Summer 2024 Round-up

Here is a collection of the posts sent to our newsletter, as well as content exclusive to this post, over the course of June-August 2024. What a wild summer! From primary mode to convention mode to general election mode, summer 2024 was one for the history books, and we had several big changes here in Clayton County as well, with new, vigorous leadership and engagement with Democrats across the county.

Primary Runoff (June 18)

We have the results! Congrats to those who won their runoff tonight:

  • Senate District 34 (D Primary): Kenya Wicks
  • Clayton Commission Chair (D Primary): Alieka Anderson
  • Clayton Commission District 3 (D Primary): Tashe’ Allen
  • Clayton Commission District 1 (Special Election): Alaina Reaves
  • Clayton Sheriff (D Primary): Levon Allen

In addition, we congratulate our nominees from primaries earlier in the month.

Your New County Committee (June 29)

Thanks to everyone who answered the call for new commission district leaders, officers and state committee members yesterday! Thanks to the DPG staff and volunteers who came from Atlanta and elsewhere, including Vice Chair Sarah Todd, Executive Director Kevin Olasanoye, Party Affairs Director Patricia Lassiter, 13th Congressional District Leader Joel Cope, and Deputy Executive Director Justin Pitts to host our party elections in an orderly and transparent fashion. And thanks to past Chair Sukari Johnson for always doing the hard work behind the scenes on behalf of our county Democrats.

Finally, we also thank Divine Faith Ministries for all of their help and partnership with the Clayton County Democratic Committee in this event, as well as offering their facilities for this event.

Drum roll! Without further ado, here are your new Clayton County Democratic Committee Officers and State Committee Members:

  • Officers
    • Chair: Herman “Drew” Andrews
    • 1st Vice Chair: Nancy Barahona
    • 2nd Vice Chair: Chanel Haley
    • 3rd Vice Chair: Khairat “Ms Kay” Animashaun
    • Secretary: Salima Abdullah
    • Treasurer: Ramona Bivens
  • State Committee Members
    • Maggy Martinez
    • Regine Deloach
    • Chivonne Fleming
    • Cecil Clark
    • Pat Pullar
    • Dontae Long

In addition, we recognize Clayton County’s own Alaina Reaves, who is a current member of the Democratic National Committee representing Georgia and a member of the DPG Executive Committee (and newly elected County Commissioner for District 1!).

We are glad for all of those who showed up, signed up and ran to become Commission District Leaders, Officers and State Committee Members, even if you didn’t win your desired position. Your strong interest in leadership of this organization is appreciated and needed for the road ahead, and we will always be open for your talent in flipping Georgia blue and enacting inclusive policies. And both you and your new party leaders represent a diversity from across the Democratic base in Clayton County, which will help us engage every demographic of people who believe in our vision and platform for a better Georgia.

Fellow Democrats, for the upcoming election cycles, everyone mentioned in this announcement – county party officers, state committee members and state party leaders – are your go-tos for your questions on how to get involved to keep Clayton blue and flip Georgia blue. Do not be afraid to ask them questions! The best way to contact your officers and state committee members is through your Chair Drew Andrews at [email protected].

And a side note: We are working on getting our ActBlue donation link back up and running, so stay tuned!

Thank you everyone for showing up and showing out! We have 4 months to go on re-electing President Biden and Vice-President Harris to a second term and renewing our resistance against the right-wing Supreme Court. Let’s move forward!

State Committee Meeting (July 20)

Chair Andrews and most of Clayton’s State Committee delegation attended the State Committee meeting in Augusta. We elected five new or recurring DNC members (Wendy Davis, William Boddie, Sandra Williams, Van Johnson and Maria Banjo) to the 2024-2028 term. We thank outgoing DNC member and current Clayton Commissioner Alaina Reaves for her service to the DNC.

In addition:

  • We were able to see DNC Chair Jaime Harrison, a native of South Carolina, speak to the meeting.
  • Secretary Justin Holsomback informed us about the gradual rollout of the Digital Cheetah platform to county committees over the next several months.
  • we certified Coffee County’s new county committee, which now means that we have 118 operating county committees out of 159 counties.

After adjournment, we traveled over to for a post-meeting “One Team, One Fight Mixer” held at Tip Top Taps. We thank the Augusta Marriott at the Convention Center and Tip Top Taps for their hospitality.

