WSIL Endorsed Candidates

Junaid Ahmed for Illinois 8th Congressional District

WSIL DSA Endorses Junaid Ahmed for Illinois 8th Congressional Junaid Ahmed is a husband, father of two, DePaul graduate, immigrant, and proud llinoisian who has given back to his community throughout his life. During the pandemic, he founded the non-profit Chi-Care to deliver hot meals and supplies to our unhoused neighbors. Junaid Ahmed is a democratic socialist and when elected, he will fight against the current, crumbling system which enriches the top 1% at the cost of the working class. Junaid is committed to bringing down the cost of healthcare and work towards universal healthcare, to a comprehensive arms embargo of Israel, and to defending immigrant and queer communities from the Trump regime.

Ben McAdams for IL State Senate in the 24th District

WSIL DSA Endorses Ben McAdams for IL Senate in the 24th We are proud to endorse West Suburban IL Democratic Socialists of America member, Ben McAdams in the 24th district.

Ben is a lifelong resident of Illinois and the Chicagoland area. Growing up in Lombard, Ben attended College of DuPage before transferring to Elmhurst University (then college) where he double majored in Finance and Economics. While in college Ben became involved with local activism and went on to become a community organizer after graduation. During the Covid-19 pandemic, Ben began law school at DePaul University’s College of Law. In law school he focused his studies on Public Interest Law, becoming a member of the school’s Society for Asylum and Immigration Law (SAIL), and earning an award for the highest grade in his Civil Rights Law class. While at DePaul Ben worked for several legal non-profit organizations including the National Immigrant Justice Center, and Citizen Advocacy Center.

Ben believes in creating an Illinois where all residents can afford the basic necessities of life, such as healthcare and housing, without feeling economic anxiety. He believes in creating communities where everyone can live safe and fulfilling lives regardless of where they were born or where they come from.

Satnaam Mago for IL State Senate in the 33rd District

WSIL DSA Endorses Satnaam Mago for IL Senate in the 33rd We are proud to endorse West Suburban IL Democratic Socialists of America member, Satnaam Mago in the 33rd district.

Satnaam isn’t taking any corporate money because it ends up being a bribe. We must keep our communities safe from ICE, make sure all community colleges offer more vocational training as well as 4 year degrees with increased course offerings to lower tuition across the board, and our state pension plan is invested in Illinois rather than Israeli bonds.

Joey Ruzevich for Illinois 6th Congressional

WSIL DSA Endorses Joey Ruzevich for Illinois 6th Congressional In September, members of the West Suburban Illinois DSA voted to endorse Joey Ruzevich for IL-06. We believe he will fight for the changes the working class desperately need like universal healthcare, a living wage, immigration reform, and an end to genocide and war.

Overview of the WSIL DSA Endorsement Process

Our members democratically decide on campaigns we endorse in each election cycles. The process below roughly outlines the process.

  1. Candidates seeking endorsement must fill out and return a candidate questionnaire to the Electoral Working Group. The questionnaire can be requested by emailing the WSIL DSA Electoral Working Group at [email protected].

  2. The Electoral Working Group reviews candidate questionnaires and follows up with the candidate as needed.

  3. The Electoral Working Group then votes on whether to advance interviewed candidates to the general membership for a vote on endorsement. If so, the candidate will be invited to the next general chapter meeting to give their pitch to the general membership and answer any questions from the Electoral Working Group and membership.

  4. Finally, the entire chapter votes on endorsement, after which candidates are notified of the result.