Young Democrats of North Carolina

Young Democrats of North Carolina
PresidentAdrian Brakeley (Johnston)
Executive Vice PresidentChristopher Petty (Lee)
Founded1928 (1928)
HeadquartersNorth Carolina
MembershipDemocrats ages 18-35
IdeologyModern Liberalism
Progressivism
Left-wing populism
PositionCenter-left
Mother partyNorth Carolina Democratic Party
National affiliationYoung Democrats of America
Websitehttps://ydnc.org

Formed in 1928, the Young Democrats of North Carolina is the oldest Young Democrats chapter in America.[1] It founded the Young Democrats of America.[2]

It actively engages North Carolina Democrats from the ages of 18 to 36 who have an active interest in governmental affairs, who are seeking a mechanism for satisfying political expression, and who want to make the members of the Democratic Party aware that young people intend to take an active role in party affairs.

Campaign role

The Young Democrats of North Carolina (YDNC) is responsible for party organizational activity among North Carolina Democrats ages 18 to 36. In elections, it coordinates with state and local candidates, raises funds, and coordinates campaign strategy to bolster youth turnout.

YDNC currently is composed of 21 county chapters at the time of the 2025 Statewide Convention, held in Fayetteville, North Carolina.

In Spring 2018, YDNC launched the Cardinal Candidates program aimed at increasing the turnout of young voters in districts where Young Democrats are running for office. The program currently targets 26 Congressional and state legislative districts across the state.[3]

State Conventions

YDNC holds its State Convention at a different location every year. At Convention, the organization holds trainings, networking receptions, and elections for statewide officers. In recent years, the YDNC has co-hosted the convention with the College Democrats of North Carolina and the North Carolina Association of Teen Democrats.

In 2025, YDNC held its annual State Convention in Fayetteville, bringing together young Democrats, party leaders, and elected officials from across the state for a weekend of trainings and officer elections. The Convention featured remarks from Boone Mayor Pro Tem Dalton George, NC Democrats Chair Anderson Clayton, and other alumni, highlighted the organization's continued growth at the county level, and focused heavily on voter engagement and leadership development ahead of the 2025 municipal election cycle. Delegates also elected statewide officers and adopted organizational priorities, reinforcing YDNC's role as a driving force for youth engagement within the North Carolina Democratic Party.

Past Conventions

Leadership and Board of Trustees

YDNC elects statewide officers at the yearly YDNC convention. Additionally, it appoints leaders on a yearly basis to serve on a board of trustees. The late Governor Jim Hunt, a former Young Democrats of North Carolina President, serves as the Honorary Chair of the YDNC Board of Trustees. This board serves in an advisory role to YDNC, and assists in fund raising efforts.

2025–26 Executive Officers:

2024–25 Executive Officers:[9][10]

  • President: Dorian Palmer of Burke County
  • Executive Vice President: Anna Rios of Alamance County
  • Western Regional Vice President: Jesse Ross of Haywood County
  • Piedmont Regional Vice President: Autumn Solomon of Union County
  • Triangle Regional Vice President: Daniel Franch of Johnston County
  • Eastern Regional Vice President: Mario Benavente of Cumberland County
  • Young Democrats of America National Committee Representative (Seat 1): Elijah Mears of Rowan County
  • Young Democrats of America National Committee Representative (Seat 2): Kristen Robinson of Buncombe County
  • Secretary: Liz Purvis of Granville County
  • Treasurer: Siara Divel of New Hanover County
  • Communications Director: Garrett Readling of Cabarrus County
  • Deputy Communications Director: Tenae Turner of Alamance County
  • Finance Director: Joey Melone of Buncombe County

2023–24 Executive Officers:[9][10]

  • President: Dorian Palmer of Burke County
  • Executive Vice President: Anna Rios of Alamance County
  • Western Regional Vice President: Jesse Ross of Haywood County
  • Piedmont Regional Vice President: Autumn Solomon of Union County
  • Triangle Regional Vice President: Daniel Franch of Johnston County
  • Eastern Regional Vice President: Mario Benavente of Cumberland County
  • Young Democrats of America National Committee Representative (Seat 1): Elijah Mears of Rowan County
  • Young Democrats of America National Committee Representative (Seat 2): Kristen Robinson of Buncombe County
  • Secretary: Liz Purvis of Granville County
  • Treasurer: Siara Divel of New Hanover County
  • Communications Director: Garrett Readling of Cabarrus County
  • Deputy Communications Director: Tenae Turner of Alamance County
  • Finance Director: Joey Melone of Buncombe County

Notable alumni

Former presidents

Notable former members

Legislative work

YDNC has worked to pass House Bill 91, In-Person Registration and Voting. The new law allows voters to register up to three days before Election Day, down from 25 days under the old law. The measure also provides several safeguards to ensure the integrity of voter registration and toughens criminal penalties for those who commit fraud.[11][12]

Mascot

The official mascot of the YDNC is "Liberty" the cardinal, inspired by the North Carolina state bird.

Previously their mascot was the "fearless" honey badger, since "Young Democrats are also devoid of fear."[13]

See also

References

  1. ^ "Young Democrats Of N.C. Holds Convention To Inspire Young Voters - News - NBC 17".
  2. ^ "YDA | Turning 80: The North Carolina Young Democrats".
  3. ^ "YDNC Launches Innovative Program To Elect Young Democrats — Young Democrats of North Carolina". ydnc.org. Archived from the original on 2018-05-20.
  4. ^ "All Four Democrats on Council of State To Appear at YDNC's 89th Annual Convention". Young Democrats of North Carolina. Retrieved 20 February 2025.
  5. ^ "YDNC Morganton". Young Democrats of North Carolina. Archived from the original on 18 March 2023. Retrieved 20 February 2025.
  6. ^ Young Democrats | newsobserver.com projects
  7. ^ "CNN Political Ticker: All politics, all the time Blog Archive - Edwards speaks but stays quiet on endorsing Clinton, Obama « - Blogs from CNN.com". CNN. Archived from the original on 2008-03-31. Retrieved 2008-03-31.
  8. ^ Taverner, Kevin (May 28, 2024). "Latest Videos | CNN". CNN.
  9. ^ a b "Leadership". Young Democrats of North Carolina. 16 June 2020. Retrieved 2023-05-27.
  10. ^ a b "Leadership". 16 June 2020.
  11. ^ Institute for Southern Studies. The Institute for Southern Studies Archived 2008-03-13 at the Wayback Machine. August 6, 2007.
  12. ^ NC State Technician. College Democrats part of group proposing changes, legislative action. February 22, 2007.
  13. ^ "Young North Carolinians travel from Murphy to Manteo to give back". Archived from the original on 2015-02-21. Retrieved 2012-08-11.
This article is issued from Wikipedia. The text is available under Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 4.0 unless otherwise noted. Additional terms may apply for the media files.