Approved: 12/12/2020
A RESOLUTION OF THE DEMOCRATIC PARTY OF OREGON
Regarding Vendor Exclusion, Primary Campaign Fairness and Legislator Accountability to Voters
WHEREAS, a stated goal of the Democratic Party is to encourage young voters to join our party and participate, and
WHEREAS, the Democratic Party needs to encourage and develop new younger candidates and candidate support staff who are the future of our party, and
WHEREAS, the DCCC’s (Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee) vendor exclusion policy on their political vendor contract states, “the DCCC will not conduct business with, nor recommend to any of its targeted campaigns, any consultant that works with an opponent of a sitting member of the House Democratic Caucus” and the DCCC recommends this policy be used by the DCCC’s individual members, and the DSCC (Democratic Senate Campaign Committee) has also adopted this policy, and
WHEREAS, the DCCC’s and DSCC’s vendor exclusion policy sends a message to new candidates that they are not welcome, and
WHEREAS, the Democratic Party of Oregon 2018 Platform, Article 1, plank 11 states “we believe in supporting small businesses by removing unnecessary barriers,” and
WHEREAS, the DCCC’s and DSCC’s policy of vendor exclusion of political consultant firms and their employees hired by primary challengers creates an unnecessary barrier for campaign support businesses to prosper, innovate and gain professional experience, thus building a Democratic talent pool and,
WHEREAS, the Democratic Party of Oregon’s platform Article 5, plank 14 states, “We are committed to transparency, accountability, oversight, integrity, competence, fairness, honesty and citizen participation at all levels of government,” and
WHEREAS, the DCCC’s and DSCC’s vendor exclusion policy sends a negative message to voters about our party, and
WHEREAS, the DCCC’s and DSCC’s vendor exclusion policy protects incumbents from their voters thus giving lobbyists, and big donor and PAC money undue influence, and
WHEREAS, the DCCC’s and DSCC’s vendor exclusion policy violates the basic elections integrity principle of election fairness in that it wrongfully penalizes candidates who seek to unseat incumbents who are not performing their job to the satisfaction of their constituency.
NOW THEREFORE, THE DEMOCRATIC PARTY OF OREGON RESOLVES AS FOLLOWS:
Section 1. The Democratic Party of Oregon (DPO) shall not use vendor exclusion or other similar policies that discourage primary challengers.
Section 2. We call upon all other party officials to ban this practice, and that the DPO’s DNC (Democratic National Committee) Delegates shall take this resolution to the DNC, and that a copy of this resolution shall be sent to the DCCC, the DSCC and to each of Oregon’s DCCC and DSCC members asking them to reconsider their policy.
Section 3. We request that the Oregon’s DNC members resubmit DNC Resolution 40 (which failed to be sent out of committee because there was no second) at the next possible meeting of the DNC.
Resolution submitted by Genny Lynch, Linn County
Forwarded to the State Central Committee from the Platform and Resolutions Committee with a Do Pass Recommendation
