We are excited to announce the Young Democrats of America’s 2013 Biennial National Convention in San Antonio, Texas on August 8 – 11. This is the largest event that YDA hosts every two years with 1,000 Young Democrats expected to attend from all fifty states. If you don’t participate in a single other Young Democrat conference, this is the one you don’t want to miss.
Registration is now open for the YDA 2013 National Convention in San Antonio
The biennial convention will take place at the Marriott Rivercenter in downtown San Antonio, just steps from all of the city’s major attractions, including the Alamo and River Walk. Click here to make your hotel reservations within the YDA room block starting at $134 per night.
We are working with the Texas Young Democrats to put together the most exciting convention in YDA history, including political trainings, guest speakers and other special events. YDA national officer elections for the 2013 – 2015 term will also be held on Sunday, August 11. A preliminary convention schedule will be released next month.
Early-bird registration for the convention is $80 and will be available through June 28
Please join us in San Antonio this summer to celebrate our victories in 2012 and plan for the future of the Democratic youth movement. If you have any questions, don’t hesitate to contact the YDA meetings team here.
The 2013 YDA Spring Conference is just a little more than two weeks away, and online registration is closing soon. Please make plans to join us in Charleston, West Virginia from Friday, May 31 through Sunday, June 2. We are excited to announce that Friday night’s opening reception will take place at the West Virginia Governor’s Mansion. A draft schedule for the weekend is available here. Online registration deadline is May 24 – Sign up now!
The program will begin on Friday afternoon and run through noon on Sunday. An optional day of white water rafting at the New River Gorge will take place at noon on Thursday, May 30 for those attendees who are interested in arriving early. The rafting trip will cost an additional $88 per person and includes dinner on Thursday night. You must sign up for white water rafting in advance; however, payment to the rafting company will be handled on site that day.
To make hotel reservations at the Charleston Marriott Town Center, click here or call 304-345-6500 and ask for the Young Democrats room rate of $119 per night.
West Virginia is the home state of our national president Rod Snyder, and we will be hosting a special farewell dinner on Saturday to thank him for his years of service to YDA. Remember, to receive the regular online rate of $65, you must register by 5:00 p.m. (ET) on Friday, May 24. After that, only on-site registration will be available for $85.
Please join us in West Virginia for a rafting trip on the New River Gorge on Thursday, May 30. The cost is $88 per person (payable on site that day) and includes transportation to and from the river, as well as dinner on Thursday evening. A bus will leave the Charleston Marriott Town Center at 12:00 noon on Thursday, May 30 and return before 8:00 p.m. that night. YDA’s 2013 Spring National Conference will begin the following day.
Any political pundit can tell you the importance of carrying the swing state of Ohio in a presidential election. However, it takes an Ohioan to know that any Democrat’s chances of carrying Ohio begin and end with a strong showing in Cuyahoga County, Ohio’s most populous county and home to the City of Cleveland.
In Ohio’s other 87 counties, President Obama lost by a combined total of slightly over 90,000 votes. It was his 256,000 vote margin of victory in Cuyahoga County that carried President Obama to his victory in Ohio and re-election to the presidency.
That’s why I’m proud to announce that the 2013 YDA Great Lakes Regional Conference will take place Saturday June 8th in Cleveland, Ohio.
The host venue for the conference will be the newly opened Cleveland Hostel located at 2090 West 25th Street in Cleveland’s dynamic Ohio City neighborhood. The Hostel is within walking distance of Ohio City’s restaurants and nightlife, Cleveland’s famed West Side Market, and the W 25th St./Ohio City stop on the RTA Red Line, providing service to downtown and Cleveland’s airport.
Rooms at the Hostel range from $25 a night for traditional hostel (shared) rooms to $75 a night for private rooms. For those looking for a more traditional hotel experience, there are numerous hotels located across the river in Cleveland’s Downtown.
There is no registration fee for the conference itself, but the Friday evening cocktail party and dinner Saturday evening, which are still being planned, may have fees associated with them.
Elizabeth Colbert-Busch’s race in the South Carolina First provides the Democrats the best opportunity to regain the seat since it was lost to Thomas Hartnett in 1980. As Democrats, we are all in on this race. We need more champions for education, veterans and the economy is Congress and Elizabeth is poised to become our champion.
Young Democrats from around the country descended on SC-01 in order to give the Colbert-Busch campaign one final push to a win. Knocking doors and talking to people wins elections and YDs gave Elizabeth that in spades. I personally knocked over 70 doors in the Charleston area.
And there were some YDs door knocking in Beaufort, SC. Adding all of our efforts together means YDs made a huge impact on the race.
When these opportunities open up, Democrats need to be prepared to maximize them. The DCCC and DNC went all in for Elizabeth and so did YDA. Putting boots on the ground will help her tremendously as she looks for a victory at the polls on Tuesday.
As YD, we are the ones our Party seeks out when they want to win elections. We have the experience, know-how and energy to make the phone calls, knock the doors, run the campaigns and plan the rallies. We’ve been doing it for 81 years and we did it on Saturday to help Elizabeth beat Mark Sanford.
However, Elizabeth still needs our help today and tomorrow. Sign up to phone bank for her from the comfort of your couch. Help her tell voters about her vision for SC-01 that upholds Democratic values and grows the economic prosperity for all people. I had the opportunity to do it for her on Saturday and it was a great experience. If you sign up, you won’t be disappoint in her as a candidate or once she’s in Congress.
Let’s Get Out the Vote!
Atima Omara-Alwala
National Vice President
Young Democrats of America
Just when we thought we would have a little bit of a breather from the campaign season, we are facing a very important congressional election in South Carolina.
