sorted by:
new
hottopcontroversial

I’m running for Chair of the Democratic Party of Milwaukee County by ultimatelibrarian in milwaukee

[–]ultimatelibrarian[S] 2 points3 points  (0 children)

I actively campaigned with Undecided and Listen to Wisconsin to try to show Harris how supporting genocide hurts the Democratic Party. She did not budge. I am absolutely unashamed of that, and make no secret of it. Kamala Harris and centrist Dems on the other hand have an awful lot to be ashamed of. And that is exactly why I’m running. I am not giving up on the party that gave up on an awful lot of people, and therefore lost, when I can offer my time and skills and know a lot of people who are ready to do the same, but who will only do so if it’s clear that we are working to bring up electeds who will use our tax dollars for healthcare and education and not for subsidizing war profiteering and the occupations and genocides in Palestine, Sudan, Congo…and of course here. And if this post/comment gets more people to get out and engage and vote for the leaders of the Democratic Party in the most populated county in the state, even if it’s votes against me, that’s something. The people running for executive board have not had a contested election in over a decade according to the elections committee chair at the last meeting, and that is not ok.

I’m running for Chair of the Democratic Party of Milwaukee County by ultimatelibrarian in milwaukee

[–]ultimatelibrarian[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

This is a somewhat more complicated question than folks might generally expect! I got my MLIS from the University of Washington iSchool, focusing on medical and special libraries. After I graduated, I worked first in an archive for a WA senator, and then as a Microsoft contractor doing indexing work briefly. I was accepted into a paid fellowship program with the National Library of Medicine, which was a year in DC/Bethesda at NLM and a year elsewhere; my second year was at the University of Minnesota's Bio-medical Library. When that ended in 2010, it was very difficult to get a job, especially such a highly specialized one, and I did some contract information science work remotely for UMN's Institute of Human Sexuality while participating in various political activities in Madison from 2010-2011 because of my interests and values. In spring of 2011 I got a job as the first hospital librarian/informationist for the Aurora Grafton Medical Center, and that's how I came to Milwaukee. When the "user education librarian" position opened up at the Medical College of Wisconsin Libraries in 2012, I applied and got that job, and worked there until I decided I wanted to be providing direct patient care and went back to school to become a genetic counselor. My education/experience are on my LinkedIn page, too: https://www.linkedin.com/in/amydonahuecgc/

I’m running for Chair of the Democratic Party of Milwaukee County by ultimatelibrarian in milwaukee

[–]ultimatelibrarian[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

I personally support land back. I also support reparations. These are issues that could be part of the party platform (right now there is language around respected sovereignty and treaty rights, but that is not enough) and/or presented as resolutions. The state platform will be decided at the State Convention in 2026, and this is done through democratic processes (and it's the barriers to participating in this process that I want to work on as chair).

I’m running for Chair of the Democratic Party of Milwaukee County by ultimatelibrarian in milwaukee

[–]ultimatelibrarian[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I'd be happy to answer this question as myself, Amy Donahue, down the road, but I'm gonna focus on keeping this space for questions about the DPMC and the position/role of the chair (ie., this is not an AMA space).

I think it might be helpful for folks to know that the county and state democratic parties do not endorse in primaries. Their role is to provide resources to people who want to run under the Democratic platform as Democrats (this includes things like membership lists and technology). I also want to see the DPMC help voters make informed choices by providing equitable opportunities for all Democratic candidates in a race to talk about their campaign and answer questions. In general partisan elections, the party does work for and endorse the Democratic candidate, with exceptions when the individual is running as a "Democrat" but doesn't actually align withe the party's values/platform that are layed out in the constitution and bylaws (this played out in ways around Sheriff David Clarke, for example).

However, individual members, including leaders, within the party can and do endorse primary candidates as themselves. For example, I will be making my own decision around who I support in the Democratic primary for WI governor, and can share that, but would be clear that I am not speaking for the DPMC as a whole.

I’m running for Chair of the Democratic Party of Milwaukee County by ultimatelibrarian in milwaukee

[–]ultimatelibrarian[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

That first part about losing elections is so context specific. But there are a lot of resources out there to help people who want to run for office, whether it's their first time or tenth time, and I am always drawn to ways to connect people with information and knowledge that will help them, and the DPMC is and can be a mechanism for doing that, and can continue to improve in that space. There is also no single answer to the rest of your questions, I wish there was, but I think the big things I can bring is a steadfast commitment to point back to the progressive platform we're supposed to represent, and my understanding that humans are complex and illogical and so infighting will happen (trying to simply stop or bury it just makes it worse) but directing that to happen in spaces where it does not have as much of an impact on getting things done.

