Young Socialist Candidates Can Build Working-Class Power Through Electoral Politics
Source: Reese Armstrong. "A High School Socialist Is Taking on the Bosses in Texas." March 3, 2026. jacobin.com
The Gist
A 17-year-old socialist argues that young people should run for local office because they understand the problems facing working families and can use campaigns to build movements for real change. Even if they don't win, running helps organize people and shows that public ownership of housing and healthcare can solve problems better than leaving everything to private markets.
Conclusion
Young socialists like Reese Armstrong should run for local office to build working-class power and address systemic issues facing their communities
Premises
- Age-based exclusion from politics is a tool used to divide the working class, similar to race and ethnicity
- Electoral campaigns serve as effective organizing tools that meet people where they are and can build mass movements even when they don't win
- Young people face the daily reality of late-stage capitalism's crises and therefore have clear motivation to solve systemic problems
- Local government positions like county commissioner have significant but underrecognized power over public health, housing, and infrastructure that directly affects working-class lives
- Public ownership models for housing and healthcare can serve as market anchors and provide dignity to working-class residents
- Traditional progressive politics in places like Travis County have failed to address housing displacement and rising costs for working families
Assumptions
- Socialist policies are more effective than liberal/progressive approaches at addressing working-class needs
- Young people's lack of traditional political experience is outweighed by their direct stake in long-term outcomes
- Electoral politics can be a legitimate vehicle for socialist organizing and movement building
- Local government has sufficient power to meaningfully impact housing, healthcare, and economic conditions despite state-level constraints