My name is Erica Edmondson.  I’m running for the position of Third Vice Chair of the GCDP.  For the last few years, I have become increasingly involved in the local Democratic community, most recently serving as president of the Young Democrats of Greenville County.  In this role, I have learned both how important it is to involve young working people in Democratic politics and how difficult it is to get them to participate.  There are many young people moving into Greenville County, and they have the potential to help flip South Carolina from a red to a blue state.  As Third Vice Chair, I would bring more of a focus on the issues important to them to the Democratic Party.  It’s extremely important that we expand our base to include them. 

My goal as Third Vice Chair will be to increase our base, starting with young voters.  This is a group that often does not vote, even if they agree with the positions of Democratic candidates.  One of my goals is to encourage them to vote.  This means having more of them register, as well as instilling in them a pattern of voting in all local, state, and national elections.  Another goal is to increase their membership in the Democratic party, where they would find like-minded people and, I believe, gain more of a sense that their votes matter and really can have the effect of changing the world around them. 

As Third Vice Chair, I also want to encourage young candidates to run for office, and to help them get the training and means to do so.  I’ve worked on multiple local campaigns because I believe that everything starts at the local level. My goal is to bring more light to local issues and inspire others to do the same.  

I grew up around people who thought and talked about politics and public policy all the time, so I developed a passion for politics at a very young age.  I have seen that same passion in many of the people currently involved in the Democratic party.  As a millennial who has given a great deal of thought to issues important to young people and how they coincide with the policies of the Democratic Party, I believe I can play a significant role in bringing more of them into the party.  That is why I am running to be Third Vice Chair of the Greenville County Democratic Party.