Valley sees Democratic headquarters
A new office for the Cache Valley Democrats headquarters has opened on Main Street in Logan.
This is the first time in years the group has had headquarters outside of someone’s home, said Joyce Jensen, a volunteer at the new office, located on Main Street at 349 North.
“It’s been very productive. We have a presence in Cache Valley we’ve never had before,” she said.
Jensen said the main goals of the new headquarters is to provide a place to pass out educational and political materials, discuss issues and centralize activity among local members of the Democratic Party.
The new office is “centralizing our combined energy,” she said.
According the Cache Valley Democrats Web site, 35 percent of registered voters in Cache Valley have registered as Democrats. The site also says the mailing list for the organization is more than 2,000 people long.
“Hopefully [the new office] will bring out closet Democrats,” Jensen said. “Those who are sitting on the fence, if they knew there was a group to affiliate with, I think they would join.”
“It’s actually empowered some of the Democrats in the area to come out and say, ‘Yes, I am a Democrat’ and then take a sign to put on their front lawn,” said John Canchola, president of the USU College Democrats.
Educational forums are held at the office every Wednesday at 7 p.m., Jensen said, giving community members the chance to discuss political issues. Jensen said this Wednesday’s forum will focus on taxation.
There has been considerable traffic through the office, Jensen said, about 500 people have visited since it opened, and the “front and center” location has been the group’s best form of advertising.
All of the appliances and furniture in the new office have been donated, she said, and all work at the office is done on a volunteer basis. One donation to the headquarters was a television that was used to watch the debates, she said. About 50 people watched the debates at the new office, and was a great forum for public discussion.
“You have a group to sit with and share ideas with in person,” she said.
The group’s main means of support for Democratic candidates has been through the purchase of campaign materials and distribution to the public. Jensen estimates more than 200 Kerry campaign signs have moved through the office since it opened on Oct. 1.
“We haven’t been able to keep enough signs,” she said.
Buttons and bumper stickers have also been popular, she said.
Canchola said the visibility of the new office will also help to increase student involvement in the party.
“We’re getting out there and increasing our exposure in Cache Valley,” he said. “If students don’t know where to go to get information, they’re most likely not going to. This will increase students’ ability to get involved.”
Canchola said the College Democrats and Cache Valley Democrats work hand in hand to support their party.
“They depend on us for student help and volunteer time and we depend on them to help give us the direction and resources we need to get students involved,” he said. “They are always looking for students to volunteer and help with campaigns.”
The building was leased from a nearby bank and the lease will end in mid-November, Jensen said.
The new office has been such a success, she said. Bringing back a similar office during the next election year is a possibility.
The office is open from noon until 2 p.m. on weekdays and from 4 p.m. until dark on Saturday.
In addition to Wednesday night forums, the public can also attend the Cache Valley Democrat Council meetings Saturday at 8 a.m.
-bnelson@cc.usu.edu