SWP expelled Wohlforth and the RMT, who created the American Committee for the Fourth International (ACFI) and launched the biweekly Bulletin of International Socialism.^{[3]: 866, 917–918, 924  [5]} ACFI maintained connections with Gerry Healy and the (non-merged portions of the) ICFI, which they considered the legitimate Trotskyist movement. ACFI became the American section of the ICFI.^{[citation needed]}

Wohlforth argued that the split was due to their demand for discussion of the decision by the Sri Lankan Trotskyist Lanka Sama Samaja Party to participate in the national government.^[3]: 924 ACFI characterized this decision as "opportunism" that originated in the "centrist" position of the LSSP during the split between the ISFI and ICFI of 1953.^[6]

Subsequent history

Former SEP logo

In 1966, ACFI renamed itself to the Workers League (WL).^[3]: 866

In 1973, WL entered serious organizational crisis. About 150 members and most of its founding leaders left. At Healey's insistence, Wohlforth was forced out of leadership.^[3]: 927

In 1985, ICFI split in two. The Workers Revolutionary Party (WRP) in Britain argued that ICFI should support nationalist leaders like Saddam Hussein and Muammar Gadhafi.^[3]: 928 In 1985, the WRP expelled Gerry Healy, and WL sided with the ICFI majority over Healy's minority.^[3]: 929

In 1995, parties affiliated with ICFI each renamed themselves as Socialist Equality Party. In 1998, the ICFI launched the World Socialist Web Site.^[7] ICFI runs the publishing house Mehring Books, formerly named Labor Publications.^[8]

In 2006, the Socialist Equality Party relaunched its student movement (the Students for Social Equality) as the International Students for Social Equality (ISSE). In 2012, the SEP renamed the ISSE as the International Youth and Students for Social Equality (IYSSE).^[9]

Ideology

SEP is a Trotskyist party.^[1]

SEP supports a "revolutionary struggle against capitalism" and rejects socialist reformism, stating that "our aim is not the reform of capitalism, but its overthrow".^[1] In its list of transitional demands, the SEP includes: Universal employment, universal healthcare, ending foreclosures and evictions, workplace democracy, high inheritance taxes, nationalization of large corporations, and replacement of the volunteer-based US military with "popular militias controlled by the working class and with elected officers".^[1]

Election results

The SEP has fielded electoral candidates in the United States for local, state, and federal offices. SEP candidates usually run as official SEP candidates on their own ballot line.

No SEP candidate has yet won an election.

Presidential elections

Year	Presidential candidate	Vice presidential candidate	Popular votes	%	Electoral votes	Result	Ballot access	Notes	Ref
2024	Joseph Kishore	Jerome White	T.B.D	T.B.D	T.B.D	T.B.D	41 / 538	running as a Socialist Equality Party candidate	[10]
2020	Joseph Kishore	Norissa Santa Cruz	345	0.00%	0	Lost	9 / 538	ran as Socialist Equality Party candidate	[11]
2016	Jerome White	Niles Niemuth	382	0.00%	0	Lost	0 / 538	ran as write-in candidate	[12]
2012	Jerome White	Phyllis Scherrer	1,279	0.00%	0	Lost	17 / 538	ran as Socialist Equality Party candidate	[13]
2008	Jerome White	Bill Van Auken	18	0.00%	0	Lost	0 / 538	ran as write-in candidate	[14][15]
2004	Bill Van Auken	Jim Lawrence	1,857	0.00%	0	Lost	45 / 538	ran as Socialist Equality Party candidate	[16]
1996	Jerome White	Fred Mazelis	2,438	0.00%	0	Lost	43 / 538	ran as Socialist Equality Party candidate	[17]
1992	Helen Halyard	Fred Mazelis	3,050	0.00%	0	Lost	33 / 538	ran as Workers League candidate	[18]
1988	Edward Winn	Helen Halyard	18,693	0.02%	0	Lost	59 / 538	ran as Workers League candidate	[19]
1984	Edward Winn	Helen Halyard	10,798	0.01%	0	Lost	71 / 538	ran as Workers League candidate	[20]

Congressional elections

Year	Candidate	Chamber	State	District	Votes	%	Result	Notes	Ref
2006	Bill Van Auken	Senate	New York	Class 1	6,004	0.1%	Lost		[21]
2006	Jerome White	House	Michigan	MI-12	1,862	0.8%	Lost		[22]
2018	David Moore	Senate	California	Class 1	24,601	0.4%	Lost	Top two primary	[23]
2018	Niles Niemuth	House	Michigan	MI-12	2,200	0.8%	Lost		[24]
2018	Kevin Mitchell	House	California	CA-51	1,473	1.9%	Lost	Top two primary	[25]

Statewide elections

Year	Candidate	Office	State	District	Votes	%	Result	Notes	Ref
2021	David Moore	Governor	California		31,160	0.4%	Lost	urged a "No" vote on the recall	[26]
2003	John Burton	Governor	California		6,748	0.1%	Lost	urged a "No" vote on the recall	[27]

