On being elected 2nd District Democratic Chair

I am pleased to announce that I have been elected Chair of the Michigan 2nd Congressional District Democratic Party!

Here are a few areas on which I plan to focus as Chair:

Boost the Democratic "brand." People need to understand what it means to be a Democrat - and why they should vote for us. As we learned in 2014, it's not enough to call out Republicans (though they need to be called out); we must also talk about what we stand for as Democrats. From the New Deal and the Great Society to the enormous progress made during the Obama Administration, Democrats have such a wonderful story to tell. Let's make others feel the same pride that we feel when we call ourselves Democrats!

Collaborate with other Party units, labor, and other progressive stakeholders. We have plenty of opportunities to work with county parties, College and Young Democrats, MDP caucuses, labor unions, and organizations focused on the environment, women's rights, racial justice, and other issues. 2CD should serve as an intermediary and as a resource for Party units and other stakeholders. In addition, I hope to leverage my relationships with local and state progressive leaders to strengthen 2CD.

Plan for the long term. As a Party, we need to move beyond merely thinking of the next election cycle. 2016 is critical, but so are 2018, 2020, and so on. The Democratic National Committee and the MDP are taking steps toward long-term strategic planning through the 2022 cycle; we need to do the same in 2CD. While 2016 is critically important, so is 2018, when we will elect a new Governor and other statewide officials, re-elect Senator Stabenow, and win the 34th State Senate district. Along this vein, we need to build our bench by electing great Democrats at the local level who will serve as our state lawmakers and statewide elected officials of tomorrow.

Once again, I am looking forward to serving in this capacity and helping Democrats at the federal, state, and local levels in 2016 and beyond!