From: Laurence Zakson
Sent: Thursday, December 15, 2016 8:33 AM
Subject: DNC Announces Location of First Candidate Forum for Party Officer Candidates

I wish you a happy holiday season and a healthy and active 2017. If you are like me, you are still having a hard time listening to NPR and reading the paper because of all of the devastation unified Trumpublican leadership in DC will bring to our nation as a whole and to working and less affluent Americans, but your dander is up and you are ready to rumble.

On Monday, I am honored to serve as one of California’s 55 electors who will cast our votes proudly for Hillary Clinton and Tim Kaine as Californians dictated by a roughly a 2 to 1 ratio. For one more day, California will be Clinton-Kaine country. Then, barring anything miraculous, it’s back to fighting the Trumpublican agenda of gutting Medicare, repealing the Affordable Care Act, declaring climate change a hoax and making sure that public lands are oil and gas companies’ playgrounds.

Today, the DNC announced the location of the first candidate forum for DNC officer candidates. With Representative Ellison, ASDC Chair Ray Buckley and SC State Party Chair Jamie Harrison in the race and Labor Secretary Tom Perez all but in (http://www.cnn.com/2016/12/14/politics/tom-perez-democratic-national-committee/index.html), plus a possible run by Ilyse Hogue (who is pretty heavily testing the waters), this should be a pretty lively discussion about how to rebuild our Party from the grassroots up, how to assure that we put up a united front and how to gum up the works in a way that ensures no second term for Trump. I am focused on our need to retake the legislatures necessary to have a fair shot at control of the House after the 2020 census, and will be closely listening to the candidates’ plans for that.

There is much work ahead and I know you are fired up and ready to go. I am, too. So, enjoy the holidays and get recharged for the fight ahead!

In closing, I know a few folks have asked if I signed onto the petition (championed by, among others, my colleague on the DNC Christine Pelosi) calling for the electors to be briefed (before we vote on 12/19) on Russian interference in our election . I have and have urged other electors to do likewise. I doubt it has legs, but it is an important statement, in my view.

Democratically yours,
Laurence Zakson
Member, Democratic National Committee

Dear DNC Member,

Below, please find the press release regarding the announcement of the first location for the “DNC Future Forum” featuring Democrats running to serve as the next Party Officers.

Best,

Stephanie
––––––––––––––––––––––––––––

Mayor Stephanie Rawlings-Blake
Secretary
Democratic National Committee

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

For Immediate Release
December 15, 2016

Contact: DNC Press-dncpress@dnc.org

DNC Announces “DNC Future Forum” Location of First Candidate Forum Featuring Democrats Running to Serve as Next Party Chair, Officers

The Democratic Party today announced the first stop of its “DNC Future Forum,” which will feature candidates running for the next party chair and candidates for the other national officers. The tour is an opportunity for top Democrats to listen to the American people, to lay out their vision for the future of the Party, to demonstrate their leadership, and to show their commitment to key issues that matter most to hardworking families.

The kickoff event will be held on January 13th in Phoenix, Arizona at the Sheraton Grand Phoenix Hotel, followed by a series of additional forums in other cities. All regional forums will be open to the public and streamed live. This January will mark the first time Democrats have held regional forums for officer elections in more than 10 years.

In accordance with rules established earlier this month by the DNC Rules and Bylaws Committee, the election of the next chair will take place at the full DNC meeting in Atlanta, GA on February 23rd- 26th, 2017.

Additional information regarding the elections of Democratic Party officers can be found here.

The following is tentative schedule of the regional forums:

• January 13-14th in Phoenix, AZ
• January 27th- 28th in Houston, TX
• February 3rd-4th in Detroit, MI
• February 10th-11th in Baltimore, MD

WHO:             Candidates for DNC chair, candidates for the other national officers
WHAT:          First DNC Regional Candidates Forum
WHERE:       Sheraton Grand Phoenix Hotel, Phoenix, AZ 85004, 340 N 3rd St.
WHEN:          Jan. 13th-14th (Specific event times to be released at a later date)