Party Structure

The Democratic Party of Denver (DPoD) is organized to allow for those at every level to have a voice and provide input.  The party has several standing committees and we encourage representation from each sub-district.

A. County officers

The DPoD has four elected officers: Chair, Vice-Chair, Secretary and Treasurer. In addition, the Chair can appoint an Assistant Secretary and Assistant Treasurer. The elected officers are elected at each Re-Organization meeting of the Party, which takes place in early February of every odd-numbered year. The people eligible to vote for these positions are members of the Central Committee of the Democratic Party of Denver County. The Central Committee is made up of the following: the Precinct Committee People who live in Denver, the members of the County Executive Committee, Officers of the Colorado Democratic Party who live in Denver, members of the Democratic National Committee who live in Denver, and any Democratic Elected Official who resides in Denver whether they are elected to a municipal, state, federal, or special district position. In addition to these members, the six Officers described above, and the 12 Captains-at-Large and the District Officers described below also serve on the Central Committee.

B. Captains -at-Large

The Chair appoints 12 Captains at Large who serve at the discretion of the Chair.  Currently these Captains at Large serve the party as Chairs of the various standing committees and operate as a Steering Committee assisting the elected and appointed officers in directing the work of the Democratic Party of Denver.

Current Standing Committees

• Rules, Credentials and Permanent Organization Committee (has co-chairs)
• Leadership Committee
• Get Out The Vote (GOTV) Committee
• Fundraising Committee
• Diversity and Outreach Committee
• Public Policy Committee
• Technology Committee

Other Captains at Large fill specific positions that are not necessarily Committees, such as the Volunteer Coordinator, the representative from the Denver Young Dems, or Captains-at-Large who fill in wherever they are needed to work on special projects.
 

C. District Divisions and Officers

The Democratic Party of Denver uses the division of the State House districts to manage the activities of the county.  The Party, in turn, divides each House District into two sub districts (A and B) to make the tasks we perform more manageable.  This gives the entire County 18 subdivisions to help with Party organization. Each sub district has an elected Captain, Co-Captain and Finance Chair - a total of 64 positions.  Each of these elected officers serve on the Executive Committee, which meets monthly. During those meetings, members of the Executive Committee receive information to relay to the members of their sub district, vote on resolutions and the annual operating budget, and discuss and form pertinent issues to the future success of the DPoD.

Each of these officers are elected by the Central Committee members who live in each sub district .  (Please see above, under County Officers, to refresh your memory as to who is on the Central Committee.)  The election takes place at the Re-Organizational meeting held in early February of each odd year.   At the Re-Organizational meeting, officers are also elected to a two-year term in the position of Chair, Vice Chair and Secretary of an entire House, Senate, Judicial or Congressional District.  These officers run the Re-organization meetings, District Assemblies, and Vacancy Committee meetings (if necessary). The Congressional District Chairs and co-Chairs are automatically members of the State Central and State Executive Committees. 
 

D. Precinct Committee People (PCP)
(click HERE for a PCP Handbook)

These are the people who make up the grassroots of the DPoD. There are two PCP’s for every precinct. This is a wonderful place for someone who is new to the DPoD to get their feet wet. These people are responsible for helping with all campaign activity in their precincts. What’s a precinct? It is the smallest unit into which the state is divided for voting/tracking purposes. It is based on voter registration. Each precinct is roughly (ideally) 1000 registered voters. Some are more some are less due to population shifts around the City. Establishing precinct sizes and boundaries is a function of the County Clerk. How often are precincts re -distributed? There is no set limit on how often this can be done. For practicality’s sake it is usually only done shortly after redistricting. However, if a precinct suddenly becomes very over-populated due to new development, the County Clerk can decide to go ahead and divide that precinct into multiple precincts. You can find out what precinct, or any district, that you are in right HERE.