For Immediate Release:
Monday May 21, 2018
Contact: Toby Trimmer, Communications Director
(217) 622-7547 | toby@ildcca.org
DOUG HOUSE RE-ELECTED PRESIDENT OF DEMOCRAT CHAIRS’ ASSOCIATION
Rock Island Dems leader credited for growth in funds, training & building influence
SPRINGFIELD, Illinois – Last weekend in Springfield over 100 county-level Democratic candidates from throughout Illinois gathered to participate in an intense set of training sessions to learn how to win against their GOP opponents. At the same time, Democratic County Chairs corralled to unanimously re-elect Doug House as President of the statewide association.
“It’s an honor to have the confidence of the dedicated grassroots leaders of the Democratic Party,” said House. “Together, we’ve doubled our fund-raising receipts, increased training for local Democratic Party activists, candidates and campaigns, and we’ve built an association that is engaging Illinois’ working and middle-class families like never before. I’m excited to continue build our influence.”
House, who serves as Rock Island County Democratic Party Chair, began his inaugural term in 2016 at the height of Republican Governor Bruce Rauner’s out-of-touch, uncompromising determination to dismantle collective bargaining and starve Illinois taxpayers from state services. When Donald Trump was elected, scores of Democrats and progressive activists in every region of Illinois began to build an active, organized resistance to reject the divisive Republican party agenda.
“The Democratic Chairs’ Association’s model of success couldn’t be more different than the Republicans,” House said. “We bring people together, instead of pitting neighbor against neighbor. When women demanded attention on the very real culture of sexual harassment and assault in politics, the IDCCA took steps to make changes, not just apply lip service. We developed template policies that all campaigns can use – we even offered it to the Republicans. And unlike the floundering, divided leadership of the Illinois Republican Party, we are unified and ready to bring real competition to their candidates and legitimate choices to voters.”
Just after the 2018 Primary Elections, the IDCCA kicked off their “Project Blue Wave” initiative to recruit and appoint Democratic candidates for nearly 400 GOP-held offices that remain unchallenged. The effort has garnered the interest of more than 200 new candidates and gained the attention of leaders from the Democratic National Committee as a best practice.
“For those who say Democrats are out-of-touch or have no message, I think we are showing that the opposite is true,” House said. “Our chairs are in touch and in every county every day. We are proving that more unites us than divides us. We are exposing the hypocrisy of Republicans like Bruce Rauner who has done more fiscal damage to Illinois than any Governor in state history. We are reminding people that while different Democrats have different perspectives on important issues, all Democrats are focused on building power for strong working and middle-class families. That’s an agenda that is far more attractive to voters and unquestionably more prosperous for our nation than the GOP’s efforts to paint the one-percent’s greed as good.”
The 2018 – 2020 IDCCA Executive Board
President Doug House, Rock Island County
Vice President Billy Halstead, Peoria County
Vice President Terry Link, Lake County
Vice President Jack Mazzotti, Christian County
Vice President Mark Guethle, Kane County
Vice President Terry Redman, DeWitt County
Vice President Bob Peickert, DuPage County
Vice President Jay Briney, Mason County
Vice President Charlie Laskonis, Winnebago County
Vice President John Willard, Kankakee County
Vice President Doris Turner, Sangamon County
Treasurer Dennis Fisher, Shelby County
Assistant Treasurer Jim Underwood, Macon County
Secretary Mark Von Nida, Madison County
At Large Member Pam Davidson, Knox County
At Large Member Cody Moake, Williamson County
At Large Member Paul (Snow) Herkert, Calhoun County
At Large Member Toni Preckwinkle, Cook County
At Large Member Kristina Zahorik, McHenry County
At Large Member Teresa Vincent, Union County
Sgt. At Arms Jeff Mears, Johnson County
Special Assistant Mike Barone, Jackson County
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About the IDCCA…
The Illinois Democratic County Chairs’ Association (IDCCA) is a statewide, grassroots Democratic Party organization comprised of the elected Democratic County Chairs in all 102 counties in Illinois. The mission of the IDCCA is to help elect Democrats in every county and region of Illinois while continuing to grow the Democratic Party throughout the state. Rock Island County Chair Doug House is the President of the IDCCA.
Learn more at www.ildcca.org, www.facebook.com/ILDCCA and www.twitter.com/ILDCCA
