WHAT'S A DISTRICT LEADER?
Or... what's a State Committee member?
In Brooklyn, the two positions are combined into one, so the terms are interchangeable. On your ballot it will say State Committee.
A State Democratic Committeemember/District Leader is an elected official in the Democratic Party.
Political party leadership is elected the same way government positions are elected. The difference is that these are volunteer positions, and there's no budget for staff or services. The other difference is that these elections happen on the day of the Primary Election. There's no general election for party positions.
District Leaders have 6 types of influence:
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Election Administration
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Petitioning
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Judicial Elections
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State Democratic Party Organization
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County Democratic Party Organization
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The Bully Pulpit
Elections
The New York State Constitution mandates that our Boards of Elections must be bipartisan. This means that for every role at the BOE, there is a Democratic staffer and a Republican staffer. Since the Board is inherently partisan, District Leaders have a lot of influence over elections -- in fact, District Leaders appoint all the poll workers in their districts and assign them their work locations and their shifts. So if you're interested in being a poll worker, let me know!
Petitioning
In New York, every time someone runs for office, even if they're running for reelection, they must collect petition signatures to get on the ballot. If they're running on the Democratic line, they need hundreds or thousands of valid signatures. District Leaders are responsible for organizing petitioning in their districts. Because of this, their endorsement is valuable, especially for candidates who need lots of signatures, like judicial candidates.
Judicial Elections
In Brooklyn, Supreme Court Judges are effectively chosen by District Leaders. Civil Court and Surrogate's Court candidates also rely heavily on the support of District Leaders who endorse them. For more on how people become judges and the role of politics in the process, check out How People Become Judges.
State Democratic Party Organization
The State Democratic Party is run by the Chairperson of the State Democratic Committee, which is made up of -- you guessed it -- State Democratic Committeemembers. As a member of the oversight body of the state Democratic party, State Committee members can advocate for changes in the party's leadership.
County Democratic Party Organization
Similar to the State Democratic Party, District Leaders make up the governing body of the County Democratic Party organization. For many years there has been a growing movement demanding wholesale reform.
The Bully Pulpit
As an elected party official, District Leaders can raise awareness for causes they care about and hold elected officials to account for their shortcomings.