List of Communist Party USA members who have held office in the United States

This is a list of American politicians who are members of the Communist Party USA (CPUSA) and who have held elected office in the United States. CPUSA has run candidates on an explicit Communist ticket, on tickets of third parties (such as the Nonpartisan League), and on Democratic tickets. See also: List of Communist Party USA election results.

History In a 1934 Daily Worker article, the Communist Party claimed that "party candidates" had won office in a dozen communities, including two mayors (Emil Nygard of Crosby, Minnesota and Bill Young of Platte Township, Michigan) and several councilmen. By 1964 however, the party claimed only three "party candidates": New York City Councilmen Peter V. Cacchione and Benjamin J. Davis Jr., and "a mayor in a Montana community no longer recalled."

Federal officials , two Communist Party members have been elected to office in the federal government.

Lower houses Former (2) Name District State Office Term start Term end Notes Ref Hugh De Lacy WA-01 Washington House of Representatives ran as Democratic Party candidate, but not open Communist Harvey Klehr, The Heyday of American Communism: The Depression Decade. New York: Basic Books, 1984; pg. 256. John Bernard MN-08 Minnesota House of Representatives ran as Farmer–Labor Party candidate, future Communist https://bioguide.congress.gov/search/bio/B000411

State officials , eleven Communist Party members have been elected to office in a state government.

Upper houses Former (1) Name District State Office Term start Term end Notes Ref Charles E. Taylor Sheridan County Montana Senate ran as Montana Farmer-Labor Party candidate, but not open Communist

Lower houses Former (10) Name District State Office Term start Term end Notes Ref William J. Pennock 35th Washington House of Representatives ran as Democratic Party candidate, but not open Communist Kathryn Fogg 31st Washington House of Representatives ran as Democratic Party candidate, but not open Communist Ellsworth C. Wills 34th Washington House of Representatives ran as Democratic Party candidate, but not open Communist H. C. Armstrong 33rd Washington House of Representatives ran as Democratic Party candidate, but not open Communist A. C. Miller 41st North Dakota House of Representatives ran as Nonpartisan League candidate, open Workers Party member Robert Larson Sheridan County Montana House of Representatives ran as Farmer–Labor Party candidate, but not open Communist Clair Stoner Sheridan County Montana House of Representatives ran as Democratic-Republican-Nonpartisan League candidate, but not open Communist William F. Dunne Silver Bow County Montana House of Representatives ran as Democratic-Nonpartisan League candidate, future Communist Benjamin Gitlow 3rd Bronx New York State Assembly ran as Socialist Party candidate, future Communist Seymour Stedman 13th Illinois House of Representatives ran as Socialist Party candidate, future Communist

Local officials , twenty-four Communist Party members have been elected to a mayor's, city council, or other office.

Mayors Former (2) Name State Area Office District Term start Term end Notes Ref Bill Young Michigan Platte Mayor At-Large Karl Emil Nygard Minnesota Crosby Mayor At-Large

City and county councils Current (2) Name State Area Office District Term start Term end Notes Ref Hannah Shvets New York Ithaca Common Council Ward 5 January 2026 January 2030 ran as Democratic Party candidate, open Communist Party member Daniel Carson Maine Bangor City Council At-large January 2026 January 2029 nonpartisan election

Former (14) Name State Area Office District Term start Term end Notes RefChristopher SemokMontanaColumbia FallsCity CouncilAt-LargeJanuary 2026July 2026nonpartisan election; resigned Denise Winebrenner Edwards Pennsylvania Wilkinsburg Borough Council Ward 3 ran as Democratic Party candidate, but also open Communist Party member Wahsayah Whitebird Wisconsin Ashland City Council Ward 6 Denise Winebrenner Edwards Pennsylvania Wilkinsburg Borough Council Ward 3 ran as Democratic Party candidate, but also open Communist Party member Kenny Jones Missouri St. Louis Board of Aldermen Ward 22 Benjamin J. Davis Jr. New York New York City City Council Manhattan At-large Peter Cacchione New York New York City City Council Brooklyn At-large first open member of the Communist Party elected to public office in the state of New York Hugh De Lacy Washington Seattle City Council At-large ran as Democratic Party candidate, but not open Communist Frank Mucci Illinois Taylor Springs Village Board Frank Panscik Illinois Taylor Springs Village Board Frank Prickett Illinois Taylor Springs Village Board Andy Psak Illinois Taylor Springs Village Board Andy Gricevich Illinois Benld City Council Peter Smilovich Minnesota Trommald Village Council John Buksa Jr. Ohio Yorkville City Council ran as Independent candidate, open Communist Party member

Other local officials

Current (1) Name State Area Office District Term start Term end Notes Ref Luisa de Paula Santos Massachusetts Cambridge School Committee At-large January 2026 January 2028 nonpartisan election

Former (3) Name State Area Office District Term start Term end Notes Ref Steve McKiddy Kentucky Carpenter School Board Rodney Salisbury Montana Sheridan County Sheriff At-Large ran as Montana Farmer-Labor Party candidate, but not open Communist Hans Rasmussen Montana Sheridan County Surveyor At-Large ran as Montana Farmer-Labor Party candidate, but not open Communist

See also Other lists: List of socialist members of the United States Congress List of elected socialist mayors in the United States List of Democratic Socialists of America public officeholders List of Green politicians who have held office in the United States History of the socialist movement in the United States History of the Communist Party USA Kshama Sawant, a former Seattle City Councilmember and member of Socialist Alternative, a Trotskyist political party Lee J. Carter, a former Virginia State Delegate who identifies as a communist Sammie Abbott, a self-described Marxist who was elected Mayor of Takoma Park, Maryland in 1980 Jesse Gray, a New York State Assemblyman who supported some Communists in elections and was alleged to have organized the CPUSA in Harlem Washington State Senators N. P. Atkinson, Ernest Thor Olson and Thomas C. Rabbitt, and Washington State Representatives Emma Taylor Harman, George S. Hurley, Michael B. Smith and Pearl Thrasher, state legislators who, like Pennock, were named as party members, but were never proven to be Lenus Westman, a former member of the Communist Party who was elected to the Washington State Senate but was denied his seat Si Gerson, who became the first Communist to hold any appointed office in New York City when he was appointed Confidential Examiner to the Borough President of Manhattan in 1938 Anna Louise Strong, a Seattle School Board member who supported the Soviet Union and the People's Republic of China George W. Albright, a Reconstruction era Mississippi State Senator who abandoned the Republican Party and praised the Communist Party for nominating a black man, James W. Ford, for Vice President Joseph Weydemeyer, an early associate of Karl Marx who was elected St. Louis County Auditor in 1865 August Willich, an early associate of Karl Marx who was elected Hamilton County Auditor in 1866

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