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ABOUT US
VISION STATEMENT: "The Gold Canyon Democrats strive for a future in which progressive values are supported by the nation's laws, qualified Democrats fill a majority of elective offices, and the word 'liberal' is once again celebrated in the common lexicon."
MISSION STATEMENT: "The mission of the Gold Canyon Democrats is to promote progressive legislation, address community issues, and support qualified Democrats for office through volunteer recruitment and community mobilization."
Gold Canyon residents Ronda Moffit and Jerry Helmstadter founded the Gold Canyon Democrats club in late 1999 to provide a monthly arena for politically like-minded people to learn about:
1) Principles/tenets of the Democratic Party,
2) Candidates running for office, and
3) Strategies for electing Democrats to those offices.
About 30 area residents attended the first meeting. Interest in the 2000 Presidential election increased attendance as the months went by, and some meetings in the fall of 2000 reached 65 to 70 people.
After about a year, Don Blank replaced Moffit as chairman of the club. Under Blank's stewardship, the club continued to provide a venue for lively discussions and special guest speakers. Club members had the opportunity to meet Jim Pederson, then chairman of the Arizona Democratic Party; Terry Goddard, Arizona's attorney general; Pinal County Sheriff Roger Vanderpool; County Supervisor Sandie Smith; County Recorder Laura Dean-Lytle; and County Treasurer Dodie Doolittle, among others.
Today, meetings continue to feature political candidates and officeholders as guest speakers. Some meetings also feature roundtable discussions on local, regional and national issues. For example, Eleanor Eisenberg, executive director of the Arizona branch of the ACLU, visited the group to talk about the important work her organization does to protect civil liberties.
In addition, the club has hosted several forums on subjects like current voting machine technology, clean elections, and ballot propositions.
During the 2004 presidential campaign, Gold Canyon Democrats mounted an impressive grass-roots effort to get out the vote by knocking on neighbors' doors and distributing election information to voters. Staffers at the regional Democratic Party headquarters in Phoenix were amazed by tiny Gold Canyon's disproportionate representation during phone banking and door-to-door volunteer canvassing efforts. Although Democratic presidential nominee John Kerry was defeated, the group came away from the experience with a renewed sense of purpose and a strengthened local network on which to build for the future.
In November of 2004, Jim Curlett was elected chairman of the Gold Canyon Democrats, and Carolyn Gordon and Bill Florence were elected vice-chairs. Gordon and Florence were elected co-chairs in May 2005 and guided the club through a summer of reorganization meetings. In December 2005, Gordon was elected chair for the 2006 calendar year, with Florence elected vice-chair, Chryste Rogers elected secretary and David Coward elected treasurer. |
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