Grassroots leadership, not top-down politics

To the editor,
The Press’ headline “Dinowitz Introduces Ben Franklin Club Slate” highlights a persistent problem in our local politics. Critical roles in local leadership are “introduced” from the top down rather than growing upward from among the grassroots. Effective democratic leadership doesn’t consist of merely walking in lockstep with a 32 year incumbent. For these roles, candidates should be committed to empowering voters and keeping our community in the loop as we look to move the party forward.

From 2022 to 2024, our community was ably represented by Morgan Evers on the state Democratic committee. Evers set a high bar for the role, regularly publishing op-eds about her work to keep residents informed and engaged. As someone who ran on her slate, which emphasized transparency and direct voter engagement, I know first-hand that our neighbors want more than just a name on a ballot; they want a voice in the process.

This member-driven approach is the hallmark of the Unity Democratic Club. The club has flourished under the leadership of District Leader Abigail Martin, former District Leader Ramdat Singh, former club president Betsey Knapp, and current president Marcelo Lopez. Founded 3 years ago, the UDC has grown to over 100 active members and the club focuses on substantive work: organizing buses to swing districts, engaging on local issues and pulling back the veil on party roles that were previously kept in the dark. These Democratic Party positions aren’t merely about ceremonial duties like renaming streets, they are opportunities to influence the future direction of our party and the UDC prioritizes fostering community engagement in that process.

As petitioning begins this March, I encourage my fellow Democrats to sign exclusively for the UDC’s slate. The slate consists of leaders such as Morgan Evers for state Assembly, Abigail Martin and Izaiah Barrow for district leaders, and Betsey Knapp and Bereket Ghebremedhin for state committee members. Let’s choose representatives like these who engage with our community rather than yielding to a top-down status quo. As we sign for the UDC slate, we send a clear message that we value independent, transparent leadership.

Let’s make an informed decision and elect strong Democrats who truly represent us.

AARON STAYMAN
Stayman is the treasurer for the Unity Democratic Club and was a candidate for Democratic State Committee Member in 2022 and 2024