Op-Ed: Refocusing and rekindling passion for the DNC’s future

As we watch President Donald Trump’s second administration steamroll the American people, members of the Democratic National Committee, like myself, have a choice: we can wring our hands and watch decades of gains for voting and human rights evaporate, or we can remember who we are and who suffers when we fail to communicate our platform and priorities effectively.

Real people from all walks of life are harmed by bad policy, and plenty of North Carolinians are hurting right now.

Western North Carolina rightfully captured the nation’s heart after Hurricane Helene indiscriminately claimed lives, swept away homes and leveled entire communities. The souls affected have since witnessed their personal tragedies spun into rallying cries to dismantle both the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, the federal agency that helps communities prepare for weather emergencies, and the Federal Emergency Management Agency, charged with helping make individuals and communities whole again after disaster strikes.

The mental gymnastics required to believe that scrapping coordinated disaster preparedness and response resources helps anyone is staggering. Just ask residents in eastern North Carolina, still rebuilding from the destruction wrought by Hurricanes Matthew (2016) and Florence (2018).

Life is complicated, and there are no quick fixes. We have to do the work, however long that takes.

North Carolinians see their cost of living continuing to rise unchecked, fueling fears of displacement among the most marginalized. Meanwhile, Republicans are baselessly challenging the legitimate reelection of Democrat Allison Riggs as an Associate Justice on the North Carolina Supreme Court and maneuvering to reduce the state’s early-voting window.

The bold new leadership we elected Feb. 1 was a solid first step toward rekindling party passion, including the installation of Ken Martin, who has served as chairman of the Minnesota Democratic-Farmer-Labor (DFL) Party since 2011 and as president of the Association of State Democratic Chairs since 2017, as our new chair.

Now, we get to work.

First, the DNC needs to address budget transparency. Are our expenditures moving the needle toward a more democratic future, or are we just throwing money at the same problems with no measurable return on investment? We must open the books at every meeting and pore over those details.

Second, we must address the appointments of at-large members to the DNC. Unlike myself, who was elected by my state like 200 other members, some at-large appointments reward high-level donors, lobbyists and leaders of various affiliated groups with memberships, stripping chairs of the flexibility needed to identify and target prospective members whose skills, influence or connections better plug regional or statewide gaps. While many at-large appointments bring a wealth of experience and talent that cannot be matched, others raise questions, and we need to address this blind process that overrides input from rank-and-file committee members.

Finally, DNC messaging should center the underlying economic anxiety impacting all voters, along with championing social crusades. It needs to be an "and/and." It’s time to speak passionately and scream fire from the gut. It’s time to get hungry again.

— John Verdejo is a DNC executive committee member representing North Carolina and is pursuing a master’s degree in public administration at UNC