The National Political Committee (NPC) is the principal governing body of the Democratic Socialists of America (DSA) between meetings of the organization's national convention. The body is elected every two years by delegates to the national convention. It is made up of 27 members, of which 25 are elected by DSA chapter delegates, whom themselves are elected by their chapters' members using the single transferable vote.
Fourteen of the committee seats are reserved for members who are not men, and 8 are reserved for members of color. The co-chairs of the Young Democratic Socialists of America (YDSA) serve as NPC members, and are elected at YDSA convention held annually, which can result in shifts in political makeup of the NPC in the middle of the committee's two-year term.
The NPC elects its own steering committee, consisting of the National Co-Chairs and seven members elected at-large by the National Political Committee, two of whom are selected to serve as the treasurer and as the secretary.
History DSA's 2023 National Convention re-instated the office of National Co-Chairs to be directly elected by DSA's National Convention as public-facing national figureheads who would also take up two seats on the NPC. This replaced the previous office of National Political Committee Co-Chairs which had little public-facing role and were elected by the NPC from among themselves.
Following a failed attempt by Socialist Majority Caucus to expand the number of seats of the NPC in 2023, the 2025 DSA National Convention passed an omnibus of structural reforms proposed by DSA's Democracy Commission which included expanding the National Political Committee. The 2025–2027 NPC thus expanded from 17 seats, one of which was split by the Co-Chairs of the Young Democratic Socialists of America (YDSA), to 27 seats, the YDSA Co-Chairs now each having one full vote. The reforms passed with wide approval across DSA's political spectrum despite opposition and attempts to remove NPC expansion from the Democracy Commission Omnibus by Red Star and Libertarian Socialist Caucus.
At the 2023 DSA National Convention, elections for the National Political Committee resulted in what some DSA members called a "leftward shift" in leadership. A coalition of caucuses which position themselves as the organization's revolutionary left, including Red Star, Marxist Unity Group, Bread and Roses, and the Anti-Zionist Slate (renamed Springs of Revolution in 2025) won a majority of seats, displacing the previous governing coalition led by Socialist Majority and Groundwork caucuses. The NPC has been described as having matured into a "multi-caucus parliament", where building majority blocs requires negotiation and persuasion among the different tendencies.
The 2025 convention saw a similar result, the "left-wing" caucuses retained a majority, joined by representatives from Reform and Revolution and Libertarian Socialist Caucus. Despite the DSA caucuses which make up this majority claiming the 2023 and 2025 convention results as a clear victory for DSA's internal left-wing the actual reality of NPC governance has been more complex, on individual issues majorities frequently shift and are as likely to include "right-wing" caucuses such as Groundwork and Socialist Majority Caucus as they are to include "left-wing" groupings such as Springs of Revolution and Red Star.
On June 23, 2024 the NPC narrowly voted to endorse Representative Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez conditioned on Ocasio-Cortez's commitment to oppose funding for Israel's Iron Dome and support the Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions movement. Following this vote New York City DSA, who had already endorsed Ocasio-Cortez, rescinded Ocasio-Cortez's application for national endorsement over concerns that a conditional endorsement constituted an illegal quid pro quo. The NPC responded on July 10 by issuing a statement acknowledging NYC DSA's withdrawal, both criticizing and praising Ocasio-Cortez, and re-asserting the commitments required to receive National DSA endorsement.
Caucuses
Electoral strategies Caucuses in the DSA are divided over electoral strategies, and each caucus often adopts one or more particular strategies as a "Point of Unity" that defines the caucus's goals.
The party surrogate strategy prioritizes expanding the DSA's power and institutions independent of the Democratic Party, while continuing to use the advantages of the Democratic Party ballot line when those advantages exist. The dirty break strategy is similar to the "party surrogate" strategy of using the Democratic Party ballot line while building up DSA independently. However, it places a greater emphasis on the necessity and inevitability of a future "break" with the Democratic Party. The realignment strategy involves working explicitly as a faction within the Democratic Party, with the long-term goal of shifting the party to adopt more social democratic or socialist principles. This was the DSA's historical position before it reshaped after Bernie Sanders' 2016 campaign and was advocated by DSA's founder, Michael Harrington. None of the caucuses currently represented on the NPC advocate for realignment. The clean break strategy calls for immediately ending all use of the Democratic ballot line and only running candidates independently or third-party. Some clean break advocates also demand the immediate expulsion of all DSA elected officials from the organization. None of the caucuses represented on the NPC support a clean break.
