2016 SDD Carol Donovan

7/23/2019 2016 SDD Carol Donovan

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Candidate name: Carol Donovan, DCDP Chair

Please complete questionnaire below. Send a completed electronic copy [email protected] by Friday, January 5, 2016, to be considered forendorsement in the 201 Democratic Primary.

1. Your bac!round and the "#$% communityPlease share any experience that illustrates your understanding and interest of theneeds of LGBT Dallas County residents.

RESPONSE: I am proud to have received the endorsement of Stonewall Democrats of Dallas(Stonewall Democrats) when I ran for State Representative for HD!" in #!$% Prior to m&election as the 'hair of the Dallas 'ount& Democratic Part& (D'DP) I supported *+, servicepro-ects hosted .& the /omen0s 'ommunit& 1ssociation which was previousl& supported .&proceeds from the +lac2 ,ie Dinner in Dallas% 1dditionall& I have supported and attended annuafundraisin3 dinners hosted in Dallas .& 1IDS Interfaith Networ2 Inc% and +lac2 ,ie Dinner Inc% have a lon3 record of wor2in3 for human ri3hts includin3 .ut not limited to servin3 as'hairwoman of the International /omen0s Peace 'onference% 1s the new D'DP 'hair supported the immediate issuance of marria3e licenses to same4se5 couples in Dallas 'ount&% 1sa Democrat I am proud to support the Democratic platform which clearl& advocates for civiri3hts for all persons includin3 mem.ers of the *+, communit&%

2. Creatin! an inclu&ive communityWhen elected, how will you recruit, retain, and create a friendly environent for LGBTand LGBT!friendly sta"#

RESPONSE: *+, sta6 mem.ers are not new to the D'DP% 1fter m& election as D'DP 'hair hired an openl& 3a& sta6 mem.er who serves as one of the 7 directors% 1s the D'DP 'hair Ihave made clear m& position that no discrimination will .e tolerated and the D'DP sta6 is incomplete a3reement% ,he ne5t position for which I will .e hirin3 sta6 is E5ecutive Director%Notices of this position will .e distri.uted to the D'DP data.ase and to all Democratic clu.sincludin3 the Stonewall Democrats% So lon3 as I am the D'DP 'hair no intolerant individual wil.e hired%

What will you do to a$e sure that the Dallas County Deocratic Party %DCDP& o'ceis welcoing and represents Deocrats fro all corners of Dallas County#

RESPONSE: ,o assure that the D'DP o8ce is welcomin3 I have made clear to the D'DP sta6 m&position that ) we are hosts of the local Democratic Part&9 #) we are often the rst impression ofthe Part&9 and ;) we wor2 for the individuals who enter (or otherwise contact) the o8ceespeciall& the precinct chairs% Since m& election on <une #" #!= I have hired 7 sta6 mem.ersand the diversit& of the D'DP o8ce has increased% ,he current diversit& .rea2down of the D'DP

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sta6 is: #!> 1frican41merican9 ;!> Hispanic9 !> 1sian9 and $!> 1n3lo% One of the 7 directorsis 3a&% ,o ma2e sure that the D'DP o8ce continues to re?ect the diversit& of Dallas 'ount& I wilcontinue to post positions throu3h the D'DP data.ase% 1s mentioned a.ove notice of theE5ecutive Director position will also .e distri.uted to all Democratic clu.s includin3 theStonewall Democrats

'. Your (uali)cation&

What professional (uali)cations do you have that has prepared you for a role as chiefo'cer of the Dallas County Deocratic Party#

RESPONSE: ,he professional @ualications on which I have most relied as the D'DP 'hairinclude:

• Doctorate of <urisprudence (AB!)

• icense issued .& the State +ar of ,e5as to practice law in ,e5as in AB!

• 'ler2ship for C%S% District <ud3e Ro.ert % Par2er in AB!4B

• aw practiced (iti3ation O8ce Practice) in Dallas 'ount& ,e5as since AB

• Service as a Precinct 'hair for # terms (c% AB#4AB7)

• ,rainin3 and service as an 1ttorne&4ediator in Dallas 'ount& since AA;

• 'ertication in Non4Prot ana3ement .& SC and the 'enter for Nonprotana3ement in #!!=

• ,rainin3 as a 'olla.oratorFGacilitator in #!

