Candidate for
Member, Democratic Party County Central Committee; Santa Barbara County; Supervisorial District 1

For the past several years, we've been doing something special here in Santa Barbara County. Together, we've been building a Democratic Party that is more than just an electoral operation or a fund raising machine. Instead, the Democratic Party of Santa Barbara County is a progressive, dynamic grassroots organization that works to put the values of fairness, democracy and sustainability into practice.

My name is Daraka Larimore-Hall, and I'm running for re-election to the Democratic Central Committee in the First District.

I've had the privilege of serving as Chair of the local Democratic Party Central Committee for the past 5 years, and I'm proud of the work we've done to open the Party to the grassroots, increase our effectiveness at the ballot box, and weigh in on important community issues.

Since becoming chair of the Santa Barbara County Democratic Party, I've worked hard to revitalize the organization and bring it back to the grassroots. In just a few short years, we've gone from an organization few had even heard of, to a high profile force in Santa Barbara politics that is open to new energies and new ideas.

Here are a few of those important changes:

• The Party adopted a platform based on input from clubs and grassroots members.

• We began the tradition of annual general membership meetings open to all Democrats.

• We've stepped up our grassroots fundraising, raising our budget from just a few hundred dollars to over $80,000, allowing us to go toe-to-toe with the billionaires and special interests that try to dominate local politics.

• We've formed new Democratic clubs to provide opportunities for participation.

So far, I've earned the support of a broad list of local Democrats, from elected officials like Das Williams, Hannah-Beth Jackson, Salud Carbajal, Janet Wolf and Doreen Farr, to community activists like Sal Guereña, Jim and Charlotte McMillan, Darcel Elliott, and Chris Lanier.

I hope you will consider me for your vote.