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The following is a list of mayors who have declared themselves to be socialists or have been a member of a socialist party in the United States.

Statistics

In 1911, one author estimated that there were twenty-eight such mayors and in 1913 another author estimated thirty-four. In 1967, however, James Weinstein's table of "Cities and Towns Electing Socialist Mayors or Other Major Municipal Officers, 1911–1920" counted 74 such municipalities in 1911 and 32 in 1913, with smaller peaks in 1915 (22) and 1917 (18):

In 1911, the SPA won election to about 1,141 local offices in total.

List of mayors

See also

• Other lists:
  • List of socialist members of the United States Congress
  • List of Democratic Socialists of America public officeholders
  • List of Green politicians who have held office in the United States (none at federal level)
  • List of Communist Party USA members who have held office in the United States (none at federal level)
• History of the socialist movement in the United States
• The Squad (United States Congress)
• Congressional Progressive Caucus
• Millennial socialism

Notes

1. Innamorato is a county executive, not a mayor proper.
2. kamau uses lowercase letters for his names.
3. Elrich is a county executive, not a mayor proper.
4. Son of the previous socialist mayor, Chokwe Lumumba
5. Clavelle became a member of the Democratic Party in 2004.
6. Bloom ran for the Rockford Progressive Party, which was formed by dissidents of the Rockford Labor Party in 1929.
7. Hallstrom ran for the Rockford Labor Legion from 1921–1927, in 1929 the Labor Party refused to nominate him on the grounds that he had moved from some of the party's principles. He ran as an independent from 1929-33. The Rockford Labor Legion was a coalition of local trade unions, socialist organizations and temperance societies.
8. Barewald resigned from the Socialist Party during the first week of January 1921 and captured national headlines by declaring radicals "insane" and instructing local police to greet unwanted members of the Industrial Workers of the World with "hot lead." See: "Wants Town Rid of IWW: Mayor Barewald Advises Use of Riot Guns," Eugene Morning Register, Jan. 9, 1921, pg. 1.
9. Van Lear was expelled from the Socialist Party of America in 1918.
10. Louis Duncan's name is sometimes spelled Louis Duncan.
11. ^ Chase and Coulter were both elected mayor for the Social Democratic Party, but the party later merged itself with a dissident faction of the Socialist Labor Party in 1901 and founded the Socialist Party of America. The Socialist Party of America was then named the Social Democratic Party of America.

