Because WE’RE. NOT. FINISHED.

I am excited to announce my candidacy for Executive Vice President of the Young Democrats of America.

I am honored to be running with one of the most dynamic and experienced leaders of the youth movement, Crystal Strait.  While our hometowns of Sacramento, California and Shenandoah Junction, West Virginia could not be more different, Crystal and I share the same vision for YDA.  We believe in this organization’s incredible potential for becoming a stronger political force in the coming years, and we have a plan to make it happen.

In announcing her candidacy for YDA President, Crystal said, “We must ensure that the ineffective organizational politics of old are left behind so we can build upon our achievements and embrace the change our generation so desperately wants and our country so desperately needs.”

This is not the same type of YDA campaign you’ve seen in the past.  Quite frankly, I don’t have patience for that and neither do you.  Crystal stated that this campaign is about “bringing more people into the room, not fewer.”  It’s about learning from the collective wisdom of our state and local chapters and caucuses to determine how YDA can best serve its members.  It’s about building a truly grassroots organization where every club has the tools to be successful.

Over the past four years, I have served as a local chapter president, state chapter president and regional director within YDA.  I have a personal understanding of the challenges on the ground, and I will be a tireless advocate for those leaders who are working in the trenches to organize and mobilize our peers.  Far too often we lose sight of the fact that YDA does not exist for the benefit of a handful of us who attend national conferences or hold special titles.  If we want to remain relevant, we must look past ourselves.

Let me be clear.  Every ounce of energy we exert and every dollar we spend must be for three simple purposes: to develop the next generation of leaders, to communicate the values of our Party, and of course, to elect Democrats by turning out young voters.

There is no doubt we have much work to do, but there has never been a more exciting moment in American politics than right now.  The momentum is on our side.  The Millennial Generation has already proven to be one of the most politically engaged in our nation’s history.  Crystal and I need your help advancing YDA to a place where we truly represent the voices of millions of young voters. Together, we will ensure that our organization remains at the forefront of this rebirth of the youth movement.

I hope over the next six months I can earn your support.  And even more importantly, I hope we can work together throughout this campaign to generate the ideas that will position YDA for growth throughout the next decade.

Sincerely,