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.)
