Slide Show

 

 

TEAMWORK – The Caucus will be calling on all Democrats in D15 to donate time, money and ideas to help transform our recent election victories at all levels of government into a permanent, sustainable team of mighty Democrats.


INNOVATION – To maintain our majority in D15 and the state we must be innovative and bold.  The status quo isn’t good enough.  The Caucus is where the people take control and influence the course of elections.  We will adopt new technologies – such as this website – and programs which allows the Caucus to be the source of information and communication between the voters and elected officials.


Explore our website, volunteer to help in your neighborhood precinct or at voting stations, donate to help ensure that all elected offices from D15 remain Democratic, come visit with us at Caucus dinners and elected officials’ events.  Find it all on our pages.

Thank You,

Chairperson -   Daphne Bloomberg
Vice Chair   -    Jeffrey Ross Williams

About

 The Montgomery County District 15 Democratic Caucus promotes the philosophy of the Democratic Party, and works to help elect Democrats from our District to federal, state and county offices. The Caucus also supervises, recruits and supports the activities of precinct officials in your neighborhood who can provide you with candidate and voting information at any time.  Precinct officials also are present at all voting locations with candidate and party information, sample ballots, and good conversation on election day.  

The D15 Caucus serves voters and elected officials from Potomac, Gaithersburg, North Potomac, Darnestown, Poolesville, Germantown, Boyds, and other neighborhoods..

The Caucus is a non-profit entity with all of its assets pledged to educational, charitable, political, and community purposes.

All persons interested in advancing the principles and ideals of the Caucus are eligible for membership, whether they live in the Caucus area or not.  Annual dues are currently $35.00.  The Caucus accepts larger contributions which are needed to help organize precinct officials, support the needs of elected Democrats in our District, ensure Caucus and precinct official attendance at voting locations on election day, and host events where elected officials discuss recent legislative and other activities.  

We need your help.  So please sign up or contact us today.  There is much to do if we are to preserve the success of the D15 Democrats in Annapolis, Montgomery County and on Capital Hill.

District 15 Democratic Caucus

Chairperson -   Daphne Bloomberg, daphneiris@comcast.net
Vice Chair   -   Jeffrey Ross Williams, jwilliams@w3group.us
Treasurer  -      Abby Root, aroot05@comcast.net
Secretary  -      Nancy George, jngeorge1981@verizon.net
Director of Communications -  Tim Whitehouse, timwhitehouse@mac.com
Publicist  -       Kurt Karst, krkarst@hotmail.com
Web Site -  David Fraser-Hidalgo, dfraser@mac.com
Past Chair -      Steve Goldstein, steven_goldstein@verizon.net
MCDCC Liasion – Marjorie Goldman, mgmagoo@aol.com

District 15 Democratic Caucus

BY-LAWS FOR DISTRICT 15 DEMOCRATIC CAUCUS

ARTICLE I - PURPOSE

A. The purpose of the Caucus is to promote the success of the Democratic Party and to improve public life for the citizens of District 15. This shall be accomplished by:
1. Electing Democrats to office.
2. Increasing rank-and-file Democratic participation in party affairs.
3. Increasing the impact of Democrats upon the public life of the District.

B. The Caucus shall:
1. Convene party activists, party officials and elected officials to communicate and solve problems.
2. Train party activists for effective precinct work and mutual assistance.
3. Become informed about and openly debate questions of party organization and public policy.
4. Encourage Democrats to be active in community organizations.
5. Conduct drives to increase the number of Democratic voters.
6. Strengthen ties between Democratic voters and their party.
7. After careful public deliberation, make recommendations concerning:
important issues,
ballot questions,
Democratic candidates in primary elections.
8. Assist Democrats in general election campaigns.

ARTICLE II - MEMBERSHIP

A. Attendance at District 15 Caucus meetings shall be open to all registered Democrats.

B. The District 15 Democratic Caucus shall have two categories of members: voting members and associate members.
1. Voting members
a. District 15 (D15) Democratic precinct officials, including area coordinators.
b. District 15 Democratic elected legislators.
c. Current Montgomery County Democratic Central Committee members residing in District 15.
d. Maryland local municipal, county, state and federal elected officials who are Democrats and who reside in D15.
e. Former Montgomery County Democratic Central Committee members, District 15 Democratic precinct officials, Maryland local municipal, county, state and federal elected officials who are Democrats and who reside in D15.
f. Presidents of Democratic clubs who reside in D15. Clubs must be recognized by MCDCC.

2. Associate members
a. Elected Democratic officials who represent any portion of D15 who reside outside D15.
b. Any active registered D15 Democrat.

ARTICLE III - VOTING

A. Each voting member, whose dues are current, shall be entitled to one vote at Caucus meetings. There shall be no voting by proxy. Decisions shall be made by a majority vote of those present and voting at a Caucus meeting, except where a larger percentage may be required as set forth herein. A quorum of no less than one-third of the voting members shall be required to take official action.

B. By vote of 60% of the voting quorum then present, the Caucus may vote to formally adopt a position on public policy issues of concern to District 15. In order for a vote to be in order, the proponent of such vote must, in consultation with the Executive Committee, have provided sufficient notice to the membership of the Caucus, fifteen days prior to the next scheduled Caucus meeting, setting forth in resolution form the issue for which a vote is solicited unless by vote of 60% of the voting quorum, the Caucus votes to waive the rules and proceed to vote on an issue after a debate.

C. The District 15 Democratic Caucus shall take positions on Montgomery County Ballot Questions. To take a position, 60% of the voting quorum must support a position. If the threshold of 60% of the voting quorum is not met for any position, affirmative or negative, an automatic “no position” on the question will be reported out of the Caucus.

