Philip Greger
Hello. My name is Philip Greger, and I would like to put myself forward for a role within Democrats Abroad & DAUK. As a disabled & LGBT+ student who has living in the UK for the past few years, I believe that I have a unique perspective that I can bring to Democrats Abroad & DAUK. One of the most profound ways I think we can begin to build momentum as the midterms approach is to change the way Democrats Abroad interacts with American student communities around the world. As the President of my university’s American Society, I can attest to many of the challenges that come with getting other young Americans registered to vote. Voter participation amongst young Americans is already exceptionally low, and with the costs and the work associated with requesting and casting a ballot abroad, trying to get young people to vote becomes an even more insurmountable task. It’s not to say that young voters abroad aren’t politically motivated-the majority of American students I have met are extremely passionate about politics & what’s going on back home, perhaps even more so than the young people who do live stateside. However, many just come to believe that the hurdles that they need to cross in order to vote abroad are just too much to deal with on top of university work and everything else in their lives, and, because of this, their voices tragically go unheard. Democrats Abroad has definitely made things much easier in terms of helping students abroad vote, especially with their informational posts, the online voter registration sessions, and of course the wonderful Vote From Abroad platform. I cannot imagine how difficult it would be to vote from abroad as a student along with getting other Americans at my university to vote without the incredible work Democrats Abroad has done to help. In spite of all of this, I do think that there is much more that can be done to get more students abroad to vote, and, with nearly 20,000 American students in the UK and nearly 300,000 around the world, most of whom are Democrats or at least Democrat-leaning, it is definitely a worthwhile venture that could help solidify and advance the progress we as a Party have made in the recent election. If elected to represent my fellow Democrats living abroad, I will work to put into practice the many ideas I have on how we can get significantly more students out to vote, as well as ideas on how we can begin to build better student communities that will encourage students to participate in the political process and encourage other expats to do the same, changes which will surely benefit us in the midterms and beyond.
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.
Courtney Hagen
I have spent a number of years involved with Democrats Abroad. I first got involved as a student with DAUK in Scotland. I then served as the Vice Chair and Chair of DA in the UAE, where we launched the first Global Presidential Primary for Democratic voters in the Emirates and held a very successful membership and voter registration drive for the 2016 general election. These two positions also allowed me the experience of serving as a Democratic Party Committee Abroad Voting Representative. Since relocating to London, I’ve been involved with DAUK, through the Women’s Caucus and the DAUK Film Committee. I’ve also been a part of the Democrats Abroad Global Communications Team, to apply some of my professional PR and communications skills to furthering the goals and initiatives of Democrats Abroad and the wider Democratic party. I’m running for DAUK Voting Representative to the DPCA as I would like to utilise my previous experience and background with the DPCA to advocate for DAUK at the global level for Democrats Abroad, as well as to help accelerate the work that DA is already doing on behalf of the millions of Americans that live overseas. Alternatively, I am running for At-Large Member of the Executive Committee of DAUK for the chance to use my background and expertise to help sustain DAUK’s operations and help expand its reach through various activities, events, committee work and membership and voter registration activities. I have seen firsthand how important and valuable the work is that Democrats Abroad, and on a more local level, DAUK, does to offer opportunities for greater civic engagement to Americans living abroad. This work has become even more critical over the last four years. However, I believe it should still play a significant role as we move forward into a new administration and towards new opportunities to flex our democratic ideals outside of the United States
Tom Hunersen
I am delighted to submit my name for consideration as a candidate to serve as a Voting Representative of the Democratic Party Abroad.
First, a few words on my personal and professional life journeys.
My wife, Terese, and I have been living in London for nearly 6 years having raised our family over the last few decades on the expatriate circuit spending time in New York, Australia, Ireland, Florida and two stints in the UK. We live in London now because we love it.