Statement on Biden’s Withdrawal (July 21)

Dear Clayton Democrats,

We at the Clayton County Democratic Committee thank President Joe Biden for his dedicated service to America over his career and his tenure as president. His commitment to our nation, his leadership during challenging times and his advancement of a transformative agenda for the better will never be forgotten.

The Clayton County Democratic Committee remains steadfast in our efforts to support the Democratic nominee and their running mate. We respect President Biden’s endorsement of Vice President Kamala Harris for the Democratic nomination, and we also support an orderly, deliberate and swift nomination process for the Democratic National Convention to choose the nominee and their running mate.

Clayton County saved America by electing Biden and Harris in 2020, and Clayton County will save America again in 2024 when we defeat Donald Trump. We are committed not only to defeating Trump, but also electing Democrats and Democratic majorities up and down the ballot.

More information will be forthcoming.

Sincerely,

Herman “Drew” Andrews
Chair, Clayton Democrats

New ActBlue Link (July 24)

Dear Clayton Democrats,

We are pleased to announce that our donation link is now active again. We apologize for the delay, and we welcome your financial support at this critical time when the eyes of the world are now on the Democratic Party as we head to convention and formally nominate Vice President Kamala Harris for president. We appreciate your donations at the following levels:

  • $30.00 annually for CCDC membership
  • Friend: $12 monthly (or $60 annually)
  • Ally: $15 monthly (or $180 annually)
  • Activist: $25 monthly (or $300 annually)
  • Advocate: $50 monthly (or $600 annually)
  • Champion: $100 monthly (or $1,000 annually)

Among the key targets for donations will be to open a long-term office and keep it open after the election as a year-round headquarters for Democratic events. Your donation is an investment in our outreach to the Clayton County community. Please click below to donate:

Donate to CCDC

Chair’s Message in Support of Kamala Harris for President (July 24)

Hello Clayton County Democrats! 

In these challenging times, we need leaders like Kamala Harris who are not only capable of navigating complex issues but are also deeply committed to building a fairer, more inclusive society.

Her resilience, intelligence, and compassion make her a powerful advocate for all Americans, particularly those who have been historically marginalized and underserved. Her leadership, vision, and unwavering commitment to justice, equity, and opportunity embody the principles that our party stands for.

I echo the endorsement by Georgia’s delegation to the Democratic National Convention in urging all of us to continue championing the incredible work of Vice President Harris and to mobilize our community in support of her initiatives and vision for the future. Together, we can build on the progress we have made, carry on the legacy of the Biden-Harris administration, and strive towards a brighter, more equitable America.

Thank you for your tireless efforts in advancing our shared values and for your support of leaders like Kamala Harris who inspire hope and change. 

Please click on the link to donate to her campaign. Your donation will help to save Democracy!

Warm regards,

Drew 

Donate to Harris for President
Volunteer for Harris for President

Harris Speaks in Atlanta (July 30)

Selection of Tim Walz (August 6)

Congratulations to Minnesota Governor Tim Walz on being selected as Harris’ running mate!

DNC Convention Week (August 19 to 22)

What a week! Our very own Clayton Democrats we’re in attendance at the DNC in Chicago! Thank you for helping represent Clayton County!

In addition, on Thursday night, Clayton Democrats held a watch party at Nouveau to see Vice President Harris accept the nomination of the party. Thanks to everyone who came out, and thanks to Nouveau and B’Mari’s for hosting us!

New Bylaws (August 28)

Thanks to the Commission District Leaders who came onto the call on Thursday August 28 to approve the new bylaws. Together, we thoroughly reviewed and updated the entire document, making it a living guide to help our county committee achieve success in the coming years. Among the changes:

  • updated punctuation and spelling
  • Providing for rules on endorsements of candidates and ballot questions
  • Allowing for non-voting ex-officio members of the Executive Board
  • Allowing for formation of local clubs
  • Mandating a code of conduct
  • Allowing for 20% of voting members to call a special meeting
  • providing for standing rules amendable by a simple majority

The approved draft has now been sent to both Sarah Todd, who is the Vice-Chair of Congressional Districts and County Party Liaison for the Democratic Party of Georgia (DPG), and to DPG 13th Congressional District Chair Joel Cope for their final approval. Once approved, the new bylaws will be published on the CCDC website.

Conclusion

Thanks to everyone who helped us throughout this summer! We will post another roundup in December 2024.