List of Communist Party USA members who have held office in the United States

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This is a list of American politicians who are members of the Communist Party USA (CPUSA) and who have held elected office in the United States. CPUSA has run candidates on an explicit Communist ticket, on tickets of third parties (such as the Nonpartisan League), and on Democratic tickets. See also: List of Communist Party USA election results.

Federal officials

As of 2024, two Communist Party members have been elected to office in the federal government.

Lower houses

Former (2)

Name District State Office Term Start Term End Notes Ref
John Bernard MN-08 Minnesota House of Representatives January 3, 1937 January 3, 1939 ran as Farmer–Labor Party candidate, future Communist [1][2]
Hugh De Lacy WA-01 Washington House of Representatives January 3, 1945 January 3, 1947 ran as Democratic Party candidate, but not open Communist [3]

State officials

As of 2024, three Communist Party members have been elected to office in a state government.

Upper houses

Former (1)

Name District State Office Term Start Term End Notes Ref
Charles E. Taylor Sheridan County Montana Senate January 1, 1923 January 5, 1931 ran as Montana Farmer-Labor Party candidate, but not open Communist [4][5][6]

Lower houses

Former (1)

Name District State Office Term Start Term End Notes Ref
Benjamin Gitlow 3rd Bronx New York State Assembly January 1, 1918 December 31, 1918 ran as Socialist Party of America candidate, future Communist [7]
William J. Pennock 35th Washington House of Representatives January 9, 1939 January 13, 1947 ran as Democratic Party candidate, but not open Communist [8][9]

Local officials

As of 2024, seven Communist Party members have been elected to a mayor's office or city council office.

Mayors

Former (1)

Name State Area Office District Term Start Term End Notes Ref
Karl Emil Nygard Minnesota Crosby Mayor[a] At-Large January 3, 1933 January 2, 1934 [10]

City and county councils

Former (6)

Name State Area Office District Term Start Term End Notes Ref
Denise Winebrenner Edwards Pennsylvania Wilkinsburg Borough Council Ward 3 January 2018 January 2024 ran as Democratic Party candidate, but also open Communist Party member [11]
Wahsayah Whitebird Wisconsin Ashland City Council Ward 6 April 17, 2019 April 2021 [12]
Denise Winebrenner Edwards Pennsylvania Wilkinsburg Borough Council Ward 3 January 1998 January 2010 ran as Democratic Party candidate, but also open Communist Party member [13][14]
Kenny Jones Missouri St. Louis Board of Aldermen Ward 22 1983 2002 [15]
Benjamin J. Davis Jr. New York New York City City Council At-large March 1, 1943 December 31, 1949
Peter Cacchione New York New York City City Council At-large January 1, 1942 November 6, 1947
Hugh De Lacy Washington Seattle City Council 1937 1940 [3]

Other local officials

Former (1)

Name State Area Office District Term Start Term End Notes Ref
Rodney Salisbury Montana Sheridan County Sheriff At-Large 1922 1928 ran as Montana Farmer-Labor Party candidate, but not open Communist [5]

See also

Notes

  1. ^ Called "President of the Village Council".

References

  1. ^ https://bioguide.congress.gov/search/bio/B000411
  2. ^ Haynes, John Earl (1984). Dubious Alliance: The Making of Minnesota's DFL Party. U of Minnesota Press. ISBN 9780816613243.
  3. ^ a b Harvey Klehr, The Heyday of American Communism: The Depression Decade. New York: Basic Books, 1984; pg. 256.
  4. ^ "Charles E. Taylor". Ballotpedia.
  5. ^ a b "The Communists of Sheridan County". Montana Senior News. December 1, 2019.
  6. ^ Dyson, Lowell K. (1972). "The Red Peasant International in America". The Journal of American History. 58 (4): 958–973. doi:10.2307/1917853. ISSN 0021-8723. JSTOR 1917853.
  7. ^ Gitlow, Benjamin (1940). I Confess: The Truth About American Communism. E. P. Dutton & Co. pp. 4 (background), 5–6 (family), 283 (Nov 1925), 284–287 (Dec 11 1925), 523 (1928–1929). ISBN 9781787208667. Retrieved October 20, 2018. {{cite book}}: ISBN / Date incompatibility (help)
  8. ^ "Pension Society Head Admits Lie". Associated Press. July 30, 1953. Retrieved August 14, 2025.
  9. ^ Black, Gordon; Salter, Daren; Gregory, James. "Who's Who in the Communist Party of Washington State". depts.washington.edu. University of Washington. Retrieved August 13, 2025.
  10. ^ Kreighbaum, Hillier (December 16, 1932). "Communist Mayor-Elect of Crosby, Minn., Tells of Plans". The Bakersfield Californian. Bakersfield, CA. p. 7. Retrieved December 3, 2022 – via Newspapers.com. Open access icon
  11. ^ "Borough Council". Wilkinsburg Borough Council.
  12. ^ Johnson, Earchiel (May 7, 2019). "Native American communist topples incumbent council president in Wisconsin town". People's World. Retrieved August 2, 2020.
  13. ^ Pecinovsky, Tony (May 8, 2020). "100 years of CPUSA: A critical reply to "Jacobin"". Communist Party USA. And in 1997, Denise Winebrenner Edwards was elected to the Wilkinsburg, PA, city council.
  14. ^ "Ballot Access News -- December 5, 1997". www.ballot-access.org. Retrieved August 2, 2020. On November 4, Denise Winebrenner Edwards was elected to the Wilkinsburg, Pennsylvania borough council. Although she was a Democratic Party nominee, she is also a leader of the Communist Party, a fact which was well known during the campaign.
  15. ^ Pecinovsky, Tony (May 8, 2020). "100 years of CPUSA: A critical reply to "Jacobin"". Communist Party USA. Retrieved August 2, 2020. In 1983, the African American Communist Kenny Jones became the alderman of the 22nd Ward in St. Louis (...)
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