Caucuses currently represented on the NPC CaucusIdeology and orientationElectoral strategySeatsWebsite Bread & RosesMarxismStructural reformRank-and-file labor strategyDirty break GroundworkEcosocialismStructural reform Socialist Majority CaucusMass politicsPopular frontStructural reformParty surrogate Springs of RevolutionHardline anti-Zionism Marxist Unity GroupOrthodox MarxismDemocratic centralismParty surrogate Red StarMarxism–LeninismParty surrogate Carnation Reform & RevolutionTrotskyismUnited frontDirty breakreformandrevolution.org Libertarian Socialist CaucusLibertarian socialismAnti-statismDual powerSources:
Caucuses previously represented on the NPC CaucusStatusIdeology and orientationElectoral strategyWebsite BuildDefunctOrganizational decentralizationdsabuild.org (archived) North StarActiveHarringtonismPopular frontRealignmentdsanorthstar.org Collective Power NetworkDefunctOrganizational centralizationOrganize-the-unorganized labor strategyParty surrogatedsaorganizer.org (archived)ConstellationActiveOrganizational centralizationParty surrogatedsaconstellation.com RenewalDefunctdsarenewal.org (archived) Sources:
Historical composition The table below shows caucused members of the National Political Committee from 2015 to present:
Caucus 2015 2017 2019 2021 20232024 2025 2026 Bread & Roses Build Carnation Collective Power Network Constellation Groundwork Libertarian Socialist Caucus Marxist Unity Group North Star Red Star Reform & Revolution Renewal Socialist Majority Caucus Springs of Revolution References
Current members NameRoleSteeringCommitteeChapterCaucusDSA Co-ChairAt-largeRed StarDSA Co-ChairWilmingtonGroundworkLong IslandSocialist MajorityNew York CityGroundworkPortlandBread & RosesYDSA Co-ChairBread & RosesNew York CityMarxist Unity GroupNew York CitySocialist MajorityOrlandoMarxist Unity GroupNew York CityGroundworkHoustonBread & RosesLos AngelesCarnationLos AngelesGroundworkYDSA Co-ChairMiamiBread & RosesNew York CitySprings of RevolutionSecretaryNew York CityLibertarian Socialist CaucusTreasurerNew OrleansRed StarConnecticutSprings of RevolutionPortlandSprings of RevolutionPortlandReform & RevolutionLos AngelesSocialist MajorityIthacaSocialist MajoritySeattleBread & RosesDenverSprings of RevolutionMetro DetroitGroundworkSeattleMarxist Unity GroupSan FranciscoRed Star Additional sources:
Past members
2025–2027 National Political Committee NameRoleSteeringCommitteeChapterCaucusDaniel Salup-CidYDSA Co-Chair (2025-2026)Reform & RevolutionSara AlmosawiYDSA Co-Chair (2025-2026)UncaucusedAdditional sources:
2023–2025 National Political Committee NameRoleSteering CommitteeChapterCaucusAshik SiddiqueNational Co-ChairWilmingtonGroundworkMegan RomerNational Co-ChairSyracuseRed StarRose DuBoisMaineGroundworkAhmed HusainAnti-Zionist SlateAmy WilhelmInterim SecretarySeattleMarxist Unity GroupRashad XSecretaryMarxist Unity GroupCara TobeLouisvilleGroundworkRenée ParadisEast BaySocialist MajorityColleen JohnstonDenverSocialist MajoritySam Heft-LuthySan FranciscoRed StarAlex PellitteriNew York CityBread & RosesLaura WadlinPortlandBread & RosesFrances GillLos AngelesGroundworkKristen SchallMid-Hudson ValleyBread & RosesJohn LewisTreasurerNew OrleansRed StarLuisa MartínezPortlandUncaucusedAron Ali-McCloryYDSA Co-ChairConstellationEvan CaldwellYDSA Co-Chair (2023-2024)UncaucusedCarlos Callejo IIIYDSA Co-Chair (2024-2025)Bread & RosesAdditional sources:
Notes
References