President Biden is Running for Re-Election in 2024!
Yesterday President Biden announced that he will run for re-election in 2024! While we look forward to covering this exciting development in the future, today we are focusing instead on an important and time-sensitive event taking place this upcoming weekend: the South Carolina Democratic Convention.
The South Carolina State Democratic Convention is this Weekend!
Democrats from across South Carolina will gather this weekend in Columbia for the State Democratic Convention. The South Carolina Democratic Party (SCDP) Convention is one of the most important events in local Democratic politics and we wanted to let you know more about how the convention operates.
What Happens at the State Convention?
The SCDP Convention takes place every year near Columbia, and it is where delegates from each county in South Carolina vote on the direction of the South Carolina Democratic Party. The 2023 convention is especially important considering that we will be preparing for South Carolina to serve as the first presidential primary in the nation in 2024! This year’s Convention will begin with delegates voting to accept a slate of officers and rules for the convention to run on that day, will proceed to electing officers who will run SCDP for the next two years, and then will spend the rest of the day discussing and voting on the business of the Convention.
- Proposed changes to SCDP operational rules
- Proposed additions to the SCDP official policy platform
- Slate of officers for 2023-2024
- We wanted to draw special attention to candidates from Charleston county:
- Colleen Condon, running for 1st Vice Chair
- Michelle Brandt, running for 3rd Vice Chair
- Erica Sampson, running for 3rd Vice Chair
- We wanted to draw special attention to candidates from Charleston county:
Democrats Have Fun at the Convention!
Although a lot of important business is conducted at the Convention, the weekend also serves as a big party for South Carolina Democrats. Our convention attracts Democrats from across the United States: the famous Clyburn Fish-Fry and Blue Palmetto Dinner happen on the Friday night before the Convention, the SCDWC Breakfast is a popular breakfast option for Convention attendees on Saturday morning, and there are often other social events available on Saturday. Democrats who attend the Convention also have the opportunity to mingle and chat with Democrats from across South Carolina and the nation!
What does a Delegate or Alternate Do?
If you have questions about what delegates or alternates need to do at the SCDP Convention, be sure to attend the Thursday 4/27 informational session offered over Zoom by Charleston Democrats.
Every South Carolina Democrat is encouraged to attend the SCDP Convention, but only 2022-2023 delegates and alternates who are moved up can sit and vote on state Democratic business. You have already been contacted if you are a delegate or alternate for the 2023 state convention.
Some notes for delegates and alternates
It is very important that Charleston County’s voice is heard at the State Convention. We are planning to need all of our Alternates to attend the convention (by 8:30 am on Saturday) to ensure that Charleston is fully represented at the state convention.
- Please let the CCDP Office know if you are a delegate or alternate and cannot attend the convention.
- While construction on I-77 is completed and we are looking forward to a slightly faster commute from Charleston to the state convention, we wish to remind attendees to plan to leave Charleston by 6:00 am on Saturday to arrive on time for the convention.
- Attendees are also encouraged to book a hotel room near Columbia on their own if they want to avoid an early morning commute and attend the Clyburn Fish Fry or Blue Palmetto Dinner on Friday.
What to do if you want to attend next year’s convention as a delegate.
Delegates to the state convention are selected every two years at the Charleston county convention, and the current slate of Charleston delegates are serving from 2022 through 2023. If you are a Democrat who resides in Charleston county and are interested in serving as a delegate for future state conventions, you are encouraged to attend 2024’s Charleston county convention. There you will have the opportunity to volunteer as a delegate or alternate from Charleston County at the next state convention. You are welcome to contact the CCDP Office with any questions.
The Newsletter is Moving to a Monthly Format
We wanted to let you know that the Newsletter will be switching to a monthly format starting next week. We will post events on our Website Calendar between monthly newsletters, and encourage you to check out our webpage, Facebook page, or Twitter feed for additional speedy reactions to events in the news.
Upcoming Events
Visit our calendar at charlestondemocrats.com/calendar
for the most up-to-date listing of local events.
| THU APR 27 7 PM State Convention Info Session Do you have questions about the State Convention this weekend? Join Charleston Democrats over Zoom for answers to your questions! RSVP Here> |
| WED APR 26 6:30 PM St Pauls Democrats April Meeting Join the St Pauls Democrats Club for their monthly meeting on Wednesday April 26 at 6:30 pm. The meeting will take place at the St. Paul’s/Hollywood Library in Hollywood. If you have any questions or concerns, please call or text Eric B. Grant at 843-224-4817, or Rev. John Alston at 843-514-1433. You can also join the meeting over video or conference call via Zoom: Join Zoom Meeting here St Paul’s/Hollywood Library> |
| FRI APR 28 6 PM Blue Palmetto – Bling or Jeans Join Democrats across South Carolina for the South Carolina Democratic Party’s premier annual fundraising event. Enjoy a fun evening. Dress up or come casual. You won’t want to miss this year’s Blue Palmetto – Bling or Jeans! RSVP Here>Moore Building, SC State Fairgrounds> |
| FRI APR 28 7 PM Jim Clyburn’s World Famous Fish Fry Congressman Jim Clyburn will host his World Famous Fish Fry on Friday, April 28, from 7 – 11 p.m at EdVenture located at 211 Gervais Street in Columbia. The Fish Fry is free and you can attend both the Blue Palmetto and the Fish Fry. EdVenture | 211 Gervais Street, Columbia> |
| SAT APR 29 9 AM SCDP State Convention The South Carolina Democratic Party’s State Convention will be held in Columbia on Saturday, April 29th at the State Fairgrounds. Delegates from each county in the state will meet to organize and elect SCDP officers, need to be able to get to the convention early enough on Saturday morning to register (before 9) and stay until all voting is complete. Any Democrat is also welcome to attend the SCDP State Convention as a non-voting citizen. The State Convention has several festivities surrounding it: many people go early on Friday to attend the Blue Palmetto Dinner and/or Congressman Clyburn’s Fish Fry. There is no fee to attend the Convention, but delegates and visitors are responsible for their own food and travel expenses. Everybody is encouraged to put the SCDP State Convention on their calendar now! SC State Fairgrounds> |
| MON MAY 16 PM Charleston County Democratic Women – May Meeting We are excited to have Mel Moore, Director of Organizing for WREN (Women’s Rights and Empowerment Network) as our guest speaker. Mel has advanced the rights of LGBTQ+ South Carolinians through positions at Alliance For Full Acceptance, SC Equality, and We Are Family, fought for abortion access at Provide, Inc, and promoted housing justice through Housing For All- Mount Pleasant. Mel grew up in Mount Pleasant, SC, earned a Bachelor’s Degree in Sociology from the College of Charleston, and is a SC-grown GRITS (Genderqueer Raised In The South).Join us at Frothy Beard Brewing on May 1st — social time at 6, Meeting starts at 6:30. RSVP Here>Frothy Beard Brewing Co.> |
| SAT JUN 3 8:30AM Charleston Pride Parade Join us as we partner with Charleston Pride for the 2023 Pride Parade. We will update with exact location once we have been given a meeting place from Charleston Pride. RSVP Here> |
| THU 8:30 AM Coffee with Democrats Join fellow Democrats for a cup of coffee and great conversation on Thursdays.at Wildflour Pastry from 8:30-10 AM. No specific topics. Come for the whole time or just a little while. Wildflour Pastry> |
