Last Saturday (May 12), I attended the 1st and 10th Congressional District Conventions in Fairfax and Frederickburg. This Saturday (May 19), the remaining Congressional Districts will hold their conventions and our Unity Team for the DNC, Mame Reiley, Doris Crouse-Mays, George Wallace and I, or folks helping us, will cover those conventions. The CD conventions will elect 69 National Convention Delegates and 7 Alternates (2/3 of the total elected Delegates and 3/4 of the Alternates) and chose Presidential Electors, and some CDs will consider also resolutions. (See CD Convention details below.)
Then it’s on to the State Convention, and it was reported today that DNC Chair Debbie Wasserman Schultz will be featured at an event on Saturday night (June 2) – so Delegates should plan to stay in town after the convention adjourns. Friday night (June 1) will feature events with Jim Webb and various hospitality suites. Check the DPVA State Convention Schedule for details.
CD Convention Details:
2nd CD – May 19, noon; Lake Taylor Middle School (1380 Kempsville Road, Norfolk, VA 23502)
3rd CD – May 19, noon; Achievable Dream High School (5720 Marshall Ave, Newport News, VA 23605)
4th CD – May 19, 10 am; Deep Creek Middle School (1955 Deal Drive, Chesapeake, VA 23323)
5th CD – May 19, 11 am; Nelson County High School, auditorium (6919 Thomas Nelson Highway, Lovingston, VA 22949)
6th CD – May 19, 10 am; Rockbridge High School ( 143 Greenhouse Road, Lexington, VA 24450)
7th CD – May 19, 11 am; Henrico High School (302 Azalea Ave., Fairfield, VA 23227)
8th CD – May 19, 10 am; Robert E. Lee High School (6540 Franconia Road, Springfield, VA 22150)
9th CD – May 19, 1 pm; New River Community College, Rooker Auditorium (5251 College Drive, Dublin, VA 24084)
11th CD – May 19, 10 am; Luther Jackson Middle School (3020 Gallows Road, Falls Church, Virginia 22042)
At the June 2, 2012 Virginia Democratic State Convention in Fairfax, we will elect two male and two female representatives to four year terms on the DNC. I am honored to run with Mame Reiley, George Wallace, Doris Crouse-Mays, a diverse group who will continue to work at the DNC to advance progressive issues, build the Democratic Party, and elect Democrats.
Mame has served on the DNC since 1992 – she currently chairs the DNC Women’s Caucus and serves as a respected member of the DNC Rules and Bylaws Committee. She has worked for the election of, and raised money for, countless Democrats, including Senator Warner and Governor Kaine. Mame is an important national voice for Democratic Women and Virginia Democrats.
George is seeking his first term on the DNC, and has the support of leaders of the Virginia Legislative Black Caucus. He has had a long career of public service in local government and was just re-elected as the leading voter getter and Vice-Mayor of Hampton, Virginia. George will bring a unique perspective as a local official to the DNC and contribute to our efforts to elect Democrats from the courthouse to the White House.
Doris is seeking only her second term on the DNC, but she already sits on the DNC Executive Committee. She is a long time Democratic activist who was elected as the first woman president president of the Virginia AFL-CIO. She oversees Labor’s political program in Virginia, has help elect many Democrats, and works every day to advance the interests of Virginia’s working families.
The members of the Unity Team have different backgrounds and experiences and come from different parts of the Commonwealth, but share common goals.
We are united in our years of experience working to build the Democratic Party and elect Democratic candidates.
We are united in support of Democratic values and principles and working to support and advocate for all Democratic candidates.
We are united in our commitment to DNC support for building state parties and winning elections for Democrats in the Commonwealth and across the nation.
We are united in our efforts to win Virginia for Barack Obama and elect Tim Kaine and our Democratic candidates in 2012 and beyond.
Please support the Unity Team and we look forward to seeing you in Fairfax on June 2!
I am seeking election to a second term on the DNC (Democratic National Committee) at the DPVA State Convention on June 2, and I have been contacting folks around the state to ask for their support. Many of these are people I worked with in the Young Democrats, on local committees, on the DPVA Central Committee, in support of progressive issues, as part of protect and promote the vote activities, and/or in support of Democratic local, state, and national candidates. Others are people who will be delegates to the State Convention who I have met for the first time.
