Nuts & Bolts: National party offices

Christopher Reeves for Nuts and Bolts The Guide to a Democratic Campaign

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Saturday January 28, 2017 · 7:00 AM PST

2017/01/28 · 07:00

Keith Ellison and Tom Perez — Keith Ellison (l) and Tom Perez duke it out for DNC Chair.

Welcome back, Saturday Campaign D-I-Y’ers! For those who tune in, welcome to the Nuts & Bolts of a Democratic campaign. Each week, we discuss issues that help drive successful campaigns. If you’ve missed prior diaries, please visit our group or follow Nuts & Bolts Guide.

While this series has focused on what it takes to build a successful campaign and successful county and state organizations, I’ve been taking January and February to talk about how you, as a voter and activist, make a difference through elections in your local community and party.

For the next few weeks in a row, the DNC will be hosting Future Forums, this week in Houston, Texas—then Detroit, Baltimore, and of course the final vote in Atlanta. I've been fortunate to receive a lot of emails and questions about proposals and positions held by candidates for different offices, and how they might impact the rank and file Democratic voters. This week, to match the DNC Future Forum, I hope to answer some of your questions in comments about the DNC elections, the purposes of these offices, and how proposals advanced by candidates may impact you.

Christopher Reeves for DNC Officers Election

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Wednesday January 25, 2017 · 8:41 AM PST

2017/01/25 · 08:41

When Sally Boynton-Brown entered the race for DNC Chair, most thought of her as an outsider who was there to make some noise. Her position as Executive Director of the Idaho Democratic party provided her the launching pad for her candidacy.

But a back and forth exchange with Joy Ann Reid has resulted in an outright backlash through social media.

The question, revolving around Black Lives Matter, has resulted in her Youtube, Facebook, and other social media becoming the target of vitriolic hatred.

What exactly was it she said?

Christopher Reeves for DNC Officers Election

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Saturday January 21, 2017 · 9:50 AM PST

2017/01/21 · 09:50

When Mayor of South Bend, Indiana Pete Buttigieg tossed his hat in the ring for DNC Chair, many wondered: who is Pete Buttigieg? Considered a rising star within the Democratic party, the issue of name recognition isn't one lost on the mayor. The website provided by the Mayor leads off with this statement:

“the most interesting mayor you’ve never heard of.”

His story is, in fact, pretty interesting, an Oxford graduate who served in Afghanistan as a lieutenant in the US Navy Reserves, Buttigieg sees himself as someone with executive experience that is required to lead the party into the future.

”I think I bring a different energy to the party, and that we have to really shake things free if we want to improve. Get outside of the beltway, and look to our successes.”

Christopher Reeves for DNC Officers Election

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Tuesday January 17, 2017 · 1:59 PM PST

2017/01/17 · 13:59

“I walked out of the meeting in Denver, Colorado (ASDC, the Association of State Democratic Chairs) and thought: no one is presenting a 21st century way to look at the problem. Most in attendance seemed dismayed we hadn’t really confronted the problems that caused the loss in November.”

And with that, Sally Boynton Brown, executive Director of the Idaho Democratic Party, decided it was the right time to run for chair of the Democratic Party. “I think we need to send a clear signal that we got the message of the electorate. We need to look at why people aren’t invested in our party. Why are so many people not voting, or refusing to associate with a party altogether? These are the critical questions we are avoiding entirely.”

Christopher Reeves

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Thursday January 05, 2017 · 10:45 AM PST

2017/01/05 · 10:45

In the sake of transparency, I have posted the official stances of those running for DNC Chair with no commentary. I’ve already posted the positions of Ilyse Hogue and Keith Ellison. Today, I’m providing the notice sent by candidate Jaime Harrison.

Christopher Reeves

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Thursday January 05, 2017 · 10:44 AM PST

2017/01/05 · 10:44

WASHINGTON, DC - NOVEMBER 13: NARAL Pro-Choice America President Ilyse Hogue (3rd L) joins lawmakers to announce new legislation to protect a woman's right to abortion during a news conference in the Dirksen Senate Office Building on Capitol Hill November 13, 2013 in Washington, DC. According to its sponsors, the Women's Health Protection Act of 2013 would "protect a women's right to safe and legal abortion by preempting restrictive regulations and laws - such as those in place in states including Texas and Wisconsin - intended to curtail reproductive health services for women. (Photo by Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images)

Ilyse Hogue has a long history of activism within the Democratic party, and today, in a notice delivered to Democratic National Committee members, she laid out her plan for the future of the party.

