Your Democratic Elected Officials

DeKalb County Democratic Party Executive Committee Members

AnnaWilhelmi

Anna Wilhelmi

Chair

Virginia-Sherrod

Virginia Sherrod

Vice Chair

Amber Quitno Sycmaore park bridge headshot-remini-enhanced

Amber Quitno

Treasurer

ShellDYD

Communication Chair

1587488541535

JJ Wett

Secretary, Exective Committee

Steve-kapitan

Steven Kapitan

Political Affairs Chairperson

2

Bobbi McFarland

Events Chair

nL-0S1LT_400x400

Rukisha Crawford

At Large Member

Photoroom-20240312_161137

Marilyn D. Parker

At Large Member

ChristiSlavenas

At Large Member

Sign up for our Newsletter

As the DeKalb County Democratic Party we believe in:

  • Equity and equality;
  • One person one vote;
  • Empowering all of our DeKalb County community; and
  • Democracy, which deserves our care and devotion.

Party Platform

(Click the plus sign to read more)

The DeKalb County Democratic Party finds strength in its community. We are your neighbors, your coworkers, your friends and your family. We will continue to fight for fairness, equality, and opportunity for all. We believe in a society, which has as its guiding principles:

To sustain a society and a vital democracy, citizens must have a living wage. All workers are entitled to fair pay and good working conditions for their labor.

We therefore enthusiastically support and will work to accomplish these goals:

  • Programs and policies that encourage job growth and pay a living wage jobs with benefits, therefore promoting community well-being.
  • Fair growth. The overwhelming majority of benefits from economic growth have gone to the most wealthy, while the poor and middle class have experienced declines. This is unacceptable, unfair and unsustainable.
  • The right to organize, join unions, and bargain collectively for a living wage, a 40 hour week, overtime, and workplace safety.

The key to prosperity and the wisest investment we can make for the future in a competitive global economy is education. Quality public education is essential to providing equal opportunity for success. It is critical for the maintenance of a democratic society and to create opportunities for all its citizens.

We therefore enthusiastically support and will work to accomplish these goals:

  • Equal access to public educational services.
  • Vibrant early childhood education and public schools that offer a well-rounded curriculum in the sciences, humanities, civics, arts, and physical education.
  • Preserving and expanding the principle of exceptional, affordable, and inclusive life-long higher education through continued strong support of Northern Illinois University and Kishwaukee College.
  • Utilizing all of our County’s educational assets to help improve the quality of life for all through sustainable economic development of our local businesses and industry.
  • Adequate and equitable education funding through a combination of revenue sources rather than solely by property taxes.
  • Working toward greater federal funding of higher education by sources such as the proposed tax on speculative investments.

With climate change in mind, we must promote sustainable environmental policies that protect our future resources, rich farmland and quality of life in DeKalb County.

We therefore enthusiastically support:

  • the current DeKalb County Unified Comprehensive Plan as a positive step toward smart growth, preserving the heritage of family farming, and protecting land.
  • Regional approaches to land use, drainage, and transportation, with greater emphasis on mass transit.
  • Increased commitment to public transportation to help reduce our carbon footprint and provide all residents of DeKalb County equal access to all our county has to offer.
  • More land acquisition for public use and recreational green space for County citizens.
  • The provision of more efficient government services throughout the County.
  • Land use that encourages pedestrian and bicycle transportation throughout the County.
  • Annual audit of existing recycling programs and policies to ensure set percentages of recycled materials are being reused
  • The cultivation and processing of hemp as part of a regular crop rotation
  • Timely maintenance and upgrading of infrastructure with the use of sustainable materials.

Our party recognizes the scientific reality of human-caused climate change and the imperative to quickly advance the use of renewable energy sources.

We therefore enthusiastically support and will work to accomplish these goals:

  • Tax incentives to encourage residential installation of energy-efficient devices and incentives to produce new residential and business construction that incorporates energy efficiency.
  • The incorporation of energy-efficient systems into the construction of government and municipal buildings.
  • Continued support of development of wind and solar energy Infrastructure.
  • Improved access to sustainable biofuels.
  • Support for reduced-energy farming techniques
  • Insistence that landfill waste be used to generate energy in any way possible.

Our party has a long history of supporting justice for all. Racial, ethnic, and cultural diversity is a source of our country’s strength, and a competitive advantage in the global economy.

We therefore enthusiastically support and will work to accomplish these goals:

  • a more inclusive society by promoting social, economic, and geographic mobility regardless of race, ethnicity, gender, religious beliefs, or sexual orientation.
  • Continued development of cooperation among all levels of government and educational institutions toward raising awareness of and support for cultural diversity
  • Rebuilding the social safety net to provide the residents in our county the necessary support they need to achieve the American Dream.
  • Legalizing, taxing, and regulating the possession and use of cannabis for adults.
  • Comprehensive criminal justice reform including review of excessive and mandatory minimum sentencing.
  • Expanding access to mental health counseling and career training in prisons and jails in order to reduce recidivism rates.