I am releasing today an initial supporters list consisting of good Democrats from every corner of the Commonwealth – from Bristol to Virginia Beach to Northern Virginia. The list includes elected officials, Democratic Committee members, and other activists. It also includes leaders in the Virginia Black Caucus, the Democratic Latino Organization of Virginia, the Asian-American Caucus, the LGBT Caucus, the Veterans and Military Families Caucus, the Young Democrats, and leaders in Labor and business. Read the rest of this entry »
In years in which the Democratic Party of Virginia holds a State Convention, the Convention considers resolutions (or a Platform) presented by the its Resolutions Committee. In 2001 and 2005, the Central Committee adopted platforms drafted by its Resolutions Committee (which I chaired). See DPVA Platforms.
This year, the DPVA is holding a series of telephone conference calls to hear Democrats’ views on important issues. The calls will be held on: Monday, May 14, 8-9 pm for Congressional Districts 8, 10, 11; Tuesday, May 15, 8-9 pm for Congressional Districts 1, 7, 3,2 ; and Wednesday, May 16, 8-9 pm Congressional Districts 4, 5, 6, 9. For each of the calls, the Phone Number: 605-475-4000, Access Code: 110644#. Congressional District Conventions usually also have a resolutions process, so interested Democrats should contact their CD Committees.
Between State Conventions, any member of the Central Committee can propose a resolution – and can do so on behalf of a local or CD committee. The Resolutions Committee carefully considers the resolutions before forwarding them to the full Central Committee for action. The DPVA Steering Committee can only make recommendations on Resolutions – it cannot prevent the Central Committee from considering them. See Party Plan sec. 14.7. In 2008, I wrote a post providing background on the evolution of the resolutions process.
As an active Democrat, I have written dozens and supported hundreds of progressive resolutions. Regarding health care, in September of 2009, I proposed a brief resolution supporting President Obama’s health care initiative; the Resolutions Committee voted to postpone consideration of the issue until after the November election. In December of 2009, I voted for a health care resolution that included support of a public option, which the Central Committee adopted. As for Citizens United, the Central Committee in 2010 and 2011 adopted resolutions opposing that decision and calling for corrective actions. I supported both of these resolutions. The Central Committee also twice debated supporting a Constitutional Amendment to overrule Citizens United. Like the ACLU, I do not favor amending the First Amendment and I did not think an amendment was the most effective way of addressing the issue, but the Central Committee was able to have full discussions of the resolutions.
DPVA has sent out a State Convention update – the Convention is still on the grounds of George Mason University in Fairfax, but has been relocated to the Arts Center. Note that CD conventions are coming up on May 12 and May 19, and elected Delegates/Alternates attend BOTH conventions. See here for details. Here is Chairman Moran’s update:
In just 30 days thousands of Democrats from all over the Commonwealth will come together at George Mason University for the 2012 Democratic Party of Virginia State Convention. I want to thank you for signing on to be a part of this exciting event and helping us kick off the final push to November as one united party.
We are excited to announce that we have arranged to move our main Saturday business meeting from GMU’s Patriot Center across the street to GMU’s Center for the Arts. The CFA is a fantastic venue with the space, staging and equipment to enable us to put on the best convention we can on June 2nd. Seating in the CFA is limited so be sure to arrive promptly at 7:00am to check in and ensure that you get the best seat you can.
If you have not already done so please be sure to reserve your hotel room today. The DPVA has secured a limited number of rooms at hotels in the area at a lower rate, but the deadline to take advantage is May 15th. Click here to see the hotels we have available and book your room today!
In addition to our Saturday business meeting at which we will hear from Governor Tim Kaine, Senator Mark Warner, our congressional leaders and other special guests, I hope you will join us on Friday June 1st for a special reception honoring Senator Jim Webb’s contribution to our nation during his six years of leadership in the Senate. Click here to reserve your spot at what promises to be an extraordinary thank you and farewell to our Senior Senator.
Finally, I want to thank all of the grassroots Democrats around the Commonwealth who are working so hard to organize and execute a state convention that will bring our party together and help us make the final push to turn Virginia blue once again for President Obama, Governor Kaine and our candidates up and down the ballot.
I hope you’re as excited as I am for the 2012 DPVA State Convention just 30 days from today. If you have any questions or concerns please do not hesitate to call 804-644-1966,email our convention director Cassidy Rasnick at Cassidy@vademocrats.org or visit the State Convention page linked here: http://www.vademocrats.org/StateConvention2012
Thanks as always for your leadership on behalf of our great party,
Brian Moran
Good luck in particular to Catherine Reed, Dan Drummond, Molly Ward, George Wallace, and many other good Democrats. Here’s a message from DPVA:
Friends,
Tip O’Neill was right- all politics is local. From Accomack County to the City of Manassas, from the City of Hampton to the Town of Buchanan, all across the Commonwealth today there are dozens of elections for town and city councils, mayor, and school board, and it is so important that if there is a local election in your town or city today, that you Get Out and Vote! To find out if there is an election in your city or town, and for more information, you can visit the State Board of Elections website by clicking here.