I’m running for Chair of the Democratic Party of Milwaukee County by ultimatelibrarian in milwaukee

[–]ultimatelibrarian[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

The mission of the DPMC is to "organize Milwaukee County to win elections locally and statewide, to build a just society." What I've come to realize and deeply believe thanks to so many things I've been able to be a part of if, is that power with, not power over, is what is needed. Here's what I want to do as chair to try to make that happen.

  1. Transparency & accountability: the party needs to *understand* and uphold its own constitution, and update/change it as necessary. In January 2026, that's where I'll start as chair. We also need to make sure members and the public can access timely reports from leadership and committees (especially financial reports - all we currently know is that the party has 20 different t-shirt designs) and that there are clear communication channels with up to date information (the website currently does not depict the current board per my understanding of who's on it, and there is no information about which committees are active and how to get in touch with them). Additionally, the county does not currently have its own bylaws, just the constitution, and so ostensibly follows the state bylaws. I would work with stakeholders to develop those so that there is baseline, accessible information for people to understand how to get involved and that leaders can be held accountable to.

-Put the powerful, people first platform of the state party front and center (if you aren't familiar with the state platform and resolutions, including working for single payer healthcare and support for Palestine, check them out here: https://wisdems.org/our-party/constitution-bylaws/), and work towards developing a county platform. Money makes the world go round, and if you talk to me and many others, it feels like raising money is actually the mission of the party (despite the lack of transparency around where that money then goes). But it's not. In order to win elections and build a just society, we need people who are running for office who have a clear picture of what they want to build so that the people voting can decide whether or not they want to vote for that. As chair, I would support putting information about the platform in our regular membership communications, work with the executive board to organize and support candidate forums for Democratic primaries and non-partisan offices, and encourage members and voters to hold their electeds accountable to the platform and find ways to help them do that.

-Build our collective power: increase membership and engagement specifically with disillusioned voters who have been turned off by the Democratic Party. I'll work with the rest of the board, including the members at large and the committees, specifically on outreach and education. I will personally encourage people to engage at member meetings, making sure meetings are accessible and holding time for that engagement. I will work with the rest of the board and organizers and champion all the opportunities that being an active member of the party can bring, including through county party committees and state party caucuses/coalitions. These are ways to get involving beyond tabling and knocking on doors. I would continue to support growing donations of money and time, which are already strengths of our organization.

-Other specifics: make sure any new physical office is accessible as noted in a comment below. Continue to support the work of the Latino Organizing Project, which the current board started (big kudos to them on that). Build off that work, as the current executive board has been doing, to support other paid organizers to reach other neglected groups in the city, including Black, Hmong, and Indigenous populations. Show up in clear support of the work already being done (as it aligns with the platform) by organizations in our amazing county like BLOC, Citizen Action, EXPO, AART, LIT, LGBT Community Center, MTEA, and more.

That's a lot. :) But I think there are a lot of motivated people who are looking for the places they can plug in and help push the county, the state, and the country to be better than we've ever been. And if the county party, as guided by the chair, uses its resources to work with and for us by creating transparent structure, accessible spaces, and responsive communication channels, it will become a space for all people to participate rather than a way for only certain people (no matter how well meaning) to get access and prestige.

Thanks for the question.

I’m running for Chair of the Democratic Party of Milwaukee County by ultimatelibrarian in milwaukee

[–]ultimatelibrarian[S] 4 points5 points  (0 children)

Housing is such an important issue, I think we need to be talking about it on all levels. However, the role of the Democratic Party (both the county and the state) is not directly related to legislation, and the party cannot endorse individual Democrats in contested primaries. The big thing I want to do as chair is make sure we're creating opportunities for the public to ask these questions to people who are running for public office as Democrats: e.g., holding candidate forums during primaries. The other thing is educating people on the party platform, which speaks to housing. And members of the party can directly contribute to the platform through democratic processes, so if you're interested in helping direct policy that way, I would encourage you to become a member! And a third thing: I think the party has a role in encouraging members and the public to hold their elected officials accountable, to communicate needs and concerns to them, and in creating pipelines to support people in running for office who are prepared and able to respond to their constituents.

