List of Communist Party USA election results

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

This is a list of members of the Communist Party USA (CPUSA) who have run for elected office in the United States.

Currently, CPUSA does not regularly field candidates,[1] aiming to avoid spoiling progressive Democratic candidates.[2] Discussions and debates about running candidates have occurred within the party; in 2021, CPUSA chairman Joe Sims said, "We really can’t be a political party if we don’t run candidates".[3] In 2025, CPUSA declared that it had candidates "on the ballot in at least four states".[4]

CPUSA has run candidates on an explicit Communist ticket, on tickets of third parties (such as the Nonpartisan League), and on Democratic tickets.[1]

As of 2024, no CPUSA member has been elected to federal office, one has been elected to state office, and several have been elected to local government. See also: List of Communist Party USA members who have held office in the United States.

Communist Party USA candidates for president and vice president
Year President Vice president Votes Percent Name
1924
William Z. Foster
Benjamin Gitlow		38,6690.1%Workers Party of America
1928
William Z. Foster
Benjamin Gitlow		48,5510.1%Workers (Communist)
Party of America
1932
William Z. Foster

James W. Ford

 103,3070.3%Communist Party USA
1936
Earl Browder

James W. Ford

 79,3150.2%
1940
Earl Browder

James W. Ford

 48,5570.1%
1948
No candidate;
endorsed Henry Wallace
No candidate;
endorsed Glen H. Taylor		N/A
1952
No candidate;
endorsed Vincent Hallinan
No candidate;
endorsed Charlotta Bass
1968
Charlene Mitchell
Michael Zagarell		1,077nil%
1972
Gus Hall
Jarvis Tyner		25,597nil%
1976
Gus Hall
Jarvis Tyner		58,7090.1%
1980
Gus Hall
Angela Davis		44,9330.1%
1984
Gus Hall
Angela Davis		36,386nil%

Congressional elections

Year Candidate Chamber State District Votes % Result Notes Ref
1992 Denise Winebrenner Edwards House Pennsylvania 18 3,650
1.44%
 Lost ran as independent [5]
1992 John Rummel House New Jersey 13 1,525
1.05%
 Lost ran as CPUSA candidate [5]
1988 Mark Almberg House Illinois 8 1,937
1.34%
 Lost ran as CPUSA candidate [6]
1988 John Rummel House New Jersey 14 442
0.29%
 Lost ran as CPUSA candidate [6]
1984 Laura Ross House Massachusetts 8 15,810
8.08%
 Lost ran as CPUSA candidate [7]
1984 Ishmael Flory Senate Illinois At-Large 4,802
0.1%
 Lost ran as CPUSA candidate [7]
1984 Lucille Bieger Senate Kansas At-Large 9,380
0.94%
 Lost ran as CPUSA candidate [7]
1984 Samuel Webb Senate Michigan At-Large 1,196
0.03%
 Lost ran as CPUSA candidate [7]
1982 Joelle Fishman House Connecticut 3 696
0.38%
 Lost ran as CPUSA candidate [8]
1982 Joelle Fishman House Connecticut 3 696
0.38%
 Lost ran as Citizens Party candidate [8]
1980 Charles Wilson Senate Illinois At-Large 11,453
0.25%
 Lost ran as CPUSA candidate [9]
1980 William Scott Senate New York At-Large 4,161
0.07%
 Lost ran as CPUSA candidate [9]
1980 Frank Kinces Senate Pennsylvania At-Large 3,334
0.08%
 Lost ran as CPUSA candidate [9]
1980 Rick Nagin Senate Ohio At-Large 42,410
1.05%
 Lost ran as independent [9]
1980 Joelle Fishman House Connecticut 3 2711
1.21%
 Lost ran as Citizens Party candidate [9]
1978 Joelle Fishman House Connecticut 3 3,068
1.84%
 Lost ran as CPUSA candidate [10]
1976 Joelle Fishman House Connecticut 3 2,947
1.32%
 Lost ran as CPUSA candidate [11]
1976 Matt Savola Senate Minnesota At-Large 2,214
0.12%
 Lost ran as CPUSA candidate [11]
1976 Herbert Aptheker Senate New York At-Large 25,141
0.38%
 Lost ran as CPUSA candidate [11]
1976 Frank Kinces Senate Pennsylvania At-Large 2,097
0.05%
 Lost ran as CPUSA candidate [11]
1976 Margaret Cann Senate Rhode Island At-Large 912
0.23%
 Lost ran as CPUSA candidate [11]
1974 Ishmael Flory Senate Illinois At-Large 5,873
0.2%
 Lost ran as CPUSA candidate [12]

