Working for You!
As president of the California Democratic Council, Henry has focused on bringing training and organizing resources to more than 400 clubs and counties across the state.
Under his leadership, CDC has now:
- Brought FREE training to Humboldt, Kern, El Dorado, Los Angeles, Orange, Riverside, San Bernardino, San Diego, San Luis Obispo, Santa Clara and Ventura counties - with more scheduled
- Trained 500+ Democratic Leaders
- Provided over 140 clubs, counties and caucuses with FREE websites
- Supplied FREE banners, leadership manuals, registration tables and booths to clubs/counties
- Ensured FREE access for clubs and counties to a true voter database system such as VAN or MOE for year-round organizing programs
Over the last decade, Henry's been a club president, a county committee vice chair, a state party caucus chair, an AD delegate, and an E-Board member.
He recently became Political Director for the Democratic Party of Orange County to bring his vast statewide organizing skills to the reddest county in the country.
Henry also travels across the state as the technology instructor for the CDP's new “Learn to Win 2010” campaign training program!
Why I'm Running for DNC
Being a DNC delegate is the highest position that an organizer/activist who doesn't want to run for public office can achieve.
I'm more of a 'behind the scenes' kind of activist and typically work towards getting others into office.
However, during my many years working as an organizer/activist, a sad fact I’ve come to realize (and I’m sure you’ll agree with) is that California is not nearly as blue or progressive as the rest of the country thinks we are. We seem to always be playing defense rather than offense.
Despite outnumbering Republicans by over two million registered Democrats:
- We've had a Republican governor for the past 6 years
- We still can’ t get decent health care passed
- Our unions are continuously under attack
- We haven’t been able to pass clean money
- We allow rural blue counties to continuously vote red
- Over half our counties are Republican controlled
- And…
… while more traditionally conservative states like Iowa legalized gay marriage, we here in California took a huge step backward and allowed Prop 8 to be passed!
Given those facts, I think you’ll agree that having more voters obviously isn’t all there is to winning elections and moving our state forward.
Had our party been better organized in all 58 counties, Prop 8 would never have passed.
We need the Democratic Party to understand that it must stop relying on expensive commercials and fancy mailers and, instead, have a permanent field team in place to be activated when important issues/races are at stake.
This is the one area in which I feel our party, both on a state level and nationally, has failed. Although the 50 state strategy is a great idea, I know from personal experience that it is still a very selective strategy – one that only works if your candidate has enough money or has the right contacts.
One of my major goals as a DNC rep is to push for the 50-state strategy to become a true reality, not just a concept.
I also feel strongly that our DNC delegation needs broader representation from red and rural areas. Of the current 19 California delegates, 18 were from dark blue counties (9 from Los Angeles alone). Although I obviously understand how important those voices are on the DNC and have personally supported and endorsed many of them, I would very much like to see a DNC delegation that truly represents all of California, including voices from the red and rural counties.
When discussing the 50 state strategy on a national level, having a voice on the DNC from a very red or rural region who can fully appreciate the impact of such a strategy brings a unique perspective that delegates from the dark blue areas may not necessarily have.
We have lots of representation from the bluest county in the nation. It would be nice if those of us fighting in the reddest county in America also had a voice!
As president of the California Democratic Council for the past two years, I have focused on bringing training and much-needed services to all areas of our state by providing both blue and red counties with free organizing tools, products and services so that they can do their job more effectively.Although I am confident that our new state party administration is headed in the right direction, I want to see these same types of free trainings and tools brought to Democratic leaders nationwide and I feel the DNC is the perfect environment for me to advance that agenda.
| ©2009 Henry for DNC |