For many young people across America, 2008 was a transformational year. President Obama’s campaign energized young people in new and innovative ways, resulting in the demonstration of our electoral power this past November. As an organization, we are uniquely positioned to capitalize on this excitement, ensuring these inspired young voters remain engaged and active in the years to come.

This is why I am asking you to support my candidacy for Vice President of Young Democrats of America.

With two dedicated young activists like Crystal Strait and Rod Snyder, I feel fortunate to be a part of this team that generates results through hard work. Crystal and Rod are faithful champions of the causes important to young Democrats. They believe, as I do, that by working together we can bring about the changes we need to move YDA forward.

You may know that I am the National Committeewoman from the great state of Texas; and, I started out in Democratic politics by volunteering on campaigns and supporting the candidates that shared my values. What you may not know is that I am a wife and mother, and I share the values of many young Democrats who are parents. We want to restore fairness and opportunity to the pursuit of the American dream for our families – for our children.

YDA has helped engage, train, and mobilize young activists around the country, and we are poised for unprecedented successes. We have some work to do.

We must do a better job of developing young leaders; emphasizing accountability and empowerment. We must galvanize the millions of young people who were fired up during the campaign of 2008. And, we must actively shed the insular internal politics of the Old YDA, and prioritize reaching out to “non-traditional” young Democrats.

Accomplishing these goals together, we will grow YDA and secure a bloc of Democratic voters for generations to come.

This campaign is an opportunity to have open and candid conversations with each other about where YDA is and where we want it to go. To find the right solutions, we all must take part in the dialogue.

In the coming weeks, I want to earn your support. I will always be available to talk about your questions and concerns. I encourage you to call or e-mail me when you have an idea or want to discuss your vision for YDA. I am eager to hear from you, so let’s start talking. While I know I don’t have all the answers, I am confident that we can answer the questions together.

Thank you so much.

Renee Hartley

Renee for YDA Facebook Group