Orange County Young Democrats
All politics is local
Orange County Young Democrats (“OCYD”) is an organization of young attorneys, legislative aides, graduate students, and business professionals from diverse backgrounds who share the common goal of advancing progressive and Democratic values in Orange County. Founded in 1998, OCYD is currently experiencing rapid growth and an increasingly active network of members. Our organization’s membership has increased by 85% in the last two years.
OUR 2019
PRIORITIES
We are excited and energized to build upon the momentum of this last election and support the Democratic causes and candidates that are winning across the county. Our current goals include:
- Resistance Committee: working with local movements in Orange County to strategically pressure our members of Congress to oppose Trump’s un-American policies. Our Resistance Committee efforts were recently highlighted in local media, including the OC Weekly.
- Recruiting promising young Democrats to run for local office, and providing support and candidate training
- Outreach and empowerment of our allies in the community, including the LGBT, labor, and environmental communities
Our Board
Katerina Ioannides
Chair
Kelsey Brewer
Co-Chair
Thai Phan
Secretary
Hon. Connor Traut
North OC Regional Director
Hon. Kim Nguyen
Central OC Regional Director
Hon. Manuel Chavez
South OC Regional Director
Aaron McCall
Communications Director
Lydia Chavez
Finance Director
Erin Roberts, Jeanie Le, and Jessy Rosales
Outreach Directors
Andrea Schmidt
Program Director
Tim Phan
Activism Director
Brandon Whalen
Policy Director
Alyssa Napuri
Member-At-Large
Rachel Rolnicki
Member-At-Large
Danielle Serbin
Immediate Past Chair
What We Stand For
OCYD’s Policy Committee works to inform our members about the latest and most important local, state, and national issues. The committee’s research on key votes and elected officials enables OCYD to address issues relevant to Orange County residents.
Statement from OCYD on the Governor’s Proposed Budget
Costa Mesa, CA – In response to Governor Gavin Newsom's 2019 budget, OCYD released the following statement: “This morning Governor Newsom released the first budget of his administration. OCYD applauds the bold progressive values reflected in this budget---from major...
STATEMENT OF THE ORANGE COUNTY YOUNG DEMOCRATS ON THE PASSAGE OF THE FIRST STEP ACT
This week, the First Step Act to reform the federal penitentiary system was passed and signed into law. The Orange County Young Democrats strongly support the First Step Act as a much needed measure towards reforming our federal criminal justice system. The First Step...
Keeping Irvine a Sanctuary City
Update on last night's #Irvine City Council Meeting: Irvine Mayor Donald P. Wagner had agendized opposition to SB 54 (The California Values Act, commonly referred to as the Sanctuary State Bill). His letter setting the agenda item used incendiary rhetoric, including...
Help us make a difference.
Becoming an OCYD member forMake a Difference just $35 a year, or $20 for students, has some great benefits. We are pleased to announce need-based scholarships on membership. For more information, please contact us.
Participate and vote on OCYD endorsements and board members.
Gain access to a great, active network of young professionals.
Reach out to other young people and spread the Democratic message.
2018 Obama Awards – Video Introductions
Check out the video introductions produced for OCYD's 2018 Obama Awards. Barack Obama Award Social Justice Award Harvey Milk LGBT+ Award Silence Breaker...
Obama Awards in the News
You can read about the 2018 Obama Awards in this Daily Titan article.
OCYD in the News
OCYD is mentioned in this The News and Observer article: Top California Democrat on leave amid sex misconduct inquiry