Tom Prince has lived in Westport since 1993. He is a former editor for New York magazine, Condé Nast, Martha Stewart and Meredith. He has written for for New York, The Wall Street Journal and GQ,
Tom says, “I am NOT a member of the Democratic Town Committee.” But — in advance of Tuesday’s DTC biennial caucus (January 13, 7:30 p.m., Town Hall auditorium) — he writes:
In the voting booth, you may wonder how the names on the ballot ended up next to those ovals. Who picked these people? How did this happen? And if I’m unhappy with the choices, how can I change them?
In many ways, the most important election is not in November. It’s this Tuesday in Town Hall at 7:30 p.m., when the Westport Democratic Town Committee picks 50 to 70 voting members. They in turn endorse the candidates who run for office, and run our town.
It may seem like just another back room, inside baseball, cigar-chomping nerd-fest. But it’s a crucial decision.
And it’s easy for any registered Democrat to participate. (Any voter who changed registration from another party must have done so at least 90 days prior to January 13. Unaffiliated voters can register as Democrats as late as the day of the caucus.)
In a town where 40 percent of registered voters are Democrats, and where Democrats often win elections, the DTC is pre-selecting the people who will win races. That’s indisputable. Only 17.5 percent of Westport voters are Republicans.
The DTC has a special nominating committee to choose and endorse future candidates. It consists of 5 to 9 DTC members making recommendations to all 50 to 70 DTC members. Each recommendation requires only a majority of that committee (3 to 5 people).
Then it takes only 36 DTC members to endorse a candidate or slate, and get those names on the ballot. That’s some concentrated decision-making: Very few people are making very important choices.
In return, the officially endorsed candidates win a lottery of sorts: special tracking software, loyal volunteers, experienced door-knockers, savvy phone bankers, resolute poll standers, SWAT teams of Facebookers and videographers and Instagrammers, targeted texting campaigns, merciless robocalls, t-shirts, hats, stickers, yard signs, branded Halloween candy, and — in their dedicated Saugatuck headquarters — beer, wine and pizza.
Officially endorsed candidates have easy access to yard signs.
In simple terms, 3 to 5 members of the DTC control the money and the power (and the resources), and decide who gets the money and the power (and the resources).
These endorsers have an outsize effect on every election. Their votes say more than anyone else’s, and they say it early in the process. Sure, the process could unfold differently — it could be more democratic (ironically), involve more people, or support equally qualified candidates.
If you attend DTC meetings (they’re open to the public), members often complain about how hermetically sealed the nominating committee is. (At the December DTC meeting, one member asked about her perpetual exile to the sportswear committee; her plea was ignored.)
Instead of rotating members or recommending more than one candidate for an office, the leadership trudges along the same well-trod paths, year in and year out.
How can you help change things, if you’re dissatisfied with one or more of the choices you’re presented with each year?
Show up and vote. Any Democrat can show up to vote on the slate of people running to be elected to the DTC in their Representative Town Meeting (RTM) district. Elect people who align with your values.
Run, and bring your family and friends to vote for you. The steps to win are pretty straightforward. Are you a registered member of the party (90 days before the caucus, if changing from another party)? Do you have family, friends or neighbors who are registered Democrats, and have 1 or 2 hours to show up on Tuesday night to vote for you (and others if they support their candidacies)?
The Democratic Town Committee biennial caucus is Tuesday night, at Town Hall. (Photo/Lynn Untermeyer Miller)
If you want to participate, bring about change, have a better process, or choose more like-minded candidates, this is how to make it happen.
It’s time to stop looking the other way, and start questioning how things are always done. It’s a rare chance for the young, the unrepresented, and the unheard to become voices in an important choir.
What would happen if democracy were open to all Democrats, not just a chosen few? What if ideas could once again prevail over ideology, and people could take precedence over power? Tuesday is a good time to find out.
(“06880″‘s Opinion pages are open to all readers. Email submissions to 06880blog@gmail.com.)
Back when the party bosses controlled things, they selected candidates that could win. While primaries are more democratic, they often divide the party and produce a bloodied candidate that can’t win in November As a Democrat, I would be willing to sacrifice the primaries to get the strongest possible presidential candidate (I’m thinking in terms of the national presidential election) to beat the Republicans.
Hi John. I Chair our DTC here in Westport and encourage you to caucus with us if you have the time and interest. As for primaries- I think they’re great when done civilly. When I reflect on what happened during our last Presidential election my heart breaks. Harris would have likely lost a primary, and we would have had a more successful outcome. This may sound ironic coming from me given this author’s assertions (to which I will reply formally)but the more voices the better the candidate. 😊
Thank you for the invite. I grew up in Westport (and still resent my parents for moving elsewhere after 8th grade) but now appreciate Westport from afar.
A party boss would not have picked Kamala Harris or Joe Biden (at least not at the age he was when he ran for president). With a strong party boss we might have Democratic president.
I think a fair argument can be made that sticking with the one candidate in the race who had previously beaten Trump, Joe Biden, might have been wise. Certainly more wise than the late switch to Harris.
I think the problem locally is that Democrats have run self serving candidates who do favors for their friends and don’t seem to care all that much about constituents.
