Hello fellow Democrats,
We are living in shocking and terrifying times. It is hard to not lose hope. They want us to be over-loaded and unable to do anything. They want us to feel hopeless and unable to act. They want us to give in and give up. And, most importantly, they want us to stop fighting.
We will not stop fighting. We will remain RESOLUTE and UNSWERVING.
As the DCC Chair, I am RESOLUTE and UNSWERVING in my commitment to uphold democracy and protect our electoral process; to defend and expand the rights of people, especially transgender, LGBTQ+ people, Black, brown, indigenous, people of color, immigrants, women,

A Message from Our Chair

Hello fellow Democrats,
These are extraordinary times. Every day, it feels like there’s another attack on our communities, our democracy, our workers, and our future. This chaos is intentional. They want people overwhelmed. They want us to be cynical. They want us to believe that organizing doesn’t matter and that ordinary people can’t win.
We must educate, agitate, and organize.
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Educate people about the issues
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Agitate against injustice and complacency
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Organize collective action to win change
We are building a Democratic Party that is younger, louder, more organized, and unafraid to take on the fights ahead.
That means standing up for workers and unions. It means defending immigrants, LGBTQ+ people, women, Black, brown, Indigenous, and marginalized communities under attack. It means tackling the climate crisis with urgency. And it means organizing block by block, neighborhood by neighborhood, to win locally and build power that lasts.
Progress doesn’t happen because we wait for someone else to save us. It happens because people come together, organize together, and fight together.
The Santa Cruz County Democratic Party is focused on action: organizing our communities, supporting candidates who reflect our values, holding power accountable, and building a local movement that can deliver change.
But none of this happens alone.
Sign up for our newsletter, come to meetings, volunteer, knock doors, make calls, bring your ideas, and bring your energy. If you’ve been frustrated, angry, or looking for a place to channel that energy. We are looking for you.
We are not giving up.
We are organizing.
And we are going to win.
In solidarity,
Joe Thompson
They/them
About Us
California State law requires every county to have a Central Committee for each political party. The official title in Santa Cruz County is the Santa Cruz County Democratic Central Committee, also referred to as SCCDCC or DCC. This is the local governing body that works in concert with the California Democratic Party. Membership consists of local Democrats committed to supporting Democratic ideals, issues, and candidates on local, state and national levels. Each Central Committee member is elected for four year terms by the voters in each of the five Supervisorial Districts in Santa Cruz County in every primary election. All Santa Cruz County registered Democrats are eligible to run for these seats and may apply prior to each primary election by completing the required forms at the Santa Cruz County Elections Office.
Our Mission
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Identify, encourage and support Democrats who choose to run for public office in Santa Cruz County
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Conduct Democratic voter registration drives
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Increase voter turnout at the polls
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Sponsor activities designed to educate and inform the community on current political issues
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Charter local Democratic Clubs that organize educational and social events to increase interest and involvement in Democratic Issues
Our People
There are currently twenty-two elected members from the 5 Supervisorial Districts.
In addition, there are Ex Officio members, who are Elected Democrats whose State Senate, the State Assembly, and Congressional Districts are within Santa Cruz County boundaries. Both members and Ex Officio members may appoint alternates who may vote if the member is not present. In the event a vacancy occurs between primary elections, notices of the vacancy are made public (including on this website) and registered Democrats who reside in that Supervisorial district may apply for the vacant seat.
New members are always welcome and bring new ideas and vitality to the organization.
Interested in joining us on the DCC?
Fill out our volunteer form and come to our next meeting. All meetings are open to the public.
2026 Meeting Schedule:
June 24th @ 7pm 740 Front Street, Suite #165, Santa Cruz, CA 95060
July 22nd @ 7pm Via Zoom
August 26th @ 7pm 740 Front Street, Suite #165, Santa Cruz, CA 95060
September 23rd @ 7pm Via Zoom
October 28th 7pm 740 Front Street, Suite #165, Santa Cruz, CA 95060

D1
District 1
Five (5) Member Seats
Representing the cities and areas of Live Oak, Soquel, the Summit area, Santa Cruz Gardens, and Carbonera
Iwalani Faulkner
Victoria Nobles (Alt)
Tony Russomanno
Jillian Ritter (Alt)
Adam Spickler
Stephanie Jacobs (Alt)
Casey Van Den Heuvel
Leslie Steiner (Alt)
Linda Wilshusen
Elaine Johnson (Alt)
D2
District 2
Five (5) Member Seats
Representing Aptos, La Selva Beach, Corralitos, Freedom, and portions of both Capitola and Watsonville
Meilin Obinata
Pat Manning (Alt)
Denise Elerick
Tina Andreatta (Alt)
Gigi Kelbert
Heidy Kellison (Alt)
Rachel Williams
VACANT (Alt)
Rob Darrow
VACANT (Alt)
D3
District 3
Five (5) Member Seats
Representing Davenport, Bonny Doon, the North Coast of Santa Cruz County, as well as a significant portion of the City of Santa Cruz, including the University of California, Santa Cruz campus
Ayo Banjo
Zarea Boykin (Alt)
Ami Chen Mills
Joy Schendledecker (Alt)
Bodie Shargel
VACANT (Alt)
Justin Cummings
Chelsea Dryden (Alt)
Kameron Tessier
VACANT (Alt)
D4
District 4
Two (2) Member Seats
Representing most of the city of Watsonville as well as the surrounding unincorporated areas of the Pajaro Valley
Celeste Gutierrez
Lourdes Barraza (Alt)
Ed Acosta
Daniel Dodge, Jr. (Alt)
D5
District 5
Five (5) Member Seats
Representing the San Lorenzo Valley, Santa Cruz Mountains, the city of Scotts Valley, portions of the city of Santa Cruz
Coco Raner-Walter
Rachel Wells (Alt)
Glenn Glazer
Brian Youman (Alt)
Joe Thompson
Amanda Harris (Alt)
Linda Kerner
Tim Willoughby (Alt)
Rae Spencer-Hill
Barnaby Lee (Alt)
EX
Ex Officio Members
Six (6) Member Seats
Elected Officials and their alternates
Assembly Member Gail Pellerin (AD 28)
Lisette Jones (Alt)
Assembly Member Robert Rivas (AD 29)
Lowell Hurst (Alt)
Assembly Member Dawn Addis (AD 30)
Andrew Goldenkranz (Alt)
State Senator John Laird (SD 17)
Kyle Kelley (Alt)
Congressperson Zoe Lofgren (CD 18)
Ari Parker (Alt)
Congressperson Jimmy Panetta (CD 19)
Emmanuel Garcia (Alt)
Chartered Clubs
In addition to the SCCDCC there are also 5 officially chartered Democratic clubs. Each club has a club representative that serves on the SCCDCC.

College Democrats at UCSC
Lauren Johnson
Alex Torres (Alt)

Democratic Club of North County
Lara Triona
VACANT (Alt)

Democratic Women's Club
VACANT
Peggy Flynn (Alt)

Mid County Democratic Club
Barry Scott
VACANT (Alt)

Pajaro Valley Democratic Club
VACANT
VACANT (Alt)
