There are 360 precincts in Montgomery County. Click on this map to enlarge to find the name of each. The 132 precincts shaded WHITE have a candidate representing the Democrats in that precinct — to be elected to the Central Committee of The Montgomery County Democratic Party — in the May Democratic Primary. The 228 precincts shaded GRAY have no candidate in the primary
Montgomery County Democrats at the May 6 Democratic Primary will elect members of the MCDP Central Committee. 132 of the county’s 360 precincts have at least one candidate (shown in WHITE on map) — 16 of the 132 have more than one candidate — and 228 precincts have no candidate (shown in GRAY on map).
The 132 precincts out of 360 precincts that will have representation on the Central Committee is only 36% of the precincts. Montgomery County has 33,265 registered Democrats, according to the 2012 data from the Board of Elections. I counted them up, and the total number of Democrats living in the 132 precincts with candidates to the Central Committee is 15,598 — 47% of the Democrats living in Montgomery County. Democrats living in the 228 precincts with no candidate total 17,667 — 53% of all Democrats in the county.
The first task of the newly elected Central Committee members will be to serve as delegates to the “Reorganization Meeting” that will be held either later in May or early in June. Action at this meeting will include:
- electing officers for the MCDP
- approving a constitution for the MCDP
- any other action approved by the majority
The fact that, at best, only 47% of Montgomery County Democrats will be represented at this important reorganization meeting is a result of a deliberate strategy of the MCDP leadership to suppress participation. The reorganization meeting was not advertised — the MCDP web-site failed to post even a simple announcement; there were nothing posted at the Board of Elections; there were no press releases printed in the Dayton Daily News, or any other publication
This strategy of suppression comes from the downtown clique that decide MCDP policies and has been an on-going aggravation to me every since I started paying attention eight years ago. I first got involved with the MCDP at the reorganization meeting in 2006 and was appalled at what I found. The downtown crowd repeated their strategy of suppression in 2010, and now, again, in 2014.
Through the years:
- At The Reorganization Meeting, A New Constitution Could Transform the MCDP’s “Political Boss” Structure; January 19th, 2014
- Montgomery County Democratic Party Dominated By Appointed Gov. Workers And Elected Gov. Officials; September 16th, 2011
- Special Interests Controlling Montgomery County Democratic Party Suppress Expansion Of Participation; January 22nd, 2010
- Mark Owens Says Most Montgomery Dems Approve The Party’s Suppression Of Primary Participation; April 8th, 2009
- Let’s Vitalize Democracy In The Montgomery County Democratic Party By Expanding Participation; December 9th, 2009
- Victor Harris: Surprised That Local Democratic Party Wanted To Suppress Primary Competition; February 25th, 2008
- The Montgomery Democrats Decide to Suppress Democracy — Just Like the Republicans ; December 14th, 2007
- The Mission of the Democratic Party Should Be to Empower Democracy to Work; October 26th, 2007