On May 7, there will be a special election to fill a vacancy in the U.S. House of Representatives. Elizabeth Colbert Busch (D) is taking on former Governor Mark Sanford (R) to represent South Carolina’s 1st Congressional District, and Elizabeth needs our help! Volunteer here to help make calls to South Carolina voters
Young people throughout our nation need more champions like Elizabeth in Washington. She is fighting for increased access to affordable higher education, sound immigration policy, and a better environment. She’s been tested and she is tough, but to cross the finish line, she is going to need all hands on deck.
Let’s join the South Carolina Young Democrats to demonstrate that our generation stands united behind Elizabeth. We can help by doing what we do best, peer-to-peer contact. Using virtual contact tools and virtual phone banking, we can connect our message to young voters in South Carolina who will be the margin of victory on Election Day. Sign up here to help Elizabeth Cobert Busch
For more information, you can contact South Carolina Young Democrats President Michael Glymph and his team at goydsc@gmail.com.
Together, we can ensure our generation has a much needed voice in Washington. Let’s stand up for sanity and help elect Elizabeth Colbert Busch.
Onward to Victory,
Colmon Elridge
Executive Vice President
Young Democrats of America
Last month, we announced the fourth annual Young Democrats of America High School Leadership Academy to be held in Washington, DC on July 7-10, 2013. The response has been overwhelming, and we have already exceeded expectations with the number of applications submitted by high school students from all across the country.
There’s still time left to send in your application and be apart of this year’s academy, but the deadline is just one week away. Please be sure to submit your application by May 1st. If you are not in high school, feel free to pass this information along to any students who may be interested in attending.
A total of 48 students will be accepted from high school graduating classes 2013 – 2016. All applicants will be notified of our decisions by May 15, and a $575 non-refundable registration fee will be due by June 7.
The historic Phoenix Park Hotel on Capitol Hill, will serve as the home base for the four-day training. However, most sessions will occur “on location” throughout the city for the most authentic Washington experience possible.
A detailed schedule of HSLA training sessions and speakers will be released over the coming weeks; however, you can view last year’s agenda for a snapshot of the types of activities that will take place. The 2013 High School Leadership Academy is shaping up to be one of the premier programs offered by YDA, and it further demonstrates our commitment to bringing up the next generation of leaders in the Democratic Party.
If you have any questions, please contact hsla@yda.org and we will respond promptly to your inquiry. More information can also be found on YDA’s website. While YDA is unable to offer scholarships to this year’s Academy, we are eager to work with students by sending suggestions on how to raise the necessary funds for travel and registration costs.
It’s April 15 and hopefully you have your taxes completed by now. Whether you sent your forms to the IRS weeks ago or are just finishing up today, here’s a sad fact to ponder. While you work hard and pay your fair share, some of the largest corporations take advantage of offshore tax havens and loopholes that cost the federal government $150 billion ever year.
Meanwhile, Republicans in Congress say that the only way to start balancing the budget is by cutting programs important to our generation such as student aid, jobs and infrastructure development and health insurance coverage. Tell Congress to invest in young people instead of corporate tax dodgers
Let’s not allow one more Tax Day to pass by without delivering tax fairness for the American people. Because in the end, our generation is picking up the tab. Take action today.
Sincerely,
Richard Fowler
Policy & Advocacy Director
Young Democrats of America
The YDA Meetings & Training teams, in conjunction with the West Virginia Young Democrats, are working hard to bring you another awesome conference! The program will begin on Friday afternoon and run through noon on Sunday. An optional day of outdoor activities at the New River Gorge will take place on Thursday, May 30 for those who attendees who are interested in arriving a day early. A more detailed schedule for the entire weekend will be available soon.
West Virginia is the home state of our national president Rod Snyder, and we will be hosting a special farewell dinner on Saturday to thank him for his years of service to YDA. - Early Bird Registration ($55) will be available until 5:00 p.m. (ET) on Friday, April 19
- Regular registration ($65) will then be in available until 5:00 p.m. (ET) on Friday, May 24 - After May 24, only on-site registration ($85) will be accepted
Democrat Days, also known as Hannibal Days, are a Missouri tradition that dates back over 40 years. The weekend-long conference is held the first weekend in March every year in Hannibal, Missouri and serves as the “unofficial kickoff” to Missouri’s political season. Democrat Days is a method of getting labor organizations, activists, local democrat clubs, and statewide elected officials all into the same room for three days of celebration, professional development, and motivational speeches. Past keynote speakers have included Tip O’Neill and Bill Clinton. Check out the video below for the 2012 recap of Democrat Days from Missouri’s Democratic candidate for Lieutenant Governor, Susan Montee.
Recently, the Young Democrats of Missouri have begun to have our annual convention in conjunction with Democrat Days. We use the partnership as a method of building relationships with Democratic activists, learning professional development skills, and discovering political employment opportunities. YDMO also utilizes Democrat Days to make our organization’s impact prominent to elected officials and create coalitions with like-minded organizations. Additionally, Democrat Days serves as a fundraising opportunity. Through the annual YDMO live auction-consistently our largest fundraiser of the year- we are able to fund campaign invasions, YDA conference attendance scholarships, and other YDMO programs. The conference also serves as a venue to share best practices and formulate future goals. Brainstorming at the 2011 Democrat Days lead to the establishment of YDMO’s High School Youth Civic Education Initiative. Through the highly successful initiative, YDMO partnered with our Republican counterparts and talked to nearly 2200 students in over 100 Missouri high school classrooms about the importance of civic education and involvement.
Democrat Days is a long-standing tradition and the Young Democrats of Missouri are proud to be building working relationships with the events organizers and adding a youthful touch to the well-established conference.
