WASHINGTON, DC – Today, Chair of the North Carolina Democratic Party Anderson Clayton – the youngest state chair in the country – endorsed Ben Wikler to be the next chair of the Democratic National Committee.
In her statement, she cited Wikler’s platform released this morning, which includes robust commitments to young Democrats, as well as his history of supporting her and the North Carolina Democratic Party after she was elected chair at just 25 years old.
“I’m endorsing Ben Wikler to be our next DNC chair because youth outreach can no longer be an afterthought for Democrats. When I was elected as the youngest chair in the country and some dismissed me because of my age, Ben trusted me and backed up that trust with resources. Ben wants to put young people in positions to succeed, to use our power to bring the Democratic Party forward. His platform shows that he will bring us to the decision-making table, build in-budget lines for youth organizing committees, pay state party chairs for their work, and innovate to continue bringing young people into our big tent. If Democrats want to succeed for decades to come, we must elect Ben as our next DNC chair.”
Wikler’s platform includes key commitments to young Democrats. Among other items, Wikler will:
- Appoint a leadership team that includes young people at the table;
- Provide budget lines for youth wings, caucuses, and councils, so that Young Democrats, High School Democrats, and College Democrats will have dedicated funds to expand their good work;
- Message everywhere to reach voters – including and especially mediums to reach young voters, like streaming and vertical video;
- Establish year-round coalitions staff;
- And resource an “Innovation Department” to run experiments and partner with leading practitioners to make sure Democrats do groundbreaking practices first.
State Party Chair Clayton joins groups and leaders across the country and spanning the spectrum of the Democratic Party who have united to endorse Wikler for DNC Chair, including Congresswoman Jan Schakowsky, Michigan Democratic Party Chair Lavora Barnes, Senate Democratic Leader Chuck Schumer, Third Way, MoveOn, and the Progressive Change Campaign Committee.