May 8, 2026

Over the past three months, socialists, progressives, leftists, and civic advocates have launched a far-reaching campaign to bolster working-class power in municipal and state governance. As primary elections draw near in Maryland and DC, the Left is engaging in its final outreach campaigns across the region. Their target is the hearts and minds of the region’s working people. 

In Prince George’s County, the working class fights for citizen-driven development in this oft-forgotten pocket of the DMV. Socialists have been advancing the insurgent campaigns of Imara Crooms (PGC Council District 9) and Raaheela Ahmed (State Senate District 23), as well as the reelection of Shayla Adams-Stafford (PGC Council District 5). The campaigns — backed largely by tenants, students, ecologists, and workers, seek to challenge the influence of land speculators, corporatists, and industrial interests that conspire to sell off the public good to the interests of data-center boosters.

In Montgomery County, support for candidates Gabe Acevero (State House District 39), Josie Caballero (Montgomery Council At-Large), and Izola Shaw (Montgomery Council District 3) has been anchored widely by an organized tenant and labor movement in the county. This movement — a multi-generational and multi-racial alliance — seeks to defend gains made following passage of the strongest rent stabilization protections in the region a few years back. If successful, this bloc can imbue the County’s municipal government with the vigor and popular support needed to pursue rent stabilization across the county, stall a counter-offensive being launched against tenants’ rights, and provide workers the voice needed to expand labor, immigrant, and tenants’ rights across the state.

In DC, a popular front has emerged to take back DC’s Wilson Building and course-correct the decade of austerity, ambivalence, and corruption of Muriel Bowser’s stale administration. The Popular Front is spearheaded by Janeese Lewis George (DC Mayor), who is running to reestablish DC’s executive office around the interests of tenants and workers. In the heart of the District, Aparna Raj (DC Council Ward 1) is running a campaign to unite the labor, tenant, racial justice, and immigrant rights movements in DC, promising to bring much-needed resolve to the DC Council. The fate of DC will also run through three other pivotal races. In the At-large Council Democratic primary, a labor alliance is standing behind the campaigns of Oye Owolewa and Dyana Forester. In a special election for DC’s Independent at-large seat, a labor-left alliance has amassed behind the campaign of Elissa Silverman. And in DC’s Democratic Party State Committee, a front has emerged from a revived statehood movement under the Free DC slate to realign DC’s Democratic Party behind the interests of its working classes.

DC’s primary elections (and special election) are being held on June 16. Mail-in ballots for registered voters will begin circulating on Monday, May 11. Check your DC voter registration status here. To vote in the Democratic primaries, you must be a registered Democrat by May 26 — update your DC voter registration (including party affiliation and address) here. (Note that party affiliation cannot be changed in person during early voting or on election day. The hard deadline to change affiliation is May 26.) Voters do not have to be Democrats to vote in DC’s special election.

Maryland’s primary elections are taking place on June 23. Mail-in ballots will begin circulating for all who requested one this week. The deadline to request a mail-in ballot is June 16 at 8pm, and the mail-in ballot can be requested online or by texting the word VBM to 77788. Use the Voter Lookup page on the Maryland State Board of Elections website to check voter registration. The deadline to register is Tuesday, June 2, although voters can register in-person at a polling place on primary election day or during early voting, which runs from June 11 to June 18. If you’re not registered to vote in Maryland and are eligible, register to vote online ASAP. Note that Maryland has closed primaries and all MDC DSA-endorsed candidates in Maryland are running in the Democratic primary — you must be registered as a Democrat to vote for them — update your Maryland party affiliation by June 2 here.

See additional GOTV canvassing in SOCIALIST CANVASSING brief below.