# Socialist Equality Party (United States)

The Socialist Equality Party (SEP) is a Trotskyist political party in the United States. SEP first formed in 1964 as the American Committee for the Fourth International, created by expelled members of the Socialist Workers Party. SEP and its previous forms were associated with the International Committee of the Fourth International (ICFI), a Trotskyist political international.
SEP describes itself as a revolutionary socialist party, because the SEP believes capitalism is "beyond reform" and only "a revolutionary movement that has as its aim the establishment of workers' power" can win socialism.
Notable members include David North, Jerry White, and Joseph Kishore.

## History
### Background

In the 1950s, most Trotskyists in the United States were members of the Socialist Workers Party (SWP), which was part of the Fourth International's (FI) tendency International Committee of the Fourth International (ICFI).
In 1958, SWP adopted a policy of "regroupment": Pursuit of former members of Stalinist communist parties, who had been disillusioned by the Secret Speech.$^{:844–845}$ This SWP strategy also meant greater support for Fidel Castro, whom SWP leadership called an "unconscious" Trotskyist.
In 1961, Tim Wohlforth, James Robertson, and other SWP members who opposed regroupment created a tendency within the SWP, the Revolutionary Tendency (RT). RT saw the SWP as shifting toward the FI's other tendency, the International Secretariat of the Fourth International (ISFI), led by Michel Pablo. RT opposed "Pabloite" politics$^{:864–865}$ and Pablo's "entryism sui generis" plan, in which Trotskyists would maintain separate parties but personally enter into communist and social democratic parties. RT developed links with the Socialist Labour League in Britain, led by Gerry Healy.$^{:917}$ Lyndon LaRouche was briefly an RT member.$^{:945}$
In 1962, the RT split: Robertson's majority kept the name. Wohlforth's minority renamed itself the Reorganized Minority Tendency (RMT).$^{:866}$
In 1963, in preparation for merging the ICFI with the ISFI, Wohlforth was removed from the SWP's Political Committee.$^{:924}$

### Formation

In November 1963, the SWP expelled Robertson and the RT, who created the Spartacist League. Robertson's appeal was denied in April 1964.$^{:917–918}$
In September 1964, the SWP expelled Wohlforth and the RMT, who created the American Committee for the Fourth International (ACFI) and launched the biweekly Bulletin of International Socialism.$^{:866,917–918,924}$ ACFI maintained connections with Gerry Healy and the (non-merged portions of the) ICFI, which they considered the legitimate Trotskyist movement. ACFI became the American section of the ICFI.
Wohlforth argued that the split was due to their demand for discussion of the decision by the Sri Lankan Trotskyist Lanka Sama Samaja Party to participate in the national government.$^{:924}$ ACFI characterized this decision as "opportunism" that originated in the "centrist" position of the LSSP during the split between the ISFI and ICFI of 1953.

### Subsequent history

In 1966, ACFI renamed itself to the Workers League (WL).$^{:866}$
In 1973, WL entered serious organizational crisis. About 150 members and most of its founding leaders left. At Healey's insistence, Wohlforth was forced out of leadership.$^{:927}$
In 1985, ICFI split in two. The Workers Revolutionary Party (WRP) in Britain argued that ICFI should support nationalist leaders like Saddam Hussein and Muammar Gadhafi.$^{:928}$ In 1985, the WRP expelled Gerry Healy, and WL sided with the ICFI majority over Healy's minority.$^{:929}$
In 1995, parties affiliated with ICFI each renamed themselves as Socialist Equality Party. In 1998, the ICFI launched the World Socialist Web Site. ICFI runs the publishing house Mehring Books, formerly named Labor Publications.
In 2006, the Socialist Equality Party relaunched its student movement (the Students for Social Equality) as the International Students for Social Equality (ISSE). In 2012, the SEP renamed the ISSE as the International Youth and Students for Social Equality (IYSSE).

## Ideology

SEP is a Trotskyist party.
SEP supports a "revolutionary struggle against capitalism" and rejects socialist reformism, stating that "our aim is not the reform of capitalism, but its overthrow". In its list of transitional demands, the SEP includes: Universal employment, universal healthcare, ending foreclosures and evictions, workplace democracy, high inheritance taxes, nationalization of large corporations, and replacement of the volunteer-based US military with "popular militias controlled by the working class and with elected officers".

## Election results

The SEP has fielded electoral candidates in the United States for local, state, and federal offices. SEP candidates usually run as official SEP candidates on their own ballot line.
No SEP candidate has yet won an election.

