Andre Easton for the Bronx

The people of the Bronx desperately need an alternative to the Democrats, who have done nothing but bleed the borough dry. Democratic arch-Zionist Ritchie Torres has overseen the utter destruction of New York City’s poorest borough, while doing more to support the Palestinian genocide than he has done for any of us. This November, the black and brown workers of the Bronx have zero interest in pulling the lever for this charlatan. Bronx residents tired of having to deal with the same song and dance should do something else with their vote.

Bronx high school teacher Andre Easton has launched an independent campaign to unseat Torres in the South Bronx. Easton, a member of the Party for Socialism and Liberation (PSL), says he is “running to represent New York’s 15th congressional district because it’s time to return the wealth the bosses, landlords, and the billionaires who fund Ritchie Torres have stolen from us.” He also fights for a free Palestine, which is beyond the pale for the Democratic Party. By running in opposition to both the Democrats and NYC’s capitalist masters, Andre represents a real option for working people who want to express resistance at the ballot box to the direction that the city and country are headed in.

For decades, the Democratic Party and its real estate and Wall Street backers have pillaged this heavily black, Latino and immigrant district, while siccing the murderous NYPD thugs on folks who live here. Not long ago, many Bronx voters went for Trump because they saw no other alternative to the Democrats. More recently, a lot of voters were swindled by Mamdani, who promised to ease the affordability crisis but has already proved far more committed to reviving the Democratic Establishment. Enough with these hustlers! Let’s rally around someone who actually wants to fight for us. The Spartacist League encourages working people and the left to vote for Andre. We should build and amplify his campaign as an anti-capitalist counter to the Republican and Democratic parties.

Making a big push for Andre could further working-class defense against the all-sided attacks raining down on Bronx residents. But his campaign is held back by PSL’s aligning itself with “progressive” Democrats. In particular, they play up Zohran’s socialist pretensions, and Andre himself says he voted “with enthusiasm” for the new mayor, whose main achievements have been endorsing the strikebreaking governor Hochul and thanking the cops for shooting people.

The Easton platform includes tons of demands, such as healthcare for all, easy unionization and free childcare, which if implemented could begin reversing decades of criminal neglect of the Bronx. But to make this a reality will require a serious fight against the powers that be, including Zohran. PSL undermines this fight not only by embracing the mayor, but also by uncritically endorsing the “No Kings” protests designed to channel anger at Trump’s crimes into support for the other party of imperialism and genocide.

NYC-DSA got Zohran elected and is busy campaigning for a slew of Democratic candidates in the midterms. The DSA left argues that the organization would only ever throw its resources behind candidates who can win. The real question here for the DSA left is what constitutes winning? Selling your socialist soul to the Democratic Party devil to gain office or building wider confidence among workers and the oppressed to struggle under their own independent banner? In the latter case, this campaign is winnable! It could unite broad layers of the workers movement—provided the left drops its sectarian quibbles and builds it.

Easton’s campaign for NY-15 could be a powerful force to advance socialist organization in NYC. To win, it’s got to be premised on a total break from “progressive” Democrats and their politics, relying instead solely on the organized power of the working class. Vote working class! Vote Andre for the Bronx!