If you are interested in becoming a member of the Democratic State Committee [DSC] it is NOT too late even if you were not on the ballot.
There are a number of openings that can be filled by petitioning NOW. The deadline appears to be 2/15/08 [I am not an expert, and got this information from the Massachusetts Democratic Party Website].
For the rest of the information, go to:
http://www.massdems.org/index2…
DSC involvement is a good way for “the next generation of activists” to connect state wide, contribute and learn.
Please share widely!
Reminder: these are the categories (from the massdems site):
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p>Categories and allocations:
– 1 male and 1 female senior
– 4 male and 4 female youth
– 1 male and 1 female disabled
– 1 male and 1 female French speaking
– 1 male and 1 female Portuguese speaking
– 5 male and 5 female labor
– 1 male and 1 female veteran
– 5 male and 5 female gay and lesbian
– Affirmative action*
– Gender balance*
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p>The affirmative action members are a mix of men and women to get the black/Hispanic/Asian-American membership up to the target levels (based on census demographics). There are roughly 20 seats, depending on how many of the previously elected members and ex-officios are minorities.
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p>The gender balance seats are designed to compensate for the fact that the ex-officio members are largely male. This includes our 11-1 male congressional delegation and so forth. Enough women will be elected in this category to balance out the male ex-officios.
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p>At this late date, you don’t have much chance of getting elected to one of these spots if you’re starting now. The spots with more than one member tend to run as a slate, and those slates have probably been assembled by now. Four years ago, I attended the election meeting and my recollection was that the only slate that wasn’t full was the female affirmative action, so a couple of those spots really had a contest.
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p>I’d encourage anyone to get involved. I’ve been going to State Committee meetings for about five years despite having no chance of getting elected (I actually manage to fit in none of the add-on criteria, and my two locally elected DSC men are excellent).
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p>This is the group of “insiders” who will pick the last set of national convention delegates; for that matter, they also elect the Democratic National Committee members who are the notorious “superdelegates.” DSC members are automatic delegates to the state conventions, and were probably the key constituency in getting the Deval Patrick campaign started. So it’s a good group to get involved with.
I’m pretty sure votes still have to be cast for each individual candidates. By all means file your statement of candidacy if you are interested. I’m running for one of the four youth male seats.
I hope to meet you on March 8th. You may wish to also post your Statement here as I belive quite a number of State Committee members read this site.
Elections for add-on seats will take place on March 8. Any qualified Democrat can be nominated by a member. The deadline is for filing a statement that will be mailed to members.
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p>I’d like to stress Patrick’s point that any Democrat can attend DSC meetings, become a member of a sub-committee or take part in a number of ways.
After I made a few brief notes yesterday, I realized that people may have had the idea that the add-on members are like add-on delagates. You petition and then are selected through a committee process and then the full DSC has the final vote, but it is pretty much a procedural approval. It is a real vote.
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p>Speaking from the perspective of a member, I would state that it is not too late to start a campaign. Most of us, members and potential candidates, have been involved in the primary. Have people been contacting me and letting me know that they are running and asking for my vote or asking for information about the process? Absolutely. All contacts have been from people I know at some level who were contacting me personally. Have I received a number of mailings, or calls from a candidate going through a list? No.
I shouldn’t post before coffee.
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p>What I’m trying to say is:
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p>People may have had the idea that the add-on members are like add-on delagates. For add-on delegate you petition and then are selected through a committee process and then the full DSC has the final vote, but it is pretty much a procedural approval. For add-on members, it is a real vote of the Democratic State Committee members. Most of the seats are contested.
I am already getting mailings from candidates – and was only just elected – so yes, folks, you too could be on the State Committee – I guess the laws of physics apply and the reaction you get will be equal to the energy you apply.
Yes, this is an open election, so anyone can run as long as they get the papers in by next Friday.
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p>I would expect many of the current incumbents to be running, and given the nature of the DSC, they are likely to be re-elected. So there aren’t a lot of positions to start with.
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p>Given what I saw four years ago, the candidates who have already made contacts with DSC members about running have a big heads up on those who haven’t started yet.
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p>But by all means get involved. To use the military analogy, the party is doing OK on its officer corps. What we need more of is the NCO’s, who can help bridge the gap between the handful of DSC members and the large group of rank and file. (For example, do you know how much fun it is to help run the state conventions? We’re always short of volunteer leaders, people who can organize a group of volunteers to get things done.)
Not to split hairs, but anyone can run whether or not they file by February 15. The February 15 date is for submitting a 150 word statement and optionally a photo that will be mailed to members. We are referring to this as a “Facebook.”
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p>Any registered Democrat who qualifies for the category in question and who has a DSC nominator and two seconds can run, whether or not a filing is made.
Sorry for the confusion.
I know this sounds like a stupid question, but are the youth slots really competitive? Or is there a way to tell how many fellow candidates there are or who they are?
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p>I only ask because I am, on the one hand, interested, but if there are already good candidates running for female youth add-ons, I honestly would rather see them get in than spend time and money (both of which are precious) to try and beat out someone else who would do a great job. I am involved in politics in so many other ways, I’d feel a little bit greedy if I succeeded. LOL
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p>I’m also not sure how Mr. Lynne (who will probably read this comment) would feel about me running and, if elected, serving, given all those other ways I’m involved. He already gives me up to politics all the time. Heh.
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p>This election happens every 4 years, yes? If so, this would be the last cycle I could be a youth add-on. đŸ˜‰