Open OCDP Officer and SEC Positions — Spring 2023

Delegates will elect these positions at the OCDP County Convention on April 22.

Every two years the Orange County Democratic Party (OCDP) is required by the NC Democratic Party (NCDP) Plan of Organization and the OCDP Alternative Plan of Organization to hold an election of officers to lead the county party for the next two years. Elections will be held at the 2023 OCDP County Convention on Saturday, April 22, at AL Stanback Middle School (3700 NC 86, Hillsborough).

Delegates to the OCDP County Convention will elect people to the following positions:

  • OCDP chair
  • OCDP first vice chair
  • OCDP second vice chair
  • OCDP third vice chair
  • OCDP fourth vice chair
  • OCDP secretary
  • Members of the NCDP State Executive Committee (SEC)

Descriptions and requirements of these positions are below. All OCDP officers and SEC members must be registered Democrats living in Orange County. If you are interested in serving in a leadership position or if you want to nominate someone for a leadership position, please complete the interest form here. If you are interested in more than one position, please complete a separate form for each position.

The application deadline is 5 p.m., Monday, March 27. In-person interviews will be held on April 10, 6-8 p.m.

The nomination committee consists of the following individuals:

  • Rep. Renée Price, chair
  • Cay Stratton
  • Eliazar Posada
  • Heide Kober
  • Eric Chen
  • Vicki Hill
  • TJ White

While the nominating committee will provide a candidate slate with their recommendations, please note that nominations from the floor will also be accepted at the OCDP County Convention on April 22.

The following position descriptions are from Section 2.05 of the NCDP Plan of Organization and the OCDP Alternative Plan of Organization:

Chair

The duties of the county chair shall include:

  1. Preside at county executive committee meetings and county conventions.
  2. Draft, in consultation with the county executive committee, a strategic plan outlining reasonable political goals for the county.
  3. Execute the strategic plan approved by the county executive committee.
  4. In consultation with the elected officers, appoint a treasurer.
  5. Draft, in consultation with the other officers, a diversity, inclusion, and full participation plan outlining strategies and goals for promoting better representation at all levels of party leadership.
  6. Read the NCDP Code of Conduct and review it with the County Executive Committee, ensuring that each member of the County Executive Committee is familiar with the procedure for reporting behavior inconsistent therewith.
  7. Appoint an acting precinct chair for up to thirty (30) days — for any precinct that remains unorganized after the second scheduled precinct meeting — for the purpose of organizing the precinct in accordance with this Plan of Organization. If the precinct is a significantly ethnic precinct, the county chair shall appoint the acting precinct chair upon the recommendation of the county caucuses representing those ethnic groups or the state caucuses representing those ethnic groups if there is no duly organized county level caucus.
  8. Appoint an acting precinct chair for any newly created precinct for the purpose of that precinct in accordance with this Plan of Organization. If the precinct is a significantly ethnic precinct, the county chair shall appoint the acting precinct chair upon the recommendation of the county caucuses representing those ethnic groups or the state caucuses representing those ethnic groups if there is no duly organized county-level caucus(es).
  9. Designate the date and time, consistent with the parameters set by the state chair, at which precinct meetings will be held.
  10. Designate the exact time and place, consistent with the date set by the state chair, at which the county convention is to be held, providing said designation to be given to the precinct chairs at least thirty (30) days prior to said county convention.
  11. Appoint committees as may be required to assist in the execution of these duties.
  12. Encourage and facilitate establishment and continuity of county chapters of state-affiliated organizations.
  13. Attend meetings of the district and state executive committees.
  14. Serve as the spokesperson for the county executive committee.
  15. Serve as the liaison between the county executive committee and the district executive committee, the state party officers, and the state executive committee.
  16. Represent the county executive committee at party and non-party meetings and functions.
  17. Appoint a county party attorney to serve at the chair’s pleasure.
  18. Carry out other duties as may be assigned by this Plan of Organization or by the county or state executive committees.
  19. Transmit all records pertaining to the office to successor within ten (10) days of vacating office.

First Vice Chair

The duties of the county first vice chair shall be such as may be assigned by the county chair and shall include the following:

  1. Preside at county executive committee meetings and county conventions in the absence of the chair.
  2. Plan and organize county executive committee meetings and county conventions.
  3. Notify precinct chairs as to the number of votes that each precinct is entitled to cast at the county executive committee and the county convention.
  4. Serve as the coordinator for all precinct and party organizing efforts within the county, in consultation with the other officers and consistent with the strategic plan approved by the county executive committee. In significantly ethnic precincts, consult with and seek the recommendation of acting precinct chairs from the county caucuses representing those ethnic groups or the state caucuses representing those ethnic groups if there is no duly organized county level caucus(es).
  5. Attend meetings of the district executive committee.
  6. Carry out other duties as may be assigned by the county executive committee.
  7. Transmit all records pertaining to the office to successor within ten (10) days of vacating office.

Second Vice Chair

The duties of the county second vice chair shall be such as may be assigned by the county chair and shall include the following:

  1. Plan and organize training sessions for county executive committee members and other interested active Democrats.
  2. Carry out other duties as may be assigned by the county executive committee.
  3. Transmit all records pertaining to the office to successor within ten (10) days of vacating office.

Third Vice Chair

The duties of the county third vice chair shall be such as may be assigned by the county chair and shall include the following:

  1. Serve as the publicity chair for the county executive committee, utilizing local newspapers, newsletters, etc., to illuminate policy issues and announce political activities and/or accomplishments to voters in the county.
  2. Carry out other duties as may be assigned by the county executive committee.
  3. Transmit all records pertaining to the office to successor within ten (10) days of vacating office.

Fourth Vice Chair

The duties of the county fourth vice chair shall be such as may be assigned by the county chair and shall include the following:

  1. Serving as the voter experience and voter protection chair for the county executive committee, responsibilities of which shall include, but are not limited to:
    i. developing and executing poll greeting programs for all elections;
    ii. assisting in the recruitment and training of poll observers;
    iii. collaborating with the voter registration team to develop a comprehensive voter registration plan;
    iv. organizing a communications strategy pertaining to changes in precinct boundaries and polling locations; and
    v. serving as a principal representative of the county executive committee to the county board of elections.
  2. Carry out other duties as may be assigned by the county executive committee.
  3. Transmit all records pertaining to the office to successor within ten (10) days of vacating office.

Secretary

The duties of the county secretary shall include:

  1. Keep and maintain in good order all records of the county executive committee.
  2. Issue all meeting notices in writing and consistent with the requirements of this Plan of Organization.
  3. Carry out other duties as may be assigned by the county executive committee.
  4. Transmit all records pertaining to the office to successor within ten (10) days of vacating office.

State Executive Committee

The State Executive Committee (SEC) is the governing body of the North Carolina Democratic Party and is described in Section 4.01 of the NCDP Plan of Organization. Among the responsibilities of the SEC are electing NCDP officers as well as reviewing and approving resolutions to the state party platform, changes to the NCDP Plan of Organization, and the constitutions and bylaws of state auxiliary committees. The NCDP chair typically calls two SEC meetings each year. SEC members serve two-year terms.

Delegates to the OCDP County Convention on April 22, 2023, will be electing 10 SEC members. We seek to achieve geographic, racial, gender, and age balance within party committees. The Plan of Organization specifies a balance of 50% female/nonbinary and 50% male/nonbinary SEC members.