Jeffrey Dodge - 170

My name is Jeff Dodge, and I am a Precinct Committee Officer (PCO) for Precinct 119, a member of the 42nd LD Democrats and Whatcom Democrats, and a volunteer for political groups like When We All Vote and Movement Labs.

I have also volunteered for multiple presidential campaigns, including Joe Biden and Kamala Harris; I am currently a Social Ambassador for the Biden-Harris campaign and, in the coming months, will continue ramping up my volunteer efforts. In 2012, 2016, 2020, and 2024, I was a delegate to the state convention, though I have never made it to the national convention.

Why have I worked to help get Democrats elected over the years? It all comes down to one word: equality.

Harvey Milk once said, “Rights are won only by those who make their voices heard.”

As someone who is a part of the LGBTQ+ community, I proudly support President Biden and Vice President Harris—the most consequential administration we have had in decades, and the biggest presidential champions of LGBTQ+ equality in American history.

There is a landmark in San Francisco called the Pink Triangle Memorial that honors LGBTQ+ people who died in concentration camps. If you go to this memorial, you can take a rose quartz stone, which I did. I always have it on my desk, so I see it in my line of sight every single day — and it serves as a constant reminder of where we have been as a community and that we must never go back to a time like that.

Here in the U.S., we are seeing public officials across the country stripping away rights from the LGBTQ+ community instead of protecting them, especially against trans people. If we do not make our voices heard, our rights will continue to disappear.

According to the Trevor Project, LGBTQ+ youth are far more likely to deal with symptoms of anxiety and depression. As someone who lives with mental health issues, this is very personal to me.

That is why I am running to be a delegate: so that the voices of the LGBTQ+ community are strongly heard at the Democratic National Convention and that we do everything we can to protect the community.

Thank you for considering me to be a delegate. (If elected, I plan to keep all of you informed by sharing photos and videos from the convention throughout the week on social media.) I would be honored to receive your support to represent Congressional District 2 in Chicago. Thank you!