Anderson Clayton is the youngest chairperson of a state Democratic party in the country. She says she will not cede any area as she intends to engage rural areas that Democrats had not even tried to reach.
New NC Dem. Party Chair Anderson Clayton cedes no one.
One must be impressed with what the new chairperson of the North Carolina Democratic Party has planned for the politics of her state. In a nutshell, she is ceding no vote, no person, nor any region. She will not allow the Democratic Party to cede the rural areas to Republicans.
Anderson Clayton is not just all talk. Ensuring engagement in rural areas has already paid off. She helped flip the Roxboro City Council in 2021 and a state legislative seat.
It is time for GenZs like Clayton to step up with new ideas and approaches. And as one can hear clearly in this interview, she is throwing out much of the status quo that too often is inculcated in the modus operandi of the party apparatus.
Clayton speaks about campaigning not necessarily in strict policy terminology but in stories. Most people digest stories more easily than policy. She understands that Democratic policies are what most North Carolinians want but that telling the Democratic story as opposed to letting others define it is of utmost importance.
The Democratic Party has not built the best bench. Too often, younger Democrats are not allowed to flourish. Good leaders know that sustainability requires the timely passing of the baton. North Carolina did it. One hopes other states will as well.
