Functional SubCommittees

Welcome! Thanks for clicking your way here. Whether we're embroiled in a campaign cycle, or building strength for the next one, the McLean County Democrats desperately need every bit of time, and every ounce of talent, you can offer. Although Will Rogers did say, "I belong to no organized political party ..... I am a Democrat.", we really do try to organize our efforts through the following:

Activities | Candidate Selection | Communications
Education & Training | Elections | Fundraising | Membership

ACTIVITIES
Betty J. Kinser, Chair
(309) 452-8695
bjkinse@ilstu.edu

This subcommittee is charged to conceptualize, plan, arrange and manage all Party events, whether the purposes are to raise funds, the Party's profile, the morale of activists, or - usually - all of the foregoing. As you can imagine, this is the most labor-intensive of our organizations, and the organization constantly most in need of assistance from the maximum number of volunteers. Most recently, the annual, mid-winter Roosevelts' Memorial Dinner was successfully inaugurated as a regular Party event.

CANDIDATE SELECTION
Tari Renner , Chair
(309) 821-1057
trenner@titan.iwu.edu

This subcommittee is charged to identify, assess and recruit candidates for McLean County public office, and to co-ordinate Party support for those recruited. You may have noticed that this organization has enjoyed considerable, recent success in its work, as demonstrated by the election of an unprecedented number of new Democrats to the county board in 2002. In 2004, several more highly qualified Democrats will be seeking seats on the county board, and exemplary candidates will be campaigning for County Treasurer and County Recorder of Deeds. This subcommittee's ongoing challenge is to consistently offer the voters excellent candidates, and an alternative to one-party government in McLean County.

COMMUNICATIONS
John Jordan Moore, Chair
(309) 663-5715
dunamase1653@aol.com

This subcommittee is charged to let McLean County voters know that there are Democrats out here ..... to raise the general profile of the Party and to attract interested activists to work in the Democratic cause. Over the past year, the principal activity of this organization has been the design and construction of this website, which is intended as a new form of outreach to the electorate which has potential to effectively bypass what might charitably be termed a somewhat "unbalanced" local media orientation. While individual candidates' campaign organizations handle their own communications, this organization stands ready to assist and advise. We are the McLean County Democratic Party "home" for writers, graphic artists, broadcasters and communications strategists.

EDUCATION & TRAINING
Jayne Zeller, Chair
(815) 945-3030
or
(309) 531-4020 [Cell]
jez1957@aol.com

This subcommittee is charged to introduce candidates and precinct committeepersons (who are the essential core of the Democratic effort in McLean County) to the finer points of practical politics. Identified activities of the subcommittee include communicating the objectives and goals for precinct committeepersons, ensuring compliance regarding the filing of required candidate paperwork, developing individualized strategies for effective campaigning, and preparing candidates for a variety of campaign situations. If you have information to share and/or would like to be directly involved with this effort, please contact the subcommittee chair to volunteer. Prior experience as a candidate in NOT required. Candidates need input from the voter's perspective to conduct effective campagins.

ELECTIONS
Pat Brown, Chair
(309) 962-4103
patbrown@bwsys.net

This subcommittee is charged to level the political playing field, which, in McLean County, can be made bumpy in any number of ingenious ways. Politics has also become an intensively regulated "business", which requires the Party organization to work effectively through thickets of laws and regulations at the federal, state, county and local levels. One of the interesting challenges that people working with this organization will face in 2004 and beyond will be the transition from punch-card voting to one - or possibly two - of several possible technological alternatives, which will have to be assessed most carefully.

MEMBERSHIP
James Larkin, Chair
(309) 728-2695
smlarkin@frontiernet.net

This subcommittee is charged to address the most obvious problem for McLean County Democrats ..... individual Democrats' senses of isolation and loneliness. The truth has always been that there are more Democrats in McLean County than the election returns have ever shown, but many of them remain discouraged, disheartened, and, worst of all, unidentified. Those citizens who have voted in multiple Democratic primary elections in the recent past will have noticed the very significant work of this organization in offering them the option of "card-carrying" status, recognizing their faithfulness in a tangible way. This organization also supports the fundraising function through co-sponsorship of our Century Club, which recognizes Party activists who provide at least $100 in financial wherewithal for Party-building in each, calendar year.

So, as you can see, it's a large vineyard and it isn't crawling with laborers. If any of these functions seem to be an appealing fit with your interests and talents, the McLean County Democrats can certainly use your help. Please contact any of the subcommittee chairs listed above, or the Party generally by way of McDonkey2K@aol.com. Thanks for your consideration.