Local government really is where the rubber meets the road, and I’m so grateful for the over 900 candidates that are running here in Virginia. While many of our local offices are officially nonpartisan, we do have many great Democrats that are running, and building a strong foundation of elected Democrats at the local level is a key component to identifying candidates who can run for State Delegate, Senate, etc. and is critical to winning larger statewide and federal elections.
If there is an election in your town or city today, make a plan now for how you will get to the polls, and I’ll look forward to seeing your vote count. If you’re interested in getting more involved with your local Democratic committee, visit www.vademocrats.org/go-local or contact Clark Mercer, the Democratic Party of Virginia’s Political Director at clark@vademocrats.org.
Tax Fairness & the Buffett Rule, Joining Forces, and Romneycare. AND President Obama pens an Op-Ed for our own Richmond Times-Disgrace on Fighting for Women’s Economic Equality. That newspaper is a lot more respectable than it used to be.
In the first week of September, North Carolina will welcome thousands of delegates from across the country to the 2012 Democratic National Convention. You could be one of them. Los Angeles Mayor and Permanent Chair of the 2012 Democratic National Convention, Antonio Villaraigosa, urges Americans to make their voices heard and become delegates to the convention in September. See here to find out how to represent your state and your fellow Democrats at the convention in Charlotte, North Carolina. For Virginia, of course, the link goes to DPVA, and you can also obtain information from this site. Remember the filing deadlines for the Virginia Congressinoal District Conventions and State Convention are April 16 or 18 (depending on your locality); see here.
If you want to be elected as one of the 2,500 delegates or 500 alternates to the May 12 or 19 Congressional District Conventions and June 2 State Convention, you need to file with your city or county Democratic Committee. The filing deadline is April 16 for April 21 caucuses and April 18 for April 23 caucuses. Each locality has its own filing forms, so you need to contact the local committee. DPVA has contact information on its site, here. You can obtain additional information about the delegate selection process here. Please let me know if you have questions. I look forward to seeing you at the Patriot Center on June 2!
DPVA has published a chart of the locations of the upcoming Congressional District (CD) Democratic Conventions. You may wish to check this DPVA page for updates. The third column shows when the CDs are having their conventions to elect National Convention Delegates and a presidential elector – these are all on May 12 or May 19. The state delegates and alternates elected at the April 21 and April 23, 2012 city and county caucuses will attend these CD Conventions as the State Convention on June 2, 2012. See this site’s Delegate Selection page for details (and also see Posts below ). The CD Conventions that elect National Convention Delegates will be based on the 2000 census (i.e., the old) Congressional Districts. In fact, the Democratic National Convention state delegations will reflect the old Congressional apportionment.
BUT – our 2012 congressional candidates must be nominated pursuant to the 2010 census (i.e., the new) Congressional Districts. Six CDs are having primaries to nominate their congressional candidates (June 12), so the only conventions the 2nd, 3rd, 4th, 6th, 8th and 11th CDs will hold will be the National Convention Delegate selection conventions. The remaining congressional districts will nominate their 2012 congressional candidates by convention. The 1st, 5th, and 9th CDs will hold their National Convention Delegate selection (old CD) and Congressional nomination (new CD) conventions at the same time. The 10th CD will hold its two conventions on the same day, back to back. For the 7th CD, the Congressional nomination convention is being held on April 28 (new CD), while the National Convention Delegate Selection convention (old CD) will be held on May 19.
We have to deal with this situation every 20 years, when redistricting and the presidential nomination process coincide, and it is admitedly a bit complex. The DPVA has tried to work it out to maximize our goals of fairness, openness, and participation. Please let me know if you have questions, or contact the DPVA.
May 16, 2012 
Posted in 2012 Convention, DNC, DPVA, News 
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In addition to our Saturday business meeting at which we will hear from Governor Tim Kaine, Senator Mark Warner, our congressional leaders and other special guests, I hope you will join us on Friday June 1st for a special reception honoring Senator Jim Webb’s contribution to our nation during his six years of leadership in the Senate. Click here to reserve your spot at what promises to be an extraordinary thank you and farewell to our Senior Senator. 