### Presidential elections

| Year | Presidential candidate | Vice presidential candidate | Popular votes | % | Electoral votes | Result | Ballot access | Notes |
| 2024 | Joseph Kishore | Jerome White | 4,659 | 0.00% | 0 | Lost | 41 / 538 | running as a Socialist Equality Party candidate |
| 2020 | Joseph Kishore | Norissa Santa Cruz | 345 | 0.00% | 0 | Lost | 9 / 538 | ran as Socialist Equality Party candidate |
| 2016 | Jerome White | Niles Niemuth | 382 | 0.00% | 0 | Lost | 0 / 538 | ran as write-in candidate |
| 2012 | Jerome White | Phyllis Scherrer | 1,279 | 0.00% | 0 | Lost | 17 / 538 | ran as Socialist Equality Party candidate |
| 2008 | Jerome White | Bill Van Auken | 18 | 0.00% | 0 | Lost | 0 / 538 | ran as write-in candidate |
| 2004 | Bill Van Auken | Jim Lawrence | 1,857 | 0.00% | 0 | Lost | 45 / 538 | ran as Socialist Equality Party candidate |
| 1996 | Jerome White | Fred Mazelis | 2,438 | 0.00% | 0 | Lost | 43 / 538 | ran as Socialist Equality Party candidate |
| 1992 | Helen Halyard | Fred Mazelis | 3,050 | 0.00% | 0 | Lost | 33 / 538 | ran as Workers League candidate |
| 1988 | Edward Winn | Helen Halyard | 18,693 | 0.02% | 0 | Lost | 59 / 538 | ran as Workers League candidate |
| 1984 | Edward Winn | Helen Halyard | 10,798 | 0.01% | 0 | Lost | 71 / 538 | ran as Workers League candidate |

### Congressional elections

| Year | Candidate | Chamber | State | District | Votes | % | Result | Notes |
| 2006 | Bill Van Auken | Senate | New York | Class 1 | 6,004 | 0.1% | Lost | |
| 2006 | Jerome White | House | Michigan | MI-12 | 1,862 | 0.8% | Lost | |
| 2018 | David Moore | Senate | California | Class 1 | 24,601 | 0.4% | Lost | Top two primary |
| 2018 | Niles Niemuth | House | Michigan | MI-12 | 2,200 | 0.8% | Lost | |
| 2018 | Kevin Mitchell | House | California | CA-51 | 1,473 | 1.9% | Lost | Top two primary |

### Statewide elections

| Year | Candidate | Office | State | District | Votes | % | Result | Notes | Ref |
| 2021 | David Moore | Governor | California | | 31,160 | 0.4% | Lost | urged a "No" vote on the recall | |
| 2003 | John Burton | Governor | California | | 6,748 | 0.1% | Lost | urged a "No" vote on the recall | |

### State legislature elections

| Year | Candidate | Office | State | District | Votes | % | Result |
| 2016 | Naomi Spencer | State House | West Virginia | 16th | 921 | 2.3% | Lost |
| 2010 | D'Artagnan Collier | State House | Michigan | 9th | 138 | 0.7% | Lost |
| 2006 | Joe Parnarauskis | State Senate | Illinois | 52nd | 1,894 | 3.4% | Lost |
| 2006 | Eric DesMarais | State Senate | Maine | 32nd | 296 | 2.3% | Lost |

### Local elections

| Year | Candidate | Office | Area | District | Votes | % | Result | Notes | Ref |
| 2013 | D'Artagnan Collier | Mayor | Detroit | | 91 | 0.1% | Lost | | |
| 2009 | D'Artagnan Collier | Mayor | Detroit | | 1,265 | 1.4% | Lost | | |

## National congresses

| Name | Date | Location | Main Resolution | Report |
| Eighth National Congress | August 4-9, 2024 | online | Tasks of the SEP | Opening Report |
| Seventh National Congress | July 31-August 5, 2022 | online | COVID-19 and the fight for socialism | Build rank-and-file committees |
| Sixth National Congress | July 19-24, 2020 | online | Tasks of the SEP | |
| Fifth National Congress | July 22-27, 2018 | southeast Michigan | Tasks of the SEP | Opening Report |
| Fourth National Congress | July 31-August 5, 2016 | Detroit, Michigan | Tasks of the SEP | |
| Third National Congress | August 2014 | | Tasks of the SEP | |
| Second National Congress | July 8-12, 2012 | Detroit, Michigan | Perspectives of the SEP | On the 2012 campaign |
| First National Congress | August 11-15, 2010 | Ann Arbor, Michigan | SEP Program | |
| Founding Congress | August 3-9, 2008 | Ann Arbor, Michigan | SEP Statement of Principles | Summary |