Professionally, I work with financial services and technology businesses across various global markets and cultures facing existential opportunities and / or threats. For younger ‘start-up’ corporate clients, the focus is on developing a compelling and sustainable path to success. For larger distressed financial services clients in Ireland and Greece the challenge has been to reset legacy business models, manage teams in transition and repair broken balance sheets.
Politically, I’m grounded by the strength of the founding organizing principles of the American project, including the understanding that America’s democracy is fragile and relies on the constant care and active progressive contributions of fellow patriotic travelers. More specifically, I identify with the noisy Democratic ‘big tent’ grounded in a commitment to diversity, equality, collaboration, and the potential of a global community of nations.
Over the years my focus has turned towards increasing involvement in the political process. During the recent election cycle, I was pleased to co-chair portions of the DA Economic platform ‘plank’ drafting process and joining various voter engagement initiatives supporting democratic causes (e.g., ‘kitchen tables events’, fund raising, canvassing, phone banking).
The Democratic Party now has an enormous opportunity to help the Biden/Harris Administration become one of the most consequential and transformational in U.S. history. Achieving that ambitious goal will depend on having well considered persuasive policy delivered effectively through the combination of organizational excellence and hard work.
With the strength of a background leading organizations of various sizes and cultures when the stakes are high, I am pleased to submit my name as a candidate to join the effort as a Voting Representative as a Voting Representative.
On a personal level, I’m a huge fan of the effort and success of the DAUK team and would welcome the opportunity to join more formally and expand efforts to do my part.
Adrienne Johnson
Dear fellow Democrats Abroad UK members. I’d like to start by saying thank you for taking part in this election process, as it is integral to strengthening our country committee, and in turn Democrats Abroad (the Democratic Party Committee Abroad).
My understanding of the dynamics of politics and the role of social activism are very much tied to my lived experience. In turn, my lived experience shapes my world view, political thinking, and my political engagement.
I am a native of Washington, D.C., a city that is still fighting for statehood. I vote in Maryland’s District 8, where I am fortunate to be represented by strong and principled Democratic leaders.
I have been an expat for over thirty years. Most of that time has been spent in the UK, after living over a decade in Berlin. I have been an active member of DAUK for over 12 years.
All that to say, I believe these collective experiences uniquely equip me to work well with others at DPCA level. I currently serve as a DPCA Voting Representative. The past two years have probably been the most challenging and fulfilling times to serve in this capacity. The pandemic required us to be even more flexible than usual. Election year required an increased time commitment as we tested new methods of meeting, collaborating, and voting. The DAUK leadership improved our working practices and, more importantly, we strengthened our working relationships with leaders in other regional and global country committees. This is something we were all committed to. It is an approach that I have advocated for. I am proud to say that our efforts served DAUK well.
Having served in numerous ways, my knowledge of the organization is comprehensive. Like many of us, my volunteering began with voter registration. I was one of a small group that covered Borough Market twice a week. Soon thereafter, I joined the Film Committee, am still a member and have played an integral role in securing and presenting some of our best-received films over the last 12 years.
From serving on the Council, to co-coordinating volunteers for the Independence Day picnic to organizing ballots for the London Global Presidential Primaries, to working on the search committees that hired our first Administrative Coordinator and Campaign Office Managers, I’ve been a hands-on volunteer. I manage DAUK’s Facebook page and am a member of the Communications Team.
Working to expand members’ understanding of key issues that voters face, I founded and chair the DAUK Black Caucus I also serve as a Founding Member of Democrats Abroad’s Global Black Caucus. We collaborate with others to create programming that provides members a space to explore and discuss influences that shape our perceptions and views. Our guiding principle is to support leaders and members who commit to moving forward together in truth and unity.
I humbly ask for your vote.
Adrienne
Elizabeth Kelly
My name is Elizabeth Kelly, and I am asking for your vote for DAUK Treasurer. DAUK can become the hub for all overseas Democratic-voting Americans providing the most effective opportunities to make a positive progressive impact in the USA. We can do this by growing membership, cultivating volunteers, and encouraging clearer communications and transparency across the organisation. With a larger, more inclusive and empowered membership, we will motivate more Democrats to be engaged and vote. Midterms matter and we need to start now! There are roughly 250,000 American citizens of voting age in the UK – let’s recruit as many as we can!
