Bill Barnard
Initially, a Democrat by inheritance, passing out flyers for Adlai Stevenson at the age of ten with my father in 1952. By 1960, on the cusp of adulthood, I was a Democrat by persuasion, campaigning for John F. Kennedy in the Deep South in 1960.
Active in my state party, serving as an alternate delegate to two Democratic National Conventions—as well as three additional Democratic conventions and two Republican conventions as a political commentator for the PBS network in my state.
Active in DAUK since 2003, serving as Vice-Chair and Chair, as well as founding treasurer of the Oxford chapter and as a member of the ExCom for a decade and a half and as a U.K. Voting Representative on DA International, as well as International Treasurer of DA. Various committees of DA and DAUK, including the most recent Bylaws Committees of both.
After the founding of the Oxford Chapter, the outreach to the larger U.K. community was expanded during my term as Chair, with the founding of the Cambridge and Scotland chapters. With the leadership of incredible volunteers, the annual 4th of July picnic in Portland Square, our biggest fundraiser and community event, was begun.
For most of the past fourteen years, I have served as a media spokesperson for DAUK, on BBC and Sky TV, on BBC Radio 4 and BBC regional radio, and on other media outlets.
But that is the past. Our task now is to look forward.
We need to build on the incredible enthusiasm and energy of our volunteers and our new regional groups and make sure that we maintain the House and Senate in 2022 and increase our margin in both. That is our fundamental task and our greatest challenge.
I will continue to work to turn out our voters and to reach out to the thousands of Americans in the U.K. who are not yet our members.
While I am not seeking re-election for the ExCom or as Voting Representative, I want to be a position to fill any vacancy among Voting Representatives, if ever necessary, or to carry any necessary proxies for DAUK to insure that our country committee is fully represented.
I would appreciate your support and humbly ask for your vote.
Julian Becker
The Democratic Party Committee Abroad (DPCA) is the global voice of the American Democrats living abroad. It represents us within the Democratic Party, leads in helping Americans abroad vote, advocates for our issues in Washington, and works with country committees to ensure that we can be effective here in the UK and around the world.
You elected me as your DPCA Voting Representative in 2019 and I stand for re-election based on my work for you over the last two years, including the following:
• Acting as DAUK’s advisor on countless compliance issues, including campaign finance issues, complying with our own bylaws, and complying with the ever-changing laws on gatherings and events in a pandemic.
• Heading the UK’s Bylaws Committee, which updated many rules and procedures. Importantly, our work enabled meetings to be held by electronic participation, which proved indispensable as the events of 2020 unfolded. I am also proud of the fact that we updated our gender balance rules to recognize and include people with a non-binary gender identity.
• Serving on the Global One-Person-One Vote Committee, which focused on how country committees and global leadership should welcome new members to the DCPA and ensure smooth processes under new rules with larger delegations.
• Serving on the Global Presidential Primary Committee, which helped plan countless tedious but essential details to ensure that our primary process would be fair, transparent, and open to new and existing members.
• Serving on the Global Credentials and Rules Committee, ensuring that our Global Convention would comply with our Delegate Selection Plan.
• Acting as Parliamentarian at several UK, regional, and global events.
• Training our voter registration leaders.
As you may have noticed, I am not scared of rules and procedure, matters that are often considered daunting by those who learn about the DPCA. However, I care about the rules because I view them as a powerful tool to get work done, ensure fairness, and empower our members – not as a weapon to intimidate people. I am truly passionate about ensuring that Democrats Abroad can work more effectively in the future, including by:
• Increasing our membership through coordinated efforts here in the UK and around the world.
• Getting out the overseas vote for the 2022 mid-term elections.
• Fighting for a progressive future, including sharing experiences of universal healthcare from overseas and tying that to the needs of Americans abroad.
• Better reaching out to Americans abroad of all backgrounds and becoming a group that truly includes and empowers everyone.
• Advocating on the issues that uniquely affect Americans Abroad, including Medicare portability, FATCA reform, and residence-based taxation.
Feel free to email me: [email protected]
Follow me on Twitter: @JulianDBecker
Louis Bevilacqua
I think I’d be great, loyal always to our people and our party.
