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AUSTIN, Texas (AP) — When the socialists filed into the pews of a church sanctuary in Texas, there were far more than would have attended just two years ago.
But that was before members of the Democratic Socialists of America were winning congressional primaries , and the acronym “DSA” became a fixture on television news chyrons.
And before Democrats began arguing about whether to court or rebuke this movement, and President Donald Trump started to complain about the threat of “godless communists.” For many across the country, it all seemed to happen rather quickly, a political movement fresh off the bench that would, depending on who was asked, either uplift the working class or usher in Stalinism.
But for some in that church, none of this was quite so surprising.
The Austin DSA, like many of the 250 chapters spanning the country, has spent years marshaling its members’ earnestness, and their willingness to volunteer dozens or hundreds of hours, into a local movement with an eye toward national power.
They say that achieving their more distant goals — like abolishing prisons and achieving universal health care — starts with street protests and electing city council members.
Althou gh the progressive city of Austin was already fertile soil for a socialist chapter, the group’s recent growth has mirrored a broader expansion as nationwide DSA membership more than doubled to 126,000 in the past two years.
“We put in our sweat equity, we’ve put in time, we have put in dollars,” said Nathan Fernandes, speaking to the group gathered in the cavernous church.
“We make the DSA difference ourselves because special interests can buy elections, but people can’t buy what we have.” The evening meeting started with detailed training on how to observe and take video of immigration enforcement — “film horizontally” — and a presentation on getting the word out about a boycott of Starbucks to support the baristas’ contract negotiations.
Then spoke Misael Ramos, a DSA member and candidate for Austin City Council, who was followed by an announcement that the chapter had knocked on roughly 7,000 doors for his campaign. Another canvass was around the corner.
When that day arrived, two newer DSA members, Mark Ramirez and Clarisse Manuel, showed up to learn that their candidate, Ramos, had been arrested that morning for participating in a protest over the shooting of a Venezuelan man by a federal immigration agent.
Ramos is fighting the misdemeanor charge. In recent years, Ramirez, a 28-year-old software engineer, had felt frustrated by the ills of the world, particularly immigration crackdowns but also homelessness, the war in Gaza, medical debt in America, and the list went on.
Doomscrolling into a depression felt inadequate. The Democratic Party was “captured by corporate interests,” said Ramirez, sitting at a picnic table, but the DSA offered something beyond handwringing.
It tracked ICE raids, mounted a campaign to remove automated license plate readers in Austin, organized with labor unions and its members routinely donated their time and money to make hundreds of sandwiches for people in need.
“Healthcare, food and housing are things that everybody needs, and we have millions of times the productive force to meet all of those people’s needs,” Ramirez said.
But as a society, “we choose not to.” The DSA chapter’s gumption offered an antidote for Ramirez, who was one of roughly 700 people who signed on in the last year, growing their ranks by more than half. “It is on me, and I think it’s on everybody, to resist,” he said.
Manuel, 25, said members are showi ng what “can be achieved if we have a mass movement.” Back in the church sanctuary, Ramos revved up the audience. “If you believe housing is a human right, say ‘Yeah!’” he shouted.
“If you believe in a free Palestine and abolishing ICE, say ‘Hell yeah!’” An AP-NORC poll conducted in September found that about one-quarter of U.S. adults consider themselves a supporter of democratic socialism, which is similar to how many say they back President Donald Trump’s MAGA movement.
Democrats have warmed to the concept of socialism over the past 15 years, according to polling from Gallup. About two-thirds of them had a positive view of socialism in an August poll, up from 50% in 2010.
Over the same period, Democrats have soured on capitalism. Only about one-third of them had a positive view of capitalism this year, down from about half in 2010.
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