The Facts About Political Party Committees

Political parties are broken up into "committees" (groups of party representatives) who make decisions at the national, state and local level. Committees select candidates for elected offices, adopt platforms, fill certain vacancies in elected offices, organize campaigns and when successful, provide a source of government appointees.

The major political parties (Republican and Democratic) consist of a national committee, 50 state committees and numerous county and local committees within each state. In addition, many states have intermediate committees that correspond to congressional districts and other voting boundaries. When you vote in local, state or national elections, your choice of candidates is primarily shaped by the corresponding local, state or national political party committee.

Political parties play a central role in determining who governs and what issues they prioritize. The individuals and groups that dominate the party structure have tremendous influence in national, state and local policy.

Take for example, the increasing power of Christian conservatives in American politics. Christian conservatives make up roughly 13% of the American public [1]. Beginning in the late 1980's, they began running for local political party committee seats in mass numbers. As of 2002, Christian conservatives held a majority of seats in 36% of all state Republican Party committees (18 states), plus large minorities (25-49% of members) in 81% of the rest [2]. Through their presence in local party committees, Christian conservatives have now become a major force shaping policy at all levels.

Americans of all types and backgrounds deserve a seat at the table. Luckily, there are thousands of vacant seats in political party committees. The only question is who will step up to take these seats and secure their voice in determining our nation's leaders and priorities.

Local committee persons represent the smallest voting district of the state. In New York and New Jersey, it is a single "election district." In other states, it may be a precinct, ward or township. These districts are defined by population and generally consist of 700-1,000 registered voters. In an urban area, an election district may cover just a few city blocks.

A local committee person is elected to represent all the members of his or her party that exist within the election district. In principle, a committee person should be the most accessible and nearby elected official for community residents. Depending on the state and county in which you live, there may be two or more local committee persons from each party within your election district.

Note: Although you might assume that a committee person would represent the actual election district in which they live, according to New York election law, a committee person is only required to live within the same county and assembly district as the election district they represent.

When elected, a local committee person is given a seat in the political party's town and county committee. They may also earn a seat on legislative and congressional district committees. Committee persons are generally required to attend an initial organizing meeting at which a Committee Chair is elected. From that point, how an individual makes use of this opportunity can vary. Some committee persons choose passive roles, attending a couple meetings each year and helping support local candidates for office. Others join subcommittees that address particular issues, conduct public outreach, fundraise for candidates, or help govern the party organization.

Active committee persons and strong leadership make for powerful committees. In the most influential committees, committee persons work like a machine - catering to individual needs and problems in their districts, forming a unified force for or against particular issues, actively campaigning for candidates, and mobilizing community residents to vote in elections. For individuals who want to develop their political influence, political party committees are a natural gateway to political power and higher office.

If you are over 18 years old and an enrolled voter of a political party, you can run for a local committee seat in your party. Requirements can vary by state so you should also check with your local Board of Elections when you decide to run.

Local committee persons are elected during their party's primary elections in most states. Any registered party member may get their name on the ballot by gathering signatures with a petition in advance. If, as often happens, there are no petitions submitted to get on the ballot, the committee person may be elected with write-in votes.

Click here for specific state-by-state details on how to run.

As little as one vote! Committee seat elections are rarely contested. Oftentimes, simply voting for yourself can get you elected to office. When a seat is contested, it may take a couple dozen votes to beat your opponent. In some cases, trying to unseat an incumbent can lead to active campaigning and a battle to see who can turnout the most voters but this is a rare occurrence.

Grassroots Initiative can help you navigate through confusing details about how to run for a local committee seat, answer questions and connect you to others in your community who are thinking about running for office. Our goal is to help individuals without significant political experience run for elected office and enter public decision-making. We're non-partisan and don't have a political agenda so there's no "catch-22" here.

Grassroots Initiative will not endorse candidates or help you get elected but we can provide resources, training and technical assistance to get you started. Once elected, we provide support networks and assistance for newly elected or appointed officials so that they may best represent the constituents in their election district.