Stephanie Borden
I want to serve as part of the DAUK committee because I believe that I am a strong candidate for representing young American citizens who live in the UK. I believe that young Americans living abroad are essential members of DAUK, since we are the members that will drive the future of the organisation. Much of our politically active life has been dominated by the latest presidency, and I believe that representing the young people who have been so affected by these factors is essential to ensuring that DAUK drives the change that they so passionately want to see.
I am proactive and extremely enthusiastic about the work that I do for DAUK. This is best demonstrated by the DAUK Brighton & Sussex Regional group that I set up in September last year. I became involved in DAUK via phone banking and reached out to the organisation to see if I could contribute further to GOTV. Within a couple of weeks, I had set up a fully functional regional group in Brighton & Sussex with over 40 members. Our group’s activity over the two months leading up to the election consisted of a large membership drive within our region, sending out over 1,300 post cards to US citizens abroad to encourage them to vote, putting up posters and handing out contact cards for DAUK. In addition, I hosted regional meetings to brainstorm ways to GOTV and we had some great events to discuss politics, including but not limited to joint Speakeasys with other regional groups. In addition, my organisational and communication skills are strong. This is demonstrated by the speed at which the Brighton & Sussex group was up and running, and the momentum we had from the first day. One of the things I am most proud of about the work I have contributed to DAUK over the past six months is the community that we have established down here in Sussex. What began as a movement for local outreach to GOTV has turned into many new beginnings and friendships for members of our group. This has been wonderful for solidarity over the political turmoil over the past six months and we have all learnt so much from each other both on a political and personal level. In addition, the past year has been incredibly isolating for everyone, and to have formed these personal connections that have made enduring these times that much easier has been my one of my proudest achievements.
Over the next two years, my biggest goal would be to make US citizens abroad feel that their representation is important. As a US citizen abroad, I understand that it is easy to feel disassociated from US politics, however we should have as loud a voice as anyone else. I would want to work hard to understand the issues and concerns facing US citizens abroad, and with that understanding I hope to be able to fight for the reform that addresses those issues.
Katherine Cary
Hello, I have been a voting volunteer for the past few years, and I would love to get more involved with the organisation. I have lived in Scotland for almost 5 years, and i study transatlantic politics at Edinburgh Uni. I am a medically retired navy veteran, and I have lived in several different countries and US states. I am incredibly comfortable navigating the necessary material to keep current with voting regulations, and I hope you will vote for me to be your voting and/or nonvoting representative.
Debra Drew
I am a lifelong Democrat and have lived in the UK 22 years. I was raised in North Carolina and spent 15 years in Atlanta, Georgia and a short time in Florida before moving via Australia to The UK.
I have a passion for the decency and care that the Democratic party has always shown to people who need it.
I was in one of the first High Schools to be involved in Federally Mandated bussing in 1974 in Charlotte North Carolina and witnessed the resulting violence and chaos as well as the many good things that ultimately came from such bold and necessary action. I left the church I was raised in at age 15 when our minister suggested we were to be friendly to black people should one ever visit our church…but never to invite them to return.
My Dad died when I was 14 leaving me and my mom penniless, if not for the intervention of Tip O’Neill(as my Dad was from Massachusetts), to get our Social Security payments, I am not sure what would have happened to us. These are only a few of many personal life shaping examples which underpin my passion for The Democratic Parties programs and policies that support equity for minorities and the underprivileged, this includes Medicare for All and The Living Wage.
I am also very interested in restoring The John Lewis Voters Right Advancement Act and H.R.1, For the People Act.
I have worked all over the world as the company my husband and I ran for 25 years had offices in The Middle East, Europe and The US. This international exposure has given me opportunities to understand the influence and impact The US culture and our policies have on people globally.
I want to see the DPCA help the US set our own house in order by creating opportunities for all people while lifting up those in need so no one is left behind.
I want us to rise up to be the Democratic Nation that I believe is our destiny and then lead by example.
