The Enterprise - White Salmon, Washington

Klickitate delegate going to DNC

On Sept. 4

August 22, 2012

When the Democratic National Convention kicks off on Tuesday, Sept. 4, White Salmon resident Lorrie DeKay will be there. One of three women and three men elected at the Third Congressional District Caucus in May, she will join 121 delegates and nine alternates representing Washington State in Charlotte, N.C., as Democrats nominate President Obama for a second term. The 2012 Democratic National Convention will be the most open and accessible convention ever held, according to the party. Opening and closing events will be open to the public. There will be about 6,000 delegates taking part in convention proceedings at Time Warner Cable Arena, up from 4,419 in 2008, most of them everyday Americans who are passionate about participating in the democratic process. The convention was shortened to three days, allowing for a free family-friendly CarolinaFest on Labor Day in uptown Charlotte. The President’s acceptance speech on Sept. 6 will take place on the final night at the Bank of America Stadium so that tens of thousands more Americans can attend. DeKay, in her second year as Klickitat County Democratic chair and fourth as State Committeewoman, began planning her run for National Delegate in January as a New Year’s Resolution. The redistricting which put Klickitat and Skamania into Washington’s Third Congressional District would have been an obstacle except for the contacts she’d made as state committeewoman. With their encouragement, she filed in April. After organizing the Precinct Caucuses and County Convention in April, she was elected as a delegate to the Congressional District Caucus and State Convention. Once the mailing list of Congressional District delegates and alternates was finalized, she sent them each a letter, then prepared handouts and a two-minute speech for the caucus. This selection process that played out across the state elected 69 delegates. The remaining delegate positions were filled with 16 automatic unpledged delegates who are party leaders and elected officials, such as Gov. Christine Gregoire, U.S Sen. Maria Cantwell and U.S. Sen. Patty Murray, 13 pledged party leaders and 23 at large delegates plus nine alternates. The pledged party leaders, at large and alternates were elected at the State Convention in June. Look for updates online during the convention on the Klickitat Democrats’ Web site (klickitatdemocrats.org) and Facebook page as Internet connections allow. She may also cover some events for the Northwest Progressive Institute.