As Treasurer, I will ensure DAUK has a clear financial strategy to develop and maintain a robust budget for delivering all the activities required to achieve our goals. I will build on recent innovations in the budgeting process to ensure a consultative approach with leaders throughout DAUK to deploy financial resources fairly, transparently and efficiently. I will set clear guidelines at the outset of the budgeting process with direct links to the DAUK strategy and specific performance indicators. Increased membership leads to increased revenue streams, and I look forward to hearing your ideas to maximise our outreach and continue to build community across the country.
I joined DAUK In 2002 and volunteered intensively with the voter registration team during the 2018 midterm election cycle, including travelling to voter registration drives at universities in Scotland. Since 2019, I have served as Co-Chair of DAUK Voter Registration/GOTV, developing and implementing our voter outreach strategy and building a team of over 300 volunteers from across the UK. I also serve as the Global Co-Chair for Vote From Abroad Communications. I created the Voting Champion programme and initiated the associated social media strategy and campaign, with participation by thousands of Democrats Abroad members and country committee leads from around the world.
Starting my professional life as an environmental grassroots organiser, I am an activist at heart with the financial acumen and attention to detail that will be required as DAUK Treasurer. I have a master’s degree in public policy, with training in economics, statistics, policy analysis and financial management. After relocating to London and a brief stint as a management consultant, I joined Transport for London to work in budgeting, business planning and performance management, managing a £350m budget and delivering efficiency and organisational reviews. Returning to my environmentalist roots, I became TfL’s Behaviour Change Manager delivering programmes to reduce car use. I am currently an independent consultant on projects that build civic engagement and deliver sustainable cities through behaviour change.
Through my work on voter registration, the knowledge and connections I gained working with country committees globally, and my professional experience, I can do as your Treasurer what DAUK’s needs to move forward. Thank you for your consideration. I would love to hear your ideas about how we can work together. Contact me at: [email protected] or www.DAUKGrowTogether.com
Inge Kjemtrup
It has been my honor to serve as DAUK Chair in an extraordinary four years that culminated in our commanding victory of 2020, when Democrats took the White House and Senate, and held the House.
Thank you for the opportunity to lead the largest and most dynamic country committee in Democrats Abroad. Due to your hard work, more overseas voters now cast their ballots than ever before.
We won in 2020 despite a worldwide pandemic that deprived us of so much, including our usual in-person campaign methods. DAUK shifted online and we thrived. I’m grateful to every leader and volunteer who jumped in with both hands. Zoom became our friend!
The truth is that when the pandemic forced us online, we were prepared. We already knew and trusted each other: our committees, caucuses, and chapters, including newcomers such as the Black Caucus and the Tax Committee, felt supported. We had a track record of success, including well-organized voter registration, the 2018 London campaign office, five Global Presidential Primary sites across the UK, and too many other events to count, organized by our many groups. Most importantly, we agreed about the issues that really matter.
The Democrats we elected are starting to address those issues. We want to see the change, knowing there is a long way to go in solving climate change, systemic racism, deep-rooted misogyny, and economic injustice. DA members have our own concerns, such as taxation, immigration, and access to government services. We experience voter suppression when our overseas ballots are returned or denied by elections officials. There is so much work ahead.
I am asking for your vote for Executive Committee (ExCom) at-large member, now that my two terms as Chair have ended. Former Chair Bill Barnard’s advice and perspective were useful for me and I hope I can play a similar role.
I am also asking for your vote for DPCA representative. The voices and diverse viewpoints of DAUK’s large delegation must be heard and understood at the global level. As a founding country committee and the largest (still keeping an eye on DA Canada!), DAUK is regaining its prominent role at the DPCA, contributing talent, hard work, and funding. We must amplify our members’ voices, and the relationships I have forged with many country committee leaders will help that continue.