I have been active in DAUK since this past summer. I am a Regional Coordinator in The Bath, Bristol and Cotswold Group. Though COVID has been a hindrance, we worked hard this summer and Autumn to grow our membership and set up pop up tables to register voters throughout Gloucestershire. I have made contacts with local influencers and press to raise awareness of Vote from Abroad and the DAUK.
Carol Grose
Carol is a DPCA representative and has been a regular participant in the DAUK council, except for 2009 – 2012 when she returned to Washington DC as a Franklin Fellow at the U.S. State Department. She is currently working toward her Ph.D. at the University of Sussex and is a doctoral tutor in the History Department. From 2004– 2009 she served on the Executive Committee of DAUK.
With the success of votefromabroad.com and the increasing significance of non-presidential year elections, the infrastructure of the DPCA is increasingly crucial to the fantastic work done by DAUK volunteers. As a well-organized, high-performing country committee, DAUK and DAUK volunteers are significant to the success of DPCA initiatives. Over the past four years, the coordinated efforts of DAUK and the DPCA have been positive and forward-looking, and Carol would like to continue to be part of the team.
Rebecca Lammers
My name is Rebecca Lammers and I’m running for DPCA Voting Representative and At-Large Member of the Executive Committee. I started the DAUK Tax Committee in the fall of 2017 to help make Residency Based Taxation a reality. Currently, Americans abroad have to double file and many of us are double-taxed under the US citizenship based tax system. A switch to Residency Based Taxation would eliminate the tax discrimination of Americans abroad. This fight is at the heart of my activism. It is simply unfair that we are the only developed country in the world that taxes its citizens living abroad and this must change.
I have run events, webinars, and conference calls to help educate DAUK members on American abroad taxes and discrimination including Tax Day in 2019, Expat Tax 101 webinars, and the Social Security webinar last year. Events hosted by the Tax Committee have been some of the largest DAUK events over the last few years and important fundraisers to fund our voter outreach efforts. Through these tax education events, I’ve brought what has historically been an uncomfortable topic to the forefront. These conversations have helped move our tax advocacy work in the right direction both in the UK and in Washington DC.
I am also a member of the DPCA Taxation Task Force to help with our tax advocacy efforts in Washington DC. I have gone to Washington DC multiple times on door knocks to talk to lawmakers on passing Residency Based Taxation legislation and continue to keep in touch with lawmakers since COVID. The unfortunate harsh reality is that most lawmakers don’t think about Americans abroad when writing bills in Congress. But, since Democrats Abroad doubled the voter turnout in 2020 and helped win all branches of government, we are well-positioned over the next 2 years to make huge strides in our tax advocacy efforts.
My aim in joining the Executive Committee and DPCA is to ensure that tax reform for Americans abroad remains one of the top issues that DA campaigns on. I am also a huge proponent of American abroad voting rights. As part of the Executive Committee, I would like to help oversee DAUK become a more inclusive organization spanning a wide mix of class, race, gender, and disability. By increasing the diversity of our leadership, it will help us become a better volunteer-led organization. Overall, I will give voice to the issues members care most about and ensure DA steers the right path over the next 2 years.
Personally, I have lived in the UK for 13 years, am a dual US/UK citizen, and I run my own business specializing in online marketing and video monetization.
I would appreciate your support by voting for me on March 20th!
Brett McHargue
My name is Brett McHargue and I am asking for your vote for Vice Chair of Democrats Abroad UK. Moving here from Texas in 2000, I joined Democrats Abroad almost immediately and involved myself whenever possible, from the early days of the Policy Network to the recent website launch.
After the 2016 election, shocked by the direction my country had taken, I knew more direct action was needed. I became a DPCA Voting Representative for DAUK. I attended the global and EMEA conventions in Washington DC and online. As an elections clerk I established the vote counting procedures for our first online convention. And as a software/web developer, I pushed for improving our online presence, in the UK and globally.
I now wish to serve as Vice Chair to continue that work within the UK and with our partners in the global community.
For those I have not met, I am a freelance software developer. From my university days forward, I have applied my technical knowledge and team building skills for progressive politics.
