Event Central

CALL

2008 EIGHTH CONGRESSIONAL DISTRICT
DEMOCRATIC CONVENTION

1. Call. Pursuant to the authority provided by the Virginia Democratic Party Plan, The Eighth District Democratic Convention will convene at 10:00 a.m. on Saturday, May 17, 2008, at the Francis C. Hammond Middle School, 4646 Seminary Road, Alexandria, Virginia, 22304.

2. Incorporated Documents. All appropriate provisions of the Virginia Democratic Party Plan (“State Party Plan”), as amended, the Virginia Delegate Selection Plan for the 2008 Democratic National Convention (“Delegate Selection Plan”), and the Call to the 2008 Virginia State Democratic Convention are incorporated into this Call by reference and made a part hereof.

3. Purposes. The purposes of the District Convention shall be:

A. To select seven delegates and one alternate to the 2008 Democratic National Convention;

B. To nominate members of State Democratic Convention Credentials and Rules Committees;

C. To select a presidential elector representing the Eighth Congressional District in the 2008 general presidential election;

D. To consider resolutions;

E. To conduct such other business as may properly come before the Convention.

4. Selection of District Convention Delegates and Alternates. The delegates and alternates to the District Convention shall be the delegates or alternates to the State Democratic Convention to be held at the Hampton Roads Convention Center in Hampton, Virginia on Saturday, June 14, 2008.

Delegates and alternates to the District Convention shall be those elected by city, county or magisterial district caucuses beginning at 12:00 noon on Saturday, April 19, 2008, or 7:30 p.m. on Monday, April 21, 2008. The caucuses may be assembled or unassembled. Localities having unassembled caucuses may also provide for absentee voting in person at a publicized location on Thursday, April 17, 2008 beginning at 7:00 pm and ending at a reasonable time. Each county and city committee shall provide the call to caucus to the State Democratic Party and the District Committee Chair by Wednesday, March 19, 2008. If any locality holds a convention in addition to the caucus, such convention shall be governed by the appropriate provisions of the State Party Plan and the Delegate Selection Plan.
5. Allocation of District Convention Delegates and Alternates. The 252 delegates and 126 alternates to the District Convention from this Congressional District shall be allocated as set forth the Delegate Selection Plan, as follows:


Alexandria Obama 35 Delegates, 18 Obama Alternates
Clinton 19 Delegates, 9 Clinton Alternates

Arlington Obama 55 Delegates, 27 Obama Alternates
Clinton 32 Delegates, 16 Clinton Alternates

*Fairfax Obama 68 Delegates, 34 Obama Alternates
Clinton 37 Delegates, 19 Clinton Alternates

Falls Church Obama 4 Delegates, 2 Obama Alternates
Clinton 2 Delegates, 1 Clinton Alternate

*
Hunter Mill Obama 18 Delegates, 9 Obama Alternates
Clinton 10 Delegates, 5 Clinton Alternates
Dranesville Obama 3 Delegates, 1 Obama Alternates
Clinton 1 Delegates, 1 Clinton Alternates
Lee Obama 18 Delegates, 9 Obama Alternates
Clinton 10 Delegates, 5 Clinton Alternates
Mason Obama 10 Delegates, 5 Obama Alternates
Clinton 5 Delegates, 3 Clinton Alternates
Mount
Vernon Obama 10 Delegates, 5 Obama Alternates
Clinton 5 Delegates, 3 Clinton Alternates
Providence Obama 9 Delegates, 5 Obama Alternates
Clinton 5 Delegates, 2 Clinton Alternates


6. Rules of District Convention Delegate Selection.

a. Participation and Access. Participation in Virginia’s Democratic delegate selection process is open to all registered voters who wish to participate as Democrats. All meetings shall be open to all members of the Democratic Party regardless of race, sex, age, color, creed, national origin, religion, ethnic identity, sexual orientation, economic status, philosophical persuasion or disability, and all meetings should be publicized fully. Each county and city committee shall comply with the Affirmative Action provisions of the Delegate Selection Plan.

b. Filing. Any Democrat wishing to be a delegate to the Eighth District Convention must file a certificate of candidacy with the Chairperson of the local county or city Democratic committee, or a designated representative, by the filing deadline. For caucuses to be held on Saturday, April 19, 2008, the filing deadline is 5:00 p.m. on Monday, April 14, 2008. For caucuses to be held on Monday, April 21, 2008, the filing deadline is 5:00 p.m. on Wednesday, April 16, 2008. Only those delegate candidates who have filed by the deadline will appear on the ballots distributed at the caucuses.

c Declaration. The certificate of delegate candidacy shall include an affirmation that the person is registered to vote in the jurisdiction holding the caucus; is a Democrat; does not intend to support any candidate who is opposed to a Democratic nominee in the next ensuing general election; is not a member of any other political party; and has not participated and will not participate in the nominating process of any other political party for the 2008 Presidential election.

d. Candidate Preference. Each person filing as a delegate to the district and state conventions must designate on the filling form a candidate preference for the Democratic Party nominee for the office of President. The stated preference shall be binding on the delegates on the first vote at the District Convention.

e. Voluntary Administrative Filing Fee. The voluntary administrative filing fee paid by each candidate for delegate who pre-files for election to the district and state convention shall include $5.00 to be allocated to the Eighth Congressional District Democratic Committee. No person shall be denied the right to participate in the process due to nonpayment of the voluntary administrative fee.

