Groups
Groups Within Our Organization
Dem Club
The educational and social branch of the Party is the Democratic Club. Each meeting centers on a featured presentation in addition to club announcements regarding recent and upcoming events and activities.
Weekly club topics are announced on our Events page and on social media.
The Club has met weekly, each Friday at noon, for nearly 50 years. Unfortunately, the pandemic prompted us to find a new venue for our public gatherings. For now, we are conducting online Zoom meetings. When the Covid-19 risk is reduced we will begin meeting at JB’s Restaurant at 704 W Appleway, CDA. The calendar events will indicate when in-person meetings resume.
Contact pjwmia@aol.com to receive Zoom invitations.
The club maintains its own website. You can access it here.
Dem Club Executive Committee
- President – Ruben Miranda
- Vice President – Savannagh Kacey
- Treasurer – Alise Tanner
- Secretary – open
- Trustees – Shawn Keenan, Theresa Birkett, and Phil Ward
Women’s Association
The mission of the Kootenai Democratic Women’s Association is to increase the involvement of women in the Democratic Party. The Association holds four social events throughout the year to raise awareness of Democratic causes and funds for local Democratic candidates. Kathy Beechler is the Chair and a long-time activist in Kootenai County.
The springtime Baby Shower collects needed new clothing and supplies for babies and young children served by CASA (Court Appointed Special Advocates). A garden party is held during the summer. Fall features a leisurely luncheon at an area eatery, and the festive Christmas cookie-ornament exchange happens during the holiday season.
Everyone is welcome to attend. Watch our events calendar and social media for specific details about the events as they approach.
Central Committee
As the governing branch of the Party in Kootenai County, the Kootenai County Democratic Central Committee is composed of all elected and appointed precinct chairs and vice chairs (aka Precinct Captains). The Committee’s main purpose is to recruit and support Democrats to run for public office.
KCDCC holds regular monthly meetings on the second Monday of each month at 6 pm at the Kootenai County Administration Building. This monthly meeting is public and open to all. Event details are available on our Calendar. If you would like to attend the meeting or need further information, contact the Central Committee Chair: Evan Koch.
The Kootenai Democrats annually nominate members and other Democratic activists for special recognition. The Central Committee solicits nominations for the Art Manley Life-Time Achievement Award and the Rising Star Award. Awards are presented at the annual North Idaho Democracy Dinner.
Kootenai County Precinct Captains
Precinct Captains serve at the grassroots level of our party. Their purpose is to help the Democratic Party win elections by identifying and organizing Democratic voters.
Their duties include:
- Attending legislative district and/or county central committee meetings.
- Electing county and legislative district leadership.
- Nominating individuals to fill party vacancies.
- Contacting targeted voters.
- Working on election day Get Out the Vote Campaigns.
Is this Role a Good Fit for You?
As a precinct captain, you will organize a team of Democrats from your community to communicate the values, principles, and policies that make us all proud members of the Idaho Democratic Party.
We have a statewide network of grassroots activists that will be there to help you begin to organize your precinct and get its citizens more involved in the issues that affect them. As the team you organize gets bigger and more connected, our statewide Democratic community gets stronger.
Every precinct where we don’t have a captain organizing and leading their community is a gap in our network that hinders our ability to bring a more diverse discussion into Idaho politics.
Be a precinct captain and help us bridge that gap with your leadership, creativity, and innovation.
Let’s work together to build stronger communities in Idaho.
Attributes of an Effective Precinct Captain
Know Your Neighbors
Get acquainted with the people in your precinct. Make sure you know homebound citizens or people in the military who need to vote by mail. Try to welcome all newcomers with a personal visit or note and, if they are Democrats, inform them how they can register to vote. Get young people who will be 18 years old before Election Day registered to vote.
Know Your Precinct
The Kootenai County Elections Office has information about your precinct. Get a map of the area and study it. Know the boundaries, the number of houses, apartments, churches, businesses, schools, and the location of your polling place. Get to know the economic makeup, number of union members, veterans, students of voting age, total Democratic population, ethnicities represented, and voting history of your precinct.
Stay Current on Relevant Issues
Read your local paper to learn about major concerns of your county, district, and precinct. Know the hot button issues in your community and how the people in your precinct feel about them. Learn about important state issues. Familiarize yourself with Democratic Party values (put link to IDP Platform here) and talking points.
Organizing Tools
State Resources
Precinct captains receive training and pertinent resources.
Responsibilities include walking or driving your precinct and contacting targeted voters. To do this effectively and efficiently, it is important to be prepared. The following list of items may be obtained online at IdahoVotes.gov or from the elections office and will make your job easier:
- Precinct map
- Voter registration forms.
- Absentee voter forms.
- Party Affiliation forms.
County Party Resources
- Literature about Democratic elected officials and candidates in your voting district.
- Votebuilder database – Used to produce walking or calling lists of voters in your precinct.
- Clipboards and pens.
What You Bring
- A passion for party politics.
- A desire to connect with voters.
- A sense of humor!
- A willingness to learn.
You don’t have to have all the answers; you just need to know whom to call to find them. Leave a message for the Kootenai County Democratic Party at 208-763-3361 any time you need information. A volunteer will return your call.
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