But technology has always been the means, never the goal. Some of the principles I follow as a software developer, I also follow in my political work. Most importantly “individuals and interactions over processes and tools”. We work best when we work together, open and transparently.
For the 2020 elections, with the monumental effort of a team of volunteers, I spearheaded the new DAUK website. A central source of up-to-date information, accessible by all of DAUK’s groups and caucuses has long been discussed. I was warned of the difficulties I might face with an eclectic group of volunteers. But I believe strongly that if you provide a team with a strong mission, thoughtful planning, and the right tools, then amazing things can happen. I hope the
end product speaks for itself – and it is just the beginning.
For our EMEA Convention I installed an online forum and video conference area for the sharing of ideas and policy discussion, as well as candidate delegate meetups. I later implemented a similar setup for Vote From Abroad Champions. The main goal in all my efforts has been to provide transparency and accessibility in our work as volunteers.
As the elections clerk for the conventions, I established the procedures needed to ensure a smooth election, working closely with DA members from Sweden, Germany, Israel and Luxembourg. I plan to continue building bridges with them all.
As Vice Chair I want to ensure that all our volunteers have what is needed to succeed in our mission. If you are a DAUK member, please do consider me for your vote. Together we can grow an unstoppable coalition and do the amazing. Let’s go do it!
Twitter/Instagram: @brettshane
Email: [email protected]
Griffith Rees
I am humbled to be nominated to serve at the national level of Democrats Abroad UK. I came as a student in 2004 without expecting to stay more than 3 years, yet here I am, likely to stay for the foreseeable. I joined as an exec at the Oxford chapter 2 years ago, and while I wish I could have been more helpful in my shift up to Manchester I was grateful to be involved, including phone banking voter registration for 2018, 2020 (including the Georgia runoffs, though not directly through Democrats Abroad).
I’ve also been keen to help out with voter protection, elements of improving our primary DA UK website and helping Dan Benatan (who deserves most of the credit) set up the group in Northwest England. If this seems suitable I’d be happy to help in further ways.
Steph Ryde
We live in strange times. The world we used to know sits just outside our window and yet remains out of reach. It has left us all longing for community and the connections we previously took for granted. As Secretary and your DPCA voting rep this is what I will be focused on. Over the past 2 years I have chaired the DAUK Women’s Caucus and succeeded in significantly expanding our membership.
For the members and groups of DAUK to do their best work, there needs to be transparent planning from the top that drives increased involvement throughout the various branches of the organisation. I’ve often felt that there’s been a bit of a disconnect between DAUK leadership and the caucuses, chapters, committees, regions and groups . As a result members feel unclear about the overall goals of the organization and struggle to understand how to get involved. Collectively, we have potential to drive real change if we work together with a clear purpose.
As chair of the Women’s Caucus I’ve focused heavily on engaging members from across the organization and ensuring it’s as easy as possible for individuals, both new and old, to get involved. As a result, the Women’s Caucus consistently has well attended events and is one of the most active groups within DAUK. Women’s Caucus members often go on to be involved and take leadership roles in other areas of the organization due to support from the leaders and the extensive cross collaboration efforts of the caucus. Co-hosting events and working with other areas of the organisation on projects means our members have great exposure to the rest of DAUK and can build their networks.
Increased engagement across DAUK will ensure that we have new and diverse voices speaking up and taking action. We need to provide a place where our members can bring their enthusiasm, knowledge and talent to keep propelling the organization into the future. As secretary I will engage with our members and take action to ensure everyone finds their feet in a way that can make a real difference.
Professionally, I have the necessary skills to be Secretary and have a wealth of experience in Human Resources, training, and onboarding. In DAUK there is a need for a proper onboarding process to ensure leaders and volunteers have the knowledge and skills they need to be successful. The best way to do this is by creating training tool boxes for each area of the organisation that explain the relevant bylaws, procedures and communication channels.
I am a committed and active member of DAUK and someone who has proven they can get things done in this organization. I ask that you vote for me to be your Secretary and DPCA voting rep where I will continue to bring my passion and drive to the leadership of this organization. Let’s #growtogether
DAUKgrowtogether.com
[email protected]
Fred Sprague
I am honored to have received a nomination for these posts and, if elected, would represent members to the best of my ability, informed by my Democratic and progressive values.
