About Us

Dale County Democratic Committee

Vision 

We envision a community where democracy and freedom prevail with dignity for all

Mission 

To work in partnership with community leaders and citizens to strengthen and safeguard democratic institutions, processes, norms, and values to secure a better quality of life for Dale County citizens 

Values 

We believe there is not single democratic model, but certain core values are essential to all democracies; they include: 

Accountability:  Leaders are responsive to the public interest and people are able to hold their leaders responsible for their conduct through institutionalized checks and balances including regular, inclusive elections that are competitive and credibly reflect the popular will of the people. 

Transparency:  Political activity is open and subject to public oversight. 

Equity:  All people are treated justly and in accordance with their diverse conditions. 

Inclusion:  Diverse voices and views are sought, respected and incorporated. 

Pluralism:  Free, open, and peaceful competition of ideas is universally embraced.

Civic Participation:  People are able to exercise their political and civic rights and responsibilities freely, and do so actively and respectfully.

Rule of Law:  Laws promulgated by duly elected representatives are consistent with universal human rights, principles, adjudicated independently, and enforced equally.

Guiding Principles 

Our guiding principles spell out how we translate values of democracy into our work with one another and our partners to achieve our mission.

Teamwork:  We are committed as individuals and collectively to collaborate collegially across geographies, expertise, and experiences toward achievement of our mission.

Partnership:  We place priority on our partners county-wide as the centerpiece of our mission and programming, as they are the experts on their own experience.  We are open to working with all civic and political actors that support peaceful democratic change.  Empowering them is the key for democracy and freedom to prevail.

Quality:  We strive individually and collectively for excellence through research-based innovation and thought leadership, creatively learning and adapting based on evidence and respect for local context.

Responsibility:  We are individually and collectively responsible for our behaviors, actions, and the consequences of our actions to each other and to anyone with whom we interact.  We act at a time in ways that promote the security and well being of our colleagues as well as those who support or benefit from our work, adhering to “do no harm” principles.

Integrity:  We conduct our work based on the ethics of honesty and openness free from conflicts of interest and in the service of our mission.

Respect:  We respect all political views and act with humility.[1]

[1] Taken from the National Democratic Institute’s Vision, Mission, and Values statement.  14 November 2024 fm.

Dale County Democratic Executive Committee (DEC) Officers

Chair:  (Interim) Floyd Madrid

Vice Chair:  (Interim) Rick Skeen

Treasurer:  (Interim) Hayden Price

Secretary:  (Interim) Nicky Kennedy

Administrative Assistant:  (Interim) Melanie Kakwitch

Dale County Democratic Executive Committee (DEC) - What We Believe In

We believe and promote ideas, ideals, and core beliefs of the National Democratic Party but our focus is on Dale County because that's where we live. First and foremost, we are citizens of this county and its communities, guided by principals, rights, and responsibilities of good citizenship. We may be passionate about our beliefs. However, in this age of political partisanship, we strive to listen to the positions and opinions of all Dale County residents, even those positions we may not currently agree with. We just ask that we be given the opportunity to communicate our positions (and the rationale behind them) to an audience that is as open minded as we intend to be regarding the opinion of others. After all, we are all neighbors occupying the same region of the Wiregrass, and our similarities outweigh our differences. As good citizens, most of us want what is best for our community. We may have different perspectives on how to achieve this goal, but by listening respectfully and by showing a little empathy (putting one's self in another's shoes), we can arrive at solutions amenable to all.

It is said that “politics is the art of compromise” and Dale County Democrats are reasonable folks. However, there is a difference between compromise and being compromised. Citizens have both the right and the responsibility to vote, and we will vigorously fight any attempts to restrict or make more difficult any citizen's ability to vote. We believe in democracy and we believe in the rule of law, even as it applies to the wealthy and powerful. Through education and activism, we will fight the apathy and cynicism promoted by some to discourage political participation. We encourage citizens to better understand how their local government operates, to monitor its actions, to act as a watchdog, to participate on advisory boards, and to be willing to serve in elected office. “Serve” is the key word. We demand a lot of our elected officials. We want to appreciate the good ones and get rid of any that put their party or personal interests ahead of their constituents' interests.

