CONTACTS:
Jeanine Zylstra
Executive Director, Bay Area Dem's
415.834.9200
Jessica Mullens
JM Consulting for Bay Area Dem's
415.336.4269
Maria Moyer-Angus
Maria Moyer-Angus Communication for Bay Area Dem's
510.384.4604
San Francisco, May 28, 2002 -- On May 28th, Bay Area Dem's will celebrate the launch of their new organization with top Democratic leaders including Senate Majority Leader Tom Daschle, Senate Democratic Whip Harry Reid, and Senate Policy Chairman Byron Dorgan––along with very special guests Senator Joe Lieberman, House Democratic Whip Nancy Pelosi and Mayor Willie Brown. Bay Area Dem's is a grassroots, multi-interest political organization, founded to get Bay Area citizens more involved with key National Democratic races and to increase the base of individual Democratic campaign donors. Entertainment for the event will be provided by the Grateful Dead's Mickey Hart and The Flying Other Brothers. The event is free to Bay Area Dem's members.
"With the recently passed, much-needed campaign finance law eliminating ‘soft money,' individuals have become much more important in the political process," said Chris Larsen, CEO of E-Loan. "Right now, Republicans have a significant advantage in individual donations, and Democrats will have to work harder than ever to build a network of new donors. Bay Area Dem's is one of the first organizations of the post-campaign finance reform era to reach out to new people with a substantive program at an affordable price point."
Bay Area Dem's mission is to lower the barriers to entry for Bay Area residents to participate in the financial and substantive work of national politics. The organization will host events -- from round table discussions, to large rally-style events, where members can network with other members and meet key Democratic leaders and Democratic candidates in important races, the outcome of which will influence national governance.
In addition, The Bay Area Dem's Political Advisory Committee will publish a "top-10 list" of the hottest and most important National Democratic races on www.BayAreaDems.org. While the organization does not take positions on specific issues, or endorse individual candidates, members will be provided with detailed information about national Democratic candidates, their voting record, and their campaign agenda, to enable members to compare and evaluate politicians side-by-side.
"The next 18 months will be a battle for the soul of the Democratic Party," said Wade Randlett, Bay Area Dem's principal founder. "The mega-institutions that play the soft-money game are already scheming how to keep the old system running despite the new law that is supposed to end it. It is up to citizens like us to build new organizations that will help the Democratic Party energize new activists and hard-dollar donors."
Bay Area Dem's founding board includes prominent Democratic activists and fundraisers like Andy Rappaport of August Capital. "Over the last five years, national politics has become increasingly elitist," Rappaport said. "I wanted to form Bay Area Dem's to do two things: to bring down the average age and income level of citizens participating in high-level politics, and to level the playing field so that more people can participate to the fullest extent possible."
Bay Area Dem's executive director Jeanine Zylstra is, most recently, a veteran of the top-targeted Senate race in the country––Tim Johnson's in South Dakota. Zylstra said, "Although we're only a few weeks old, Bay Area Dem's has crashed through layers of cynicism in the public. In planning our launch event, we're hearing that people are amazed that they can participate in an event of this caliber without writing a five-figure check or being a CEO of a big company."
About Bay Area Dem's
The kick-off event will take place on Tuesday, May 28th from 7:00pm-11:00pm, in the historic Julia Morgan Ballroom at the Merchants Exchange Building, 465 California Street, 15th Floor, in San Francisco's Financial District. Membership enrollment and tickets for the launch event are available on www.bayareadems.org.
Bay Area Dem's is a not-for-profit political committee established under Internal Revenue Code section 527. Through participation in monthly events with national Democrats, Bay Area Dem's members will build a better understanding of the national Democratic political landscape and an appreciation for the importance of participation in the preservation of core Democratic issues and ideals.
Bay Area Dem's pledges to activate the untapped energy of local Democrats, including younger ones who have not been engaged to date. We seek to build a Democratic "bench" of new leaders and supporters who may not currently have the capacity to give large sums of money but who can be key activists by the next Presidential campaign.
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