Rusty Hicks has announced his campaign for Chair of the California Democratic Party (CDP).
“I was raised by a single mother. I was 11 when I met my father as he sat in a Texas prison. I was powerless to help him. But when people are empowered, everything changes,” Hicks said. “As president of the L.A. County Federation of Labor, I built a program to train formerly incarcerated women and men for good union jobs. When we empower people, everything changes—on the job, in the community and at the ballot box.”
“It’s time we move from resisting Trump to replacing Trump,” Hicks said. “I’m looking forward to meeting with thousands of delegates and party activists and to earning support from a broad and diverse group of leaders.”
“Rusty Hicks has earned my support to lead our state party,” said State Controller Betty T. Yee. “Rusty has a proven track record of building successful coalitions to win elections.”
The campaign’s new video can be found on the RustyforChair YouTube channel.
Hicks succeeded Maria Elena Durazo at the Federation four years ago and earned a winning track record for door-to-door field campaigns that successfully mobilized immigrants and working people. His work has brought twice as many women into leadership roles at the L.A. Fed, increased leadership among people of color by 60%, and increased overall Fed membership by 23%. He helped win the best new wage enforcement law in California and led the first “Fight for $15” campaign for immigrant workers and workers of color who don’t enjoy union representation. He fought Trump’s Janus Court decision, re-energized and re-empowered workers by training more than 300 organizers, and has helped put unemployed people to work building housing that ordinary people can afford.
The election for CDP Chair will be held at the 2019 state party convention, May 31-June 2 at the Moscone Center in San Francisco.
