What is a "Central Committee Member"?

This is a very valid question given the need to make certain, that individuals who run for this elected volunteer office understand what is expected of them.

Central Committee members are the grass roots-level elected volunteers of the State Democratic Party. They must be dedicated to working to ensure the election of Democrats to public office, while encouraging the participation of activists, volunteers and financial contributors. This calls for many hours of participation, and in some cases a financial commitment themselves.

They should bring to the Central Committee a strong commitment to the Party and all the things it stands for. Central Committee members should have experience as a volunteer in various political activities, worked for candidates, or run for office themselves.

In essence Central Committee members are the people elected to work directly in the trenches on behalf of the Party and to organize an ongoing presence at the local level. They are the people who do the organizing and actual tasks of helping get Democrats elected. They are not managers or members of a board of directors, but worker bees themselves. They help organize and when necessary do the:

  Fundraising, staff party booths / events, precinct organizing and canvassing, distribute political literature; perform voter registration, phone banking, and all of those tasks needed to be successful in an election.

Central Committee members have an obligation to attend all committee meetings, publicly support party nominees without questions, and to actively participate in all the activities of the Central Committee. Central Committee members at no time can openly support a candidate of another political party in a partisan race. 

Central Committee members cannot do all that must be done by themselves, they must reach out and recruit volunteers to assist in many of these activities and tasks. Recruitment of volunteers therefore becomes the difference between success and failure. Central Committee members must have good motivational and organizing skills to make use of these volunteer resources.

As a member of the local Central Committee they are members of the State Central Committee and are expected to attend Semi-annual meetings, vote on State Party issues and participate in State Party projects.

Central Committee members have the official responsibility to fill vacancies of certain offices due to death or resignation of elected official, and fill vacancy when no Democratic Candidate has file for nomination. The Central Committee also recommends to the Governor appointment of the members and substitute members for the local County Board of Elections and at times recommendations to other state and county boards.