Freedom Socialist Party

Template:Short description Template:Infobox political party Template:Socialism US The Freedom Socialist Party (FSP) is a Trotskyist and socialist feminist political party in the United States. FSP formed in 1966, when its members split from the Socialist Workers Party. FSP views the struggles of women, people of color and sexual minorities as intrinsic to the struggle of the working class. Notable FSP members include Megan Cornish, Heidi Durham, Richard S. Fraser, and Clara Fraser.

Membership

FSP has branches in the United States, as well as Australia, England, Germany and New Zealand.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> FSP is affiliated with Radical Women, a socialist feminist organization.

History

File:Newfsmastheadtr.png

Former FSP logo

File:Seattle Freeway Hall.jpg

FSP was headquartered in Freeway Hall in Northlake, Seattle

File:Seattle - Columbia City - New Freeway Hall 01.jpg

FSP is headquartered in New Freeway Hall in Columbia City, Seattle

Background

The immediate forerunner of FSP was the Kirk-Kaye tendency within the Socialist Workers Party (SWP), led by Richard S. Fraser (Kirk) and Clara Fraser (Kaye) who were then married.<ref name="Sheppard">Template:Cite book</ref>

The Kirk-Kaye tendency primarily disagreed with SWP leadership on three points: The Kirk-Kaye tendency supported revolutionary integrationism, in contrast to the SWP's support for Black nationalism and the Nation of Islam. The Kirk-Kaye tendency argued that socialist feminism must be a top priority for socialist organizations. And the Kirk-Kaye tendency claimed that the SWP was undemocratic.<ref name="Alexander1991" />Template:Rp

Founding

FSP formed in 1966, when its members split from the Socialist Workers Party. The party's Seattle branch, with support from individuals in other cities, split off from the SWP over what it described as the SWP's entrenched opportunism and undemocratic methods.<ref name="Alexander1991">Template:Cite book</ref>Template:Rp

FSP advocated for class solidarity of Black and white workers, called for a greatly expanded understanding of and attention to women's emancipation, and urged the anti-war movement to support the socialist, anti-colonial aims of the Vietnamese Revolution.

FSP became a pole of attraction for Seattle leftists opposed to the SWP's internal politics and established a home at Freeway Hall.<ref name="Crowley">Template:Cite book</ref><ref>Template:Cite book</ref><ref>Template:Cite book</ref> The party formed Radical Women with the dual goal of building a revolutionary socialist feminist organization and teaching women the organizational and leadership skills that were often denied to them in male-dominated organizations.<ref name="NotableWomen">Template:Cite book</ref>

Subsequent history

In 1978, FSP joined the Committee for a Revolutionary Socialist Party (CRSP), an attempted united front of Trotskyist parties. In 1980, CRSP collapsed.<ref name="Fraser" /><ref name="Alexander1991" />Template:Rp

In 1989, FSP founded the United Front Against Fascism (UFAF), an anti-fascist organization that included a broad coalition of the Left, the LGBT community, labor unionists, feminists, people of color, Jews, and civil libertarians. UFAF took the lead in mobilizing against neo-Nazis in the Pacific Northwest in the 1980s and 1990s.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref><ref>Template:Cite news</ref><ref>Template:Cite news</ref><ref>Template:Cite news</ref><ref>Template:Cite news</ref><ref>Template:Cite book</ref>

In 1991, the Seattle FSP ran two members for Seattle City Council, Heidi Durham and Yolanda Alaniz, who campaigned on guaranteed income for families living in poverty, community control of the police, and domestic partnership rights for same-sex couples.<ref name=Fraser>Template:Cite web</ref>

In 2003, Lyndon LaRouche filed a complaint with the Federal Election Commission that FSP's Red Letter Press and its managing editor, Helen Gilbert, had violated campaign finance laws. Gilbert had issued a pamphlet critical of LaRouche's ideology and political history.<ref>Helen Gilbert, "Lyndon Larouche: Fascism Restyled for the New Millennium", Redletterpress.org</ref> The FEC found LaRouche's complaint to be without merit and dismissed it.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

Ideology

FSP is a Trotskyist revolutionary socialist organization.<ref name=RedGroups>Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite journal</ref> FSP leaders Clara Fraser and Gloria Martin hoped to build a Leninist party that is "socialist-feminist" in ideology and practice.<ref name="Love">Template:Cite book</ref><ref>Template:Cite book</ref>

FSP supports military aid to Ukraine.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

Election results

FSP has fielded electoral candidates in the United States for local, state, and federal offices. FSP candidates usually run as official FSP candidates.

No FSP candidate has yet won an election.