When I ran for Chair in 2017, I promised to enable remote participation in DAUK elections so more members could vote. In 2020, our Council approved the bylaws that made it possible and on March 20, 2021, DAUK will hold its first entirely online election.
I would be very grateful for your vote for ExCom at-large member and DPCA representative. I would also like to encourage you to support four officer candidates — Nicole Belanger Satullo, John Lindsay, Caroline Ruchonnet, and Monica Tanouye. I know them to have the skills, experience, and vision to lead DAUK confidentally into the 2022 midterms. Visit teamnicole21.com to find out more.
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!
Colin Lawrence
This is the year where I feel a strong commitment to formally participate in the Democratic Party. I’m always busy blogging on political and economic issues through my social networks but given what has happened in this past year, I feel that democracy is under threat. I was a university professor at Columbia University (graduate school of business) and hold a doctorate in economics from the University of Chicago. Barak Obama’s new home ! I am filled with ideas and deep experience and would like to be part of the Democratic effort to ensure the Dems stay in control of the House and Senate in 2022. Indeed I consider these aspirations as critical for the existential survival of democracy in the USA and indeed western civilisation.
There must never ever be a Donald elected as president again. In the UK we have seen the rise of populism and economic nationalism. Likewise in multiple European states. What can we do to leverage US clout to influence the Uk ? Already president elect Biden has made the UK back off its threat to undermine the Good Friday agreement!
So the question I ask is what can we do together to galvanise democrats abroad to vote especially in red states or red districts in blue states? Snd influence policy in the uk.
Keen to be part of the solution.
I am a NY voter and live in London.
John Lindsay
Democrats Abroad UK has undergone an incredible period of growth, culminating in our record-setting year for voter turnout, media engagement, and awareness raising in 2020. We have a strong foundation as we head into critical midterm elections in 2022, and I want to help us double down on our successes and move forward together.
As Vice Chair of DAUK, I plan to:
- Welcome diverse perspectives from the wide spectrum of our membership and make their concerns heard by the Executive Committee through frequent outreach and consultation with activists, caucuses, and other groups.
- Examine methods to improve and streamline our communications. Starting with a full-scale review of our communications plan, and working with our dedicated team to improve and scale the communications strategy, we will meet the needs of our global presence. This exercise would include collaborating with existing communications leaders across Democrats Abroad International (DA).
- Expand engagement with members through continued virtual Town Halls, enabling greater participation from across the UK.
- Work closely with our Get-Out-The-Vote team to provide committed resources and sufficient publicity to achieve our most essential purpose as DAUK.
- Establish a standing fundraising committee to fiscally support DAUK’s efforts while deepening ties to DA’s worldwide fundraising efforts.
The Vice Chair position provides an opportunity to work internally, by supporting members and volunteers across the UK, and externally, by reaching out to the wider public about the issues that matter to us most. Like the other members of Team Nicole, I have had the opportunity to support DAUK in both capacities, including:
- Serving as a spokesperson for DAUK on major radio and television outlets, including BBC radio, the Daily Mail, and Arise Media.
- Co-Chairing the Oxford chapter’s voter registration drive.
- Serving as a member of the Call the World fundraising team, which raised over $25,000 to support Democrats Abroad’s phone-banking efforts and GOTV around the world.
- Co-authoring the DA Platform Planks on Foreign Policy and Trade.
- Organizing events with DA on climate change and voter registration, including a discussion with Rep. Paul Tonko (D-NY).
Beyond my activities with DAUK, I bring a decade of political organizing, fundraising, and policy experience supporting progressive candidates and causes in the U.S. Recently, I served as a member of the foreign policy team for both Secretary Buttigieg and President Biden’s Presidential campaigns, and as a consultant to several progressive policy organizations. I also bring the experience of growing up in upstate New York, in an area that overwhelmingly supported Donald Trump, and the skills to successfully advocate to these communities – including union homes like mine.
