My name is Elias Valentin II, though most of you know me as Eli! I’m excited to share with you my vision for our Party and the experience I will bring to serve you as Chairman. Through my personal journey, my activism to strengthen the local party, and my deep, meaningful connections across the state, I hope I can earn your support.
My inspiration comes from my tight-knit family. They challenge me in positive ways every day. Whether it was coming together to take care of my Mom when she was facing health challenges or providing me financial support so I could reduce my employment to one job while completing my Master’s degree with a 4.0, they were the first and are the best example of what it means to be a team.
As a former high school and college coach, I’ve led teams before. Working with my athletes, we helped amplify their talents through cohesion and committing to a shared purpose. What I learned is, together, as ONE unit, we could accomplish so much more.
Our Party has seen a surge of activism, enthusiasm, and a pride like never before. Our elected officials and Party leaders have brought us to this wonderful space where our consistent determination is paying dividends. We were able to win a majority in City Council, have amazing candidates running to bring our County Council into the 21st century, and have fielded an unprecedented number of candidates in State House seats which before were uncontested. I want to build upon this legacy, leveraging my own unique perspectives, gifts, and talents to propel our Party forward.
To continue to make positive strides, we need to work synergistically, with a leader who understands, respects, listens and supports every member of this Party. To continue our momentum we need someone who can, has, and will unify us as Democrats. We must attract new faces, we must bring in fresh ideas, and we must harness this energy to continue to showcase the strength of the GCDP, not only in the Upstate but across South Carolina.
I have been working extremely hard at making this future a reality. In the County, I served as a Campaign Manager for Tina Belge Senate 6 run, the Greenville Organizer for the SCDP in 2018, and currently the Co-Chair of the Candidate Development Committee. Across the state, I have represented and highlighted our County as: Co-Chair of the SCDP Hispanic Caucus, our Congressional representative on the Municipal Board of Canvassers, and as a 2020 Recipient of the SCDP Diversity Change Makers Award.
In this Presidential cycle, I made it a point to bring as much as I could back to Greenville, including resources to build vital infrastructure. One of the greatest strengths I possess is my ability to fundraise. We need this more now more than ever!
I humbly ask for your support in this race. Thank you for making our Greenville Party and our democracy stronger.
Stay well,
Eli