The Midwest Region of YDA is comprised of North & South Dakota, Minnesota, Nebraska, Kansas, Iowa and Wisconsin.
The current Midwest Regional Director is John Owens-Ream, of Nebraska. He was elected by his Midwest peers at the Young Democrats of America 2006 Fall Meeting in Jackson, MS & reelected to a two-year term at the 2007 Biennial Convention March 31st.
If you would like more information on the Midwest Region, regional events, YDA; or if you would like to have an event listed, please email “director (at) midwestdems.com
Why A Regional Caucus?
The Young Democrats of America Charter provides for Regional Caucus’ for several reasons. They allow each region to have a more equal voice, and they foster the growth of new leadership away from the DC-Power-Clique that develops in any DC-based proffesional political organization. At its best, a Regional Caucus functions as a clearing house for regional information, a communications network among leaders, and an easy/personal intermediary between a chapter-leader and the general YDA leadership.
The relevent section of the Charter reads as follows:
SECTION 910 Directors of Regional Caucuses. Directors for each Regional Caucus shall be elected to two (2) year terms at Regional Conferences held between sixty (60) and one hundred eighty (180) days prior to the opening general session of each National Convention and shall serve until their successors are elected. …
SECTION 915 Regional Conferences. Regional Conferences may be called by the Director of the Regional Caucus upon thirty (30) days written notice to all National Committee members who are members of chartered units within that Region, or upon the failure of the Director to do so, by the President of the Young Democrats of America upon twenty-five (25) days written notice.
SECTION 920 Voting at Regional Conferences. Each chartered unit shall cast a vote at Regional Conferences equal to that chartered unit’s total votes cast at convention. This shall include limitations on the final vote totals imposed pursuant to the ratio of votes to delegates present, as indicated in the final report of the Credentials Committee at the previous National Convention. However, no chartered unit, including interim chartered units, shall be allocated less than five (5) votes. This section will not apply, if a Regional Caucus has adopted its own voting procedures within its Regional Bylaws.