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.
Official Announcement:
The DNC Future Forum will begin at 9 AM local time and end at approximately 6 PM local time.
The morning portion will feature opening remarks by DNC Chair Donna Brazile, Reverend Dr. William Barber II of North Carolina, Houston Mayor Sylvester Turner and Texas Democratic Party Chair Gilberto Hinojosa. There will be a polling presentation by Maria Teresa Kumar, representing Voto Latino.
At 10:30 AM the candidate forums will begin. Forums for secretary candidates, finance chair candidates, and treasurer candidates will be held in that order before the lunch break. After the lunch break, Former Kentucky Governor Steve Beshear and Houston Congresswoman Sheila Jackson Lee will give remarks, and candidate forums will be held for vice chair for civic engagement and voter participation, vice ahair at-large, and chair, in that order.
The candidate forums will be moderated by Evan Smith of the Texas Tribune.
WHAT: DNC Future Forum
WHERE: Texas Southern University, Granville M. Sawyer Auditorium, 3100 Cleburne St., Houston, Texas 77004
Future Forum Schedule
9 AM-10:30 AM Opening remarks with featured speakers DNC Chair Donna Brazile, Reverend Dr. William Barber II of North Carolina, Houston Mayor Sylvester Turner, and Texas Democratic Party Chair Gilberto Hinojosa
Polling Presentation by Maria Teresa Kumar, representing Voto Latino
Unity Commission Update
10:30 PM-12 PM Candidate Forums for Secretary, Finance Chair, and Treasurer
12 PM-1 PM Lunch Break
1 PM–6 PM Remarks by Former Governor Steve Beshear of Kentucky Remarks by Congresswoman Sheila Jackson Lee of Houston Candidate Forums for Vice Chair for Civic Engagement and Voter Participation, Vice Chair At-Large, and Chair
Candidates for Chair:
Sally Boynton Brown, Idaho
Raymond Buckley, New Hampshire
Pete Buttigieg, Indiana
Keith Ellison, Minnesota
Jehmu Greene, Texas
Jaime Harrison, South Carolina
Honorable Tom Perez, Maryland
Peter Peckarsky, Wisconsin
Sam Ronan, Ohio
Vincent Tolliver, Georgia
Robert Vinson Brannum, Washington, D.C.
Candidates for Vice Chair:
Michael Blake, New York
Melissa Byrne, Pennsylvania
Mitch Ceasar, Florida
Maria Elena Durazo, California
Liz Jaff, Washington, D.C.
Lorna M. Johnson, California
Latoia Jones, Washington, D.C.
Grace Meng, New York
Rick Palacio, Colorado
Adam Parkhomenko, Virginia
Candidates for Vice Chair of Civic Engagement and Voter Participation:
Karen Carter Peterson, Louisiana
Melissa Fazli, California
Chris Reeves, Kansas
Yasmine Taeb, Virginia
Candidates for Secretary:
Ana Cuprill, Wyoming
Roberta Lange, Nevada
Jason Rae, Wisconsin
Stephanie Rawlings-Blake, Maryland
Candidates for Treasurer:
Joyce Amico, Colorado
William Derrough, New York
Candidates for National Finance Chair:
Henry Munoz III, Texas
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If you have any questions specific to the Nuts & Bolts of these offices, the individuals running, or if you want a question asked of a specific candidate—remember, they can be asked outside of the forum as well—please post them here.