When Republicans act atrociously, well, I’m no more surprised at that behavior than when my dog barks. When Democrats act atrociously, I tend to have had higher hopes.
In a prior 06880 piece, the DTC Chair seemed to express the feeling that Westporters have confidence in the DTC. I think that was a woeful misreading of the election.
Yes, we were all really curious what would happen in the last election. I don’t remember such genuine uncertainty before a local election. Certainly the Democrats were no better than the Republicans (and showed no more confidence) when they went after the petitioning candidate with disgraceful personal attacks. But it was a spotlight on their worries.
The results offered straightforward conclusions. Westport is a progressive, largely Democratic Town. Trump is wildly unpopular here. Tooker was wildly unpopular here. And the GOP was running a “four more years” campaign for BOS. Nobody wanted that. It should have been obvious – but wasn’t until the results came in.
All the local races were blowouts. In retrospect, the Democrats could have run anyone and had blowout wins. That doesn’t mean “we like what you’re doing.” It means, “we hate what the other guys are doing.” Democratic dominance in Town is all the more reason that be less insular.
Mr. Prince makes excellent points, all, though I would say the process is less problematic than he suggests. If you do not raise your voice, It’s less likely you are heard, so heed this advice and show up on Tuesday.
The DTC is not perfect by any means, especially when we see some of our members publicly endorse Republicans.
For the record, I am a DTC rep for District 9 and I will stand for reelection. I am not an officer of the DTC and I do not speak for the organization.
I will say that many (not all) of the ideas I brought to the DTC as a new member got a fair hearing.
As for candidate selections, there have been many votes for candidates for whom there were no opposing candidates. When there is a higher level of interest, the DTC vets many candidates with rigorous expertise.
Anyone can get on the ballot as a Democrat through the petition process. We had Dem candidates on the ballot who did this and won.
Rather than run on the Dem ballot using the primary process, others candidates chose a more extreme approach: they left the party altogether. One jumped ship to the GOP, and another took a go-it-alone path.
Indeed there are benefits to being an endorsed candidate. The full DTC votes on the Nominating Committee’s choices. These are not always unanimously approved: I know because I did not vote in favor of every candidate. (After the DTC vote, I went to work for every Dem candidate nevertheless).
So, your choice of DTC member is indeed important. Local party activity is party of the foundation upon which our Democracy stands. Down-ballot elected offices are more relevant than at any time in our brief history.
I hope to be reelected by District 9 Democrats. Either way, I will always seek out viewpoints — from anyone— to guide my decisions as a member of the DTC, and to guide my actions as a citizen of Westport.
Mr. Prince is right. This Tuesday’s Caucus is an essential step in the election process. Be there!
“The DTC is not perfect by any means, especially when we see some of our members publicly endorse Republicans.” is the understatement of the year, my friend!
Not to mention when former DTC members pick up the Republican nomination for BOS.
Or when Democrats easily petition their way on to the ballots in BOE and BOS races, suggestion that maybe the DTC wasn’t paying all that much attention to what constituents wanted.
We all know that (DTC member) Lee Caney endorsed (former DTC member) Don O’Day (running as a Republican) for FS because he wanted a ball field. And (DTC member and BOE Chair) Lee Goldstein was absolutely good with that. It’s about favors for friends. Hell, they were in bed with maga Jen Tooker on all of this. Those aren’t the progressive values that I support. Who vetted this bunch? Who thought Don O’Day or Lee Caney stood for the values of the party? With the 2025 blowout, nobody needs to take responsibility and we can pretend it all worked out great. But I think that is a huge mistake, well represented by the three BOS losses prior to the most recent election. If local voters think the Democrats don’t represent their values better than the Republicans, losses will return.
The current strategy of “f them, they’ll vote for us anyway” is pretty misguided, if you ask me.
It may be that “only” 17.5% of Westport voters are REGISTERED Republicans but, since the majority of Westport voters are registered “independent”; many more than the 17.5% VOTE Republican.
I have been a member of the DTC for 6 year representing District 1. I have had the pleasure of serving on the nominating committee twice and have had the opportunity to nominate both Chris Murphy and Jim Himes at the Democratic conventions. All you need to do is ask to be rep. It’s all about raising your hand and stepping up to the plate. I hope to be reelected Tuesday night to serve District 1 again.
As important as the DTC is, I think people need to pay more attention to our RTM. Those are the people that really run things in Westport. I am in District 1 and, I am happy to say that we were able to elect a new voice, Gail Cockendal, who actually communicates with her constituents, at least with me.
I have lived in Westport since 1989 and never really understood how vital the RTM is to our everyday lives. They are the last vote on all local legislation. These representatives are not chosen or supported by the DTC or RTC, as they are “non-partisan”.
Can anyone really be non-partisan in this political climate?
It seems rare, to me, that we have a new voice representing us. If I could stay awake that late, I would gladly run to represent my district!
A wise young man once told me to “get involved with local politics”. I finally took his advice and, I have learned so much that I wish I had known before.
Don’t wait to serve our town in any way. We need new voices and opinions on the RTM and on all our boards. Except for First Selectman, all positions are filled by volunteers. Give back to a town that gives so much to all of us.