ARTICLE IV – CANDIDATE ENDORSEMENT

A. The Caucus shall hold an endorsement meeting as soon as possible after the filling deadline in every election year on a date determined by the Executive Committee.

B. All Democratic candidates and Caucus members should have at least fifteen (15)days notice of any caucus endorsement meeting.

C. The Caucus may endorse for the District 15 Senate seat, for the three Delegate seats, for the District 15 and At-Large Montgomery County Democratic Central Committee seats and any other Democratic elected office (excluding all non-partisan elections).

D. A Caucus member must live within the geographical boundaries of the office in question to be a voting member of that endorsement.

E. A 60% majority will be required to endorse any candidate for office. This means that, to be endorsed, a candidate must receive 60% of the votes cast on that ballot, including votes of No Endorsement. Blank ballots and abstentions, however, will not count toward calculating the denominator for the 60% majority threshold. Endorsement votes should be taken by secret ballot.

F. In the event that the required 60% is not reached on the first ballot, subsequent balloting will take place until there are only two candidates for one office. For the three Delegate seats or any other case of multiple seats, if one or more candidates meets the 60% requirement, the candidate(s) will be considered endorsed, and the next vote will be taken among those candidates remaining. If no candidate receives a 60% majority on any ballot, then the candidate(s) with the lowest vote total will be dropped, and the next vote will be taken among those candidates remaining.

ARTICLE V – OFFICERS - DUTIES AND ELECTIONS

A. The officers of this Caucus shall be a chairperson, vice-chairperson, corresponding secretary, recording secretary, treasurer, and a publicist who shall be elected by the Caucus. The officers shall be elected by Caucus members for a two-year term. The chairperson shall not be eligible to serve more than two consecutive terms in the same office..

B. The officers of the Caucus shall be elected in June of each even numbered year at an annual meeting of the Caucus. Such meeting shall be held on a date proposed by the Executive Committee. Their term of office shall start on July 1 after being elected.

C. The chairperson shall chair and conduct Caucus meetings, call meetings of the Executive Committee and Caucus, and may appoint such committees and committee chairpersons as may become necessary to carry out the goals of the Caucus.

D. The vice-chairperson shall assume the duties of the chairperson if s/he resigns or for any reason is unable to fulfill his/her duties as chairperson. The vice-chairperson shall assume these duties until the vacancy is filled in accordance with the Guidelines as contained in Section VII, Vacancies between Elections.

E. The recording secretary shall record the proceedings of each Caucus/Executive Committee meeting, and shall distribute copies of the minutes of the previous meeting.

F. The corresponding secretary shall send out notices of all Caucus meetings.

G. The treasurer shall collect and disburse any funds that may be needed for carrying on the business of the Caucus.

H. The publicist shall organize and publicize Caucus public political events, cultivate media coverage, and send out press releases.

I. Names of the nominees for the officers of the Caucus shall be submitted to the chairperson. The membership of the Caucus shall receive these names fifteen (15) days prior to the June annual meeting. Additional nominees may be accepted from the floor. Prior consent must be given for all names placed in nomination. Only precinct chairs, vice-chairs and area coordinators are eligible to serve as officers of the Caucus.

J. Elections for these positions shall be decided by a majority of total votes cast. In determining the winner of an election where more than two persons are seeking the same position and where no person was able to obtain a majority of the total votes cast, the following method shall be used: the person receiving the lowest number of votes on each ballot shall be dropped until one candidate receives a majority of the total votes cast.

ARTICLE VI - EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE

A. There shall be an Executive Committee of the Caucus to be composed of the officers of the Caucus, the Central Committee members resident in D15, and the immediate past chairperson of the Caucus. The Executive Committee shall meet at such times as may be designated by the chairperson, shall be responsible for calling Caucus meetings, setting the agendas for such meetings and providing guidance to the Caucus.

B. All Executive Committee meetings shall be open to Caucus members. The Executive Committee may not take positions on candidates or issues or ballot questions on behalf of the District 15 Caucus.

C. The Executive Committee shall make decisions on the basis of a majority vote of members present and voting.

ARTICLE VII - VACANCIES BETWEEN ELECTIONS

A. In the event the chairperson resigns or is otherwise unable to fulfill his/her duties, the vice-chairperson shall automatically become chairperson. Subject to ratification by the Caucus at its next meeting, the Executive Committee shall fill all other vacancies.

B. Decisions shall be by those then present and voting. Where there are more than two persons nominated for the same office and no person receives a majority of the total votes cast, the winner will be decided by the same procedure as contained in Article V, Officers – Duties and Elections.

C A vacancy shall exist if any officer of the Caucus or Executive Committee no longer meets the qualifications as stated in Section V of these Guidelines or if upon the recommendation of the Executive committee, 60% of the Caucus membership votes by open ballot to end an officer’s term early for failure to perform his or her duties.

ARTICLE VIII – DUES

Caucus members are requested to pay annual dues as established by the executive committee. The dues will be used for administrative expenses and should be collected at the beginning of the fiscal year, July 1-June 30.

ARTICLE IX - MEETINGS

The Caucus shall meet at least four times a year, There shall be notice at least fifteen (15) days prior to the meeting. Such notice shall include a copy of the agenda. When the need for formal discussion and voting occurs, the meeting shall be governed by Robert's Rules of Order, latest edition, if other procedures are not specified in these Guidelines..

ARTICLE X - AMENDMENTS

These By-Laws may be amended by a two-thirds (2/3) vote of those members then present and voting at a meeting in which sufficient notice had been sent thirty (30) days prior to the meeting with a statement of the proposed amendment and its purpose. A copy of the proposed amendment(s) shall be forwarded to the chairperson and corresponding secretary for inclusion in the agenda.


Revised January 26, 2008