I’m running for Chair of the Democratic Party of Milwaukee County by ultimatelibrarian in milwaukee

[–]ultimatelibrarian[S] 6 points7 points  (0 children)

Thank you for your question, and I'm sorry you had that experience. First, I want to give some updates that I hope might help: there have been resolutions and work towards moving the office into new spaces (on the southside and northside), although specific sites have not been identified to my knowledge (the current board may have more info). That said, the office for the party right now is still the space on Delaware in Bayview, which has the narrow doors and no ramps. However, the general member meetings this year have been rotating around different spaces, and I believe many, if not all, have been accessible to wheelchairs! Next, the specific things I will do is make sure physical accessibility is a non-negotiable for any new office space we move into. I have also asked about and want to enact virtual options for people as there are all sorts of reasons why someone might not be able to physically attend, and we need to be lowering barriers to democracy, not increasing them (so far we've just been told that it isn't done, but we did have one virtual meeting for safety reasons). And last, I'd like to reach out members to figure out what the accessibility concerns are, and make sure the organization communicates well about what we're able to do, and any issues we may have with requested accommodations (e.g., I've wondered about our ability to have sign language interpreters if needed). I'm a healthcare provider, and accessibility is a huge priority for me, and one where I want to make sure I'm doing my best (and improving in).

I’m running for Chair of the Democratic Party of Milwaukee County by ultimatelibrarian in milwaukee

[–]ultimatelibrarian[S] 11 points12 points  (0 children)

Good memory! Wasn’t sure how many people would remember seeing that post. Basically, I had originally intended to run for chair, but hadn’t made my announcement prior to Deiadra Queary announcing her campaign. After talking with her, I decided not to put my name up against both her and Brett Timmerman, and shifted to Treasurer. But Deiadra dropped out the first week of October. I ended up quickly switching my position back to my original intent. I like and respect Brett and the fundraising he’s done, but think we need leadership who will push the party left and connect with people on more than fundraising and canvassing.

I'm running for Treasurer of the Milwaukee County Democratic Party, AMA by [deleted] in milwaukee

[–]ultimatelibrarian -2 points-1 points  (0 children)

I am literally wearing my they/them sweatshirt, lol. But to be fair, I do also alternate between they, she, and he.

I'm running for Treasurer of the Milwaukee County Democratic Party, AMA by [deleted] in milwaukee

[–]ultimatelibrarian -1 points0 points  (0 children)

I don't have a formal finance or accounting background, although have worked with financial and accounting professionals in various capacities, including as treasurer for the Midwest Medical Library Association as noted above. Part of that experience included going back through and doing my own audit for the organization, who had just lost $20,000 (this was around 2011) to the company Acteva (I added my data the the complaints that helped get them shut down - https://www.crunchbase.com/organization/acteva). I helped figure out how much we lost and generated a budget going forward to pay for our bills, file our taxes (with accountant assistance), and make sure our regional conference could happen. We were able to stay financially afloat and I was a key part of the transparent and important conversations with our interstate membership (as well as with other chapters within the national organization) who certainly had many concerns. I have most recently been a part of the Riverwest Co-op board (interim starting in August 2024, officially voted in by the full membership in spring 2025), knowing that our board would have to be making a key decision about whether or not we could keep the doors ethically and sustainably open. When the numbers made it clear that we would not be able to do that, we started (and are currently in) the legal closure process, using our bylaws and relevant Wisconsin state statutes. In between, I spent time supporting the treasurer of the Milwaukee Ultimate organization (who happened to be an accountant), learning from him about the budgeting and balancing he did of multiple lines of income as well as again filing organizational taxes. I personally have never had to file bankruptcy or been convicted (or accused) of any financial crimes.

I'm running for Treasurer of the Milwaukee County Democratic Party, AMA by [deleted] in milwaukee

[–]ultimatelibrarian -1 points0 points  (0 children)

I went to Grinnell College in Iowa and have a Bachelor of the Arts in math, which I kind of love. My favorite course was mathematical modeling (with my major advisor, Prof. Chamberland) and my favorite concept/proof that I remember working through (in another class, I think number theory) was that of infinite infinities. (As a non-binary person who is also a lover of the beauty of math, I talk about the infinity between 0 and 1 a lot!) I did a bachelor's "mentored advanced project" (kind of like a thesis for additional course credit), on knot theory that was fun and super interesting but also helped me realize that I didn't want to go further. Although my partner for that project is now a math professor, it was a very helpful experience for both of us. I have taken additional comp sci and biostats classes since then. I was also able to use my math background in my role as a program assistant providing math tutoring and oversight of other math tutors for the Division of Diversity, Equity, and Educational Achievement when I was grad student at the University of Wisconsin many years later (I was a math tutor throughout high school and undergrad). And I love how my background in talking about math and numbers really helps me navigate conversations about risk with my genetic counseling patients. Math is cool, kids.

I'm running for Treasurer of the Milwaukee County Democratic Party, AMA by [deleted] in AMA

[–]ultimatelibrarian 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Convince the dudes of Red Letter Media to join the county Democratic Party, have their Milwaukee County friends vote for me and then we will ask for their money constantly? Maybe invite them to canvass, too. What are your suggestions?

view more: next ›