f. Method of Election and Fair Reflection of Candidate Preference. Each jurisdiction shall be responsible for choosing the method for selection of delegates and alternates, consistent with the procedures of the Delegate Selection plan. Such delegate selection process shall ensure fair reflection of candidate preference as provided by the Delegate Selection Plan.

g. Certification of State and District Delegates and Alternates. Within five days after each caucus, each county and city Democratic Committee Chair shall provide the State Democratic Party and the Chair of the Eighth Congressional District Democratic Committee with a certified list of delegates and alternates including the name, address, telephone, fax and/or e-mail number (if available) and candidate preference of each delegate. The county or city chair shall also send one check to the State Party and one check to the District Chair containing each entity’s portion of the voluntary filing fees.

h. Rules and Notice. Each county and city Democratic Committee within the Eight Congressional District shall establish rules for its caucuses in conformity with this call, the State Party Plan, and the Delegate Selection Plan.

7. District Convention Rules and Committees. The District Convention shall be governed by the rules developed by the temporary Rules Committee and rules developed by the permanent rules committee and adopted by the Convention.

The Eighth District Democratic Committee shall appoint the members of the temporary Committees on Credentials, Rules and Resolutions. Each Committee shall be composed of 15 members. The membership of the temporary Committees shall be apportioned as follows:

Alexandria Three
Arlington Five
Fairfax Six
Falls Church One

The District Convention shall elect Permanent Committees on Credentials, Rules and Resolutions. Each committee shall be composed of 15 members. The membership of the Permanent Committees shall be apportioned in the same manner as the temporary committees.

8. Rules for Selection of National Convention Delegates. The Eighth District Democratic Convention shall elect seven delegates and one alternate to the 2008 Democratic National Convention. Three delegates shall be male (two Obama, one Clinton) and four delegates shall be female (two Obama, two Clinton).and the alternate shall be male (one Obama).

Persons seeking election as national convention delegates or national convention alternate must be identified as to presidential preference at all levels. Each candidate for delegate and each candidate for alternate must file a statement of candidacy indicating that person’s candidate preference with the State Party and the Eighth Congressional District Democratic Chair by 5:00 p.m. on Friday, May 2, 2008. To be eligible for election, delegate candidates and the candidate for alternate must be registered to vote in the Eight Congressional District.

The assembled convention shall divide into caucuses of delegates reflecting candidate preference and select National Convention delegates and alternate by written ballot. As noted above, the Obama caucus shall select two male and two female delegates and one male alternate. The Clinton caucus shall select one male and two female delegates. After selection by the caucuses, the convention as a whole shall vote to elect the National Convention delegates and alternate.

The Eighth Congressional District Democratic Chair shall certify in writing to the State Democratic Chair the election of the district’s delegates and alternates within 36 hours of their election.

9. Rules for Selection of the Presidential Elector. The District Convention shall elect one person to serve as Presidential Elector representing the Eighth Congressional District. Such person shall be pledged formally and in good conscience to the election to the Democratic Presidential and Vice Presidential nominees. All candidates for Presidential Elector shall file statements of candidacy with the Eighth Congressional District Democratic Chair by Friday, May 2, 2008 before 5:00 pm. All statements of candidacy shall include an affirmation that the person is registered to vote in the Eighth Congressional District; is a Democrat; does not intend to support any candidate who is opposed to the Democratic Presidential nominee in the next ensuing general election; and is not a member of any other political party.

Unless otherwise determined by the District Convention, voting for Elector shall be by written ballot and the candidate obtaining a majority of the vote shall be elected.

10. Rules for Nomination of Members of the State Democratic Convention Rules and Credential Committees. The assembled convention shall nominate three members to the state permanent credentials committee and three members to the state permanent rules committee. All persons seeking to be nominated for State Convention committees shall file statements of candidacy with the Eighth District Democratic Chair five days prior to the District Convention.

11. Resolutions. For a resolution to be considered at the Eight Congressional District Democratic Convention, the Eighth District Democratic Chair must receive it fourteen (14) days prior to the District Convention. For a resolution to be considered by the District Convention, the District Temporary Resolutions Committee must receive the draft resolutions by Friday, May 2, 2008, at 5:00 P.M. Resolutions should be mailed to the Convener of the Temporary Resolutions Committee, the Honorable Richard R.G. Hobson, at 99 North Quaker Lane, Alexandria, Virginia 22304 (o) 703-712-5437; (h) 703-370-1858).

Mailed resolutions must be received before the deadline, not merely postmarked by the deadline date. Resolutions may also be submitted before the deadline to the Chair of the Eighth Congressional District Democratic Committee or to any member of the Temporary Resolutions Committee.

All resolutions adopted by the District Convention shall be forwarded promptly to the State Temporary Resolutions Committee for consideration.

12. Filing Locations. All papers to be filed with the Chair of the Eighth District Democratic Committee shall be filed at the following address: Eighth Congressional District Democratic Committee, Margo Horner Chair, c/o Arlington County Democratic Committee Headquarters, 2009 North 14th St. Suite 612, Arlington, Virginia 22201 (phone: 703-528-8588; fax 703-528-2321).

All papers to be filed with the State Democratic Party or its chair shall be filed with the State Democratic Party of Virginia, 1710 E. Franklin St.,2nd Floor Richmond Va., 23223 (phone: 804-644-1966 or toll free 1-800-322-1144, Fax 804-343-3642).

Adopted by the 8th Congressional District Democratic Committee on March 17, 2008.