New Heartland Leadership

After years of floundering a group of young political operatives decided to take over the Young Democrats in their state, raise money, and become the youth outreach leaders in Kansas.

After seeing an alarming shift between red to blue among 18-29 year old voters in Kansas, it wasn't surprising that young political staffers thought there was room to grow.

Tyler Longpine ushered in a new generation of leadership with a slate of candidates who have worked on campaigns and hold leadership positions in the state's county party system. In a recent interview he spoke with us about his hopes for the future and enthusiasm for young voters in Kansas.

"Throughout a series of post-mortem discussions following the 2008 Election it became evident that the long term viability of Kansas Democrats would require a committed effort to develop and retain the next generation of skilled operatives and candidates," Longpine says. "With the right leadership I believe the Kansas Young Democrats can be a partner in a crucial and historic party building effort that prepares young activists for political and public leadership."

YD Labor Caucus Chair Chad Manspeaker agrees

"I'm excited about all of the people who got elected because they are young professionals and they will give us the organization that we've greatly needed. Some of the best political minds in the state are in this group, and if you put these people in a room together they won't just hang out we'll get something done... we're doers."

Already filled with big ideas - Longpine is eager to develop his relationships among the parent party infrastructure and explain the importance of youth outreach to the establishment in Kansas.

"The first objective is to develop the Kansas Young Democrats into a viable, solvent and professional organization. Restoring credibility and financial solvency now will enable the organization to engage in chapter development and campaign activity during the 2010 midterms."

The biggest change is in plans for candidates and helping with their connectivity to young voters. Manspeaker believes candidate outreach is two fold

"One we must reach out to candidates and teach them how to connect through social media in a meaningful way that builds relationships between candidates and constituents, rather than someone you see on tv. Candidates are real people, we should let them be! The second part is that is we must elect more young people, I mean, who better to be in touch with young people than young people."

Longpine is ready to work with the YD's to encourage more peer to peer outreach to young voters and when it comes to candidates outreach is key.

"Many candidates now understand the importance of young voters. However, Young Voters still present an organizational challenge if you're unable (or worse, unwilling) to incorporate emerging media, technology, and peer-to-peer communication into your campaign.

We've all heard the concerns from candidates and campaigns; young people are transient, young people don't have land lines, young people are hard to organize, etc. These are valid organizational obstacles that require creative means of outreach."

With many YD chapters across the country electing new leadership, it is essential to have the kind of officers that see a clear path for candidate recruitment and outreach to young people. I'm encouraged by Heartland chapters like the Kansas Young Dems and I wish all of the new leaders the best of luck as they move forward.