State legislature elections

Year	Candidate	Office	State	District	Votes	%	Result	Notes	Ref
2016	Naomi Spencer	State House	West Virginia	16th	921	2.3%	Lost		[citation needed]
2010	D'Artagnan Collier	State House	Michigan	9th	138	0.7%	Lost		[citation needed]
2006	Joe Parnarauskis	State Senate	Illinois	52nd	1,894	3.4%	Lost		[28]
2006	Eric DesMarais	State Senate	Maine	32nd	296	2.3%	Lost		[28]

Local elections

Year	Candidate	Office	Area	District	Votes	%	Result	Notes	Ref
2013	D'Artagnan Collier	Mayor	Detroit		91	0.1%	Lost		[29]
2009	D'Artagnan Collier	Mayor	Detroit		1,265	1.4%	Lost		[citation needed]

National congresses

Name	Date	Location	Main Resolution	Report
Eighth National Congress	August 4-9, 2024	online	Tasks of the SEP	Opening Report
Seventh National Congress	July 31-August 5, 2022	online	COVID-19 and the fight for socialism	Build rank-and-file committees
Sixth National Congress	July 19-24, 2020	online	Tasks of the SEP
Fifth National Congress	July 22-27, 2018	southeast Michigan	Tasks of the SEP	Opening Report
Fourth National Congress	July 31-August 5, 2016	Detroit, Michigan	Tasks of the SEP
Third National Congress	August 2014		Tasks of the SEP
Second National Congress	July 8-12, 2012	Detroit, Michigan	Perspectives of the SEP	On the 2012 campaign
First National Congress	August 11-15, 2010	Ann Arbor, Michigan	SEP Program
Founding Congress	August 3-9, 2008	Ann Arbor, Michigan	SEP Statement of Principles	Summary

See also

• American Left
• Socialist Alternative (United States)
• Democratic Socialists of America
• Green Party of the United States
• History of the socialist movement in the United States

References

1. "Statement of Principles". Socialist Equality Party.
2. "About". Socialist Equality Party.
3. 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.
4. "Castroism and the SWP's Return to Pablo". The Historical and International Foundations of the Socialist Equality Party (United States). Socialist Equality Party.
5. Tim Wohlforth, The Prophet's Children: Travels on the American Left. Atlantic Highlands, NJ: Humanities Press, 1994; pp. 123–124.
6. Jones, Keith (August 30, 2023). "The "Great Betrayal" in Ceylon, the formation of the American Committee for the Fourth International, and the founding of the Workers League".
7. "World Socialist Web Site". Archived from the original on 12 December 1998.
8. "About Mehring Books,", October 2016.
9. "Resolutions of the SEP Congress: Build the International Youth and Students for Social Equality". September 3, 2012.
10. "Socialist Equality Party selects Joseph Kishore and Jerry White as its presidential and vice presidential candidates for the 2024 US election". World Socialist Web Site. 2024-02-27. Retrieved 2024-04-13.
11. "Federal Elections 2020" (PDF). Federal Election Commission. October 2022. Archived (PDF) from the original on November 4, 2022.
12. "Federal Elections 2016" (PDF). Federal Election Commission. December 2017. Archived (PDF) from the original on December 2, 2019.
13. "Federal Elections 2012" (PDF). Federal Election Commission. July 2013. Archived (PDF) from the original on December 2, 2019.
14. "Federal Elections 2008" (PDF). Federal Election Commission. July 2009. Archived (PDF) from the original on December 2, 2019.
15. Berg-Andersson, Richard; Roza, Tony (December 1, 2009). "The Green Papers: 2008 General Election". Archived from the original on September 18, 2008.
16. "Federal Elections 2004" (PDF). Federal Election Commission. July 2009. Archived (PDF) from the original on December 2, 2019.
17. "Federal Elections 96" (PDF). Federal Election Commission. July 2009. Archived (PDF) from the original on December 2, 2019.
18. "Federal Elections 92" (PDF). Federal Election Commission. July 2009. Archived (PDF) from the original on December 2, 2019.
19. "Federal Elections 88" (PDF). Federal Election Commission. July 2009. Archived (PDF) from the original on December 2, 2019.
20. "Federal Elections 84" (PDF). Federal Election Commission. July 2009. Archived (PDF) from the original on December 2, 2019.
21. "Socialist Equality candidate:"Society can't afford the rich"" (Flash video). YouTube.
22. "Socialist Equality Party announces candidates in New York, Michigan and California". 21 March 2006.
23. "2018 California Primary Election Results". California Secretary of State. Archived from the original on June 7, 2018. Retrieved 2018-07-03.
24. "Michigan's 12th Congressional District election, 2018 – Ballotpedia". Ballotpedia. Retrieved 2018-10-25.
25. "Election Result Data". Retrieved 2018-07-23.
26. "Vote for SEP candidate David Moore in California recall". World Socialist Web Site. 13 September 2021. Retrieved 2021-10-02.
27. "John Christopher Burton Candidate Statement".
28. "Socialist Equality Party to contest state elections in Illinois, Maine, Oregon and Washington". 15 May 2006.
29. Collier, D'Artagnan. "Support D'Artagnan Collier for Detroit Mayor". World Socialist Web Site. Retrieved 22 May 2013.

External links

• Socialist Equality Party.
• World Socialist Web Site.
• The Bulletin. Marxists Internet Archive.
• "The Workers League and the founding of the Socialist Equality Party". Archived from the original on 15 August 2000.