California is the largest delegation with 503 delegates of 4440! Both the state and national delegations are the most diverse in history. Women will be the majority of delegates at 50.1 percent for the first time in history. (Thanks to the research of our high school intern Wendy Wu, I can tell you the first woman delegate to the DNC was Elizabeth Cohen of Utah, who as an alternate was chosen to fill the position of a delegate who became ill in 1900.) There will be more delegates of color than in any time in history, 44.3 percent of the delegates represent minority communities, 5.8% represent the Gay Lesbian Bisexual Transgender communities. 10 percent will be people with disabilities. 31.4 percent are either seniors or youth with the youngest a 17 year old high school student and the oldest a 91 year old woman. (Above) Former State Senator and elected Party Chairman Art Torres chairs the statewide meeting of DNC delegates.The goals to make our delegates reflect the state's party composition were:
- Latino/Hispanic 26%
- African American 16%
- Asian/Pacific Islander 9%
- Native American 1%
- LGBT 10%
- Persons with Disabilities 10%
- Youth Under 30 10%
Once the Congressional District representatives like myself were elected, state party leaders with the representatives of the Clinton and Obama campaigns went through the lists of party leaders and elected officials who would go as superdelegates as well as regular rank and file democrats who would serve at-large to come up with a slate to meet these goals. Many of those who lost at district elections and many more applied online for consideration as at-large delegates.
In May the slate was presented to the 241 delegates like myself elected on the district level. With sign off by both Hillary and Obama, the vote was non-controversial. Our May meeting was the only time California delegates came together before we went to Denver. We met first in our caucuses -- Clinton & Obama. I have no idea if the handful of Edward's delegates met.
The passion of the Clinton delegates was high. After the elation of winning our state decisively, it was clear that the national numbers were not looking good. Yet the recent elections were showing her getting stronger and seeming to find her own voice. We started to go around the room to introduce ourselves; there were only a few elected officials like myself, mostly council, school, and county board members. Alice Huffman, a veteran teacher and civil rights leader (left) and the historic UFW Vice President Dolores Huerta rallied us. There were many grassroots leaders -- union members, teachers, women, civil rights veterans, environmentalists, health care reformers. Their stories of local issues around the state were eloquent and moving; it gave me a human face of the party that I didn't know before.
That day I met some of the young Obama delegates. We agreed that whatever happened, we would work together in the East Bay to take back the White House. (Right) Jennifer Pae, an Oakland resident who works with organizing youth, was the second highest Obama vote getter.
- History of the Democratic Conventions--Jefferson to Obama
- History of the Democratic Party
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