The Washington State Democratic Party is distancing itself from a May Day rally promoted in a newsletter from party chair Shasti Conrad that calls for an arms embargo in the Middle East, saying the party’s official policy platform has yet to be determined.
In a Thursday email, Conrad highlighted several May Day events, including a Friday rally organized by Seattle May Day that “demands” an arms embargo and an end to U.S. military support for conflicts in the Middle East.
“From Lebanon to the Philippines, from Cuba to Palestine, stop the U.S. war machine. No money for Trump’s war on Iran. Stop sending troops or weapons from JBLM, Bremerton or Whidbey Island. Arms embargo now,” organizers stated on the event website, referencing Joint Base Lewis-McChord and defense manufacturing locations in the state.
Asked whether the call for an arms embargo from state suppliers reflects the policy platform of the state party, Stephen Reed, director of communications for the party, told JNS that “delegates to the Washington Democratic Party State Convention in June will decide our state party’s policy platform as the guiding document for our party and candidates.”
“However, our state party does not have purity tests,” Reed said, noting that “the broader goals of protesting the Trump administration, calling for a more fair tax system and preventing the waste of American lives and resources in wars of choice are all in alignment with our party’s vision.”
“Specific policies, however, will be decided by delegates at our convention,” he reiterated.
With some Democrats in the state facing progressive-left challengers, local Democratic organizations will have to decide who to endorse, not the state party.
“Legislative district and county party organizations may endorse Democratic candidates in alignment with their own bylaws, and operate autonomously from the state party,” Reed told JNS, clarifying that “the state party doesn’t endorse. Additionally, when multiple Democrats are running in the same primary, we stay neutral.”
The May Day rally scheduled for noon at Cal Anderson Park in Seattle has a long list of sponsors, including the Seattle chapter of the Democratic Socialists of America, Starbucks Seattle Workers United and the Seattle Education Association.