Available, affordable health care is a basic human right.

We therefore enthusiastically support and will work to accomplish these goals:

  • Universal access to affordable, comprehensive health care including a public option. The Affordable Care Act (Obamacare) must be supported as a step toward this goal.
  • Expanding Social Security, so that every American can retire with dignity and respect.
  • Increasing Medicare, Medicaid and the State Childrens’ Health Insurance Program (SCHIP).
  • Programs and policies that improve access to health care for veterans.
  • Negotiation of drug prices to benefit people rather than drug companies.
  • The right of women to control their own bodies.
  • Better mental health care accessibility.

Decent affordable housing is a basic human right.

We therefore enthusiastically support programs, policies and organizations that:

  • Provide shelter for the homeless and abused.
  • Allow senior citizens in the county to stay in their homes.
  • Help homeowners in the county to keep their homes.
  • Promote home ownership by those of lower and moderate income.
  • Protect the rights of renters.
  • Assure accessibility to housing for people with disabilities.

The public safety of our citizens is a basic human right and the responsibility of our government and community.
We therefore enthusiastically support and will work to accomplish these goals:
sane, logical, and adequate regulation of guns, comprehensive background checks, and gun owner liability insurance.

  • Programs that will enrich public safety without violating constitutional rights to privacy and dissent.
  • Increased diversion of nonviolent offenders to evidence-based problem-solving treatment courts such as drug and mental health courts.
  • Community Watch programs
  • After-school and intervention programs for at-risk youth.
  • Adequate training in mental health, diversity, crisis intervention and de-escalation for public safety workers with oversight and accountability of law enforcement and community policing.

The DeKalb Democratic Party works to protect the votes of all individuals. We believe excessive money in politics has become a threat to our democracy.

  • We therefore enthusiastically support and will work to accomplish these goals:
  • That corporations are not people, and do not have the same rights such as free speech.
  • That money is not speech
  • Effective policies that encourage greater voter participation in elections at all levels of government including automatic registration and accessibility for people with disabilities.
  • Restoration and expansion of the full 1964 Voting Rights Act.
  • Requiring continued use of voting mechanisms that are verifiable through paper trails and audits.
  • Exclusion of government contractors as contributors to elections in both money and resources.
  • Campaign finance reform for elections at all levels of government.
  • Nonpartisan redistricting at all levels of government.
  • Establishment of election day as a federal holiday.

We support responsible budgeting through a mix of increased revenue and cost reduction.

We therefore enthusiastically support and will work to accomplish these goals:

  • Restoring the fair and equitable sharing of costs and services among the different levels of government.
  • Responsible spending.
  • Progressive and graduated state income tax.
  • Promotion of a federal financial transaction tax to curb speculation.
  • A Constitutional amendment that requires that if the budget is not passed by May 31st, last year’s budget goes into effect.

Party Bylaws

(Click the plus sign to read more)

ARTICLE I. ORGANIZATION & MEMBERSHIP

ORGANIZATION: The name of this organization is the DeKalb County Democratic Central Committee, State of Illinois, (hereinafter referred to as the DeKalb County Democrats). The organization is comprised of all DeKalb County, Illinois, Democratic Precinct Committeemen (hereinafter Committee-persons) either elected or appointed, as set forth in the Illinois Compiled Statutes.

MEMBERSHIP: Voting membership in the organization is limited to precinct committeepersons, as described above and members of the Executive Committee, but all Democrats and all other persons interested in the purposes of the Democratic Party, as described below, are encouraged to attend and participate as non-voting members of the organization. The committeepersons present at any meeting may vote to move to a closed session without non-voting members to conduct personnel matters.

ARTICLE II. PURPOSE

PURPOSE: The purpose and objectives of this organization shall be:

1. To support the principles of the Democratic Party.
2. To recruit and elect Democratic Party Candidates.
3. To initiate and carry out programs and projects on behalf of the Democratic Party and Democratic Party Candidates.

ARTICLE III. OFFICERS

OFFICERS: The officers shall be Chair, Vice Chair, Secretary, Treasurer, Communications Chair, Fundraising Chair, Events Chair and Political Affairs Chair. The Chair, Secretary, and Treasurer shall be elected every two years at the Convention of the DeKalb County Democratic Organization. The Vice Chair shall be appointed by the Chair every two years at the Convention of the DeKalb County Democratic Organization. The Committee Chairs of this organization shall be members of the Central Committee as described in Article I.

The Chair of the DeKalb County Democratic Organization must be an elected precinct committeeperson.

The Communication Chair, Finance Chair, Events Chair and Political Affairs Chair shall be elected at the next regularly scheduled meeting following the Convention of the DeKalb County Democratic Organization. Any of these positions left vacant or becoming vacant after the voting process may then be appointed by a caucus of the Executive Committee.

