A Tarheel for Treasurer:

The 2008 elections truly demonstrated that our generation is ready to assert our power and influence in a new era of American politics. No place was this more evident than in my home state of North Carolina, where for the first time in 32 years Democrats won up and down the ticket. It is clear, the map has changed and Democrats have shown that we can compete everywhere. Young people made that a reality. YDA must be prepared to demonstrate our leadership in that effort.

I am proud to announce that I am running for Treasurer to ensure that the financial health of YDA is strong and our resources are used wisely. Given the changing dynamics of political fundraising, YDA may need to overhaul and transform its funding structure in the coming years.

As a college chapter leader, North Carolina National Committeeman, Southeast Region Director, and currently YDA Finance Committee Chair I have learned much about the needs of young Democrats and feel qualified to serve as your next Treasurer.  Professionally, I have experience in  political and higher education development helping candidates and organizations raise hundreds of thousands of dollars should help make me an asset to the organization.

With the wild success seen in the 2008 election cycle engaging small and medium-sized donors to run and win elections, YDA must employ those cutting edge practices to fulfill its mission and achieve our goals. We have made great strides in expanding our Tomorrow Club membership.  This is a critical step in expanding not only our grassroots fundraising efforts, but also sends a powerful message to medium and large donors of our own commitment to the health and longevity of YDA.

However, our work does not stop here. We must examine every dollar spent by YDA to make sure we are spending our resources efficiently and transparently. We must expand our donor base to include not just a few, large traditional donors, but also to include small and medium-level donors.  We must also provide various levels of budget and finance training to our state and local chapters, so they can be in the best financial position to join a growing number of partnership opportunities with YDA. Finally, I am committed to expanding our Tomorrow Club membership to include all members of the National Committee during my term as Treasurer.

I am proud to join an experienced and qualified team of candidates led by Crystal Strait and Rod Snyder. Together, we will work to bring new people to the table with fresh ideas and new experiences.  I look forward to working with them. But we know we can’t do it alone! We need your ideas, your input and your support if we want to continue to move YDA forward and build on our successes. I look forward to talking with you in the coming days and months about what we can do together to make YDA better from the ground up.

I hope I can count on your support.

Democratically Yours,

Mark Newman

Mark Newman for YDA Treasurer Facebook group