DAUK is central to my community here in the UK, and I look forward to helping it grow, as either Vice Chair, an Executive Committee member, or DPCA representative. I hope you will join me in moving DAUK forward, by casting your vote for the members of Team Nicole – Nicole Belanger Satullo, Dr. Caroline Ruchonnet and Monica Tanouye. For more information, please visit www.TeamNicole21.com
Mary Lindsay
I did not study politics, nor did I ever want to; however, the last four years seem to have unceremoniously dragged me kicking and screaming into the foibles and imperfections that continue to overshadow what democracy means to rich and poor alike. I too watched while summer flames of discord danced unchecked across the faces of young and old, most trying to believe in the hooded silence as trumpeted and ricocheted off South Dakota mountains by an American president.
In 1986, I was catapulted into the American system, after being immersed in a British and Caribbean way of life. What a ‘rude’ awakening! Understanding the political system and nuances that made America a great place to raise my daughter was critical to future successes. When I arrived in New York, I saw strange potential in the loud noises, the graffiti, the ever-present smells of street vendors ware and wondered at the beauty of it all.
Then 2016 happened and brought with it the indecencies of what an escalator ride represents to so many of us now. The blatant disregard for families, the ‘isms, misogyny(ies), and unbridled hate, carved out a place for me in law school where I am currently honing my thirst for knowledge and advocacy. This activism is what propels me to get involved, to challenge myself while encouraging others to remember the fight for the right to vote, the right to make our voices heard, especially since we cannot unsee the videos, unhear the rally cries nor unread the social media vitriol. Trying to come to grips with narcissism and egotism that fuelled ever-growing flames of discontent across the indecent landscape of a powerful, but vulnerable America emboldened by the acceptance of hate was not okay. So, I moved away hoping that the country that helped to shaped me would remain democratically sound – but alas!
Making America Gasp At with shock at the loss of respect, freedoms, dignity enjoyed eight years prior was not what I anticipated. On the world stage we have been reduced to memes that fills America’s enemies with glee and diminishing our ability to stand strong as leaders of the free world. The confederate flag marching through the Capitol fuelled by the abuse of power cannot be fought with the same nonsensical ideologies of sore losers. The death of law enforcement, the threats to Vice President Pence, the near-death experiences of our elected leaders cannot and should not be normalised. So what do we do?
The fight for our democracy is not in the use of firearms and insurgencies but by exercising our rights to democratically inject integrity and support strong leadership in America. To ensure democracy remains a pinnacle of America we must adopt an ‘all hands on deck approach’ or our children will lose the right to freedoms so many before us fought and died for. It is with this in mind that I respectfully and humbly nominate myself as DPCA Voting Representatives with DAUK.
Michael Macy
This note is in support of my nomination for the position of Voting Representative to the Democratic Party Committee Abroad (DPCA). I bring to the position over 25 years of living overseas in varying roles, including that of graduate student, business consultant and as a US diplomat serving in countries on four continents.
I spent years developing my understanding of the US. My academic background is in American culture and communications. I also have a law degree. My experiential exploration included work as a merchant seaman on the Great Lakes, truck driver, councillor/therapist for young offenders, Assistant District Attorney, public relations executive, radio talk show host and travelling with one of America’s great professional fools. I have served as a union steward and contract negotiator and helped organize a number of environmental NGOs.
My work as a diplomat was in public diplomacy, i.e., the public face of the Embassy including media relations and cultural affairs. I spent six years in the UK, including three as Cultural Attaché. In that role I chaired the US/UK Fulbright Commission and served on a number of other boards of cultural organizations and initiatives. I also staffed 14 White House visits in more than a dozen countries.
I list these experiences just to let you know that I am deeply committed to understanding our country and doing what I can to help us become who we could be if we realized the true American Dream of equal opportunity, legal and economic justice, welcoming immigrants, and celebrating racial, religious, cultural and sexual diversity. I have the experience to communicate to a wide variety of audiences in multiple media.