Statewide elections

Year Candidate Office State District Votes % Result Notes Ref
1990 Evelina Alarcón Secretary of State California At-Large 144,577
1.93%
 Lost ran as Peace and Freedom Party candidate [13][14]
1986 Helen Kruth Treasurer Minnesota At-Large 13,817
1.03%
 Lost ran as CPUSA candidate [15]
1985 George Fishman Governor New Jersey At-Large 1,901
0.1%
 Lost ran as CPUSA candidate [16]
1984 Marcia Davis Trustee Illinois At-Large 56289
0.44%
 Lost ran as CPUSA candidate; vote for 3 [12]
1984 Richard Giovanoni Trustee Illinois At-Large 50724
0.4%
 Lost ran as CPUSA candidate; vote for 3 [12]
1984 Elsie Rosado Trustee Illinois At-Large 37,311
0.29%
 Lost ran as CPUSA candidate; vote for 3 [12]
1982 Richard Giovanoni House Illinois 7 530
2.08%
 Lost ran as CPUSA candidate [12]
1982 Helen Kruth Treasurer Minnesota At-Large 28,131
1.69%
 Lost ran as CPUSA candidate [17]
1980 Barbara Browne Trustee Illinois At-Large 46,956
0.39%
 Lost ran as CPUSA candidate; vote for 3 [13][12]
1980 Mark Almberg Trustee Illinois At-Large 22,793
0.19%
 Lost ran as CPUSA candidate; vote for 3 [12]
1980 Richard Rozoff Trustee Illinois At-Large 22,406
0.19%
 Lost ran as CPUSA candidate; vote for 3 [12]
1978 Helen Kruth Auditor Minnesota At-Large 22,576
1.51%
 Lost ran as CPUSA candidate [18]
1976 Ishmael Flory Governor Illinois At-Large 10,091
0.22%
 Lost ran as CPUSA candidate [12]
1976 Theodore Pearson Attorney General Illinois At-Large 11,154
0.25%
 Lost ran as CPUSA candidate [12]
1976 Frances Gabow Secretary of State Illinois At-Large 8,271
0.18%
 Lost ran as CPUSA candidate [12]
1976 Charles Hunter Comptroller Illinois At-Large 10,992
0.25%
 Lost ran as CPUSA candidate [12]
1976 Mark Almberg Trustee Illinois At-Large 25,641
0.21%
 Lost ran as CPUSA candidate [12]
1976 Altherna Medith Trustee Illinois At-Large 18,948
0.16%
 Lost ran as CPUSA candidate [12]
1976 Jack Kling Trustee Illinois At-Large 17,414
0.14%
 Lost ran as CPUSA candidate [12]
1972 Ishmael Flory Governor Illinois At-Large 4,592
0.1%
 Lost ran as CPUSA candidate [12]

State legislature elections

Year Candidate Office State District Votes % Result Notes Ref
2006 Kenneth Jones Senator Missouri 4 559
3.01%
 Lost Democratic primary [19]
1996 David Mirtz Assembly New York 80 265
0.85%
 Lost ran as CPUSA candidate [20]
1994 Mark Almberg Senate Illinois 17 21
0.08%
 Lost write-in [12]
1992 David Mirtz Assembly New York 71 575
2.31%
 Lost ran as "Tax the Rich" candidate [21]

Local elections

Year Candidate Office City District Votes % Result Notes Ref
2025 Christopher Semok City Council Columbia Falls At-Large 509
21.6%
 Won nonpartisan election [22]
2025 Hannah Shvets Common Council Ithaca 5 243
64.12%
 Won ran as Democratic candidate and open Communist Party member [23]
2025 Daniel Carson City Council Bangor At-large 2,512
14.3%
 Won nonpartisan election [24]
2025 Luisa de Paula Santos School Committee Cambridge At-large 2,399
10.29%
 Won nonpartisan election [24]
2025 Luke Rotello City Council Northampton 5 592
42.92%
 Lost nonpartisan election [24]
2025 Colton Baldus Park Board Minneapolis 5 1,661
6.17%
 Lost nonpartisan election [24]
2022 Steven Estrada City Council Long Beach 1 441
8.53%
 Lost nonpartisan election [25][26]
2019 Denise Winebrenner Edwards Borough Council Wilkinsburg 3 922
65.34%
 Won ran as Democratic candidate and open Communist Party member [27][13][28]
2019 Tony Pecinovsky Alderperson St. Louis 14 622
47.96%
 Lost Democratic primary [29][30]
2019 Wahsayah Whitebird Alderperson Ashland 6 52
55.32%
 Won nonpartisan election [31][32][33]
2017 Denise Winebrenner Edwards Borough Council Wilkinsburg 3 613
55.32%
 Won ran as Democratic candidate and open Communist Party member; opponent was write-in; 2-year seat [34][13][28]
2017 Denise Winebrenner Edwards Borough Council Wilkinsburg 3 547
23.77%
 Lost ran as Democratic candidate and open Communist Party member; vote for 2, 3rd place [34][13][28]
2013 Dominic Giannone III City Council Weymouth 1 77
9.76%
 Lost nonpartisan primary, did not advance to general [35][36][37][38][39]
2005 Denise Winebrenner Edwards Borough Council Wilkinsburg Won [40]
2002 Gary Dotterman City Council Boston 9 Lost nonpartisan election [41][42]
2001 Denise Winebrenner Edwards Borough Council Wilkinsburg Won [43]
1999 Kenneth Jones Alderperson St. Louis 22 1,231
58.93%
 Won ran as Democratic candidate and open Communist Party member [13][44][45]
1997 Denise Winebrenner Edwards Borough Council Wilkinsburg Won [43]
1995 Kenneth Jones Alderperson St. Louis 22 767
55.58%
 Won ran as independent [13][44][45]
1993 Gary Dotterman City Council Boston At-large 5,404
1.81%
 Lost nonpartisan primary, did not advance to general [46]
1991 Kenneth Jones Alderperson St. Louis 22 1,501
72.65%
 Won ran as independent [13][44][45]
1987 Kenneth Jones Alderperson St. Louis 22 1,187
53.93%
 Won ran as independent [13][44][45]
1983 Kenneth Jones[a] Alderperson St. Louis 22 1,566
60.07%
 Won ran as independent [13][44][45]
1977 Joelle Fishman Mayor New Haven At-Large 417
1.04%
 Lost ran as CPUSA candidate [47]
1975 Joelle Fishman Mayor New Haven At-Large 811
2.38%
 Lost ran as CPUSA candidate [48]

See also

Notes

References

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