In the wake the Eric Bauman’s resignation as Chair of California’s Democratic Party, three formidable candidates are vying to take the reins.
Rusty Hicks, President of the LA County Federation of Labor, which represents more than 300 unions and 800,000 workers, is traveling across 58 counties in 58 days to speak to delegates and Democratic activists, as part of his run for Chair. In his role with the LA Fed, Hicks has stood up to powerful corporations to make progress for working families. His time at the LA Fed has included:
- Diversifying the LA Fed’s leadership.There are now twice as many women, five times more young leaders, and 60% of all leaders are people of color.
- Developing a program to help formerly incarcerated women and men rejoin the workforce and secure good union jobs.
- Leading a successful campaign for the $15 minimum wage.
- Fighting to guarantee healthcare coverage for every immigrant child.
- Building a coalition to win greater protections against sexual harassment and assault for workers in the hospitality industry.
- Fighting for environmental justice and helping lead the campaign for safe water in LA.
- Driving ballot measures to build affordable housing, provide homeless housing and services, and expand the LA transit system.
For ten years, Hicks served as the LA Fed’s Political Director where he led the day-to-day political operations in campaigns across Southern California. He took a leave to join the Obama 2008 campaign, where he served as the California Political Director. Hicks is a Lieutenant in the US Navy Reserve and a graduate of Austin College and Loyola Law School.
Next is Daraka Larimore-Hall, current California Democratic Party Vice Chairman. Larimore-Hall also served as chairman of the Democratic Party of Santa Barbara County for a decade, during which time he helped transform the organization into a powerful electoral force allied with labor, environmental and community groups. He has worked as a Sociology instructor and professor at UCSB and Santa Barbara City College. For eight years, he was an activist, organizer and staff member for the United Auto Workers (UAW) union at the University of California where he began the nation’s first union for postdoctoral researchers. He has served as Vice President of the Tri-Counties Central Labor Council and Vice Chair of the California Democratic Party Labor Caucus. The past few years, Larimore-Hall has worked as an advisor for progressive ballot measures, as well as Social Democratic parties and unions around the world.
Kimberly Ellis, who ran for the position of California Party Chair in 2017 and narrowly lost to Bauman, has also thrown her hat into the ring. Ellis is the former Executive Director of Emerge California, a non-profit organization which works to encourage and train women to run for office. She formerly served on the California Democratic Party Finance Committee and also on the California Democratic Party’s African American Caucus as Recording Secretary. After running for Chair of the Party in 2017, Ellis stepped away from the Democratic Party and founded Unbought – Unbossed (UnB2), a political incubator. Ellis holds a law degree from the John F. Kennedy School of Law and a Bachelor of Arts from Jacksonville University.
There are additional candidates who have announced their intent to run for Chair – Lenore Albert, an attorney and former candidate for State Assembly and Mike Katz, a human rights and privacy activist.
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