Political parties in America are broken up into “committees,” or groups of party representatives that make decisions at the national, state, and local level. We all know and love our National Committee – the DNC, but the major political parties, Republican and Democratic, are actually organized by a national committee, 50 state committees, and numerous county and local committees within each state.

In New York City, each of the 5 boroughs is its own county and has its own Democratic Committee. This County Committee:

• Elects the County Officers,
• Nominates judges to be Democrats in Judicial elections,
• Endorses candidates, even in primaries,
• Appoints the Democratic candidate when an incumbent vacates their seat before their term is over,
• Selects the Democratic Nominee in certain special elections within the county; which, because NYC is so Democratic, is tantamount to appointment.

Those last two happen far more frequently than you might think. In fact, about 30% of the elected officials currently serving in the New York Assembly were appointed by County Committees. Combine that with the fact NY State incumbents are more likely to die or go to jail than lose an election and you begin to see that County Committees have a very important democratic role.

Every County Committee member is elected to represent Democrats in their local election district. It is the largest county party in the state and has the largest weighted vote at conventions of the state Democratic party (10.03 percent).

• Un-paid elected officials who serve a two-year term
• They must reside in the assembly district in which they are elected.
• Each election district has two to four elected county committee positions.
• Some election districts require one male and one female committee member.

Duties/Opportunities Entrusted To County Committee Members Include:

• Select candidates for elected offices
• Adopt platforms
• Fill certain vacancies in elected offices
• Organize campaigns
• May provide a source of government appointees

Due to the very high concentration of Democrats in New York City, the Democratic Party is a critical institution with a great deal of influence over who gets selected as candidates in elections and ultimately, government policy. By bringing many more young people in to fill these open seats, we can strengthen the Democratic Party and ensure its responsiveness to the issues that are important to us.

The County Committee meets every two years or so, to elect the County Executive Committee. We’ll definitely need you at this meeting. Beyond that, the commitment is what you want to make of it. You can become a voice in your community, attend County Meetings and work with your district leader and elected officials; or you can vote by proxy and never attend another meeting.

However though not much is asked of you in an official capacity, individuals can take charge, and it helps provide individuals a platform for leadership. A county committee member represents an election district, which is the smallest political unit, usually comprising of 700 – 1000 people, or 1 to 3 city blocks. In short, the individuals and groups that make up the party structure can have tremendous influence on nation, state, and local policy. A perfect place for young people to begin advocating for the things we think our elected officials should pay attention to.

Yes, the County Committee is able to adopt platforms and endorse candidates, even in primaries.

• You must be a registered Democrat and you must live in Manhattan. We’ll help you find an open seat on the County Committee in your Assembly District.
• In order to get on the ballot, you’ll need to collect some petition signatures from your neighbors to become a candidate.

You’ll need between 25 and 60 signatures from registered Democrats, depending on the size of the Election District in which you’re running.

Yes! MYD will provide information and training on how to collect signatures. And we always petition in pairs, so you’ll be with a fellow Young Dem every step of the way.

Collecting petition signatures is also a great way to get to know your neighborhood and community.

Collecting signatures is a vital part of the democratic process – it’s also relatively easy. We’ve found in the past that if you just take a few minutes to explain why you’re running and that it’s not a contested election, people are very open to providing their signature.

If you move, we’ll help you notify the County Committee and work with the local Democratic club to find another Young Dem to appoint to your seat.

Please do not consider running if you plan on moving within the next two years.

Serving on County Committee is a very small time commitment and meetings take place after normal business hours. To many employers, showing a commitment to your community is a huge plus. Of course, this can be a sensitive topic depending on where you work. But we believe it’s a critical part of democracy for people to be able to engage freely in the political arena outside of the workplace.