Social Democratic Party

The Social Democratic Party (SDP) was a major political party founded in the Terran Republic in the late 25th century    

Origins

The Social Democratic Party was founded in the year 2485 on the planet of New Berlin , then referred to as Technopolis. A liberal-democratic party founded with ideals of restoring democracy and social justice to the Terran sphere of influence, it began to seek seats in the recently restored Colonial Legislature but really came to the fore with the advent of the Terran Republic

Party Platform

The SDP Party platform was initially founded with the goals of:

• restoring social justice and fairness to the Terran sphere
• ensuring that the rule of law was followed
• to ensure that there was a welfare state to protect the poorest citizens
• the SDP is not anti-war but does feel that war should be avoided

With the merger with the Federalist Party, the SDP also agreed to a new platform that included:

• that government should be strong so that it can protect people
• that a strong national defence is required

Leadership

The SDP was founded with a many layered command structure and leadership, with regional party leadership that has devolved powers but also answers to the "Federal" Party.   The SDP elects a member of its executive as chairman

• Klaven Gerhardt -2498-2500
• Maroof Shortland -2500-2509
• Jayden Glovar -2509-2510
• Selina Gorman -2510-2516
• Gawain Knottman - 2516-2529
• Malik Grumman - 2529 -2535
• Sanjay Voessler - 2535-2549
• Katie Flockhart -2549-2555
• Luuk Tassacore - 2555-2570
• Anne Marie-Mayour - 2570 - 2580
• Gilman Trescothick -2580-2585
• Bailey Henkel -2585-2600
• Jon Costigan -2600-2609
• Mathie Santangelo -2610

Presidential Candidates

• 2520: Senator Hannah de Moy
• 2530: Noah Averssen
• 2540: Representative Raess Clennon
• 2550: Robinson Goetze
• 2560: Foreign Secretary Herrick Knottman
• 2580: Governor Alana Largo
• 2590: Vice President Branwyne Swayne
• 2600: Governor Walt Schilling
• 2610: Representative Hagan Esquerro
• 2620: Senator Julianna Knottman

Affiliated Parties

The SDP has long had a regional alliance with the Neu-Deutche (New German) party on New Berlin. The two run on a joint list on most levels on New Berlin, though the Neu-Deutche party does run its own candidates on their own party-line for city-council seats (and the SDP does not run against them).   After the 2510 election, the SDP and the Federalist Party began talks of forming a joint list for 2520 and in the end this was upgraded to a full party merger. The Federalists added their number and organisational might to the SDP, moving the party slightly to the more "hawkish" tone in terms of the party platform   The SDP forged a regional alliance with the Martian Democratic Union. The SDP would agree to support the MDU with logistic and technical expertise as well as sharing strategies and fund-raising data, though by Martian Law the SDP was banned from donating off-world money to the MDU   The SDP formed a Joint list with the left wing Gurava Party ahead of the 2530 election, with the two parties agreeing not to oppose each other unless by prior agreement and to back the others candidate in the Presidential election, depending on which party won the most seats in the General Assembly.   The SDP agreed a "Fusion Ticket" with the Justice and Peace Party ahead of the 2535 Fort Kurzon elections. This was broadened to a joint list for the 2540 election   In the leadup to the 2580 election, the SDP absorbed fellow left wing party Librarius.   The SDP renewed their old progressive alliance with Gurava in 2600, led by Walt Schilling, and in 2610, led by Rep Hagen Esquerro. Esquerro attempted to broker a three way deal that included the Republican Centrist Party, but Gurava, feeling betrayed, broke the Joint List.   Right before the 2620 general election, the SDP and Gurava officially merged under the SDP banner. The merger massively tilted the balance of the party towards the progressives.  

