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,

For more than 75 years, YDA has served as an arena for young leaders to cut their teeth, learn politics and earn their first stripes. But for many of us, just playing politics isn’t enough.

Over the last three election cycles, there has been a slow and steady push for YDA to be a people-powered organization that dedicates our time to doing the hard work it takes to build a bloc of progressive young voters. Like many of us, I have dedicated myself to this change and want to see YDA become a place that will continue to build and represent our generation.

That’s why I am running for YDA President and hope I can earn your support.

Through the inspired efforts of young people across America, we have generated unprecedented results; and we are now poised to become a sustained force for change and progress. We must open the doors and embrace this once-in-a-lifetime energy. 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.

We know change is never easy, but it is necessary for progress.

With our talented and diverse membership, I am confident we have the power to make the changes we need to move YDA forward. I am running for YDA President so together we can make these changes and realize our collective potential.  Working together, we can make progress; without all of our shoulders to the wheel, we cannot advance.

We will change YDA by bringing more people into the room, not fewer–by making our programming serve and help our members grow at the local level–by making sure that we represent millions of young voters by directly advocating on the issues that impact them the most—and most importantly by holding each other accountable for getting the work done.

From my time as a local chapter president, state chapter president and national officer, I have ideas on how we can get there—and I know you do, too. The future of YDA is in our hands. I look forward to talking with you, so we can share our ideas and plan how we move YDA forward, together.

Last Tuesday night, our President said to a room of young people just like you and me: “The future will be in your hands…You will make it happen.”

Let’s make it happen, together.

Best,