Serving the California Democratic Party – Progressive Style
By Mayme Hubert
The Progressive Plan outlines a new structure for the Party -- bottom up, not top down. It defines a structure that challenges us to show up and stand for elective office. For months many of you have been working to get progressives elected to County Central Committees. These elections will happen on June 3. Central Committee candidates are campaigning now. Many need volunteers and money if they are to be successful. Please support these men and women in their races. You know who they are. After the June 3 results, elections will be held in every County Central Committee for representatives to the CDP E-Board. We anticipate many new progressives will be elected to the E-Board.
Whether or not your progressive candidates are successful in their races for County Central Committees, another opportunity for Progressive representation within the Party occurs in January 2009, when elections are held in every Assembly District Committee for delegates to the State Central Committee (aka DELEGATES). Again, one of the new AD Delegates will be elected E-Board Representative from the AD.
In the meantime, on June 15th at the CDP E-Board meeting in Millbrae (near the San Francisco Airport) current E-Board members will elect 19 Democratic National Committee members from California. There are about 15 additional members of the DNC some of whom are appointed by Chair, Art Torres. This office is important for the governance of the Party nationally and for representation for all of California as well. DNC members elected in June will not be super-delegates for the 2008 election but will take office after the convention in Denver and be super-delegates in 2012.
We believe there will be more candidates running, including members and officers of the Progressive Caucus, for DNC than in the recent past. We will look forward to meeting them all at the June E-Board during the Executive Board Social from 8:30-11:00 on Friday, June 13th and voting on Sunday, June 15th -- so don't leave the E-board meeting early!
Finally, this brings us to the election for California Democratic Party Officers one year from now at the convention in the spring of 2009. We will be electing a Chair, two Vice-Chairs, Secretary, and Controller. We hope to build on the progressive momentum we have accomplished so far as we consider candidates for Officers of the State Party."