References

1. Hoxie, Robert F. (October 1911). ""The Rising Tide of Socialism": A Study". The Journal of Political Economy. 19 (8): 609–631. doi:10.1086/251906. JSTOR 1819423. S2CID 153532544.
2. Ghent, W.J., ed. (1916). Socialism and Government: Working Programs and Records of Socialists in Office. Girard, KS: Appeal to Reason. pp. 46. Retrieved 4 January 2010.
3. Weinstein, James (1967). The Decline of Socialism in America, 1912–1925. New York: Monthly Review Press, reprinted in 1969 by Vintage Books (Random House). Table 2: "Cities and Towns Electing Socialist Mayors or Other Major Municipal Officers, 1911–1920"
4. Barkan, Ross (2020-01-30). "Why American Socialism Failed—and How It Could Prevail Today". ISSN 0027-8378. Retrieved 2024-03-14.
5. Chapnick, Max (2021-07-13). "Sidewalk Socialists and the Path to Power". Current Affairs. ISSN 2471-2647. Retrieved 2023-05-19.
6. "DSA Elected Officials Support Teacher Power and Working People Everywhere". Democratic Socialists of America. March 6, 2019.
7. "Why I'm Running". Konstantine Anthony for LA County Supervisor. Retrieved 2023-05-19.
8. kamau, khalid. "Khalid for South Fulton, GA". Archived from the original on January 10, 2017.
9. Heins, Scott (January 14, 2020). "'Capitalism Won't Save Black People': An Interview With khalid kamau". Jacobin. Archived from the original on September 16, 2022.
10. "New South Fulton mayor hopes to further reduce crime, create economic opportunity". 11Alive.com. 2022-01-05. Retrieved 2022-04-20.
11. "Mayor khalid kamau is embracing South Fulton's identity as the Blackest city in America". WABE. 2022-04-13. Retrieved 2022-04-20.
12. Marans, Daniel (April 19, 2017). "Sanders-Backing Socialist Wins Big In Georgia City Council Race". HuffPost. Retrieved January 2, 2020.
13. "At last week's general meeting, Peninsula DSA made two endorsements and began planning our electoral work for the November elections. We're proud to endorse two democratic socialists running for local office: Lissette Espinoza-Garnica for Redwood City Council, District 3, and James Coleman for South San Francisco City Council, District 4". Facebook.
14. Barrios, Jennifer (June 18, 2018). "Marc Elrich: Candidate wants developers to pay more, would preserve social safety net". The Washington Post. Retrieved May 25, 2022.
15. Gilbert, Katie (September 5, 2017). "The Socialist Experiment". Oxford American. Retrieved December 25, 2020.
16. Abramsky, Sasha (2023-11-15). "The People's Republic of Portland, Maine". The Nation. ISSN 0027-8378. Retrieved 2023-12-07. For Strimling, though, the loss turned out to be liberating, allowing him to push for radical policy reforms from the grassroots up rather than the City Council down. No longer constrained by the dysfunctional city government, the ex-mayor threw in his lot with members of the local DSA branch and took his ideas about housing reform directly to the people.
17. Sunkara, Bhaskar (2014-06-01). "Free the Land: An Interview with Chokwe Lumumba". Jacobin. Retrieved 2017-04-09. But he was quick to portray his movement as an inclusive socialist one.
18. Judis, John (November 1976). "Our Democracy Is More Symbolic Than Real: An Interview With Ron Dellums". Jacobin. Archived from the original on July 17, 2022.
19. Democratic Left, vol. 8 no. 1 (January 1990), page 7.
20. "Remembering David Dinkins". Democratic Socialists of America (DSA). Retrieved 5 November 2021.
21. Steele, Bill (November 26, 2007). "Ben Nichols, professor emeritus, former mayor of Ithaca and lifelong activist, dies at 87". Cornell Chronicle. Cornell University.
22. Lerer, Lisa (2009-07-16). "Where's the outrage over AIG bonuses?". The Politico. Retrieved 2009-08-04. Only a handful of members, including self-described democratic socialist Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.), criticized Goldman's payments and questioned whether the company also received additional government assistance through the Federal Reserve.
