The Arrowhead Center for the Arts was a busy place this past Tuesday as the Cook County Democratic-Farmer-Labor (DFL) party gathered to hold its precinct caucus. The lobby of the ACA was filled with tables containing instructions and pamphlets about DFL candidates and issues. Above, volunteers answer questions before the 7 p.m. program started inside the ACA. Staff photo/Briand Larsen
Just a guess, an educated guess, but at least 125 people attended the February 25, 2020, DFL caucus held at the Cook County Arrowhead Center for the Arts (ACA).
Once people found their precincts inside the auditorium and were seated, Cook County DFL Chair Bryan Hansel opened the meeting by having everyone stand for the Pledge of Allegiance. When finished and seated, Hansel said there were three things Democrats want to do this election. Number one, beat Donald Trump. Number two, beat Donald Trump. Number three, beat Donald Trump.
“But for that to happen,” said Vice-Chair Pat Campanaro, “Everyone has to vote and work hard to get out the vote.”
Treasurer Paulette Anholm told the audience that she was enjoying her position as Treasurer, but if anyone wanted to run against her, that was fine.
Olya Wright, age 14, came before the audience and read a resolution she had written about climate change. She made note of the fact that she was too young to vote, but it was her generation that was going to inherit the planet. Her resolution ended, “Whereas, our nation and world need to see dramatic change in the way we treat our only home. It is not an ever-rebounding planet. We need to stop the dependence on fossil fuels and turn the corner to a cleaner, healthier, and more environmentally egalitarian planet, thus protecting our world from the human-made consequences of climate change.”
The Democratic-Farmer-Labor Party supports the U.S. reaching zero greenhouse gas emissions by 2040, “obtaining energy from wind, solar and other emerging technologies while ensuring that the renewable energy sources have little impact on the land (i.e., no hydro or nuclear energy).
Believing firmly in equal rights, the DFL promotes equal numbers of men and women as delegates and alternates.
Before they rolled up their shirtsleeves and got down to the real work, candidate letters were read in support of Party Chair Ken Martin, Senator Tina Smith, Minnesota 8th District candidates Quinn Nystrom and Gaylene Spolarich.
Caucus attendees also had an opportunity to participate in a preferential poll to select their favored candidate for President.
The DFL Party uses precinct caucuses and conventions to endorse candidates and to debate and set the issues the Party will stand for. The caucus and convention process sets the framework for the DFL Party by helping shape the platform and Action Agenda, selecting candidates who will receive endorsements, electing party leaders, and voting on the party constitution and bylaws.
After the general meeting, the group broke up into precincts, which are basically neighborhood gatherings where the real work begins. The DFL has divided Cook County into 13 precincts.
“We elected our precinct chairs and vice-chairs. The precinct chairs serve on the Cook County DFL Central Committee,” Hansel said. “The delegates elected at the caucus elect the Executive Committee at the Cook County DFL County Convention on March 7.”
Caucus attendees are urged to bring issues of great concern to them and compose resolutions that have the potential to be forwarded to their local unit conventions and the state convention for deliberation for acceptance to the official DFL Ongoing Platform and Action Agenda.
There were so many resolutions brought forth that they couldn’t all be counted last Tuesday night. “Those will be tallied at the committee meetings on Sunday at 6 p.m. at the Community Center,” said Hansel. “Some precincts voted on dozens of resolutions.”
Once tallied, those resolutions will be carried into the Organizing Unit Convention. Delegates and alternates will be elected at the Organizing Unit Convention to attend the next level, the Congressional District Convention at the Hinckley Grand Casino on April 2, followed by the State Convention that will be held May 30-31 at the Mayo Civic Center in Rochester, Minnesota.
The National DFL Convention will be held July 13-16 in Milwaukee, Wisconsin.
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