Chuck Rocha at YDA Convention

Al Acker at YDA Convention

Gen. Wes Clark at YDA Convention

 Part 1

Part 2

CAYD Kicked Ass in Dallas

The California Young Democrats have returned from the 2007 Biennial National Convention of the Young Democrats of America (YDA) Convention in Dallas, TX ready to wrangle up the young voters of California!

Crystal Strait of California was elected Democratic National Committeewoman for YDA.  Strait, CYD’s immediate past president, will be one of seven DNC members under 35 (there are 447 total DNC members) and will specifically represent young people to the DNC.  Strait has worked tirelessly to ensure that young Californians are heard at the California Democratic Party and will bring the same energy to the DNC.

Californians exhibited their considerable leadership in several of the major YDA caucuses: Rachel Kau-Taylor was elected Chair of the GLBT Caucus, Ben Spangenberg was elected Chair of the Disability Caucus, and Justin Meyers was elected Vice-Chair of the Labor Caucus.

 Newly elected YDA President, David Hardt heartfeltedly expressed that the Democratic Party was the only political group where an openly gay man could chair the national organization.

 Senator John Edwards was the only Presidential candidate to address the YDA Convention in person and stressed that young people have been the leaders of the greatest social causes of history and that young people are the present and future backbone of the Democratic Party.

 Former California State Controller Steve Westly, co-chair of Senator Barack Obama’s California campaign met with the California delegation before his keynote speech.  Westly encouraged young Californians running for office to contact him and his political action committee, the California Leadership Committee, “the only PAC in California dedicated exclusively to helping young Democrats advance into leadership positions in our state.”

General Wesley Clark was a motivational voice during our Democrats Work project.  Clark thanked the Young Democrats of America for recognizing the families of the American soldiers as true heroes for their sacrifice for our Country.

Even President George W. Bush’s home state of Texas is visibly counting down until “His last day 1/20/09” as is written on bumper stickers here, even in the red counties.  The opening Convention speaker, the Honorable Jim Hightower, rallied the crowd especially when he stated, “George W. Bush is corporate America’s wet dream.”

The California Young Democrats are positioned to engage thousands of young people to vote in California’s upcoming elections.  Young workers, young families, college and high school students will be the margin of victory in turning red California blue in 2008.

 

Congratulations to our 2007-2009 YDA Executive Board

President: David Hardt of Texas

Executive Vice-President: Chris Anderson of Tennessee

Democratic National Committeewoman: Crystal Strait of California

Democratic National Committeeman: Francisco Domenech of Puerto Rico

Vice President: A’Shanti Fayshel Gholar of Nevada

Vice President: Omar Khan of Florida

Vice President: Josh Blevins of Arkansas

Secretary: Stephanie Hausner of New York

Treasurer: Amy Lewis of Virginia

Sen. John Edwards Speaks at YDA Convention

YD Arkansas Has Energy