How a Political Machine Works: 21 People Running for Office, Unaware

[LiberalArkie]

Aisha Riaz and her husband, Jesse Rose, wanted to run for Queens Democratic County Committee but were disqualified, even as Ms. Riaz’s opponent was nominated without her consent by party leaders.

This much is certain: Helen Gambichler is running for office.

She is the Queens Democratic Party bosses’ nominee for a spot on a little-known body called the Democratic County Committee.

County committee members are the very blades of grass of grass-roots politics in New York, the worker ants of participatory democracy. There are more than 1,100 Democratic committee members in Queens alone, most representing only a few blocks, all of them unpaid. Collectively, though, they have the power — at least in theory — to choose candidates for higher office and even determine party policy.

There is just one problem: Ms. Gambichler, a 72-year-old retired court clerk, did not know she was running for anything. Nor does she wish to run. “I have no idea what that’s about,” she said.

More

https://www.nytimes.com/2018/08/24/nyregion/queens-candidates-nominated-without-knowing.html

[David__77]

1. Good to draw attention to the practices of Democratic organizations.

I hope that participation in elections is a simple and clear process.