With her permission, I’m republishing in full below.

Christopher Reeves

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Thursday January 05, 2017 · 10:44 AM PST

2017/01/05 · 10:44

While I’m still working on tonight's Part 3 of where we go as a party, I had made clear that as candidates for DNC chair provided their platform, I would post it here. I have already posted Ilyse Hogue’s, and now Keith Ellison has released his plan. I’m attaching it below without comment.

Christopher Reeves

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Thursday January 05, 2017 · 10:44 AM PST

2017/01/05 · 10:44

Raymond Buckley, Source: ASCD

Over the last few weeks, without commentary, I have tried to provide an outlook on who is running for the DNC Chair position, and their platforms. If you have missed other entries, you can find them here: Ilyse Hogue, Keith Ellison, Jaime Harrison. I have listed them in chronological order from when they are released.

Below, find Raymond Buckley, chair of New Hampshire Dem’s pitch for his run as DNC Chairman. Below is unedited from Mr. Buckley regarding his appeal to voters.

Christopher Reeves for Daily Kos

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Thursday January 05, 2017 · 10:44 AM PST

2017/01/05 · 10:44

WASHINGTON, DC - SEPTEMBER 17: U.S. Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-VT) (L) and Rep. Keith Ellison (D-MN) (R) speak to members of the media during a news conference about private prisons September 17, 2015 on Capitol Hill in Washington, DC. The legislators announced that they will introduce bills to ban private prisons. (Photo by Alex Wong/Getty Images)

This morning, I had the opportunity to speak, at length, with Representative Keith Ellison, current candidate for Democratic National Committee chair, about the future of our party. In a pretty open conversation about what works and what does not, Ellison was willing to discuss the details of how we make our party function for all Democratic Party members, everywhere.

“I think it is important we have goals, targets” for elected officials, a way to make sure that we focus not just on money raised, but also on turnout. “We have to do much better at getting our own voters, actually, to the polls, every cycle.”

I have spoken to Ellison before, but I had not expected him to offer as much of his time as he provided today, addressing the needs of the Democratic Party. Originally set for a 20 to 30-minute call, Rep. Ellison took more than an hour to lay out his plan and the merits of his candidacy for DNC Chair.

Christopher Reeves

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Thursday January 05, 2017 · 10:43 AM PST

2017/01/05 · 10:43

Republished with permission.

Our DNC Chair

There’s nothing quite so unglamorous as announcing you are not doing something. So I won’t bury the lede: I am not running for DNC Chair this year.

In speaking with leaders and party members over the last month, it’s become clear we have two mutually-reinforcing needs. First, the Democratic Party faces a historic challenge — to build an inclusive, durable, fifty-state electoral infrastructure to support not just one candidate or constituency in the next election cycle, but all democratic-minded people for years to come. This means growing and optimizing a big organization, tackling everything from digital infrastructure to branding to local best-practice sharing. This infrastructure is all critical to building power, and it can’t live anywhere but the party itself.

Christopher Reeves

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Thursday January 05, 2017 · 10:43 AM PST

2017/01/05 · 10:43

Over the past few weeks, we’ve been talking about the race for DNC Chair, and with a few weeks to go before the election happens in Atlanta, Georgia, candidates are reaching out and making their case.

Today, I had time to talk to Raymond Buckley, Chair of the New Hampshire Democratic party and candidate for DNC Chair. Buckley became the first openly gay DNC Vice Chair in 2009, as head of the Association of State Democratic Chairs.

He began our conversation by highlighting what is said most frequently about Buckley: "I'm someone who understands the process, from the beginning, and I know the details of what needs to be changed."

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Nuts & Bolts: National party offices

DNC Chair Race: Candidate Faces Ongoing Attacks From Alt-Right Media

Race for DNC Chair: Mayor Pete Buttigieg Outlines His Plan

DNC Chair Race: Idaho Executive Director Sally Boynton Brown Makes Her Case

The Race For DNC Chair: Jaime Harrison's Pitch

Ilyse Hogue Offers Her Thoughts To DNC Members Regarding The Future Of The Party

Keith Ellison Provides His Plan For DNC

DNC Chair Race: Raymond Buckley's Platform

Talking about the future with DNC chair candidate Keith Ellison

DNC Chair Race: Ilyse Hogue Decides Against Run

Race for DNC Chair: Raymond Buckley