The Democratic Party of Georgia announced its participation in the Democratic National Convention Organizing Corps 2020 on March 8 to recruit, pay and train students as field organizers in battleground states.
The DNCOC 2020 targeted seven states that are nearing a switch towards electing Democratic candidates into office. Organizing Director Justin Pitts said that the program is looking for young, diverse and talented students expecting to graduate by spring 2020 to assist in election campaigns.
“If a student is interested in politics, if politics is their passion, this is the very best way to get in on the ground floor and is the best opportunity they have to get into politics and community organizing,” Pitts said.
In big election years, state and national parties, as well as individual campaigns, work together to assist in electing individuals into office. Pitts said that the DNCOC 2020 is an open door offered to students to have an inside look at what work in this field is like.
Communications Director of the Democratic Party of Georgia Maggie Chambers said that graduating seniors can find jobs as field organizers, but may not have an assortment of necessary or professional skills to exceed in the workplace.
According to the Organizing Corps 2020 website, training is paid and lasts from June 10 until the first week of August and is mostly focused on personal development. Pitts said that the skills obtained from the training will provide students the best information and skills possible to thrive in the workplace during elections and are transferable even for those who are not interested in politics.
Chambers said there is no guarantee of being offered a full-time position with the Democratic Party of Georgia after the program has ended. Hiring is based on student performance in the field during the elections.
“Georgia hasn’t really gotten the chance to be competitive in this kind of race in a really long time,” Chambers said. “We’re in a whole new place in Georgia. We saw what happened in 2018. We saw how close [the governor’s race] was. Being included in this groundbreaking investment really shows that the south is the battleground for 2020.”
According to the Democratic Party of Georgia website, the party works year-round to elect Democratic candidates that value a strong middle class, government integrity and justice and equality for all Georgians.
