Seats on the Kings County Democratic Committee serve as entry level positions for Brooklyn Democrats to represent their local neighborhoods within their political party and to get involved in local politics. The New Kings Democrats’ platform for the Kings County Democratic Committee aims to make this political body more progressive by: 1. Reforming ethics in the Kings County Democratic Committee so that support by the party is withheld for any politician who has been convicted of a felony due to corruption or malfeasance related to their public or party office; 2 Improving the judiciary so that Brooklyn’s judges and judicial candidates better reflect the values of the party and borough; 3. Increasing political participation countywide by lowering the threshold for participation and organization; and 4. Improving meetings of the Kings County Democratic Committee by increasing participation of members and barring any one person from holding more proxy votes than the number of County Committee members currently serving in his or her district. 

The #RepYourBlock campaign builds on New Kings Democrats’ successful track record of helping elect over 500 Brooklynites to the Kings County Democratic Committee since 2009. This summer New Kings Democrats aims to help elect over 1,000 Brooklynites to the 3,000+ seats on the Kings County Democratic Committee. Positions in the Kings County Democratic Committee often go unfilled, leaving decision-making on judicial candidates, the Democratic Party's nominee in special elections, and the Democratic party platform to 42 well-connected and mostly unopposed District Leaders. Through the #RepYourBlock campaign, New Kings Democrats aims to support reform-minded Brooklynites run for and win a seat in the Kings County Democratic Committee.

“New Kings Democrats is proud to launch this collaborative effort to draw attention to the potential the County Committee has for voter and civic engagement, and the great need for reform needed to fulfill this potential. #RepYourBlock will help to educate Brooklynites and bring new generations of engaged residents into the political system. We are excited to launch this effort with our fellow reform clubs and hope this campaign will push us closer to gaining the people power needed to empower the County Committee as a body for progressive change,” said Anusha Venkataraman, President of New Kings Democrats and County Committee member.

"Running for county committee is one of the best and most enjoyable ways to become engaged in your community and grassroots party building. With the nation focused on the presidential race, it's important to remember that all politics is local and who represents your neighborhood often has a greater effect on your daily life than the Commander-in-Chief,” said Morgan Pehme, Executive Director of EffectiveNY and County Committee member.

“The Central Brooklyn Independent Democrats have always been committed to bringing people into the Democratic process and the Kings County Democratic Committee is great way to get people involved in the political decisions that guide the party in Brooklyn. Using online platforms, like this one developed by New Kings Democrats, to help recruit and inform people about ways they can have an impact in Brooklyn Democratic politics is a great step towards the goals of transparency and reform. We are happy to work with our fellow reform clubs to grow the County Committee,”  said Benjamin Solotaire, President of the Central Brooklyn Independent Democrats (CBID) and County Committee member.

“New York State was once the leader in innovative legislation. Yet, by some measures we have become the worst state. One example was pointed by FiveThirtyEight.com: It’s Far Harder To Change Parties In New York Than In Any Other State. No wonder we've come to the point that New York ranks 46th in voter turnout, just behind Tennessee. Prospect Heights Democrats for Reform (PHDR) rejects this sorry state, and this proposal offers many obvious reforms. Of course we should "withhold support from any politician who has been convicted of a felony due to corruption or malfeasance related to their public or party office." Luckily, we have new optimism that the current leadership of the Brooklyn Democratic Party is receptive to these proposals. As Lin Manuel Miranda wrote, "Corruption’s such an old song that we can sing along in harmony, And nowhere is it stronger than in Albany," and we are here to write a new song. We urge all New Yorkers to support this proposal” said Raul Rothblatt of the Prospect Heights Democrats for Reform (PHDR) and County Committee member.

For details on New Kings Democrats’ County Committee platform visitwww.newkingsdemocrats.com/county_committee_reform

For more on the #RepYourBlock campaign visit www.repyourblock.com 

Press Contact: Anusha Venkataraman, President, New Kings Democrats (347-406-6172,[email protected])

New Kings Democrats (NKD): New Kings Democrats is a progressive, grassroots political organization committed to bringing trans­parency, accountability, and inclusionary democracy to the Kings County Democratic Party. Founded by veterans of the Obama campaign, NKD serves as a training ground for individuals seeking to become more engaged in local politics, and hopes to nurture a new generation of elected Brooklyn Democratic leaders.

#RepYourBlock: #RepYourBlock is a campaign of the New Kings Democrats aimed at helping reform-minded Democrats run and win a seat on the Kings County Democratic Committee.