I am a lifelong Democrat. I’m presently a co-organizer of the Yorkshire Humber Region of DAUK. We in the region over the past year tried to reach out to Americans in universities in the region, developing contacts with students’ organizations and relevant trade unions. Moreover, we organized regular meetings, with members being encouraged to increase DAUK presence in the region. As a result, our members were featured in local newspapers and radio outlets. Our social media presence has improved. I believe that the increased emergence of regional groups across the UK has been an exciting development in DAUK and should be further encouraged and fostered.
I have lived in the UK for 35 years. I am an elementary/primary teacher by profession. I have taught in schools in the US, American schools in the UK, and in British state schools. I am a committed union activist and member. I was branch secretary of two unions in Yorkshire. I currently belong to the NEU and Unite. I was a union member in the US in both the NEA and UFCW.
I believe that the fight for social, racial, and economic justice has never been more urgent. It is essential that we stand with people in their struggle for human rights. The Black Lives Matter Movement, defending a woman’s right to choose, and the fight for LGBTQ+ equality are social justice issues which demand our support as Democrats. If elected I will try to do so.
I firmly believe the that the Democratic Party needs to be part of a coalition that advances the rights and rewards of workers and their families. As Democrats living abroad, we have a unique opportunity to reflect and share our experiences and values as part of a global effort to improve the lot of labor. The unionization of Amazon workers in Alabama, along with the recent UK Supreme Court victory of union Uber drivers here, will resonate beyond their respective national borders. We Democrats can advance this cause.
Of course, DA members have concerns unique to themselves and their families, such as the US tax system which penalizes overseas citizens with unfair bureaucracy and regulations. I will do my best to have these concerns heard.
As we enter an era of good governance and progressive change, Democrats Abroad can provide perspective and experience to help our fellow citizens. I would like to be part of this as an active member of these committees
Stephanie Stewart
Democrats Abroad UK, in the face of a corrupt and ineffective US administration, has gone through an unprecedented level of growth and change. As a DAUK Executive Committee member and DPCA Voting Representative, I will consolidate and build on the great work of our Caucuses, Committees, Chapters and leadership. We must inspire more UK based Americans to get involved with the Democratic Party and vote. We will enact an integrated, transparent and action focused plan to continue our growth, so we are game ready for the 2022 midterm elections. I want to help lead this next level of growth and am asking for your vote.
We are at an inflection point of needed organizational growth given our increased and very active membership. We must attract new, diverse volunteers and encourage their contributions with training and a clear path to engagement. As a volunteer, you know what activities succeeded and have ideas on expanding our outreach. With the knowledge and resources of a state-like Democratic party at your side, you will have the support to realize your projects. The caucuses, chapters and committee leadership can be further integrated into the DAUK Executive Committees with a clear process of consultation and activation when launching new projects, establishing budgets and setting priorities. We can have forward looking internal communications allowing time for your input into decision making and involving leadership from across the UK in our officer meetings and planning.
To engage and attract new-members, our external communication processes need an integrated 2 year plan for press, social media and advertising with targeted funding and staffing to meet our voter registration, membership and engagement goals. Zoom and other technology must amplify member’s voices in new ways that involve our volunteers across the UK. To sum it up, we will do the critical work to engage more members and deliver more votes at every level of government.
My experience working for the Democratic party allows me to be a strong, action-oriented, inclusive member of the DAUK Executive Committee. Registering voters has been my focus since 2004. As DAUK Voter Registration Coordinator, Executive Committee Member and Vice-Chair, I organized 100+ volunteers to register voters, oversaw huge membership growth, hosted more than 200 events and supervised a 1300 person London Inaugural Ball. In 2012, I was honoured to be a DA DNC Delegate for Barack Obama. In 2014, I co-founded Ready for Hillary London and London for Hillary hosting events, registering voters and raising funds. In 2020, with DA international, I fundraised for global phone banking with Call the World , managed numerous global speaker events and manned the 2020 global voter Zoom help desk. On the DAUK Executive Committee, I promote VoteFromAbroad.org, fundraise and coordinate numerous events. I have delivered concrete results to elect Democrats again and again. In short, I use my know-how and experience and I get things done.
