David Parker has more real State Democratic Party experience — 35 years in state campaigns and fundraising for Democratic candidates — than any other candidate for Party Chair.
And The North Carolina Democratic Party needs strong, experienced leadership to win in 2012. From 1976 when he was Jimmy Carter’s North Carolina Youth Coordinator, through 2008 as an Obama Super-Delegate, David Parker has been that kind of leader.
At the local level he has been a successful Precinct and County Chair in Iredell County. At the State level, David has been State President of the Young Democrats of North Carolina and First Vice Chair of the NC Democratic Party.
At the National level he has served on the DNC since 1995. In addition, Parker has been a member of the NC delegation at every National Convention since 1984, when Party Chair David Price named him as a Page while he was President of the Young Democrats of North Carolina.
As campaign manager for Terry Sanford’s US Senate campaign in 1992, David ran a fundraising effort that raised $2.5 million. He has hosted dozens of fundraisers in his Iredell County home for local, statewide and national Democrats including Kay Hagan, Terry Sanford, John Edwards, Joe Biden and D.G. Martin.
He has consulted or managed innumerable local and Congressional campaigns. And in 2010, he was an instrumental leader in the drive to allocate Tax Checkoff moneys through the District Chairs to the grassroots at the County level.
Locally, Parker has been on the Finance Boards for the YMCA, Mitchell Community College, the Fort Dobbs historical site, and numerous smaller fundraising drives. The signal accomplishment of his term on the Iredell-Statesville School Board was raising money for schools.
Elizabeth, Carey, Sally, David and Sarah Parker
On The Road with David Parker
“I was one of four kids that went around the State in 1976 and warmed up crowds for Jim Hunt in his first campaign for Governor. Hunt was a phenomenal campaigner and a man from whom we can learn a lot,” Parker says.
Democrats from Waynesville to Wilmington have been serenaded by Parker and his Democratic tunes. “Folks want to have fun, even when they are working on the most serious of causes. Singing together is a great way to build a team,” said Parker who plans to encourage County Parties to select one team building charity annually to work together on. “Habitat or Adopt-a-Highway or Walk for America or the many cancer awareness walks all build team while advancing causes that we hold dear,” said Parker who has been active in March of Dimes, Habitat, United Way, and the Iredell Arts Council on which Board he sits currently.
“We have a lot of work ahead of us in 2012,” Parker said. “The GOP will be drawing new district lines, holding our Governor hostage whenever they can, and doing everything possible to put our State in their column for President in 2012. It is up to us to stop them.”
“If the next Party Chair cannot stand toe to toe with whoever the Republican Chair may be, then we will not have been well-served, “said Parker. “I had a great time whipping up on Bill Cobey at Boy’s State’s annual debates when he was GOP Chair and I was First Vice Chair – I say ‘bring ‘em on!’”
Parker sees communications as the key to victory in 2012 in North Carolina. “I started using email extensively to poll Democrats’ opinions in 2008 when I was choosing between Clinton and Obama – folks were helpful and I got a lot of ideas from that feedback,” said Parker. Parker has continued to periodically post news about DNC activities to SEC Members and was the first DNC Member to do so in North Carolina.
The road, though, will not be easy. Parker’s plans for his Chairmanship are ambitious: “The first thirty minutes after my election will see the creation and convening of an Association of County Chairs, a statewide network of local Roundtables for lawyers, grassroots activists, teachers, labor, business-folk, tax preparers, and other natural Democratic circles,” Parker said.
“We have not utilized the talents of our State Executive Committee, our former Party Chairs or our former Party Executive and Political Directors,” Parker said. “That will change in the first half hour after I am elected.”
“One of my initial focused efforts will be on the Checkoff Campaign. Small dollar fundraising in an era of Citizens United and the flight of donors to 527’s will be key to our Party’s health in 2012 and forward,” Parker said.
This will not be a cycle for the faint of heart. Parker will immediately convene a Best Practices Manual team of Democratic leaders from across the State. “We have had excellent staff,” Parker said, “but the talent pool in the field has not been tapped anywhere close to its potential. The last time we had a comprehensive manual was in 1964 when Jim Hunt designed one when he was YDNC President. Few books have been written since then that were any better.”
“2010 was a cycle with numerous bright spots,” Parker said. “Look at Mecklenburg County. Look at Larry Kissel’s campaign. What made the difference in some of the close State Legislature and Sheriff’s campaign that we can all learn from? How did OFA really work out in the field? What can we learn from the database to make 2012 more cost-efficient?”
Parker worked hard in 2010 to get funds for County and District level races.
“I count my experience getting moneys into the field in 2010 among my most enjoyable and rewarding since I have been working for our Party,” said Parker. For the first time ever, the Tax Checkoff Committee distributed money directly to counties for grassroots work, despite some maneuvering by opponents of the Plan. “Our Congressional District Chairs stepped up and made a difference when it counted in 2010,” Parker said. We will be evaluating how counties and districts spent their money so we can plan better for 2012.
Parker has also been active as an attorney in Democratic Party matters. He successfully sued a Republican Judge who was running outside of his district and obtained a court order stripping him of his Judgeship. Parker successfully kept a Democratic nominee for County Commissioner on the ballot who was accused by Republicans of not being eligible to run.
As an attorney, Parker has done work ranging from successfully defending a first degree murder case to complex real estate finance transactions to representing women in abusive marriages to obtaining Compensation for Workers whose rights had been trampled. ”I believe in the rule of law as the best protector of the rights of the people.”
Parker graduated Phi Beta Kappa from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill in Economics and obtained his law degree for the UNC School of Law where he was a Member of the Holderness Moot Court Bench.
David Parker’s family and church play a big role in his life. “My wife, Sally, and I met on a cold night in November of 1979 at a Young Democrats Platform Convention when she was President of the NCSU YD’s and I was just starting out as an Assistant D.A.,” said Parker.
Parker has been considered for North Carolina Party Chair dating all the way back to 1987. “I have never felt that the time was right for both me and the Party for me to be the Chair,” said Parker. “I was even nominated in 1999, but withdrew my name because I had given my word to Governor Hunt that I would support his candidate and my word is my bond.
“This year is different, though,” Parker continued. “We need a Party Chair who has fought in the trenches, raised money in the parlors, can talk with the Governor and the President comfortably and yet communicate with the people who make it all happen on the ground. I can do all of that and enjoy every minute of it.”
“And when Republicans in the legislature and in their Party offices try to knock down this Governor, this President or this Democratic Party, I will match them blow for blow and then some. I will stand by our Democratic principals and on our Democratic Platform – we stand for nothing less than the progress of civilization and we have to get the train turned back around on the tracks and headed in the right direction.”
“My goal is simple,” said Parker. “There will come another cold, but exciting evening in Washington in January of 2013 just like there was in 2009. And we will gather together as Democrats and friends who fought well together and watch President Obama sworn in for his second term. When that roll is called up yonder, we’ll be on it!”
