A Democrat candidate for the Texas House told the Democratic Socialists of America that he is a member of the organization and wants to advance its policy goals.
But he acknowledged he won’t publicly identify as a Democratic Socialist because he is running in a “deep red district.”
Yisak Worku is challenging Republican State Rep. David Lowe in House District 91 in Tarrant County.
Worku’s positions are detailed in a typo-ridden 15-page questionnaire submitted as part of his effort to secure the endorsement of Fort Worth DSA.
The document is marked “For internal use only” and says it is intended solely for Fort Worth DSA members and “should not be shared publicly.” It was, however, placed on their website.
In the questionnaire, Worku lists his political affiliations as “democrat and d s a.”
Asked why he was seeking the socialist organization’s endorsement, Worku said DSA represents the direction he wants the Democrat Party to take.
“I’m seeking endorsement because I feel that the DSA represents ideologically, the future i want to see for the Democratic Party and I want to do whatever I can to further dsa policy goals being turned into policy,” wrote Worku.
Later in the questionnaire, Worku was asked directly whether he is a DSA member.
“Yes I am,” he responded.
But when asked whether he would publicly identify as a democratic socialist during his campaign, including on his website or campaign literature, Worku declined.
“No deep red district,” he wrote.
Despite declining to publicly identify as a democratic socialist, Worku agreed to publicize DSA’s endorsement, allow the organization to collaborate on his campaign’s field plan, consider DSA members for policy positions, periodically attend DSA meetings, and endorse and campaign for other DSA-backed candidates.
The questionnaire also asked Worku how he would use elected office to “build socialism and working class power.”
Worku responded that he wants to strengthen unions, challenge corporate monopolies, promote worker and consumer cooperatives, and provide worker-owned alternatives to companies such as Uber, Lyft, and DoorDash.
Fort Worth DSA’s endorsement policy describes an endorsement as an agreement between the organization and a candidate that makes the campaign a chapter priority and establishes a working relationship with the candidate.
Its policy distinguishes between “Cadre” and “Non-Cadre” endorsements.
Cadre candidates are DSA members with significant organizing experience who are expected to publicly identify as democratic socialists, present their campaigns as DSA projects, commit to the organization’s platforms, and “use office to build movements and fight capitalism.”
The group also allows Non-Cadre endorsements for candidates who “align with our principles to a significant extent.”
Worku also laid out several policy positions in his questionnaire.
Asked his position on immigration enforcement, Worku wrote, “Ice should be abolished.”
He also called for ending cooperation between local jails and federal immigration authorities.
Fort Worth DSA’s endorsement policy lists supporting cooperation with ICE or the Department of Homeland Security on immigration enforcement among the positions that automatically disqualify a candidate from receiving or maintaining the chapter’s endorsement.
On LGBT issues, Worku called for ending sex-separated athletics.
“I would push for an end of gender segregated sports,” he wrote.
On education, Worku called for reintroducing home economics to teach students how to cook, clean, and care for themselves “instead of merely being workers for a capitalistic machine.”
The questionnaire was distributed to DSA members as part of the chapter’s endorsement process. Fort Worth DSA held a candidate forum with Worku on September 19 and said members would use his responses and answers at the forum to inform their endorsement vote.
Worku told Texas Scorecard the timing of a potential DSA endorsement meant it would “make no sense to rework campaign messaging and policy developed over months last minute.”
“One Thing Remains true my opponents don’t Define this campaign my allies don’t Define this campaign the only person that defines what the campaign stands for is me,” Worku wrote. “I know this District I know what it wants I know what it stands for and as a representative I believe is my duty to give them what they want and that is what my campaign is tailored around.”
Worku did not directly address why he told DSA members he would not publicly identify as a democratic socialist because the district is “deep red.”
