Progressive ‘Kings’ work to affect change
By Aaron Short
Comment
With the presidential primaries winding down and the need for phone banking efforts diminishing, Bushwick’s Barack Obama volunteers have formed a new Democratic club called New Kings Democrats to encourage like-minded progressives to run for Kings County Democratic Committee this summer.
“Why are we focusing on county committees? It’s the lowest level. There are a bunch of vacant positions and it does offer power in numbers,” said Jeff Merritt, president of Grassroots Initiatives, a nonprofit organization designed to provide technical assistance to community leaders and recruit candidates for local election.
About thirty community members, many of them young professionals and former Obama volunteers from Bushwick, attended the New Kings Democrats’ inaugural meeting, held at 70 Wyckoff Avenue on May 15.
Matt Cowherd and Rachel Lauter, Obama campaign volunteers who largely coordinated canvassing and phone banking efforts for the campaign in North Brooklyn, founded New Kings Democrats as the second phase of their political activism. For Cowherd, an attorney and a Bushwick resident for about one year, running for County Committee is the logical next step to extend his involvement in the local political scene.
“As a committee member, you’re a party member and you’re on the radar for becoming a superdelegate,” Cowherd said. “Look at how important superdelegates have been in this election. Also, several committees have not been activated and you can plan functions conduct studies and develop and sponsor legislation.”
Lauter, a new Bushwick resident and a city employee, has been planning the next steps of the organization. She wants to recruit about fifty candidates for the county seats and provide technical assistance such as campaign workshops to help Bushwick candidates run for office. Ultimately the group wants to inject more transparency into the process of choosing county committee members.
“One thing we are thinking about is how you can use technology to increase participation,” Lauter said. “The Brooklyn Democratic Party website is totally nonfunctioning. We want to build a website with minutes, with pictures and individual sites for anybody who wants to run.”
The volunteers do not have illusions of taking control of the Brooklyn Democratic Party, currently chaired by Assemblymember Vito Lopez. Merritt understands that county committee members are largely inactive, meeting once every two years but that they are responsible for electing the party chair and can help drive policy locally.
“You build power in numbers and you build power by electing people,” Merritt said. “The more block captains you have, the more voters you turn out on Election Day.”
A spokesperson for Lopez said the official is aware of the organization, but he was not available for comment before press time.
While some activists including Chris Owens, a candidate for Brooklyn’s 11th Congressional District, urged prospective candidates to run for additional offices such as judicial delegate or district leaders, Cowherd had less ambitious goals for the new club.
“As far as this organization right now, we want to get this early win and get some wind behind our sails,” Cowherd said. “People in this room might want to run for district leader but may be saying not now, give me a couple of years.”
Cowherd acknowledged that his group might be seen as being anti-Lopez but argued that this was not the case and one of their goals was to approach political leaders and help them recruit more young people into the Democratic Party. The possibility does exist that candidates will run in contested elections against current county members, which Cowherd encourages. Cowherd and Lauter insist they are thinking about the big picture, which is to make the party more active at the county level.
“The bar is really low,” Lauter said. “What we’re trying to do is get as many people over the bar and then raise it.”
For more information about New Kings Democrats, visit www.newkingsdemocrats.com.
“Why are we focusing on county committees? It’s the lowest level. There are a bunch of vacant positions and it does offer power in numbers,” said Jeff Merritt, president of Grassroots Initiatives, a nonprofit organization designed to provide technical assistance to community leaders and recruit candidates for local election.
About thirty community members, many of them young professionals and former Obama volunteers from Bushwick, attended the New Kings Democrats’ inaugural meeting, held at 70 Wyckoff Avenue on May 15.
Matt Cowherd and Rachel Lauter, Obama campaign volunteers who largely coordinated canvassing and phone banking efforts for the campaign in North Brooklyn, founded New Kings Democrats as the second phase of their political activism. For Cowherd, an attorney and a Bushwick resident for about one year, running for County Committee is the logical next step to extend his involvement in the local political scene.
“As a committee member, you’re a party member and you’re on the radar for becoming a superdelegate,” Cowherd said. “Look at how important superdelegates have been in this election. Also, several committees have not been activated and you can plan functions conduct studies and develop and sponsor legislation.”
Lauter, a new Bushwick resident and a city employee, has been planning the next steps of the organization. She wants to recruit about fifty candidates for the county seats and provide technical assistance such as campaign workshops to help Bushwick candidates run for office. Ultimately the group wants to inject more transparency into the process of choosing county committee members.
“One thing we are thinking about is how you can use technology to increase participation,” Lauter said. “The Brooklyn Democratic Party website is totally nonfunctioning. We want to build a website with minutes, with pictures and individual sites for anybody who wants to run.”
The volunteers do not have illusions of taking control of the Brooklyn Democratic Party, currently chaired by Assemblymember Vito Lopez. Merritt understands that county committee members are largely inactive, meeting once every two years but that they are responsible for electing the party chair and can help drive policy locally.
“You build power in numbers and you build power by electing people,” Merritt said. “The more block captains you have, the more voters you turn out on Election Day.”
A spokesperson for Lopez said the official is aware of the organization, but he was not available for comment before press time.
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“As far as this organization right now, we want to get this early win and get some wind behind our sails,” Cowherd said. “People in this room might want to run for district leader but may be saying not now, give me a couple of years.”
Cowherd acknowledged that his group might be seen as being anti-Lopez but argued that this was not the case and one of their goals was to approach political leaders and help them recruit more young people into the Democratic Party. The possibility does exist that candidates will run in contested elections against current county members, which Cowherd encourages. Cowherd and Lauter insist they are thinking about the big picture, which is to make the party more active at the county level.
“The bar is really low,” Lauter said. “What we’re trying to do is get as many people over the bar and then raise it.”
For more information about New Kings Democrats, visit www.newkingsdemocrats.com.
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