There are two separate ward organizations in the 15th Ward representing the Democratic Party because they have very different philosophies and often endorse vastly different candidates in primary elections.
The older organization, Democrats of the 15th Ward, is a "closed" organization, meaning that endorsement decisions are made by the Committeeman and Committeewoman.
In contrast, The 15th Ward Democrats is an "open" organization, meaning that anyone in the ward can join the organization and have an equal vote in our endorsements. There are minimal time and meeting attendance requirements for voter eligibility.
We formed The 15th Ward Democrats in 2001 because we believe that EVERYONE who wants to participate as a member of the ward organization should have a say in determining which candidates receive the group's endorsement and support. Our open voting system ensures transparency and increases citizen participation.
I believe our open philosophy has led to the high level of dedication and enthusiasm we have in our membership and has given us a better sense of which candidates the majority of voters in the ward support. One example is the most recent State Senate race in which our endorsed candidate, Jeff Smith, received 72% of the vote in our ward while the current Committeepeople's endorsed candidate (who came in 4th) received 6%.
For more info on the 15th Ward Democrats, check out www.15thward.org.