Electoral Performance

In the 2500 Presidential election, the SDP was unable to make a serious impact on the race but did have a considerable sway on the Sickles administration.   In 2510 2510, the SDP led in most polls but in the end they were out spent by the Destiny Party and fell to second in the overall poll. Some SDP members felt that the party's nominee, Senator Kayce Moreshower, had under performed. the SDP were invited into the moderate alliance formed by Destiny which included the Centrists and the SDP   Going into the 2520 Republic Election the SDP once again led in the polls, with many predicting that Senator Hannah de Moy would win the presidency. However, despite the party coming out on top of the ballot in 2520, they were stone-walled by the Centrist Party and forced to form a coalition that placed Keavett Creed as President.   In the 2530 Republic Elections the SDP was the front-runner, with the Destiny Party lagging badly in the polls. Record fund-raising totals for both major parties saw the polls narrow out somewhat but the SDP emerged the largest single party, though still without enough votes to win alone. The SDP entered into talks and was able to get Noah Averssen elected President of the Republic, ending the SDP's run of election defeats.   .The 2540 Republic Election was a tough one for the SDP, after ten years in power and the scandals that had plagued the Averssen administration, the party's support collapsed leading to the party's front-runner pulling out of the election. Rep Raess Clennon took up the party's nomination and the SDP's support rebounded from a low of 8% to finish at 14% of the General Assembly.   The expensive 2550 Republic Election proved to be a complicated affair. Led by Robinson Goetze, the party broke their joint list with Gurava after their campaign seemed to put into question the validity of the Zzenddi threat. The SDP finished second in the polls, but unable to form a left-wing coalition, they supported the election of Xavier Inkerman for a second term.   Going into 2560 Republic Election, the temperature of politics accross the Republic had reached an all time high. Positionning themselves above partisan speech, the SDP's campaign, led by Secretary Herrick Knottman, was a calm affair. Focused mainly on increasing social spending and cutting the military budget, the campaign also took aim at Ravenheart for their hateful declarations against AI. Finishing second in the polls behind their old allies of Gurava, they rallied the left wing bloc behind them and took the presidency.   With the end of the 2nd Zzenddi War and the release of the Dhaka Papers, the 2580 Republic Election was deemed unwinnable for the SDP. However, after a surprise coalition defeated frontrunner Nurih Safin in the presidential ballot, Governor Alana Largo became the party's nominee. A campaign turned towards the future, full of optimism and a strategic merger with Librarius catapulted the SDP to the top of the polls, and Alana Largo was elected President, leading a coalition including Vishnu Elpis, the Isolationist Party and the Republcian Centrist Party.   The 2590 Republic Election was a somber affair. Vice President Brawyne Swayne's campaign was plagued with difficulties. She had to replace most of her senior staff halfway through the campaign, while defending President Largo's decisions and being accused of prior knowledge of the deadly Snow-Plague that rampaged accross the Republic. The SDP finished 6th in the GA race, a new low for the party.   The first election under the new system, Governor Walt Schilling led the SDP into the 2600 Republic Election with impressive momentum. A Joint list with Gurava was agreed and it added to the momentum. In the second round, faced with Governor Reighley Warran (ISO), he recieved the endorsement of a number of parties and emerged a clear winner, with a record 21% of abstention.   The 2610 Republic Election was an eventful one for the SDP. With the Dhau war still going on, the SDP faced the complicated task of selling a progressive vision. They were flanked by the Stop The War Coalition, led by former SDP rep Ruup Jonnssen, which ate at their polling. Initially renewing their joint list with Gurava, they then tried to form a three-way agreement with the RCP, but Gurava, feeling betrayed by the decision, backed out. The SDP leaned more towards the centre and rebounded well, but ultimately narrowly failed to get to the second round.  

Electoral Results

 

General Assembly

 

• 2510 - 18%
• 2520 - 23%
• 2530 - 22%
• 2540 - 14%
• 2550 - 17%
• 2560 - 15%
• 2580 - 18%
• 2590 - 11%
• 2600 - 19%
• 2610 - 14%

Senate

 

• 2510 - 3 Senators
• 2520 - 6 Senators
• 2530 - 4 Senators
• 2540 - 3 Senators
• 2550 - 4 Senators
• 2560 - 6 Senators
• 2580 - 11 Senators
• 2590 - 10 Senators
• 2600 - 14 Senators
• 2610 - 8 Senators