23. Democratic Left Editorial Team (Fall 1999). "Millenium Issue #1" (PDF). Democratic Left. Democratic Socialists of America. p. 26. Retrieved 5 January 2021.
24. Belgum, David Rudolph (1990). Memoirs of Iowa's Only Socialist Mayor. Iowa City: Rose of Sharon Publishing House.
25. "Socialists Sweep Norwalk Election; Party's Candidates for Mayor, Sheriff, Treasurer, and 11 for City Council Win". The New York Times. October 7, 1947. Retrieved February 5, 2010.
26. "Freese Quits Socialists In Norwalk: Mayor Heads Party of Independents for November Election," Hartford Courant, August 14, 1951. Freese ran again for office as an independent, winning additional two year terms in 1951, 1953, and 1957. See: Ross, The Socialist Party of America, pg. 612.
27. Nelson 1968, pp. 102.
28. ^ Bengston 1999, pp. 209.
29. Hal Nelson 1968, pp. 102.
30. "Socialist Mayor Resigns from Party". Reading Eagle. April 9, 1932. Retrieved February 5, 2010.
31. "'Fruits of Victory' Suit Fruit-Selling Mayor-Elect". Milwaukee Sentinel. April 9, 1931. Retrieved May 9, 2013.
32. ^ Fry, Amy Lyons (2003). "Socialist Mayors". In John J. Duffy; Samuel B. Hand; Ralph H. Orth (eds.). The Vermont Encyclopedia. University of Vermont Press. p. 274.
33. "Associate Pastor of Mayor's Church". The Boston Globe. February 25, 1912.
34. Hoyt, Carlyle (December 4, 1924). "Minister-Mayor Has Novel Ideas". The Boston Globe.
35. "A Socialist Mayor: New Jersey Socialists Carry Rahway," The New Age (Buffalo), June 1, 1922, pg. 5.
36. "Socialists Elected," San Bernardino County Sun, April 4, 1920, pg. 3.
37. ^ Arrington 1922, pp. 487.
38. "Elect Socialist Mayor" (PDF). The New York Times. November 5, 1919. Retrieved February 5, 2010.
39. "Socialist Mayor Frank B. Hamilton" was embroiled in a federal sedition case late in 1918. See: Ohio Socialist, whole no. 49 (Jan. 1, 1919), pp. 1, 4. He was elected in Nov. 1917, according to "Frank B. Hamilton," Archived 2014-03-12 at the Wayback Machine Miami County Genealogical Researchers, http://www.thetroyhistoricalsociety.org/
40. John S. McCormick and John R. Sillito, A History of Utah Radicalism: Startling, Socialistic, and Decidedly Revolutionary. Logan, UT: Utah State University Press, 2011; pg. 192.
41. "Socialist Mayor Talks for Hillquit" (PDF). The New York Times. November 5, 1917. Retrieved February 5, 2010.
42. Love was elected by a margin of 164 votes in the April 1916 election. "About the Milwaukee Election: Socialists Elect Mayor and Two Socialist Aldermen in West Allis," St. Louis Labor, whole no. 794 (April 22, 1916), pg. 8.
43. Bengston 1999, pp. 182.
44. ^ "Democrats Fail in Hunt for Candidate" (PDF). The New York Times. July 6, 1918. Retrieved February 5, 2010.
45. ^ Ross, The Socialist Party of America, pg. 610.
46. ^ Ross, The Socialist Party of America, pg. 612.
47. Michael Munk, "Socialist Party of Oregon," The Oregon Encyclopedia.
48. "Elections Bring Victory!!" Social Democratic Herald , vo. 14, no. 28, whole no. 693 (Nov. 11, 1911), p. 1.
49. ^ "1,000 Socialists Now in Office," Chicago Daily Socialist, vol. 6, no. 33 (Dec. 2, 1911), p. 1.
50. Ann Arbor Call, whole no. 91 (August 17, 1912), pg. 2.
51. Elected to two terms, 1911 and 1913. See: John S. McCormick and John R. Sillito, A History of Utah Radicalism, pg. 201.
52. Ross, The Socialist Party of America, pg. 609.
53. "Socialist Mayor Chosen" (PDF). The New York Times. September 18, 1912. Retrieved February 5, 2010.
54. "Archived copy". Archived from the original on 2016-12-04. Retrieved 2019-12-01.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)
55. ^ John S. McCormick and John R. Sillito, A History of Utah Radicalism, pg. 189.
56. A.R. Pontius, "Victory in Michigan," Appeal to Reason, whole no. 851 (March 23, 1912), p. 3.
57. "Comrades Who Will Control the City Government of St. Marys Ohio for the Next Two Years," International Socialist Review, vol. 12, no. 6 (Dec. 1911), pp. 376-378.
58. "Socialist Mayor Defeated". The Los Angeles Times. April 9, 1914. Archived from the original on June 4, 2011. Retrieved February 5, 2010. (pay-fee for article)