• 'ampai3n for State Representative for HD!" in #!$

• Election as D'DP 'hair on <une #" #!=

Please descri*e your past and present partisan activities that have prepared you to*e the spo$esperson and supervisor for local party operations, including the thetransparent organi+ing of the Deocratic Priary lection in Dallas County andsupervisor of the Dallas County Coordinated Capaign for general elections#

RESPONSE: ,he partisan activities that .est prepared me include:

• Elected (rst woman) Student +od& President of the Cniversit& of ,e5as at 1ustin inA"=

• Served as a Precinct 'hair for # terms (c% AB#4AB7)

• Re3istered voters (with m& parents) with the N11'P oter 'ampai3n in A77

• 'ampai3ned (with m& parents) for President &ndon +% <ohnson in A7$

• 'ampai3ned for <im Hi3htower for ,e5as 13riculture 'ommissioner in AB#

• 'ampai3ned for (now 'on3ressman) lo&d Do33ett in his race for C%S% Senate in AB$

• 'ampai3ned for 1nn Richards for *overnor in AA!

• 'ampai3ned for (now President) +arac2 O.ama in the *eneral Election in #!!B

• 'ampai3ned for (now C%S% Special Envo&) Russell Gein3old for his Senate re4electioncampai3n in #!!

• Numerous meetin3s with 'ount& 'ommissioners and Election 1dministrator ,onPippins4Poole and her sta6 to3ether with the supervision of the election -ud3eselection process the election cler2 selection process the pairin3 of precincts andthe selection of election sites%

Please list your partisan political fundraising experiences fro the last )ve years.

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RESPONSE: In #!$ I raised over #B!!! to fund m& campai3n for StateRepresentative for HD!"% In #!= I raised almost =!!! to fund m& D'DP 'hair raceIn #!= I was as2ed to spea2 to appro5imatel& =! attendees of the 1nnie0s ist ,rainin3Seminar re3ardin3 aspects of campai3nin3 includin3 fundraisin3% 1dditionall& in thepast = &ears I have assisted with fundraisin3 for the partisan political campai3ns of:• 'ount& 'ommissioner ,heresa Daniel

•

es@uite 'it& 'ouncilman <e6 'asper• Dallas 'it& 'ouncilman ar2 'la&ton

• Dallas 'it& 'ouncil candidate <ames /hite

• State Representative candidate ilton /hitle&

*. "ooin! For+ard Please descri*e your plan to iprove funding for DCDP operations and activities overthe next two years.

RESPONSE: +ased on interviews with past D'DP chairs and E5ecutive Directors it appears thatpast fundin3 has .een dependent on # ma-or pro3rams: ,he 1nnual Gish Gr& and ,he <ohnson4

<ordan Dinner (previousl& 2nown as the <e6erson4<ac2son Dinner%) In order to .rin3 fundin3.e&ond the maintenance level the D'DP needs to .ranch out increasin3 the num.er of fundin3sources and solicitin3 new fundin3 sources% Cpon ta2in3 o8ce: ) I revamped the D'DPSustainin3 em.er Pro3ram which had not previousl& .een touted outside of the we.site9 #) created sponsorships and candidate ta.les for the 1nnual a.or Da& Picnic ma2in3 a net proton an event that had previousl& operated at a loss9 and ;) I or3aniJed a <udicial Reception withmultiple sponsors% Since ta2in3 o8ce on <une #" #!= the D'DP has raised over !!!!!which is much more than usual for a non4election period% In preparation for #!7 fundraisin3 theD'DP hosted a Donor 1ppreciation Reception in Decem.er #!=% Over the ne5t # &ears I intendto ) push the Sustainin3 em.er Pro3ram9 #) host more receptions honorin3 elected o8cials

includin3 -ud3es9 ;) create a fundraisin3 team to assist in the development of a lon34termfundraisin3 plan9 $) solicit individual donors law rms and .usinesses includin3 those who havenot previousl& donated to the D'DP9 and =) create fundraisin3 opportunities in connection withand independent of on3oin3 D'DP pro3rams%

What are soe of the activities %outside of re(uired duties& that the DCDP does thatyou de)nitely want to continue as the County Chair in the coing two!year ter#

RESPONSE: 1s the D'DP 'hair I have noted that there is a wide variance in the num.erof &ears in which participants have .een involved% ore e5perienced participants loo2forward to traditional events such as the Gish Gr& the a.or Da& Picnic and the <ohnson4 <ordan Dinner% So lon3 as these events continue to ma2e mone& for the Part& the&should .e continued% ,hese events can still .e Kspiced4upL with additional mar2etin3sponsorships and Kcele.rit&L spea2ers% an& D'DP mem.ers have as2ed that we alsocontinue the <udicial Reception that we introduced in #!=% 1lso some of the non4-udicialelected o8cials have as2ed that the Part& sponsor events with them as well% 1ll of theseevents have fundraisin3 potential as well as networ2in3 opportunities with fellowDemocrats%

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What are soe new ideas that you want the DCDP to ipleent#

