STATESBORO – With the notable exception of its two U.S. senators, Georgia’s Democrats have had little political clout for years. Republicans have controlled the governor’s office and both houses of the state legislature. Donald Trump defeated Kamala Harris by 2.2% of the vote in the state in last year’s presidential election.
But don’t feel sorry for those budding Democrats who gathered in Statesboro over the weekend for their annual convention to explore how they could turn around their political party’s fortunes, starting with next year’s midterm elections.
The members of Young Democrats of Georgia voiced optimism, saying they have made strides to create a more compelling and effective party platform.
Shifting the party’s almost exclusive focus on large cities and tapping into rural communities has become imperative to gain more votes in hopes of flipping the state House, these Democrats said. This not only helps unify the party across the state but also gives more opportunities for young Democrats to bridge the generational gap with older ones.
“People always sleep on rural Georgia”, said Daniel Coley, treasurer of the Democratic Party of Georgia and the YDG’s chief of staff.
The group’s president, Davante Jennings, said that while social media presence is important, knocking on doors and cold-calling are crucial in reaching voters who might otherwise not cast ballots.
“More votes than you think are coming from the rural counties,” said Jennings, “So let’s make sure to put our boots on the ground in every county.”
This year, YDG has increased their sponsorship of campaign events. This is the first year that YDG will conduct year-round organizing programs.
In preparation for door-to-door, face-to-face conversations, one panel, titled “Crossroads: Using Your Privilege to Make Good Trouble,” reflected on how one can use their privilege for good and bridge differences between routinely underrepresented groups and people from different income groups.
“We can’t govern if we’re not elected,” said Statesboro Mayor Jonathan McCollar, highlighting Republican domination of state politics and what it takes to win an election.
Another panel, “Don’t Drink the Kool-Aid: Having Tough Conversations With Conservatives and How to Maintain Productive Conversations,” focused on addressing the concerns of moderates and conservatives.
Marcus Flowers, who ran unsuccessfully against U.S. Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene, a Republican from Rome, in 2022, encouraged the young Democrats to find common ground by starting with “kitchen-table issues.”
“There’s a reason people have two ears and one mouth,” said Len Fatica, a former Republican and former chair of the Democratic Party of Georgia Rural Council, in response to a question about having productive conversations with conservatives.
While challenges remain, YDG sees opportunities for Democratic wins during the next elections and into the future, since Democrats, they insist, are gaining traction among the youth.
For instance, the Young Democrats of Richmond Hill High School held its inaugural meeting on Aug 21.
Within two weeks, the chapter has grown by 25 members and brought nine of them to the convention.
Gloria Wairagu, a student and chapter member, said she was often surrounded by a more conservative crowd while growing up in Richmond Hill. She was surprised by the amount of interest that was taken in the chapter.
“We’re so happy we got such a good crowd so quick,” Wairagu said.
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