Please reach out to me at [email protected] and support the DAUKGrowTogether.com Coalition.
Asha Subas
Asha Subas for DAUK Executive Committee and DPCA Representative
When I moved to the UK, Democrats Abroad provided opportunities to impact United States politics in ways I didn’t think possible. I would be honored to serve on the ExCom and as a DPCA rep to give back and grow our impact in two proven ways: as a responsible and strategic team contributor and as a determined advocate.
At the DAUK level, I care deeply about projects and hold myself accountable to their success: from writing and editing to providing project management or an extra pair of hands. As a result, I collaboratively worked on committees such as the 2019 Elections Committee, the 2019 Bylaws Committee, the 2020 Global Primary Committee and the DAUK Website Committee. I am often asked to speak at events such as the 2018 Blue Wave Boot Camp, the 2019 RBG Film night, or the 2020 debate watch nights. Beyond just speaking, I am comfortable advocating for a point of view, project direction or more support for a cause.
What I would bring to the DAUK ExCom is this collaborative experience as well as strategic ideas and leadership to grow DAUK. I’m passionate about building a sense of greater community. After the 2020 election, I helped relaunch the DAUK-wide Speakeasy to build bridges between constituencies as well as pitched a website blog for more creative volunteering opportunities. For the 2022 elections, I and others want to restart a ‘states committee’ project to build links between Democrats Abroad members and their voting state. Most importantly, however, I see ExCom’s role as one of encouraging new ideas among membership and empowering members to pilot new projects.
At the global level, I was one of six members worldwide appointed to the 2020 Global Platform Committee due to my DAUK experience, especially with the Policy Network and Resolutions Committee. Not only did I build global connections, and reconcile members’ concerns from around the world, but I provided strategic advice to DAUK members for global platform changes such as better language around COVID and historically marginalized groups or regarding US taxpayers abroad. In addition, during the 2020 elections, I was a lawyer on the new Voter Protection team to ensure our abroad votes were counted. Currently, I am chairing the global Nominations and Elections Committee for 2021.
As DPCA voting rep, I would bring my existing global experience and connections along with a commitment to transparency and fairness in how Democrats Abroad fits into the larger Democratic Party picture. I would advocate for our members and their needs, whether by working together on strategy, participating in committees or in sponsoring resolutions, and I would help promote the reputation, skills and value of DAUK at the global level. I also have the availability to make meetings and build connections on the 24 hour global clock.
Thank you for your support and community over the years, and I hope I have your vote for ExCom and DPCA rep
Joshua Van der Ploeg
During the past four years, I have had the privilege of serving as your Voting Representative to the DPCA (Democratic Party Committee Abroad, a.k.a. Democrats Abroad international), as well as Treasurer of DAUK. I am now asking for your support to continue this work at the global level as a DPCA Voting Representative.
As DPCA Voting Representative, I have worked to build a stronger partnership between DAUK and the DPCA, so that we can better focus on fulfilling our core mission: mobilizing the overseas vote to elect Democratic candidates. In this capacity, I served as a member of the 2020 Global Presidential Primary Committee and as Chair of the Credentials and Rules Committees for both the EMEA Regional Convention and the Global Convention.
As a lawyer by training, I hope to take on a leadership position at the global level by running for Global Legal Counsel, an officer position on the international executive committee. The Counsel acts as the in-house lawyer of Democrats Abroad. In this role, I would seek to use my professional skills and my experience within the organization to help Democrats Abroad establish policies that facilitate both membership growth and – most importantly – more effective voter outreach.
Although the UK is the largest country committee in Democrats Abroad and has strong ties across the party, it has been a number of years since the UK has had a representative on the international executive committee. If re-elected as your DPCA Voting Representative, I will continue to represent the UK’s interests, while continuing to build bridges with the global organization.
