Melissa Ross
This weekend, the Jacksonville Young Democrats will host the Florida Young Democrats 2016 State Convention at the downtown Hyatt Regency, with a slew of party officials and rising stars slated to attend.
However, it’s still up in the air as to whether DNC chair Debbie Wasserman Schultz will attend the Jacksonville event.
“The Congresswoman has not been confirmed for the conference as of yet. Last we knew she was trying to make room in her schedule to speak at our conference,” says Kelly Quintero, Vice President of of the Florida Young Democrats.
Considering the organization’s membership overwhelmingly chose Bernie Sanders in their March presidential straw poll, it will be interesting to see how the Young Dems receive Schultz if she shows up ( as the DNC chair is perceived by some party activists as too partial to Hillary Clinton).
In recent days, petitions have circulated among Sanders supporters calling for Schultz’s ouster.
“This convention comes at the right time for Young Democrats to come together and build a unified progressive movement in Florida,” reads the FYD’s website.
Also scheduled to speak: Gwen Graham, and Tommy Hazouri and Joyce Morgan of the Jacksonville City Council, among others.
In addition to the usual networking, topics of interest to the Democratic crowd will be addressed, like the matter of Jax’s human rights ordinance, criminal justice reform and environmental politics.