59. "Arkansas Socialist Mayor" (PDF). The New York Times. April 4, 1912. Retrieved February 5, 2010.
60. ^ "The Socialist Avalanche," Political Action , whole no. 39 (April 15, 1911), pg. 1.
61. "Socialist Mayor Defeated" (PDF). The New York Times. April 2, 1912. Retrieved February 5, 2010.
62. French 1914, pp. 917.
63. Oscar Leonard, "From Mill Hand to Mayor," The Coming Nation, whole no. 37 (April 23, 1911), p. 14.
64. "Socialists Elect Mayor of Two Harbors, Minn.," Chicago Daily Socialist, vol. 5, no. 126 (March 23, 1911), p. 1.
65. Political Action , whole no. 39 (April 15, 1911), pg. 1.
66. "Edmonds and Its Socialist Mayor," The Coming Nation, whole no. 34 (May 6, 1911), p. 5.
67. "One Man is Killed in Rioting and Million Damage". The New York Times. June 24, 1914. Retrieved February 5, 2010.
68. "Butte Mayor is Stabbed by Miner". The New York Times. July 6, 1914. Retrieved February 5, 2010.
69. "Butte Mayor and Sheriff Ousted". Herald Journal. October 7, 1914. Retrieved February 5, 2010.
70. "Socialists in Greenville," The Coming Nation, whole no. 35 (May 13, 1911), p. 11.
71. "Socialist Mayor for Milwaukee" (PDF). The New York Times. April 6, 1910. Retrieved February 5, 2010.
72. "Elect Mayor as Socialist," Chicago Daily Socialist, vol. 4, no. 156 (April 27, 1910), pg. 4.
73. LeSueur was elected on a ballot which did not list party affiliation but he was a veteran Socialist nominated to run by Local Grand Forks. See: Mila Tupper Maynard, "A Socialist Mayor and an Almost Mayor," Social-Democratic Herald , vol. 13, no. 35, whole no. 648 (Dec. 31, 1910), pg. 2.
74. "Brainerd, Minn., Elects Socialist Mayor," St. Louis Labor, vol. 6, whole no. 429 (April 24, 1909), pg. 5.
75. John S. McCormick and John R. Sillito, A History of Utah Radicalism, pg. 190.
76. Won 4th term in Nov. 1911 according to "Elections Bring Victory!!" Social Democratic Herald , vo. 14, no. 28, whole no. 693 (Nov. 11, 1911), p. 1.
77. "Deadly Assault on Socialist Mayor," Chicago Daily Socialist, Dec. 17, 1906, pg. 3.
78. Ross 2015, p. 619.
79. "Address of a Socialist Mayor," American Labor Union Journal, vol. 1, no. 26 (April 2, 1903), pg. 2
80. Peter Buckingham, "Red Tom" Hickey: The Uncrowned King of Texas Socialism. College Station, TX: Texas A&M Press, 2020; p. 153
81. "Socialist Mayor Assumes Office: The Inauguration of Mayor Born at Sheboygan Marks the First Municipal Victory for Socialism in Wisconsin," Social Democratic Herald , April 25, 1903, pg. 1.
82. Expelled by State Executive Board of the Social Democratic Party of Wisconsin on Jan. 16, 1904, for approving a private concession for a city trolley line. See: "The Expulsion of Mayor Born," Social Democratic Herald, Jan. 23, 1904, pg.5.
83. ^ Bedford, Henry (1966). Socialism and the workers in Massachusetts, 1886-1912. University of Massachusetts Press. ISBN 9780870230103.
84. Won election in November 1899 by a plurality of 1,564. See: Appeal to Reason, Dec. 16, 1899, pg. 4.

Bibliography

• Benjamin F. Arrington, Municipal History of Essex County in Massachusetts. Chicago: Lewis Historical Publishing Company, 1922; pg. 976.
• Henry Bengston, On the Left in America: Memoirs of the Scandinavian-American Labor Movement. SIU Press, 1999; pg. 237.
• Hiram Taylor French, History of Idaho: A Narrative Account of Its Historical Progress, Its People and Its Principal Interests. New York: New York Public Library, 1914; pg. 976.
• C. Hal Nelson, Sinnissippi Saga: A History of Rockford and Winnebago County, Illinois. Winnebago County Illinois Sesquicentennial Committee, 1968; pg. 536.
• Jack Ross, "Socialist Elected Officeholders, 1897-1960." The Socialist Party of America: A Complete History. Lincoln, NE: Potomac Books, 2015; pp. 609–638.
• James Weinstein, The Decline of Socialism in America 1912–1925. New York: Monthly Review Press, 1967; pp. 116–118.

• American socialists
• Lists of mayors of places in the United States
• Socialism-related lists