Socialist Party of New Jersey | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Chair | Stephanie Gussin |
| Secretary | Pat Noble |
| Founded | 1970s |
| Ideology | Democratic socialism Socialist feminism Multi-tendency |
| Political position | Left-wing |
| National affiliation | Socialist Party USA |
| Colors | Red |
| Website | |
| njsocialistparty.org | |
TheSocialist Party of New Jersey (SPNJ) is the state chapter of theSocialist Party USA in theU.S. state ofNew Jersey.
The Socialist Party of New Jersey engages in bothelectoralpolitics and non-electoralactivism. Some examples of non-electoral activism includes anti-racist actions in cooperation withResidents Against Racism, support for unions and unionization in cooperation with theIndustrial Workers of the World (IWW) and other unions, anti-war and anti-imperialist agitation, and support forfeminism and women's rights.
In 2014, the SPNJ declared victory in a lawsuit (Noble v. State) against the State of New Jersey over the State preventing the Party from having voter registration rights.[1] The SPNJ joins eight other political parties who have voter registration, six of which are minor/alternative parties and also had to file a lawsuit to receive voter registration abilities.
The Socialist Party of New Jersey has two active locals,[clarification needed] a Northern New Jersey local headquartered inMontclair, and a Central New Jersey local headquartered inRed Bank.
The Socialist Party of New Jersey is governed by a State Executive Committee (SEC), elected to two-year terms at a state convention on odd years. The state convention elects one to two State Chairs, as well as a State Secretary and State Treasurer. Additionally, each chartered local is invited to elect one representative to sit on the SEC as a voting member.
The SPNJ has only one elected official within living memory, Pat Noble, who, in 2012, at the age of 19, was elected to theRed Bank Regional High School Board of Education serving from 2013 to 2016. Noble's only prior experience was working part-time at a local drug store with his highest level of education being the Monmouth Countyvocational school. Noble centered his campaign on making "socialist" not be a dirty word anymore, while also running on opposing merit pay for teachers, refusing access to the school toU.S. Army recruiters, introducing mandatory LGBT sex-education for all students, and opposing budget cuts. Noble was not re-elected, and made an unscessful bid to theboard of chosen freeholders inMonmouth County, which he would also lose, although he was made the party Secretary from 2011 to 2015 before serving as national co-chair before returning in 2017.[2]
Since 1976, theSocialist Party USA has run a candidate for President of the United States. The party's nominee has been on the ballot in New Jersey in 1976, 1980, 1984, 1988, 2000, 2004 and 2008. The candidate who has received the highest vote total in New Jersey wasWilla Kenoyer in 1988.
| Year | Nominee | Result | Votes | Notes | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1900 | Eugene V. Debs | 4 of 6 | 4,611 (1.15%) | ||
| 1904 | Eugene V. Debs | 3 of 6 | 9,587 (2.22%) | ||
| 1908 | Eugene V. Debs | 3 of 6 | 10,249 (2.19%) | ||
| 1912 | Eugene V. Debs | 4 of 6 | 15,948 (3.69%) | ||
| 1916 | Allan L. Benson | 3 of 5 | 10,405 (2.10%) | ||
| 1920 | Eugene V. Debs | 3 of 7 | 27,141 (3.00%) | ||
| 1924 | Robert M. La Follette | 3 of 8 | 108,901 (10.03%) | Also nominated by theProgressive Party. | |
| 1928 | Norman Thomas | 3 of 6 | 4,897 (0.32%) | ||
| 1932 | Norman Thomas | 3 of 6 | 42,998 (2.64%) | ||
| 1936 | Norman Thomas | 4 of 7 | 3,931 (0.22%) | ||
| 1940 | Norman Thomas | 4 of 6 | 2,433 (0.12%) | ||
| 1944 | Norman Thomas | 5 of 5 | 3,558 (0.17%) | ||
| 1948 | Norman Thomas | 5 of 7 | 10,521 (0.54%) | ||
| 1952 | Darlington Hoopes | 3 of 8 | 8,592 (0.36%) | ||
| 1956 | Darlington Hoopes | N/A | N/A | Not on ballot; final presidential campaign of Socialist Party of America | |
| 1976 | Frank Zeidler | 12 of 12 | 469 (0.02%) | First nominee of Socialist Party USA | |
| 1980 | David McReynolds | 10 of 13 | 1,973 (0.07%) | ||
| 1984 | Sonia Johnson | 9 of 9 | 1,247 (0.02%) | Also nominated by theCitizens Party. | |
| 1988 | Willa Kenoyer | 7 of 11 | 2,587 (0.08%) | ||
| 1992 | J. Quinn Brisben | N/A | N/A | (not on ballot) | |
| 1996 | Mary Cal Hollis | N/A | N/A | (not on ballot) | |
| 2000 | David McReynolds | 7 of 9 | 1,880 (0.06%) | ||
| 2004 | Walt Brown | 7 of 9 | 664 (0.02%) | ||
| 2008 | Brian Moore | 7 of 10 | 699 (0.02%) | ||
| 2012 | Stewart Alexander | N/A | N/A | (not on ballot) | |
| 2016 | Mimi Soltysik | N/A | N/A | (not on ballot) | |
| 2020 | Howie Hawkins | 4 of 8 | 14,202 (0.31%) | Also nominated by theGreen Party. |
Political parties ofNew Jersey | ||
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| Major (Ballot qualified) |  | |
| Minor (Not Ballot Qualified) | ||
| Former | ||