Thank You for your interest in being endorsed or approved by the 23rd LD Democrats

You might find our endorsement/approval process more rigorous than some others. This is because the public looks upon an endorsement by the 23rd LD Democrats as a seal of approval for the candidate. People assume that before endorsing a candidate, the 23rd LD Democrats have looked carefully at the candidate and found the candidate’s personal background to be exemplary and record to be solidly Democratic. Consequently, the 23rd LD Democrats feel a responsibility to make an informed endorsement.

We also take seriously the potential damage to the reputation of the 23rd LD Democrats should someone we endorse fail in his or her ethical duty to the public. We acknowledge and understand that there will be instances where a candidate and the 23rd LD Democrats will have differing opinions on an issue. The 23rd LD Democrats do not require candidates to march in lockstep with it on every issue, only that they conduct their affairs in an honorable fashion and be with us on the issues that are truly vital to a well-run society and the Democratic Party.

Endorsement or approval

The 23rd Legislative District Democrats may choose to endorse or approve a candidate for office. Endorsement is limited to one (1) candidate per office in each primary and general election. An endorsement requires a vote to endorse by 75% of the qualified members of the 23rd LD Democrats present and voting at the meeting at which the endorsement is considered. The endorsement will take precedent over any other action for the office being sought.

Approval may be granted to one or more candidate(s) per elected office and requires a simple majority (50%+1) of the qualified members present and voting at a membership meeting to approve a candidate.

A qualified member must have a current membership in the 23rd LD Democrats established at least 28 days prior to the meeting at which the endorsement vote is conducted.

At the discretion of the 23rd LD Democrats Executive Board, financial and other campaign support may be provided by the 23rd LD Democrats to endorsed or approved candidates.

The 23rd LD Democrats may also choose to not endorse, approve or take action on any candidate for an elected office. Such a decision is at the sole discretion of the 23rd LD Democrats. 

Candidates We Have Not Previously Endorsed/Approved:

If you are a first time candidate or have not previously received our endorsement/approval for the office you are seeking, you will need to request an endorsement/approval by the 23rd LD Democrats by contacting the chair of the 23rd LD Democrats.

You will be sent, electronically, a questionnaire to complete. We encourage you to be thorough and thoughtful in completing the questionnaire.

After completing the questionnaire, please email it to the chair of 23rd LD Democrats at chair@kitsap23rd.com (if you’d prefer to deliver the completed questionnaire in a format other than email, contact the Chairperson and inquire about other options). Part A of your completed questionnaire will be made available to members prior to the vote to endorse or approve and to other interested individuals via our regular communications and our website only for candidates/issues endorsed or approved by the membership. Part B of your completed questionnaire will be confidential and under normal circumstances will not be viewed by anyone outside of the Executive Board. Unless other arrangements have been made, the Candidate Endorsement/Approval Questionnaire must be received by the chair of the 23rd LD Democrats (or designee) at least one week prior to the interview with the Executive Board in order to allow for review of the responses prior to the interview. If the questionnaire is not returned by the deadline, consideration of the endorsement/approval may be postponed.

The chair of the 23rd LD Democrats (or designee) will contact you to schedule an appointment for an interview with the Executive Board. Typically the Executive Board meets on the 2nd Wednesday of each month though special meetings may be held to interview candidates during active election times.

The Executive Board may use information from other sources to supplement the information gathered from the questionnaire and the interview. Other sources may include public statements made by the candidate, voting records while in office, participation in elections, and public records of campaign contributions made and received by the candidate.

Once the interview is completed, the Executive Board will make a recommendation to the members of the 23rd LD Democrats at a regularly-scheduled 23rd LD Democrats Membership meeting. The Executive Board will recommend that the members (a) endorse the candidate, (b) approve the candidate, or (c) take no action. A vote of the qualified members in attendance at that general membership meeting will determine if an endorsement or approval for an office will be made and, if so, who will receive it.

All candidates are welcome and encouraged to attend the General Membership meetings of the 23rd LD Democrats. Depending on time constraints and other factors, the candidate or their representative may be invited to speak at the general membership meeting at which their endorsement/approval is being considered.

Candidates seeking endorsement or approval from the 23rd LD Democrats will be notified of the membership’s decision. An official endorsement (or approval) letter will then be mailed or e-mailed to the successful candidate allowing them to announce our endorsement (or approval) and use it in their campaign literature.

Previously-Endorsed Candidates:

If a candidate has previously been endorsed by the 23rd LD Democrats for the office they are seeking, the candidate may not be required to complete the questionnaire or be interviewed by the Executive Board. The Executive Board’s decision on whether to recommend endorsement/approval will be based on the Board’s previous interactions with the candidate, the candidate’s record while in office, and information from other sources. The Executive Board may request more information from the candidate. Any candidate is welcome to write a letter to the chair outlining their accomplishments or giving more information.

Thank you again for your interest in our endorsement or approval. If you have any questions, please email the Chairperson at chair@kitsap23rd.com.

ENDORSEMENT/APPROVAL FORM