Turning Red Districts Blue: Organizing For Change
Democrats and progressives won huge victories in 2008, gaining the presidency and winning big majorities in the House and Senate. Yet millions of progressives live in the shadow of Red districts held by Republican Congressmembers, state senators and assemblymembers. Panelists will relate their experiences in helping turn Red districts Blue and will offer advice on how you can help oust Republicans in your own district, from organizing voter registration drives and influencing local media to affecting your local committees and recruiting good candidates.
Adam is not last year's American Idol runner up. However, he is a tax consultant who works and lives in the NYC area. Blogging under the name "clammyc", Adam is a front page contributing editor at BlueJersey.com and has written hundreds of essays about framing and messaging on a number of progressive issues and campaigns.
He has worked on various campaigns (NJ Governor - 2009, NJ-5th Congressional District, 2006, 2008, 2010), doing online outreach and strategy. Adam previously hosted weekly online radio shows at BlogTalkRadio.com, where he also managed the progressive lineup of shows.
Currently, Adam is advising the Congressional candidate in his district, and was one of the founders of Retire Garrett (and RetireGarrett.com), a grassroots organization dedicated to the Congressional Race in NJ's 5th District.
Matt Browner Hamlin is a writer, activist, and organizer who works for the Service Employees International Union. Matt was the Internet Director for Mark Begich's Senate campaign in Alaska and the Deputy Internet Director for Chris Dodd's presidential campaign. He serves on Students for a Free Tibet's international Board of Directors. Matt writes about politics at HoldFastBlog.com and cocktails, bars, and spirits at AJiggerOfBlog.com.
Darcy Burner is Executive Director of ProgressiveCongress.org, honorary chair of the PCCC, honorary chair of More and Better Democrats PAC, a board member of the Council for a Livable World's PeacePAC, and a national board member for NARAL.
The principal author and organizer of "A Responsible Plan to End the War in Iraq," which was endorsed by more than sixty candidates for the U.S. House and U.S. Senate, she has been a candidate for Congress in Washington State's 8th District, a Group Program Manager at Microsoft Corporation, and a software developer at Lotus Development Corp.
David Atkins is a qualitative research consultant (focus group design & moderation) living in Ventura, CA, and writes on DailyKos, Calitics and elsewhere under the pseudonym "thereisnospoon". He is President of the Ventura County Young Democrats, and actively engaged in a variety of local volunteer efforts aimed at unseating Republicans in CA-24, as well as in California's AD-37 and SD-19. Through his company The Pollux Group, he has also consulted with the Los Angeles County Democratic Party to help defeat Republicans in red districts across Southern California.
Eden James is a Director of Organizing at Change.org, the fastest-growing social change platform on the web, empowering millions of members around the world to start, join, and win their own campaigns. From 2007-2010, Eden directed new media strategy and staff as Managing Director of the Courage Campaign, an online organizing network mobilizing more than 700,000 members to push for progressive change and full equality. In 2006, Eden served as Online Communications Director for Jerry McNerney's successful congressional upset victory over Rep. Richard Pombo (CA-11), leading the campaign's netroots outreach and helping McNerney raise more than $1 million online. Prior to joining the congressional campaign, Eden served as Online Marketing Manager at Working Assets (now CREDO Action) and organized in support of Gov. Howard Dean's presidential campaign in California and Iowa. In 2003, Eden graduated from UC Berkeley with a degree in Political Science.
