What is a District Leader?

A District Leader is an unpaid volunteer & elected official. All formal parties in New York State are required to have at least one District Leader (DL) per Assembly District (AD). These positions are subject to primary elections every two years. In essence, the District Leader represents the party members (voters).

The 72nd Assembly District is divided into Part A and Part B. Part B covers all of Inwood and parts of Washington Heights. Each Part has two District Leaders with the same responsibilities. The two District Leaders cannot be of the same gender, and must be some combination of Male, Female, or Non-Binary. 

NEW BALLOT REMINDER:

When filling out your ballot it is important to ONLY SELECT ONE candidate per gender for District Leader. For example, if you select BOTH female candidates the vote is not counted.

Ok, But What Does a District Leader Actually Do? 

Good question! The formal powers of a District Leaders are very limited, so the role depends on what the specific District Leader chooses to make of it. A District Leader is most powerful as a community organizing roll. It is a title that can be used to help build consensus at community meetings. Local media and grassroots groups regularly reach out to active District Leaders on community issues. Elected officials and administrators generally respond to inquiries from District Leaders promptly – enabling them to act as conduits to the community.

Below is a list of a District Leader’s formal responsibilities: 

• Sits on the Executive Committee of the County Democratic Committee. 

• Hires poll workers and election inspectors for the primary elections every September and the general elections in November. 

• Attends Democratic Party meetings and events on behalf of the district. 

• Listens to the residents of the district to learn what issues are affecting their quality of life, such as housing, employment, education, environment and crime. 

• Organizes meetings and events in the district to give community members a strong voice. 

• Works with the district’s city, state, and federal elected officials to insure that the voices of the community are heard. 

• Organizes opposition when elected officials or state/city agencies ignore local residents. (One of my favorite parts). 

• Provides support to elect good candidates to public office in the district 

• Is an information resource for the district’s voters in numerous ways including poll site locations, election results and general information about candidates 

• Is responsible for promoting Democratic turnout in general elections. 

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