Exiting in a chariot of fire, Elijah left his mantle fall to earth.
Jocelyn Rhynard has announced her candidacy to be elected the Chairperson of the Montgomery County Democratic Party. The election will take place at the quadrennial MCDP Reorganization Meeting to be scheduled after the May 2 Democratic Primary. Below is the email that Jocelyn sent to MCDP Central Committee members telling her goals for the party.
Rhynard praised Mark Owens, the MCDP Chair for the last 15 years, and declared “I am ready and willing to pick up the mantle” — implying, but surely not, that Mark, like Elijah, may be exiting in a chariot of fire.
Jocelyn is a member of the Dayton Board of Education. She was endorsed by the MCDP and was re-elected to the Dayton Board in 2021.
Jocelyn Rhynard
The Chairman of the MCDP will be determined by majority vote by the newly elected MCDP Central Committee at the 2022 MCDP Reorganization Meeting to be held after the May 2 Democratic Primary.
Any Montgomery County Democrat may seek election to the MCDP Central Committee. Every four years at the Democratic Primary elections to the Central Committee are held. Every precinct can elect one member of the Central Committee. In the past most precincts have had zero candidates and only a handful of precincts have more than one candidate.
A new rule of the OPD is that in those precincts where there is competitions, the losers will be disqualified from appointment to the Central Committee for the next four years. In previous elections, after the Reorganization Meeting, the losers generally were appointed to the Central Committee to represent a precinct that had had no candidates. The new OPD rule means that such appointments are no longer allowed. The new rule says that a member of the Central Committee must reside in the precinct in which he or she lives.
Petitions are due to the BOE by February 2 and five signatures are required.
Subject: I’m running for Montgomery County Democratic Party Chair
Sent: Monday January 10 2022 8:48:51PM
To my Montgomery County Democratic Party friends,
I am honored to know you and count you among my friends. In the time I’ve been involved in the Party, I have worked shoulder to shoulder with you to elect Democrats to office, from the White House to municipal elections. Together we have knocked doors, dropped lit, run campaigns, attended meetings, put up hundreds of yard signs, and supported candidates all over Montgomery County. I have had the privilege of being twice elected to the Dayton School Board, and I am proud of my record of strong and steady leadership in that role.
Above all, I deeply believe that Democratic values, policies, and legislation make all of our lives better. And I believe that the Montgomery County Democratic Party, and the Democrats like you and me who make the party run, are crucial to electing Democrats and defeating Republicans in our cities, school boards, courthouses, the Statehouse, and in Washington. We want to win more elections, and we want to turn Ohio blue.
Which is why I am excited to announce that I am running for Chair of the Montgomery County Democratic Party. Chairman Mark Owens has served tirelessly for the last 15 years, and we thank him for his service. I am ready and willing to pick up the mantle. I have the time, energy, resources, and experience to do the work of leading the party.
As your next party Chair, I would be committed to three guiding principles:
- Build the party: Revisit the party’s constitution to make much-needed updates and reflect new realities among its activists and volunteers; Create guidelines for and commitments from Ward Leaders and Precinct Captains; Revitalize committees to move the party forward; Execute strong fundraising year round so the party can better support Democratic candidates.
- Build the bench: Hold annual trainings for Democrats interested in running for office or working on a campaign; Reach out to the community between elections; Identify and engage Democrats who can join and strengthen the party, as well as be future candidates.
- Engage Democrats inside and outside the party: Hold regular coordinated messaging meetings – for both elected officials and candidates – to strengthen our work across the county; Hold regular listening tours to heal the very real divides in our communities; Have community outreach days, so the Democratic party can have a real presence in the lives of Montgomery County citizens.
I believe that by building the party, building the bench, and engaging Democrats across the county, we can run more competitive races, challenge more Republicans, and win more elections.
As we prepare for electing our next Chair following the primary election, I humbly ask for your support. I welcome your input and would be happy to meet to discuss any questions you may have. I look forward to serving the Party for the next four years.
Jocelyn Rhynard
