On June 14, Rylee Birkett and Kathryn Prather are seated at opposite ends of a long table in the rear of the South Hall of the Charleston Coliseum & Convention Center.
A small number of Democratic delegates are arranged loosely throughout the large hall. Even though it’s only four o’clock, the hall will be packed by 6:30. Applications are still being accepted for the West Virginia Democratic Party State Convention in 2024. Birkett and Prather drove three hours to be here from Ohio County. They are both eighteen years old, having just completed their high school education, and are enjoying their first summer as adults.
If I’m being very honest, I don’t think we really know what we’re getting into,” Prather admitted. Not that choosing to turn up on short notice was a snap decision. This time, I’ve given it more and more thinking, but at first, I was like, “Sure, I’ll go.” Therefore, it seems to me that our main purpose here is to observe.”
As Prather and Birkett arrive to the convention, many Democrats in the state are curious about the party’s future plans. With the State voting overwhelmingly Republican for the past ten years, the party is at an all-time low. The state was won by former President Donald Trump in 2016 and 2020. He was recently found guilty of paying adult film star Stormy Daniels hush money before the 2016 election.
State Democrats, however, are working on something this year for the 2024 election. Democrats are hosting their first in-person convention in eight years, while state Republicans decided not to conduct a state convention this year and the Republican-controlled legislature voted to amend the rule requiring presidential electors to be chosen at state conventions.
With this conference, state Democrats aimed to convey one message above all others. The old is gone and the new is in.
According to David Turner, a Democratic delegate from Randolph County, “you saw a real changing of the guard in October of last year.” “You succeeded in electing Chairman [Mike] Pushkin. Many new members joined, and the Democratic Party in West Virginia took a new turn. Although returning will take a considerable amount of time, you must begin with a few positive measures.
Turner, 70, stated that he anticipated the party embracing greater inclusivity during the convention, along with a great lot of togetherness and energy. He believes the state party will become more like the national party when more young people join it.
Mary Anne Durland, a different Randolph County delegate, asserted that she doesn’t think the party has enough of them. Head of the Randolph County Democratic Women is 75-year-old Durland.
The subject of women’s reproductive health came up a lot.
“I believe that the overturning of Roe v. Wade is a significant issue that needs to be addressed,” Birkett stated. Simply said, it’s unsafe. People begin aborting in risky methods where they could harm themselves when abortion is prohibited.
Prather, who has been diagnosed with two chronic illnesses, values health care in general. She declared that she also cares about disability rights.
Delegate from Harrison County, Dorian James, 57, wants to be open-minded about the platform goals that the convention decided upon. Above all, he hopes the convention will inspire party members ahead of the general election campaign.
James remarked, “Over the years, we lost a lot to whatever reason, people switching.” However, I have always been a Democrat, and I want to stay that way. No, I don’t switch groups. My main objective is to truly demonstrate my support, participate in every session of this conference, and find out what new and modified things will be introduced.
“There are a lot of new initiatives that I’ve heard about that will help us attract more motivated candidates.”
The Democratic Party has encountered a challenge in recent years from voters switching parties. In an attempt to run a successful campaign, ambitious candidates will switch parties. Turner believes the this will, nevertheless, lead to a long-term surprise that the GOP will not appreciate.
There is a risk that the party may become divided between right-wing centrists and conservatives, who may agree on certain topics but disagree on others.
Turner predicted that the Republicans would face a threat to their success. “I believe they’re going to encounter a few more issues than they anticipate. They have too many inconsistencies, so if you can make those two contradictory statements work against each other, that’s a start.
The West Virginia Democratic Party’s second vice chair, Sam Brown Petsonk, contended that the departure will actually help the party focus more narrowly. According to him, the party has not sufficiently represented the needs of the voters as seen by the loss of voter registrations to the GOP and independents.
The party’s identity and principles will be reevaluated at the convention.
According to Petsonk, the GOP has wasted the chance to pass laws that benefit individuals all around the state.
“People who switched to Republican gave them a chance, and the Republicans have largely blown it,” he declared. “And now it is incumbent upon the Democratic Party to concentrate on the requirements of the people and present a legislative and political agenda that attends to those needs.”
Prather and Birkett anticipate being able to proceed to the National Convention. They see this as a chance to voice their opinions and receive education at the same time. Although they do have concerns, they are equally focused on the procedure and making sure the convention’s design encourages dialogue.
Extremist rhetoric from the left turns Birkett off because, in her opinion, it shuts down conversations when people should be interacting.
In the fall, they will both study engineering. Rather than the overabundance of attorneys who currently dominate the field, they stated that they would prefer to see a wider plurality of vocations in politics. Prather and Birkett seek to contribute young, creative ideas to the larger conversations about the future direction of West Virginia’s Democratic Party.
“It’s critical that youth participate more in politics,” stated Birkett. “We cannot afford to ignore it. We’re going to run into issues with it eventually.
