As I have served in the past, I know what kind of Dedicated Democrat I have been. I missed two monthly meetings in over 20 years. I am a natural outreach person and voter, concentrating on Voter Registration, Voter Education, and low dollar fundraising.    

Lack of communication and truth within it.  I plan to share as much info as might benefit those I represent. 

I admire Michelle Obama and Al Gore, starting from when I first met them.  I watched them repeatedly stand tall when calling for fair and equal treatment, especially during extremely difficult times. 

In the past 4 years, I have attended all required meetings of our San Diego Democratic County Central Committee, its East Area Caucus, its Resolutions Committee, and also those of the California Democratic Party as well. I also regularly attend many club meetings and volunteer at fundraisers, campaign events and other Party functions. This averages between 10 and 20 hours weekly, and more during election season. I anticipate being able to continue to do the same in the next 4 years.

Nationwide, the erosion of the separation of church & state is the most significant challenge to the Democratic Party. I have been cautioning our elected officials about this for 15 years. It underlies the increasingly oppressive policies towards women's reproductive rights and lgbtq rights, and threatens to move our nation to one that is governed by restrictive fundamentalist religious ideals which are not universally shared by all of our citizens. It is a challenge that our Party has not taken seriously, aside from opposing specific legislation items as they come up. Our faith communities are a resource which has not been explored for challenging this. As a lay faith leader in interfaith activist circles, I have already begun making connections for dialog on this issue.

The second most significant challenge, is the failure of the Party to bring together the ideals and aspirations of its progressive members, with the resources and experience of its long-term standard-bearers. I have been addressing this in one-on-one conversations since 2016, and will continue to do so, by pointing out common concerns and ways to address these issues, which are respectful to all.

The first president I remember is the late John F. Kennedy. I was a child when he was assassinated, and I was devastated at the manner in which he was taken from us, and the timing. Kennedy represented hope for uniting a country seething in racial strife - and he was assassinated for that very reason. The other leader from that time period which I also respect, is the late Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King. His work for righteousness and racial equity still moves this party's ethics and racial justice work forward today.

There are so many, but I will say this. I have enormous respect and admiration for any Democrat who runs for office. Campaigning is an enormous sacrifice of time, money, energy, and one's very essence. Candidates open themselves to public scrutiny, scorn, and receive very little praise. They put their careers and families on the back burner, for long periods at a stretch. If elected to a state or national office, they spend much time away from their families and communities. For these reasons, when I work within the Party to support candidates, it's not only to help them get elected, but also to support and lift them up as people who are just like the rest of us, and taking steps to improve all of our lives.

I currently attend all the meetings as an Associate Member.  Being elected to the Central Committee will mean I can move motions, participate in debate, and vote on issues.

I think the most difficult challenge facing the party in the next decade is attracting and retaining younger voters.  We need to do this by ensuring the party addresses isues that are relevant and pressing to them AND give them a voice/vote in the decision making.

Shirley Chisholm did not ask for permission or wait her turn, she went for it.  She found a way.  She did not appologize for her priorities and she SHOWED UP in order to advocate for her goals.

As an alternate Central Committee Member since 2019, I already diligently attend all related meetings to stay up to date on the issues in case I am called upon to vote and have been very active with the East Area Caucus. Since February 2019 I have also served on the Administrative Committee of the Central Committee working on the party’s bylaws and policies and procedures.

In my civic engagement throughout the region both in my profession and volunteering on campaigns and initiatives, I believe increasing community involvement and the number of registered voters in the region will continue to be a challenge not only for the Democratic Party but all political affiliations in the region. While I’ve been encouraged to see new faces get involved in the political system or run for office, as I did myself in 2018, I also see many communities that are still sitting out of the process due to the overwhelming divisiveness, a lack of outreach and lack of access, particularly communities of color.

Part of being on the Central Committee means getting a vote on which campaigns and initiatives the party will support, and I plan to ensure that there is funding and volunteer efforts to engage those who have been left out of the voting process and to listen to the unique issues these communities face. We also need to ensure there is funding to reach communities in districts in the region that have been traditionally more conservative to ensure we are building new coalitions and cultivating leaders throughout San Diego County for current and future elections.