Same instructions as last week ...
Right now, multiple campaigns are underway in New York. We need volunteers from other part of the United States to report on their slow progress.
In New York City, Zohran Mamdani's campaign for Mayor demonstrates that people-powered campaigns are possible. Unfortunately, this effort does not seem to align with building a space for the potential drafting of AOC.
https://www.youtube.com/@SeeChangeMN
At a recent DSA 101 event with AOC, an SDA member raised the issue of County Committee positions. However, the leadership still appears to misunderstand the connection between these Democratic National Committee (DNC) roles and their significance in candidate selection.
For example, the Minnesota Democratic Socialists Caucus has shared informative videos explaining the inner workings of the Democratic Party:
https://www.youtube.com/@SeeChangeMN
These images illustrate that early organization can mobilize a strong Socialist campaign across the United States, especially as the country feels the impact of Trump's policies in 2027.
If you're organizing publicly, please send me links to relevant photos so I can help share them.
For those joining us today, you can catch up on past updates by visiting the Draft AOC Wiki: https://wiki.draftaoc.us/index.php/Past_Draft_AOC_Newsletters.
The California ADEMs - Voter Registration
This week, our primary objective is to encourage voter registration ahead of the January 31th, 2025, deadline. Californians can register to vote by visiting https://ademelections.com/register/mail before January 24th, 2025.
Additionally, the Progressive Delegates Network has released a list of endorsed progressive candidates for California voters: https://progressivedelegatesnetwork.vote/find-your-candidates
https://ademelections.com/register/mail
Meeting with Justice for All Transition Campaign Manager
In New York City, we're meeting at Grand Central Station on January 27th, 2025, to discuss the logistics of running a national campaign for President.
This is a fantastic opportunity to learn from past campaigns. If you're in New York City, feel free to join us at 11:45 am at the Information Booth.
Call to Action
A volunteer has stepped up to manage the Draft AOC Instagram account: https://www.instagram.com/draftaoc.
This is a fantastic start, but we need more support! We have other social media platforms that require regular updates with engaging content to recruit new volunteers. If you're interested in moderating and managing these accounts, please reach me via email.
We also need advocates in every county to champion AOC's cause. Please forward this email to others and encourage them to register at draftaoc@register.repmyblock.org. Don't forget to remind them to check their spam folders!
This week has been slow as we still have 145 activists have registered with Draft AOC, but only 17 have completed the full email registration process. Let's push these numbers higher!
First Socialist International
Awaiting response to our invitation.
Second Socialist International
Social Democrats of America
In New York, we are preparing a list of municipal candidates under the SDA banner. This involves organizing petitions across all New York City districts and recruiting for County Committee representation.
These comrades in New York are dedicated to getting AOC on the ballot. If you know anyone in New York, please invite them to one of the Salons by visiting: https://www.socialists.us/events.
Third Socialist International
Awaiting response to our invitation.
Fourth Socialist International
Democratic Socialists of America
The DSA recently tweeted about their DSA 101 event with AOC but failed to address how the Democratic Party functions internally.
https://x.com/nycDSA/status/1883266239008743566
If you can facilitate a sit down with DSA or organize a leadership meeting, please let us know.
Fifth Socialist International
Awaiting response to our invitation.
Green Party
Awaiting response to our invitation.
Working Family Party
Awaiting response to our invitation.
Volunteer Opportunities
We urgently need volunteers to:
Maintain and update the website.
Create reports like this one.
Keep Wikipedia pages (https://wiki.draftaoc.us) current.
Manage and organize various Facebook pages and groups.
I will continue sending out brief weekly updates until someone volunteers to compile them into a comprehensive report each Sunday.
Thank you for being part of this critical movement. Together, we can build a real path forward.
In solidarity,
Hasta la victoria, ¡siempre!
Theo Chino,
Committee of the Second Socialist International.
Acting First National Secretary of the Social Democrats of America