By Adam Pagnucco.
Last fall, I reported that three MoCo candidates were seeking the endorsement of the Metro DC Democratic Socialists of America (DSA): District 39 Delegate Gabe Acevero, council at-large candidate Josie Caballero and Council District 3 candidate Izola Shaw. DSA later endorsed all three.
Now one of the region’s most prominent Jewish advocacy organizations is urging candidates to not complete DSA’s questionnaire, labeling it “revolting.”
Yesterday, Ron Halber, CEO of the Jewish Community Relations Council of Greater Washington (JCRC), released the following statement lambasting DSA.
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JCRC Urges Candidates to Not Participate in “Revolting” Anti-Jewish DSA Questionnaire
JCRC Statement
February 25, 2026
The following is a statement from Ron Halber, CEO of the Jewish Community Relations Council of Greater Washington.
Every community has the right and deserves the opportunity to participate fully in a democracy. Exclusions based on religion, race, ethnicity, or any other criteria have no place in our country.
The questionnaire for political candidates developed by the Democratic Socialists of America’s (DSA) Metro DC chapter completely flouts those principles by encouraging the systematic erasure of Jewish and pro-Israel Americans from public life. It is revolting. JCRC urges candidates for political office not to engage with this anti-Jewish loyalty oath in any form, or otherwise seek the DSA’s endorsement.
The questionnaire demands that candidates “refrain from any and all affiliation” with organizations that support Zionism, the right of Jewish self-determination. With more than 80 percent of American Jews and nearly all synagogues identifying as Zionist, the consequences of adhering to such a pledge are profoundly disturbing. Candidates who step foot in a synagogue, speak to a group of Hebrew school students, or attend a gathering at a Jewish community center risk crossing a political red line grounded in ostracism and demonization. These concerns are not hypothetical or hyperbolic; DSA policymakers who simply criticize Hamas for perpetrating the worst slaughter of Jews since the Holocaust are now incurring the DSA’s wrath.
In a time of unprecedented hostility towards Jews in America, the DSA’s Metro DC Chapter is codifying antisemitism into its party platform. Any political candidate abiding by these guidelines is agreeing to shun Jewish people and institutions in the communities they would represent. It is the opposite of democratic, a blight on our social contract, and dangerously un-American.
Jews understand all too well how political extremism that starts at the fringes can quickly turn mainstream. We refuse to be silenced or treated like pariahs by DSA or any other political interest group that deems us expendable. We will confront such threats publicly, relentlessly, and without apology.
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Let’s note two things. First, JCRC is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit that is legally prohibited from advocating for or against candidates. It’s unclear how far they can go in enforcing their view on this issue. Second, DSA is already working on behalf of Acevero, Caballero and Shaw as its posts on social media shown below illustrate.
Will JCRC’s pushback succeed? Or will there be more socialist-backed candidates running for office?