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Rep. Jim Clyburn, D-S.C., will co-chair a 37-member panel aimed at changing the presidential nominating process, the Democratic National Committee announced Monday night.
DNC Chairman Tim Kaine announced the Democratic Change Commission membership will include fellow Richmond Democrat State Del. Jennifer McClellan.
Columbus Mayor Michael Coleman is the only mayor included on the panel. The group will address: changing the window of time during which states can hold presidential primaries and caucuses; reducing the number of superdelegates (thus giving primaries and caucuses more weight in nomination fights), and improving the caucus system. The commission is to report back to the Democratic Party's Rules and Bylaws Committee by January 1, 2010.
The prolonged Democratic presidential primary battle between Barack Obama and Hillary Clinton last year left people still wondering by summertime who would be the party's presidential nominee. Some saw the drawn out primary contest as bruising to the party, while other observers say the process helped to strengthen grassroots organizing since more states had the chance to vote in contested presidential primaries. By August there was still grumbling that superdelegates -- party insiders who can vote at the Democratic nominating convention for any presidential nominee they choose -- could sidestep the will of primary voters.
In announcing the commission, Kaine said he hopes to work with the Republican National Committee on "a common approach that puts voters first."
A full list of the Democratic commission members is below:
Co-Chairs:
Rep. Jim Clyburn, Columbia, South Carolina
Sen. Claire McCaskill, St. Louis, Missouri
Members:
Grassroots Activist Jeremy Alters, Miami, Florida
Political Strategist Jeff Berman, Washington, D.C.
Grassroots Activist Ashley Bliss, Atlanta, Georgia
State Rep. Dan Blue, Raleigh, North Carolina
Political Strategist Bill Carrick, Los Angeles, California
Mayor Michael Coleman, Columbus, Ohio
Political Strategist Jeff Forbes, Washington, D.C.
Grassroots Activist Joan Garry, Montclair, New Jersey
State Chair Larry Gates, Overland Park, Kansas
School Board Member Adelita Grijalva, Tucson, Arizona
Professor Rob Hampshire, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
Former State Chair Ned Helms, Concord, New Hampshire
Former Labor Secretary Alexis Herman, McLean, Virginia
Chairman Ron His Horse Is Thunder, Standing Rock Sioux Tribe
IBT President James Hoffa, Detroit, Michigan
Grassroots Activist Roseanne Hope, Minneapolis, Minnesota
State Sen. Steven Horsford, Las Vegas, Nevada
Grassroots Activist Suzie LeVine, Seattle, Washington
UAW CAP Director Dick Long, Detroit, Michigan
Grassroots Activist Andres Lopez, San Juan, Puerto Rico
Former Attorney General Patricia Madrid, Albuquerque, New Mexico
DNC Member Debbie Marquez, Edwards, Colorado
State Sen. Iris Martinez, Chicago, Illinois
State Del. Jennifer McClellan, Richmond, Virginia
Secretary of State Linda McCulloch, Helena, Montana
Attorney General Tom Miller, Des Moines, Iowa
DNC Member Minyon Moore, Washington, D.C.
Grassroots Activist Sunah Park, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Campaign Manager David Plouffe, Washington, D.C.
Grassroots Activist Rebecca Prozan, San Francisco, California
DNC Member James Roosevelt, Jr, Cambridge, Massachusetts
Rep. Linda Sanchez, Lakewood, California
AFT President Randi Weingarten, New York City, New York
State Chair Meredith Wood Smith, Portland, Oregon
Grassroots Activist Martin Yeung, Rapid City, South Dakota
--Neil H. Simon
DNC Chairman Tim Kaine announced the Democratic Change Commission membership will include fellow Richmond Democrat State Del. Jennifer McClellan.
Columbus Mayor Michael Coleman is the only mayor included on the panel. The group will address: changing the window of time during which states can hold presidential primaries and caucuses; reducing the number of superdelegates (thus giving primaries and caucuses more weight in nomination fights), and improving the caucus system. The commission is to report back to the Democratic Party's Rules and Bylaws Committee by January 1, 2010.
The prolonged Democratic presidential primary battle between Barack Obama and Hillary Clinton last year left people still wondering by summertime who would be the party's presidential nominee. Some saw the drawn out primary contest as bruising to the party, while other observers say the process helped to strengthen grassroots organizing since more states had the chance to vote in contested presidential primaries. By August there was still grumbling that superdelegates -- party insiders who can vote at the Democratic nominating convention for any presidential nominee they choose -- could sidestep the will of primary voters.
In announcing the commission, Kaine said he hopes to work with the Republican National Committee on "a common approach that puts voters first."
A full list of the Democratic commission members is below:
Co-Chairs:
Rep. Jim Clyburn, Columbia, South Carolina
Sen. Claire McCaskill, St. Louis, Missouri
Members:
Grassroots Activist Jeremy Alters, Miami, Florida
Political Strategist Jeff Berman, Washington, D.C.
Grassroots Activist Ashley Bliss, Atlanta, Georgia
State Rep. Dan Blue, Raleigh, North Carolina
Political Strategist Bill Carrick, Los Angeles, California
Mayor Michael Coleman, Columbus, Ohio
Political Strategist Jeff Forbes, Washington, D.C.
Grassroots Activist Joan Garry, Montclair, New Jersey
State Chair Larry Gates, Overland Park, Kansas
School Board Member Adelita Grijalva, Tucson, Arizona
Professor Rob Hampshire, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
Former State Chair Ned Helms, Concord, New Hampshire
Former Labor Secretary Alexis Herman, McLean, Virginia
Chairman Ron His Horse Is Thunder, Standing Rock Sioux Tribe
IBT President James Hoffa, Detroit, Michigan
Grassroots Activist Roseanne Hope, Minneapolis, Minnesota
State Sen. Steven Horsford, Las Vegas, Nevada
Grassroots Activist Suzie LeVine, Seattle, Washington
UAW CAP Director Dick Long, Detroit, Michigan
Grassroots Activist Andres Lopez, San Juan, Puerto Rico
Former Attorney General Patricia Madrid, Albuquerque, New Mexico
DNC Member Debbie Marquez, Edwards, Colorado
State Sen. Iris Martinez, Chicago, Illinois
State Del. Jennifer McClellan, Richmond, Virginia
Secretary of State Linda McCulloch, Helena, Montana
Attorney General Tom Miller, Des Moines, Iowa
DNC Member Minyon Moore, Washington, D.C.
Grassroots Activist Sunah Park, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Campaign Manager David Plouffe, Washington, D.C.
Grassroots Activist Rebecca Prozan, San Francisco, California
DNC Member James Roosevelt, Jr, Cambridge, Massachusetts
Rep. Linda Sanchez, Lakewood, California
AFT President Randi Weingarten, New York City, New York
State Chair Meredith Wood Smith, Portland, Oregon
Grassroots Activist Martin Yeung, Rapid City, South Dakota
--Neil H. Simon