New York State Socialists in Office

New York State Socialists in Office
Legislature(s)New York State Legislature
Member parties
National affiliationDemocratic Socialists of America
LeaderCollective leadership
Representation
9 / 213

New York State Assembly
6 / 150

New York State Senate
3 / 63
IdeologyDemocratic socialism
Political positionLeft-wing
Websitehttps://www.newyorksocialistsinoffice.com

The New York State Socialists in Office are a bloc within the New York State Legislature consisting of legislators who are members of, and endorsed by, the Democratic Socialists of America.[1] They currently hold 9 seats across the New York State Assembly (6 seats) and New York State Senate (3 seats), 8 of whom are members of NYC-DSA, and 1 being a member of Mid-Hudson Valley DSA, Assemblymember Sarahana Shrestha.[2]

Structure and operations

Members of the Socialists in Office bloc are expected to attend weekly committee meetings to strategize and coordinate together, on immediate concerns as well as long-term projects.[3] The committee includes not only DSA-endorsed elected officials and their key staffers, but also nonelected members of DSA leadership, such as representatives of issue-specific working groups. Elected legislators who are members of DSA, but were not endorsed by DSA during their election campaigns, are allowed to apply for post-election admittance to the committee.[4]

While serving in the New York State Assembly, Zohran Mamdani, then a member of the committee, credited it as the reason for several legislative accomplishments. He described the coordination and structure of the committee as helping members withstand pressure to betray their principles, calling it "the only answer" to "the coercion, the control, and the consequences that are meted out" in "legislative chambers that are built to corrupt the most well-intentioned, the most capable, and the most talented among us."[5]

Members

As of February 2026:[6]

State Senate

District Member Chapter First elected
18th Julia Salazar NYC-DSA 2018
25th Jabari Brisport 2020
59th Kristen Gonzalez 2022

State Assembly

District Member Chapter First elected
36th Diana Moreno NYC-DSA 2026
37th Claire Valdez 2024
50th Emily Gallagher 2020
51st Marcela Mitaynes
57th Phara Souffrant Forrest
103rd Sarahana Shrestha Mid-Hudson
Valley DSA
2022

See also

References

  1. ^ Sterne, Peter (2022-07-05). "Here's how the DSA keeps its lawmakers in line". City & State NY. Retrieved 2025-11-27.
  2. ^ "About the New York State Socialists in Office". Retrieved 2025-11-27.
  3. ^ Adler-Bell, Sam (2022-10-03). "Can DSA Go the Distance?". Dissent Magazine. Retrieved 2026-03-04.
  4. ^ Sterne, Peter (2026-01-26). "What's a Socialist in Office?". City & State NY. Retrieved 2026-03-04.
  5. ^ Mamdani, Zohran (2023-08-04). 2023 DSA Convention Keynote: Assemblymember Zohran Mamdani (Video). Chicago, Illinois, USA: Democratic Socialists of America. Retrieved 2026-03-04 – via YouTube.
  6. ^ "About - New York State Socialists in Office". New York State Socialists in Office. Retrieved February 21, 2026.