Moses Ross for Chair of Multnomah County Dems

There comes a time in a person's involvement in the political process where they must take that next step of leadership. That time has come for me.

I am declaring my candidacy for Chair of the Multnomah County Democratic Party.

The election will be held at the next general business meeting of the Multnomah County Democratic Central Committee on Thursday, September 8th at 7pm.

Only Precinct Committee People in Multnomah County may vote in this special election, so if you are one, I encourage your support, your vote and your participation in this election.

If you are not one and you live in Multnomah County, I encourage you to contact the precinct committee person in your neighborhood and ask them to vote for me... or even better, you can become one by contacting our offices and asking for an application to be appointed.

This election was predicated by the resignation of the previous Chair, Jeff Merrick. Jeff has endorsed my candidacy for his old position for which I am honored.

I have also been endorsed by Marc Abrams, a past vice chair of the county party and past Chair of the state party as well as an elected school board member of the Portland Public Schools. Others have pledged their support as well, which inspires me to do the best job I can do to earn their upfront support.

You may wonder why I have decided to run. We currently have two outstanding candidates for the position (three, counting myself) and no matter who wins this special election, the county party will be well represented and I will fully support my opponents if they prevail.

I feel the Multnomah County Democratic Party is at a crossroads. We are finalizing plans to hire, for the very first time in its history, an executive director that will handle the day to day office management duties of the county party. This means that the role of the Chair will change from one of office manager to public leader.

This requires our new Chair to inspire and lead the party faithful, not to get caught up in the mundane housekeeping of office management which have burnt out past leaders of the party.

This requires our new Chair to not be timid of the public limelight and who is willing to take public positions that may or may not be popular, but of which the members will know are what the party represents. What it stands for.

This requires our new Chair to inspire party members throughout Multnomah County to be attracted to the party apparatus and to challenge them to get involved in the party.

This requires our new Chair to work cooperatively and collaboratively with the state Democratic Party and elected Democratic officials in Multnomah County to best serve the needs of the party and to promote the best interests of the party - and to do whatever it takes to elect Democrats to ALL elected positions throughout Multnomah County.

This requires our new Chair to nurture a county party structure that is relevant and rewarding for party members and the public at large within the county. I pledge to personally contact each and every one of the current precinct committee people (over 600) to ask for their input on making our county party the best it can be and to challenge them to become more active.

I believe that I am that person that can accomplish this.. and more.

My experience within the county party is extensive. I was elected by the Multnomah County Democratic Central Committee membership in 2002 as Communications Secretary, an officer's position. This gave me valuable insight into the administrative workings of the county party.

During my two year tenure as Communications Secretary, I was the official spokesperson of the county party with the local, statewide and national media and the general public at large. I worked closely with our Chair and represented the party at many community outreach events. This experience gave me the knowledge, via trial by fire, of the importance of and the uniqueness of the role of the party within the local community. It also gave me the confidence and tact necessary to best represent the party.

In 2004, I was elected as District 36 Leader by the precinct people within that District. This district is proudly represented by Rep. Mary Nolan, with whom I have a excellent working relationship. In fact, at my invitation, she will be "throwing out the first pitch" at the upcoming Democrats Night at the Portland Beavers baseball game.

I have served on the MCDCC Executive Committee for the past three years, contributing as one of the leaders who help navigate the county party to greater heights of influence and prestige.

I am an active member of the county party technology/infrastructure committee, which has moved decisively to create a new website, utilizing the best modern technology and software. This now gives county party members an online forum and communication tool that is relevant and rewarding to its users.

I am an active member of the county party communications committee and draw upon my experience as past Communications Secretary to facilitate all the outgoing communications for the county party, both electronically and in print.

I am an alternate member of the State Central Committee and proudly represent the county party at the quarterly meetings.

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In summary, this is an important transition period for the Multnomah County Democratic Party and we need experienced leadership at the helm of our ship. I feel that I am the best qualified of all the candidates to provide this and I ask you for your support.

You are encouraged to contact me with any questions and/or to pledge your support to my campaign. You may email me directly at MosesDems@NeverNeverQuit.com or you can call me at 503-226-0862.

All the best!

Moses Ross
Portland, OR