I believe that the Democratic Party really cares about all Americans and is committed to ideals and ethics, democracy and real freedom. We are the party of liberty for all. The United States is currently under the greatest threat since 1860 and the fate of our nation will be decided by each one of us working together. I know that the best mechanism for that is the Democratic Party. I want to go beyond a mere repair job on the damage done during the past four years; instead, I want to contribute to a new vision for the next decade.
Democrats Abroad play a significant role in the party by providing an international perspective and a view from outside the US even as they serve as a mirror, reflecting back to the United States how it is seen around the world. This will be increasingly important as we face threats that are not restrained by national boundaries.
While in government service my political activities were somewhat limited but I have been a lifelong Democrat. I always supported the party, of course, by voting the ticket every election.
I am asking for your vote and in return, promise that I will listen to all the voices within the Party and faithfully represent you at the DPCA.
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]
Adrienne Minster
As someone who has lived abroad most of my adult life and cares deeply about the state of our country, I’ve enjoyed being able to get involved over the past two years with so many Dems living abroad. Getting to know many DAUK members – and Dems living abroad who are not yet connected with DAUK – I’ve seen huge potential in what we can achieve together. I look forward to working with you all and making our group even bigger in the years ahead.
Travis Mooney
In the 2020 election cycle, I served as the Democrats Abroad Coordinator for the Bernie campaign, directing thousands of new members to DA across the globe. Our campaign understood working with DA — no other campaign had official polling place representatives — and our outreach helped deliver the largest turn-out ever for the Global Presidential Primary (GPP).
This is the second time I worked to win the GPP for Bernie — I also helped run the international campaign in 2016. From 2017-2019 I served as Vice-Chair of Democrats Abroad United Kingdom (I did not seek re-election — I chose to work on Bernie 2020 instead). After the campaign was suspended, we continued to push for Biden’s election and other Democratic candidates.
As a long-term resident outside the USA, I understand our problems, our needs, and how we help Democrats win. Like many, I wish that they paid more attention to those of us abroad, and worked to make sure our issues were directly addressed by the Bernie Campaign. I would like to continue that work as a Voting Representative to the DPCA and a member of the DAUK Council.
I ask you for your vote.
Robert Platt
As we bounce back from these tumultuous last four years, I believe a period of great opportunity and change stands before us. I would be honoured to represent and promote the views and concerns of the DAUK membership on the international stage as a Democratic Party Committee Abroad Voting Representative. I have been an active member of DAUK since 2013 and have served one term as a DPCA Voting Representative, two terms as a member of the DAUK Executive Committee, three terms as a Member of the DAUK Council, and several years as Co-Chair of the DAUK LGBTQ+ Caucus. I have spent much of this time campaigning, canvassing, phone banking, fundraising, organising events, marching, and supporting my fellow party members at various events. My work has included organising numerous joint caucus events, such as DAUK’s first “Pride Month Series”, in-person and webinar fundraisers with filmmaker Dustin Lance Black, and DAUK’s post-2018 midterms election party. As a person of mixed racial heritage and a proud member of the LGBT+ community, I believe it is important to reflect the rich diversity of DAUK at all levels. I would be grateful for the opportunity to apply my energy and dynamism to DPCA.
Thank you for this opportunity to run, and I hope to have your vote.
Courtney Plummer
I have been a DAUK Voting Representative since 2019, a Women’s Caucus Member since 2018, and a DAUK member since 2015. I am delighted to run again as a voting representative for DAUK and further serve our group by keeping it inclusive and informed, representing the views of our chapter to global leadership. Over the last two years I committed to developing events and fundraisers for DAUK via the Women’s Caucus and additionally contributed to our DA 2020 Platform. I believe our works is crucial in connecting Americans abroad to the political process at home. I look forward to contributing to our UK chapter through work that helps to expand our membership, mobilise new voters in the UK and abroad, and increase awareness and voter turnout for the 2022 midterm elections.
