L.A. County Democratic Party
Director Clark Lee '04
Readies for Election

Clark Lee, CMC '04 Major: Government Soundbyte: "In recent years young people had been written off because the common mantra was that they simply don't vote. This year is different. This year, young people know that if they want to rid status quo, they need to vote. If they want to restore America's standing in the world, they need to vote. If they want a better future for all Americans, they need to vote. This year, youth is the margin of victory that will bring change to America." At a Glance: For two years, Clark Lee has worked as the political director of the Los Angeles County Democratic Party (LACDP), the largest local Democratic Party entity in the U.S., serving more than 2.2 million registered Democrats across 88 cities and towns.
Lee also is an elected executive board member and a state platform plank co-chair of the California Democratic Party. Previously, for nearly eight years, he served in various positions in the Democratic Party, Young Democrats, and College Democrats, at all levelsboth on staff and as an activist.
"I like to think that I work in a hybrid capacity that fuses the best of two possible worlds," Lee says, "combining professional campaign politics and grassroots activism and mobilization."
Lee says he got his political start at CMC as a freshman via the friends he made, his advisor and mentor (John J. Pitney Jr., the Roy P. Crocker Professor of American Politics), and the political opportunities he took. "I ended up working in politics through my CMC years, both professionally and as activist," Lee says. On California as a Key Democratic Stronghold: California is a solid blue state primarily because of the concentration of Democrats in key areas, especially Los Angeles County. According to Lee, it is almost mathematically impossible for any Democrat to win California without winning Los Angeles County. This year, the unforeseen "Big Blue Wave" sweeping through America has inspired many new voters to register to voteand register as Democrats.
"Here in Los Angeles County, home of CMC and the largest election jurisdiction in the United States, the Democratic registration increased by over a quarter-million and counting," Lee says, "while the Republican registration has increased by about 10,000 since January. There are now more voters in Los Angeles County than 30 other states, according to the Los Angeles County Registrar-Recorder." "Don't Stop at the Top": Pundits predict that the voter turnout this year will be tremendous, but for Lee, the challenge doesn't stop at electing Barack Obama as president and Joe Biden as vice president. "It is to make sure that all the Democratic voters 'don't stop at the top' and vote on all 'down-ballot' races like the statewide propositions, countywide measures, state races, and local races. We are also working to make sure that no voter is disenfranchised and that every vote is counted as cast. That's the focus of the LACDP, and that's a good part of my job." Back in the Day: "It was exciting on campus in 2004 because the Democrats had an opportunity to change the direction of the country. There were active 'Students for Kerry' and 'Students for Edwards' groups. That spring, Sen. John Edwards held a rally at Pomona College. During the primary (second semester of my senior year), I had the opportunity to work on statewide constituent outreach for the California Kerry campaign. That fall, when I returned to campus with Mr. Eric Bauman, LACDP Chair, to attend the Democrats of The Claremont Colleges meeting, he addressed a standing-room only crowd atop a chair. Spirits were high and motivation was strong. It was amazing." On Call 24/7: "There is no such thing as an 'average' day in politics," Lee says. "I am on call 24/7. It's exciting because we are constantly in action." Putting CMCers In the Mix: One of the greatest things about CMC is its alumni-student network, whether it is through official alumni channels or through existing friendship, Lee says.
Lee intends to continue the mentoring tradition that helped him during his student days by making sure that current CMC students have the same opportunities he had. "That's my CMC (occasionally 5-C) personal bias," he says. "And yes, rumors are true that a majority of my interns this year are either from CMC or the 5-C community."
Currently, Lee recruits CMC students to work with the Democratic Party through former interns, friends, and the Democrats of The Claremont Colleges. "I usually e-mail, text, instant message, or call current students on campus if I need something done urgently and efficiently," he says. "These days, I rely a lot on Nick Warshaw '09 and Carlos Hernandez '11. Whether it's 8 a.m. on a Saturday or 11 p.m. on a Tuesday, CMCers get the job done. They are pragmatic, politically savvy, and persistentbig pluses in politics." Hottest College to Attend: Totally unrelated to the presidential campaign was the alleged hate crime incident on campus that led to the 5-C anti-hate crime unity rally in spring 2004. "I co-organized media outreach and messaging for the rally," Lee says. "The whole world (literally) watched as thousands of Claremont students rallied together on Green Beach and united against hate and discrimination. Despite the eventual discovery of the real story behind the supposed hate crime, the unity rally was Claremont's activism at its best." The Princeton Review subsequently ranked CMC as the most politically active college in the nation in 2004. Getting Involved: "It sounds corny, but I think it is the most direct way to effect change and make a difference. I am a first-generation American who truly believes in America's time-tested political process that exists nowhere else. That's why I decided to become politically active and civically engaged before I could vote and that's why I work with many young political leaders to get more young people involved in the political process.
"That's why there are millions of new young activists working day and night to elect a president who will bring change to America. That's why there are millions of new young voters who will cast their vote for change on Election Day. That's their promise to their own future, and that's their promise to America to put her back on track.
"It goes without saying that CMCers understand the importance of voting, the importance of civic engagement, and the importance of political activism. CMC has always had hyper-active Democrats and Republicans, both on campus and off campus. I think that's what makes CMC what it is. As students, we test our skills in congressional simulations and student activism and aspire to change our community. Ands graduates, we make change happen."