Hopefully some energetic and savvy folks will step up:
North Carolina Democrats were optimistic about their chances in the midterm elections. But following disappointing results, party insiders are dwelling on missed opportunities, and a party shake-up is underway. Meredith Cuomo, who had served as the North Carolina Democratic Party’s executive director since 2019, said Saturday in an email to party officials that she had stepped down from the state party’s top staff position. She moved into an advisory role on Dec. 1.
Digital Director Lillian Taylor is serving as state party’s interim executive director while the party searches for a permanent director. The party also announced that it was laying off nine staff members due to financial constraints, a move that’s not uncommon in the wake of elections.
Does this mean the incessant fundraising e-mails might be approaching abatement? Just kidding. But seriously. As far as recruiting new candidates (if you have trouble taking a hint, that was me emphasizing what I view as the most critical reform we need), some good ideas are percolating:
Anderson Clayton, chair of the Person County Democratic Party, said the party can overcome some of the challenges posed by the growing urban-rural political divide by devoting more resources to rural areas.
“There is a need for folks to step up and run for office in their local communities, but those candidates deserve training and support on how to run those campaigns,” Clayton said. “We need a stronger state party that values the voices of those on the ground and works from the grassroots up.”
Let me say it loudly for the folks in back: If you want to grow the party, and generate higher voter turnout across the state, you have to have a 100 county strategy. And an integral part of that is having Democratic candidates running in every single race. But as Anderson stated, potential candidates need training. On campaign techniques and proper reporting of donations. It ain't rocket surgery, but if you've never done it before, it seems daunting.
The NC Institute of Political Leadership (IOPL) provides some fantastic training, but it's not free. The Party needs a pool of money to send folks to this training, or establish its own program to train folks on the basics. Since I'm not a big re-invent the wheel person, I recommend the former.
Comments
New chair will be elected in February
Which leaves basically no time to organize around a new slate of energized leaders.
What are folks hearing? I was told Bobbi Richardson wants the job again. From my perspective, that would be a terrible mistake. I'm sure she's a wonderful and nice person, but we need a total shake-up and a new mindset at Goodwin House.
Tits on a Bull
The NCDP should be dissolved. The building where they congregate should be burned to the ground and the ground should be salted so nothing ever grows there again. Useless entity. There is no reason in the world that the Hon.C.Beasley should have lost. There was no one more qualified for the seat in the US senate than her.
We need a greater more vocal and active representation than the NCDP. Sitting on their asses for this latest election and past elections is almost criminal. For Ms. Beasley to lose to a simpleton and a moron is all the fault of the NCDP.
Smodering ashes
I feel your pain on this. It wasn't just Beasley - there were several other candidates for the state legislature that should have won in this cycle and could have with just some modicum of support from the state-level operation.
The NCDP has been in a death spiral for several years. It's failed to engage with younger voters, rural voters, and progressives who, in turn, don't participate in the county caucuses and don't have their voice heard, making the state level leadership ignore them even more.
It's not just engagement and involvement. The NCDP is missing out on donations because of it. I could donate to the party, but have instead given my money to specific candidates or organizations like the NAACP, Equality NC, or the ACLU that are at least fighting the NC GOP machine in court.
I've given up on the NCDP.
To me, the NCDP crashed and burned in 2020 with the election of Mark Robinson. In a general election, there was absolutely no reason that the most unqualified candidate ever to run for a state-wide office in NC should have won by just 2% of the vote. What we saw in 2022 was just the smoldering remains of a state party organization incapable of motivating its base.
We've been pointing out these issues with the NCDP for years and it's just fallen on deaf ears. The damage is done. It's time to really focus on local organizing outside the NCDP to get any damn thing done.
Crickets
I shouldn’t be, but I’m always surprised that no one from the official party organization bothers to join in these conversations. I guess they have nothing to say that would be of interest.
Because ...
... it's always easier to get a PR flack to "manage" a problem or to immerse yourself in planning a fancy dinner with big donors than it is to demonstrate leadership.
When you've got no answers,
ignoring the question is the safest route...
Here's the problem in rural counties.....
I live in a rural, down East county. We have a fairly active and engaged local Democratic party. In the past three elections, we have run fantastic candidates for state house and senate, county commissioner, register of deeds, city councils and mayors, and school board. They all go down like dominos. Some of them were quite savvy politically, so I don't think training is the problem. I just don't think we're making inroads with red rural voters. And I'm a firm believer that you should have a warm body run in every single election every single time....not only because you never know what will happen, but also because it will bring out Democratic voters for some of the higher profile races, like Beasley's. But how do you get people to run when they know they won't win?
Yeah, that's a tough one.
Contrary to popular belief, winning isn't everything. A good campaign, even one that's doomed to failure, can generate interest in certain policy ideas. Get voters (and candidates) thinking about the things they should be thinking about, and maybe drive some progress.
I know that sounds altruistic and maybe a little naive, and may be hard to sell to many potential candidates. But it only takes one in each contest.
Well....
You're not wrong, but it's a lot to ask of a bright-eyed candidate....to tell them to give up their life for 8-10 months just to plant a few seeds, knowing they're going to lose.
This is true...
I wouldn't do it, and I've run a couple of unsuccessful campaigns for local office, and I had a decent chance to win.
It's not for everybody.
I was going to say,
"you have to sort of like people, and I don't like people," but that's not really true. I'm not a misanthrope. Maybe a semi-quasi-misanthrope...
A person doesn’t have to really “run”
You can just file and be on the ballot. It’s a fail safe just in case. Plus “showing up” is more than that. It also motivates up and down ticket Dem voting.