The far-left Democratic Socialists of America (DSA) are seeking to elect a DSA-aligned candidate to the New York City Council speakership in 2029, to ensure Mayor Zohran Mamdani, a DSA member, does not moderate in office.
The DSA’s Resolution.
On Saturday, the DSA’s New York City chapter (NYC-DSA) is set to vote on a resolution to capture the speakership of the New York City Council, the city’s legislative body. Specifically, the resolution states that the “DSA will maintain an organized socialist pole in New York City politics that is analytically and programmatically independent of the Mamdani administration, even as it supports his re-election and governance.”
The proposal also states that the DSA seeks to make the City Council the site where the organization “tests and normalizes bolder policy” and “will work in coalition with other left and progressive organizations and with organized labor toward this end.” However, the resolution clarifies that its purpose is “to strengthen Zohran against the right, not to weaken him.”
A DSA Speakership.
The current New York City Council speaker, Julie Menin, will be term-limited out of the position in 2029. At present, there are four DSA-aligned representatives on New York City Council: Tiffany Cabán, Alexa Avilés, Chi Ossé and Shahana Hanif. However, all four are expected to be term-limited out in 2029, meaning the group will need to recruit and support replacement candidates.
The DSA intends to help Mamdani pass a city budget and will side with the Mayor in disputes with the state government while pushing him leftward in several areas, such as police reform, with the DSA seeking to develop the Office of Community Safety into a full department capable of taking over responsibilities from the New York City Police Department.
Going Forward.
The DSA’s proposal concedes that getting a DSA-aligned member elected to the speakership of the 51-member body will be an uphill battle. “Recognizing that Speakers are rarely first-term members and that a socialist Speaker may not be achievable in 2029, DSA will, as a fallback, support the most left-aligned viable candidate who commits to the bloc’s priorities,” reads the resolution.
Nevertheless, the DSA’s push for a socialist speakership underscores the organization’s growing influence in New York City. NYC-DSA is the largest DSA chapter in the country, and New York has the largest DSA congressional delegation of any U.S. state. The proposal to capture the speakership is similar to the DSA’s federal strategy of using its leverage in the House of Representatives to influence the congressional race for Speaker of the House. This follows the midterm elections, during which the Democrats took control of the lower chamber.
The resolution represents the first substantive attempt by the DSA to assert itself amid its growing rift with Mamdani, particularly over police reform, housing policy, and Israel, since the Mayor entered office back in January.