RESPONSE: ,he <udicial Reception is a new idea% I have alread& .een approached .& severaattorne&s who want to sponsor the ne5t -udicial reception% I would also li2e to or3aniJe a 'ount&O8cial Reception to feature our elected o8cials who are not -ud3es% I have called the rstmeetin3 of an 1dvisor& 'ouncil of #! ;!4&ear4olds to help the D'DP implement a Democraticeadership Institute to attract &oun3 leaders and train them re3ardin3 all aspects of the Part&

.usiness includin3 campai3ns% ,he de.ate watch parties were also new events% /e intend tocontinue the watch parties as the Democratic presidential candidates pro3ress throu3h theprimar& season% On <anuar& A #!7 the D'DP will host its rst oter Rall& and +loc2 Part& in theOa2 'li6 area% /e intend to or3aniJe additional RalliesF+loc2 Parties to assist the man& staterepresentative candidates% ,his would .e a 3ood time to .ra3 on the fact that durin3 m&chairmanship the D'DP has elded Democratic candidates in all = house districts in Dallas'ount& for the rst time in =! &earsM ,o help these candidates the D'DP will .e conductin3optional trainin3 sessions on su.-ects of their selection%

Deocrats in Dallas County coe together as a coalition of diverse *ac$grounds andpriorities. Deocratic priary elections regularly expose and in-ae tensions*etween diverse constituencies that can linger and ipair Deocratic electoralsuccesses in the general election. What can you do as a County Chair to help o"setthe negative side e"ects of healthy copetition within the Deocratic Party in DallasCounty#

RESPONSE: ,his pro.lem has .een with us forever% I don0t assume to have all the answers .ut can respond with what I have done and what I intend to do% I have 2ept the dialo3ue open% Sinceta2in3 o8ce I have met with almost ever& elected o8cial in Dallas 'ount&% In the past #months I have visited ever& Democratic clu.9 I have met with almost ever& precinct chair9 and

have spo2en with man& volunteers% I have intentionall& sou3ht out individuals who are unhapp&with the Part& for one reason or another% I have done a lot of listenin3% /hether or not we a3reethese individuals 2now I am tr&in3 to unif& the Part&% One of the most contentious aspects of thePart& is the 'oordinated 'ampai3n% Ever&one thin2s someone from their part of town should .ein char3e% Gormer D'DP 'hair Darlene Ewin3 nall& resolved this dispute .& chairin3 the'oordinated 'ampai3n herself% I intend to follow her lead% I 2now I can0t ma2e ever&one happ&all of the time .ut I can include di6erent constituencies in providin3 input to the decisions I haveto ma2e%

What are soe eleents of your strategic plan to continue Deocratic successes inDallas County and *uild on the for the next several election cycles# ow will yourapproach and strategic goals di"er in gu*ernatorial cycles as opposed to presidential

cycles#

RESPONSE: /hen I ran for D'DP 'hair I announced that I wanted to K2eep Dallas 'ount& .lueL.ut I added that I wanted to .e3in encroachin3 on the Repu.lican4dominated House Districtseats% In 2eepin3 with that 3oal I wor2ed with numerous individuals and clu.s to nd candidatesfor ever& House District seat% (O.viousl& if we don0t run we don0t win%) Ne5t I assi3ned a sta6mem.er to wor2 with the unopposed non4incum.ent house candidates% (,he D'DP does not 3etinvolved in primar& contests% /e will certainl& assist an& unopposed incum.ent .ut the&3enerall& have their own campai3n techni@ues%) ,his sta6 mem.er has alread& met once with

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the house candidates and man& have told me how much the& appreciate the help% I .elieve thatthis one4on4one assistance will help 3et these house races o6 the 3round% Hopefull& we will pic2up some house district seats% Gor the ne5t c&cles I intend to start the recruitment process muchearlier% In the past house district candidates were left to their own devices% If the sta6 assistancehelps in this election c&cle as I suspect it will then we will continue that factor for the ne5tc&cles% In the future I would li2e to ti3hten our precinct chair s&stem .& ) continuin3 to recruitprecinct chairs9 #) hostin3 re3ular trainin3 sessions for precinct chairs9 ;) schedulin3 re3ulare3ional meetin3s with precinct chairs9 $) appointin3 re3ional captains to help with or3aniJation9

and =) or3aniJin3 re3ional phone .an2s and eld wor2 centers% Philosophicall& m& approachand strate3ic 3oals would not di6er in 3u.ernatorial c&cles and presidential c&cles% However as apractical matter since less Democrats vote in 3u.ernatorial c&cles the e6orts for voterre3istration and voter turnout must .e increased%

I Carol Donovan am see2in3 an endorsement from the Stonewall Democrats of Dallas for the#!= Interim 'ount& 'hair election for the Dallas 'ount& Democratic Part&%

Si3ned Date

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2016 SDD Carol Donovan