David Wenk
I have been active in Democrats Abroad for four years since joining off the back of the 2016 Bernie Sanders presidential campaign. Born in Manhattan, I grew up on a farm in rural New York State. I am a longtime resident of the United Kingdom, having come to London at the age of 24 to work as a cartographer. I am running for the position of Voting Representative to the DPCA because I feel it is important to remain involved in shaping the future of our party through the start of the Biden/Harris administration and onward to the 2022 midterm elections, which will be critical for us to win.
It has been an honor to be involved with DAUK first as a Voting Representative, then for the past two years as Vice Chair. I’ve met and worked with dozens of wonderful, enthusiastic volunteers across the organization, and I have been proud to help organize a hard-working team that has done so much to effect positive change in government at the federal level in the United States. I’m especially proud of our efforts to expand our DAUK regional groups. We now have seven active groups, which is a great start. We need to do more, and I’ve identified about half a dozen further groups that we need to get off the ground over the next two years. These regional groups are key to the success of our outreach to voters around the United Kingdom and I look forward to continuing to help build them up.
On the global level, I’ve been an active participant in the DPCA, co-sponsoring a resolution in support of Medicare for All, and then later as co-author of the health care plank for the Democrats Abroad platform. I look forward to continuing to push for an agenda that helps to improve the lives of all Americans, and our environment.
With the election of Joe Biden and Kamala Harris, we Democrats have set the stage for our country to re-establish itself as a functioning democracy. There’s now so much more that needs to be done. We as US citizens need to continue to encourage our leaders to take the bold steps that will be absolutely necessary in order to ensure that our country has a sustainable future. It means successfully tackling the serious economic difficulties which face most Americans on a daily basis, and restoring a sustainable middle class. It means successfully tackling the existential threat of climate change. It means re-enfranchising and re-engaging Americans everywhere in the individual civic responsibility of what it means to be a citizen living in a democracy. It means fighting for the rights of minorities and the dispossessed. It means taking effective steps to remove the corrosive effects of money in politics. The list is long but the main point is that we must stay engaged and on the ball as active citizens.
I look forward to serving on the DPCA.
Nathan Zaccai
My name is Nathan Richard Zaccai, and I am asking for your vote to continue serving as DPCA Voting Representative. Our organization is playing a crucial role in highlighting and addressing issues affecting Americans back home, and here, in the U.K..
I have a strong interest in U.S. government policy and Democratic politics, shaped by my life in Europe and my family’s in America, I am currently on the Executive Committee for the Cambridge Chapter. I have also joined the Global Veterans and Military Families Caucus and am part of the DAUK Policy Network. I am an academic scientist, whose research in biology uses tools and ideas developed in physics.
Last year, as DPCA voting representative, I was elected to represent the Democrats Abroad EMEA region on the Global Platform Committee. The aim was to finalise our party’s 4-year platform, including policy goals and aspirations. While working closely with DPCA representatives from almost a dozen countries, I consequently fought for the views of our members to be accurately reflected in the document.
It is important to note we come from every state and territory in the Union, but as Democrats Abroad, we also live in over 100 different countries. Our platform had to represent this diversity, but also highlight our core beliefs. It had to unite us. When the platform gained approval at our global convention, I felt great pride to see my values as a Democrat translated into writing.
A few years ago, President Barack Obama discussed American exceptionalism. We are exceptional because as a country, we are willing to confront and fix our problems. And how do we do fix these problems? Strive towards a more perfect union? We vote, and we win elections. And last November, we won. “Elections have consequences”.
I am, however, very worried by how narrow our margin of victory was. Although very pleased by President Biden’s Executive Orders, I believe that Congress should act now. Our laws cannot be repealed on the next president’s whim, and, in any case, our party will be judged by actions taken in the next two years. As a DPCA voting representative, I want to help Democrats Abroad effectively voice our concerns–on matters such as social justice, immigration, taxation, representation–and sustain our get out the vote efforts. This will be just as important as it was last November for safeguarding our democratic majority in Congress.
In conclusion, in Amanda Gorman’s poem for President Biden’s inauguration, we “witnessed a nation that isn’t broken but simply unfinished.”
I would be grateful for your support to continue serving as DPCA voting representative.
