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It was formed in 1973 after the Socialist Party of America was taken over by right- Shachtmanites and renamed the Social Democrats USA. A separate group, the Democratic Socialists of America, also split off in 1973 and is also active in political causes.
In 1980, the SPUSA became the first party to nominate an openly gay man for President – pacifist David McReynolds. He would run for a second time in 2000. In the past few years, the SP has grown from 600 members to nearly 1,500. And Socialists have surprised many in a number of recently elections, most notably in Milwaukee, where Socialist Wendell Harris received 20% of the vote for mayor.
The Socialist Party USA now focuses mostly on grassroots and local politics. Their "Socialist Summer Campaign" in 2004 has focused on issues such as fighting to end the military-industrial complex and post-9/11 immigrant detentions, and promoting civil liberties and civil rights.
See also: List of political parties in the United States
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