On March 27, Liz Walters gave a well-received address to the Montgomery County Democratic Party Executive Committee. Walters was chosen to lead the ODP in 2021, the first woman to be elected to this position. Afterward her presentation she gave me her card to email my question to her. I am sharing that email here.
Dear Liz Walters —
Liz Walters, chosen to lead the Ohio Democratic Party in 2021.
I appreciate your spirit and hard work. Thank you for your thoughtful presentation to the MCDP Executive Committee examining the 2024 election data.
We are in an emergency and, like never before, it is crucial for Democrats to be united. You pointed out that each of the 88 counties may have different strategies. In Montgomery County, I’m proposing changes in the MCDP organizational structure for the purpose of uniting and engaging rank-and-file Democrats. I’m seeking your advice about how to make this proposal to align with ODP requirements.
In 2018, I was a member of the MCDP Constitution Committee and at that time the document was entitled, “The Constitution And By-Laws for The Montgomery County Democratic Central Committee and Executive Committee.” The whole document was about rules for this committee. The 2018 Reorganization changed the title to the “Montgomery County Democratic Party Constitution,” but the document, to this day, only deals with the Central Committee.
We never elect a chairman of the MCDP, because the MCDP is not an organization, it’s just a membership list. We elect the chair of the Central / Executive Committee. My proposal is to make changes in the MCDP Constitution so that the MCDP is an organization of rank-and-file members and elects the chair of the MCDP. One of the committees of the MCDP would be the Central / Executive Committee — the “controlling committee” as defined by the ORC.
My hope is for the 2026 Reorganization to approve an MCDP Constitution that empowers the members of the MCDP to elect the MCDP Chair and to schedule the next Reorganization for 2028. It will be fun to think through an on-line convention and a rank-choice process that will be included in the 2026 Constitution proposal.
The ODP sets an example that I hope can be applied to a new MCDP Constitution. There are 66 members elected to the ODP Central Committee in Democratic Primaries. The ODP Constitution calls for this group of 66 to transfer its authority into an ODP Executive Committee of 148 members and it is this 148 member committee that elects the ODP officers.
The constitution I am proposing would transfer this selection of the Chair of the Central/ Executive Committee to to the membership of the MCDP. This total membership would choose the Chair of the MCDP / Chair of the Executive Committee. It is important that the two overlapping groups have the same leader.
The MCDP could hold meetings on-line. The elected members of the MCDP Central Committee, of course, would be the leaders in these MCDP meetings. Any decisions of the MCDP would need to be confirmed, or modified, by the “controlling committee” — the MCDP Central / Executive Committee — at meetings where members must be present in person to vote, as required by the ODP.
At the 2018 MCDP Reorganization, a Preamble and Statement of Purpose was added to the MCDP Constitution:
Preamble
We the Representatives of the Democrats living in Montgomery County —in order to form a strong party organization that empowers representative democracy within our party and throughout the county —do establish the Montgomery County Democratic Party Constitution.
Statement of Purpose
The purpose of the MCDP is to represent and to serve Montgomery County Democrats. The MCDP advances this purpose by connecting Montgomery County Democrats within an extended MCDP community where every member has a voice
These additions to the constitution were confirmed at the 2022 Reorganization. They address the defining issue of our time —the disintegration of our system of democracy. The way for the Democratic Party to engage rank-and-file Democrats, I believe, is to do the hard work needed to become known as the party that is for democracy — participatory democracy. My hope is that Montgomery County can show the way.
Please give me your feedback about these proposed changes to the MCDP Constitution. I plan on posting this letter on my website, DaytonOS.com, and I will post your reply. I’d be happy to talk by phone if you prefer.
Thank you. Sincerely,
See:
Let’s Amend The MCDP Constitution So, In 2026, Rank-And-File Democrats Will Directly Elect The Montgomery County Democratic Party ChairpersonJanuary 18, 2022
To Push Back Against Trump, The Democratic Party Must Be Transformed Into A “For-Democracy” Organization. January 24, 2025