It is the duty of all Officers of the organization to attend every meeting. Any officer who misses three consecutive meetings without serious cause may be removed and replaced by a caucus of the Executive Committee.

DUTIES OF OFFICERS:

CHAIR shall:

1. Be the official representative of the DeKalb County Democratic Party.
2. Preside at all central committee meetings, including the Executive Committee and set agendas.
3. Call Special or Executive Committee meetings when necessary.
4. Appoint, after consulting with the Executive Committee, Chairs of Special Committees.
5. Serve as ex-officio member of all committees.
6. Have the authority to sign checks for approved bills in the absence or unavailability of the Treasurer.
7. Perform all other duties not specified pertaining to the office.

VICE CHAIR shall:

1. Be the official representative of the DeKalb County Democratic Party in absence of Chair.
2. Preside at meetings in the absence of Chair and act for the Chair at that meeting.
3. Assume the Chairmanship in the event the elected Chair cannot perform their duties, until a new Chair is named according to
these bylaws.
4. Serve as a member of the Executive Committee.
5. Assist the Chair with candidate recruitment
6. Perform such other duties as are delegated by the Chair.

SECRETARY shall:

1. Record and keep in their custody minutes of all general and Executive Committee meetings of the DeKalb County Democrats.
2. Keep an accurate list of names and contact information of all members and elected Democratic Officeholders.
3. Serve as a member of the Executive Committee.
4. Prepare for their successor a complete set of minutes for the previous two year term to be presented at the first general
meeting presided over by new officers.
5. Keep one set of past minutes available for inspection by any member of the DeKalb County Democrats which must be provided
for inspection within seven days of the request.
6. Provide the Bylaws of this organization for each meeting. The prevailing document shall be these Bylaws.
7. Send out in e-mail form and have hard copy of previous meeting’s minutes for review by five to seven days before the next
regularly scheduled meeting.

TREASURER shall:

1. Pay all bills approved by the Executive Committee.
2. Keep accurate financial records and make itemized financial reports at all general meetings.
3. File Illinois State Board of Elections reports and perform other duties of the office as required by State Law.
4. With Executive Committee, prepare and submit an annual budget for approval by the Central Committee.
5. Prepare for their successor a complete financial report for the previous two year term to be presented at the first general
meeting presided over by new officers.
6. Serve as a member of the Executive Committee.
7. Be the keeper of a ledger or similar financial record of all current, past and projected monetary expenditures of the
DeKalb County Democrats. Said “ledger” shall be available for inspection by any member of the organization which must be
provided for inspection within seven days of the request.

COMMUNICATION CHAIR shall:

1. Be responsible for external communications, including press releases and media alerts as directed by the Chair.
2. Be responsible for the management of content on the DeKalb County Democrats website.
3. Create for distribution a monthly DeKalb County Democrats Newsletter.
4. Serve as a member of the Executive Committee.
5. Chair the Communication Committee and provide committee reports.
6. Hold, at minimum, quarterly committee meetings.
7. Perform such other duties as are delegated by the Chair.

FUNDRAISING CHAIR shall:

1. Create a yearly fundraising plan to be approved by the Executive Board in order to reach the goal of the annual budget
submitted by the Treasurer.
2. Plan fundraising letters and events for approval by the Executive Committee.
3. Serve as a member of the Executive Committee.
4. Chair the Fundraising Committee and provide committee reports.
5. Hold, at minimum, quarterly committee meetings.
6. Perform such other duties as are delegated by the Chair.

EVENTS CHAIR shall:

1. Coordinate and plan all DeKalb County Democratic events.
2. Coordinate and organize volunteers for events, parades and festivals.
3. Organize a list of all upcoming parades and festivals in DeKalb County.
4. Serve as a member of the Executive Committee.
5. Chair the Events Committee and provide committee reports.
6. Hold, at minimum, quarterly committee meetings.
7. Perform such other duties as are delegated by the Chair.

POLITICAL AFFAIRS CHAIR shall:

1. Be a liaison between campaigns and the DeKalb County Democratic Organization.
2. Organize all issue advocacy campaigns for the DeKalb County Democrats.
3. Coordinate letters to the editor.
4. Serve as a member of the Executive Committee.
5. Chair the Political Affairs Committee and provide committee reports.
6. Hold, at minimum, quarterly committee meetings.
7. Perform such other duties as are delegated by the Chair.

COUNTY BOARD DISTRICT CHAIRS shall:

1. Be appointed by the Chair of the Political Affairs Committee from among the Precinct Committeepersons, either elected or
appointed, in each County Board District.
2. Organize efforts of the Precinct Committeepersons in his/her County Board District.
3. Serve as a liaison between the Executive Committee and/or political campaigns and the Precinct Committeepersons in his/her
County Board District.

EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE shall:

1. Consist of the Chair, Vice Chair, Secretary, Treasurer, Communication Chair, Fundraising Chair, Events Chair, Political
Affairs Chair, NIU College Democrats President and Young Democrats of DeKalb County President (NIU and Young Democrats
Presidents do not have voting rights.)
2. Have full charge of the property of the organization, subject to the instructions of the Central Committee.
3. Plan and direct the work necessary to carry out the programs as set by the State Central Committee and the Central
Committee of the DeKalb County Democratic Party.
4. Create and designate such special committees as it may deem necessary.
5. Perform all other duties as specified elsewhere in these bylaws.

PRECINCT COMMITTEE PERSONS shall:

1. Be trained with the latest voter database program by the DeKalb County Democratic Party.
2. Be provided a packet by the Executive Committee explaining duties of position in detail.
3. Coordinate all efforts of the DeKalb County Democratic Party within their precinct.
4. Return all data and voter information gathered in their precinct to the DeKalb County Democratic Party.
5. Each Precinct Committee Person whether elected or appointed are afforded the rights of being a voting member of the DeKalb
County Democratic Central Committee.
6. Precinct Committeepersons are expected to attend every central committee meeting as voting members of the organization.
7. Only an elected Precinct Committeeperson may be eligible to run for Chair of the DeKalb County Democratic Central
Committee.

ARTICLE IV. MEETINGS

MEETINGS shall:

1. The rules governing conduct of the general meetings shall be Robert’s Rules of Order as a general guide with these bylaws
being the prevailing document.
2. Date, time and frequency of meeting shall be set by the Executive Board at the beginning of the year.
3. Any change in the established schedule shall be approved by the Executive Committee and communicated to the membership by
the Secretary no later than five days prior to said schedule change.
4. General meetings shall be open to any interested persons unless a vote is taken by the Precinct Committeepersons present to
close the meeting or a portion thereof to the non-committeepersons.
5. Aside from the convention, a motion shall be considered as passed when a simple majority of precinct committeepersons
present vote to support the motion.
6. A quorum shall be deemed to exist at any meeting where a majority of precinct committeepersons are present.

ARTICLE VI. FINANCIAL

FISCAL PERIOD shall consist of two years beginning 21 days after the Primary at which Precinct Committeeman are elected, as set by the Illinois Compiled Statutes.

AUDIT: At the end of each fiscal period an Auditing Committee as appointed by the outgoing Executive Committee will examine the books of the previous two years before they are passed on to the incoming officers and the general membership.

FINANCIAL PLAN: A financial plan shall be prepared by the incoming officers and presented to the general membership at the first meeting following their election.

ARTICLE VII. VACANCIES

If a vacancy arises in the Chairmanship, the Vice Chairman shall announce said vacancy at the next meeting and the election of a new Chairman will be placed on the agenda of the following meeting. Proper notice shall be given to all Committeepersons of said election. The Vice Chairman shall serve as chairman until such election is held.

If the office of Secretary, Treasurer, or Vice Chair becomes vacant, the Chairman will appoint a person to that office in compliance with Illinois Compiled Statutes.

ARTICLE VIII. IMPEACHMENT

Any executive committee member shall be removed from Office if impeached and convicted for moral turpitude, and/or failure to perform their duties satisfactorily as determined by voting members. Impeachment proceedings shall take place over two regularly scheduled meetings as follows:

1. A petition for impeachment must contain the signatures of at least two-thirds of the DeKalb County Democratic Central Committee that were either elected or appointed. The petitions shall be submitted and the rules for the proceedings shall be set by Central Committee members present at that meeting. If the Chair is the officer subject to impeachment, the Chair’s power of appointment of Precinct Committeepersons is suspended until proceedings are concluded.

2. The officer shall be removed from office convicted on a vote by a two-thirds of committee persons present at the impeachment meeting. Should the Chair be the officer subject to impeachment, that meeting shall be chaired by the Secretary. The officer being Impeached is provided the right to defend themselves to the voting members.

ARTICLE IX. CONVENTION RULES

A convention rules committee shall be formed at least 90 days before the convention. The committee shall consist of five precinct committeepersons who shall be nominated by the Executive Committee and approved by the Central Committee.

ARTICLE X. AMENDMENTS

AMENDMENTS to these bylaws may be passed by two-thirds of the voting members present at a general meeting provided that amendments were submitted to the general membership in writing at least one month prior to the meeting.

ARTICLE XI. DISSOLUTION

DISSOLUTION: In the event of a dissolution for any cause of the DeKalb County Democratic Central Committee, all monies and property shall be turned over to the State of Illinois Democratic Party Central Committee.

(As amended, February 2012)

Follow Us on Social Media!

Contact Us

Please allow 48 hours for a response.