WASHINGTON, D.C.—MSNBC and Georgetown University’s Institute of Politics and Public Service will be hosting the Democratic National Committee (DNC) leadership forum on Thursday, January 30 from 12 to 6:15 p.m. PST.
Taking place at Gaston Hall on the Georgetown campus, the event will be available to livestream via MSNBC’s YouTube channel. This is the last forum before the highly-contested February 1 DNC leadership elections.
The day-long forum will showcase candidates for Chair, Vice Chair, Vice Chair for Civic Engagement and Voter Participation, Secretary, Treasurer, and National Finance Chair. MSNBC hosts Jonathan Capehart, Jen Psaki, and Symone Sanders Townsend; Creative Director of “MSNBC Live” Luke Russert; and GU Politics Executive Director Mo Elleithee will moderate the panels.
The eight DNC chair candidates who qualified for Saturday’s forum include congressional candidate Quintessa Hathaway, Minnesota Democratic Party Chairman Ken Martin, former Maryland Gov. Martin O’Malley, attorney Jason Paul, New York state Sen. James Skoufis, former Department of Homeland Security staffer Nate Snyder, Wisconsin Democratic Party Chairman Ben Wikler, and author and spiritualist Marianne Williamson.
Washington State Democrats Chair, Shasti Conrad, announced her candidacy for Vice Chair of the DNC, which is responsible for articulating and promoting the Democratic platform and coordinating party organizational activity. Conrad was the first woman of color and youngest person to be elected Chair of the Washington State Democrats as well as the first South Asian and first Indian American woman to serve as a State Democratic Party Chair in the country.
With a Master of Public Administration from Princeton University and her Bachelor of Arts from Seattle University, Conrad stated she is running because the DNC needs a new generation of leadership and believes that Washington state is the political blueprint to turn the rest of the country blue.
The Vice Chair election will producethree officers from the following candidates: Joe Barbuto, Artie Blanco, Waikinya Clanton, Washington State Democrats Chair Shasti Conrad, Michelle Deatrick, Aisha Dew, Kalyn Free, Adam Frisch, David Hogg, Chris Jones, Malcolm Kenyatta, Joe Paolino, Jeanna Repass and James Zogby.
Vice Chair for Civic Engagement and Voter Participation candidates are Congresswoman Joyce Beatty (OH), and Congresswoman Nikema Williams (GA) appear to be drawing the most early support, with former New York Assemblyman and DNC Vice Chair Michael Blake and Biden-Harris Administration DOJ official and former DNC Director of Civic Engagement and Voter Protection Reyna Walters-Morgan waiting in the wings.
Vying for Secretary are Wisconsin LGBT Chamber of Commerce President and current DNC Secretary Jason Rae, who is being challenged by former Obama Department of Labor official, former New Jersey DOL Deputy Commissioner and campaign advisor Marilyn Davis.
McGregor Industries Board member and current DNC Treasurer Virginia McGregor is being challenged by non-profit CEO and Hillsborough Town Commissioner Matt Hughes for the position of Treasurer.
Author: Mario Lotmore
