What is a Democratic Club?

A Democratic Club is an official association of local Democrats who come together to discuss, debate, and work to promote Democratic candidates and legislation in their city, town, neighborhood, or region. They can be geographically-based, in which case they focus on a broad spectrum of issues in the communities they serve. They can also be issues-based, with a focus on one or more topics, such as gay rights or environmental matters. Some clubs also have a strong social component.

In addition to regular Democratic Clubs, special clubs exist for younger people. Young Democrat Clubs limit membership to people 35 years of age and under. College Democrat Clubs limit membership to faculty and students of a particular college or university.

In California, all Democratic Clubs are chartered by the Democratic County Committee in the county in which they reside. Each County Committee has different chartering requirements, but they generally boil down to acceptable bylaws, a membership of at least 20, and payment of a small fee. Chartering enables an association to call itself a Democratic Club, and use the word "Democrat," which is a trademark of the Democratic Party, in its name.

Once chartered, clubs often receive little input from County Committees, which are governed by state law. To improve the coordination of the California Democratic Club system, in 1952, Alan Cranston and a number of other Democratic leaders created the California Democratic Council (the "CDC"), whose site you are currently visiting. The CDC is the statewide association of Democratic Clubs and County Committees. All chartered Democratic Clubs and County Committees are automatically Associate Affiliates of the CDC. Many clubs choose to pay a fee and become full affiliates.

If you would like to find your local Democratic Club, please search in the box above. More information about Democratic Clubs and the CDC can be found throughout this site.