Presidential elections

Year	Presidential candidate	Vice presidential candidate	Popular votes	%	Electoral votes	Result	Ballot access	Notes	Ref
2012	Stephen Durham	Christina López	117	Template:Percentage bar	0	Template:No2 Lost	Template:Composition bar	write-in campaign	<ref name=FEC2012>Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Durham/Lopez campaign website, Votesocialism.com</ref><ref>Ballot Access News, January 29, 2012, "Freedom Socialist Party Nominates its First National Ticket".</ref><ref>The Green Papers "Votes for Stephen Gaylord Durham".</ref><ref>Ballot Access News "New York State Posts Final 2012 Election Returns Tally; Presidential Vote Increases by 400,332 Votes".</ref>

In 2016, FSP critically endorsed Jeff Mackler of Socialist Action for president.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref>

In 2020, FSP again critically endorsed Jeff Mackler of Socialist Action for president.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref>

In 2024, FSP declined to make a presidential endorsement and instead suggested voters spoil their ballots by writing-in "free Palestine."<ref>Template:Cite news</ref>

Congressional elections

Year	Candidate	Chamber	State	District	Votes	%	Result	Notes	Ref
2018	Steve Hoffman	Senate	Washington	Class 1	7,390	Template:Percentage bar	Template:No2 Lost	all-party blanket primary, did not advance to general	<ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref name="primary election results">Template:Cite web</ref>

State legislature elections

Year	Candidate	Office	Area	District	Votes	%	Result	Notes	Ref
2004	Jordana Sardo	State Representative	Oregon	45	2,297	Template:Percentage bar	Template:No2 Lost	ran as Freedom Socialist Party candidate	<ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref name=Oregon2004>Template:Cite web</ref>
1998	Marian Sunde	State Senate	California	22	7,665	Template:Percentage bar	Template:No2 Lost	ran as Peace and Freedom Party candidate	<ref name=FSP1998>Template:Cite web</ref><ref name=CA1998>Template:Cite web</ref>
1998	Adrienne Weller	State Representative	Oregon	18	496	Template:Percentage bar	Template:No2 Lost	ran as independent candidate	<ref name=FSP1998 /><ref name=OR1998>Template:Cite web</ref>
1998	Guerry Hoddersen	State Representative	Washington	37	1,439	Template:Percentage bar	Template:No2 Lost	ran as Freedom Socialist Party candidate	<ref name=FSP1998 /><ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
1998	Stephen Durham	State Assemblymember	New York	71	366	Template:Percentage bar	Template:No2 Lost	ran as Freedom Socialist Party candidate	<ref name=FSP1998 /><ref name=NY1998>Template:Cite web</ref>

Local elections

Year	Candidate	Office	Area	District	Votes	%	Result	Notes	Ref
2005	Linda Averill	City Council	Seattle	4	16,584	Template:Percentage bar	Template:No2 Lost	all-party blanket primary, did not advance to general	<ref>Template:Cite news</ref><ref>Template:Cite news</ref><ref name=KingPast>Template:Cite web</ref>
1991	Heidi Durham	City Council	Seattle				Template:No2 Lost	all-party blanket primary, did not advance to general	<ref name=Fraser /><ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
1991	Yolanda Alaniz	City Council	Seattle	1	27,991	Template:Percentage bar	Template:No2 Lost	general election	<ref name=Fraser /><ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

See also

• American Left
• Socialist Alternative (United States)
• Democratic Socialists of America
• Green Party of the United States
• History of left-wing politics in the United States

Further reading

Archives

• Freedom Socialist Party Seattle Branch Records, 1984–1992. 3.14 cubic feet. At the Labor Archives of Washington, University of Washington Libraries Special Collections.
• Freedom Socialist Party National Office (Seattle) Records, 1976–1998. 3.09 cubic feet. At the Labor Archives of Washington, University of Washington Libraries Special Collections.
• Radical Women Seattle Office Records, 1991–1997. 0.37 cubic feet. At the Labor Archives of Washington, University of Washington Libraries Special Collections.
• Radical Women National Office (Seattle) Records, 1976–1998. 1.28 cubic feet. At the Labor Archives of Washington, University of Washington Libraries Special Collections.
• United Front Against Fascism records, 1945-2021. At the Labor Archives of Washington, University of Washington Libraries Special Collections.
• Melba Windoffer Papers, 1910–1993. 7.42 cubic feet. At the Labor Archives of Washington, University of Washington Libraries Special Collections.
• Megan Cornish Papers, 1970–2003. 10.26 cubic feet. At the Labor Archives of Washington, University of Washington Libraries Special Collections.
• Clara Fraser Papers, 1905–1998, 36.70 cubic feet. At the Labor Archives of Washington, University of Washington Libraries Special Collections.
• Heidi Durham Papers and Oral History Interviews, 1937–2017, 1.57 cubic feet. At the Labor Archives of Washington, University of Washington Libraries Special Collections.

Articles and interviews

• Megan Cornish, Seattle Civil Rights and Labor History Project, 2005.
• Megan Cornish Interview with Nicole Grant and Alex Morrow, October 20, 2005, YouTube, uploaded by Seattle Civil Rights and Labor History Project, September 9, 2016, Megan Cornish - YouTube
• Megan Cornish, Conor Casey, and Ellie Belew Interview with Mike Dumovich, "We Do the Work," KSVR, February 22, 2019.
• Nicole Grant, Challenging Sexism at City Light: The Electrical Trades Trainee Program, Seattle Civil Rights and Labor History Project, 2006.
• Ellie Belew Interview with Mimi Rosenberg, YouTube, uploaded by Radical Women - U.S., uploaded March 28. 2019, HIGH VOLTAGE WOMEN: Interview & slideshow

Books

• Ellie Belew, High Voltage Women: Breaking Barriers at Seattle City Light, Red Letter Press, 2019.