We believe in the role of government, not to solve all of our problems, but as a means for constituents to act collectively to best address issues beyond the capabilities of individuals, groups, businesses, corporations, or other institutions. When others say that “Government is the problem,” and look to dismantle various government institutions that have served us well, we ask, “What is the alternative?” Some want to privatize what is now public education. Some want to let for profit businesses and corporations take over functions now performed by government. In practice, however, businesses and corporations only want to invest in areas they can profit from. For example, most private schools don't want to enroll special needs children because the cost to educate them exceeds the tuition they can realistically charge. Without government incentives, high speed broadband companies don't want to invest in rural areas because the cost per subscriber is prohibitive. Do we trust unregulated corporations to provide our food and medicines without FDA inspection and approval? Do we want the civil service dismantled so that government jobs can be awarded through political patronage rather than merit? Do we want the Affordable Care Act scrapped without an alternative even proposed? Do we want Social Security and Medicare gutted? Do we want our military turned into a mercenary force, like Russia's Wagner Group, that takes its marching orders from the highest bidder?

Democrats are sometimes unjustly labeled as “socialists” by our more partisan opponents, who believe there should be little or no restrictions or control of banks, business and corporations. We are not socialists. Nearly all of us believe in business and capitalism as an efficient means for management, capital, and labor to work together and provide a wide variety of goods and services for the public. That being said, we don't believe in unregulated capitalism where competition can be stifled, product safety can be sacrificed, workers can be abused, consumers can be cheated, etc. We believe that reasonable regulation allows an honest and honorable businessperson to compete against those who might otherwise be tempted to take shortcuts, while still allowing a decent monetary return commensurate with his efforts and risks. The degree of regulation necessary to achieve these simultaneous goals can be debatable, and Democrats are willing to listen to all parties, including the business community, to arrive at the best compromise.

As much as possible, Democrats strive to provide equal economic opportunity to citizens. (Equal economic opportunity is different from equal economic status, which can be the result of economic opportunity in addition to personal ability & talent, personal level of effort, luck, and other personal attributes such as confidence, ambition, attitude, leadership, charisma, communication skills, etc.) This is why we stress funding of public education. All children, regardless of their economic situation at home, deserve a chance to learn in a nurturing, stimulating, and challenging environment, with encouragement to reach their full potential.

Quality education alone is insufficient, however, if quality employment opportunities for young people don't exist after graduation. Historically, agriculture, food processing, and local business activity derived from agriculture income have been the economic drivers in this area. However, technological innovation has made agriculture less labor intensive, meaning a smaller number of agriculture derived jobs. Tourist traffic to and from Florida helps provide employment in gas station, fast food, restaurant, and motel businesses along US 231, but most of these jobs are not high paying. There are several manufacturing companies in the area, with most taking advantage of Alabama's lower cost of doing business, rather than paying extra for any special skills offered by our residents. Federal spending at Fort Novosel helps offer well paying jobs, especially to those with special skills. Well paid health care professionals, many who work in neighboring counties, reside in Dale County and contribute significantly to the local economy. Retirees from other parts of the country, many with federal and military pensions, reside here and also provide positive economic impact.

We point out these economic facts to illustrate that much of Dale County's economy originates with spending from the federal government, whether it be at Fort Novosel (military payroll, civil service employment, contractor employment, skilled union laborers) at area hospitals and physicians (Medicare, Medicaid) or from retirees (federal & military pensions and Social Security). Alabama typically receives much more in federal benefits than it pays in federal taxes. For example, a 2020 analysis of FY 2019 federal taxes and expenditures showed that Alabama received $2.17 in federal spending for every $1.00 of federal taxes collected in Alabama, the fourth highest ratio for states in the nation. Please keep this in mind when our elected officials vote against passing a budget to fund our federal government, or, even worse, vote to default on payment for past goods and services already provided. If you refused to pay your bills, what do you think would happen to your credit rating? Fortunately, members of Congress more responsible than Barry Moore voted against defaulting on our federal debt.

While we appreciate federal government investment in our local economy, most of us would also like to see more private sector investment in Dale County. Any large private sector investment will likely come from outside the Wiregrass, maybe from outside of the Southeast, and perhaps from foreign business entities. When Alabama politicians and elected officials engage in “culture wars” in attempts to energize their political base, they communicate a level of intolerance to the outside world that reflects poorly on Alabama and this region. Companies may think twice about relocating here, if they are concerned about the reproductive rights / women's health of their employees and their employees' families. Foreign corporations may be concerned about prejudice and discrimination, when right wing politicians try to equate migrants to drug smugglers, Muslims to terrorists, or LGBTQ individuals to child predators . Business leaders and other professionals may question the local educational system or the region's intellectual curiosity when politicians attempt to ban books, rewrite history, or deny scientific facts they label as being “woke.”

As a general rule, the Dale County Democratic Party does not promote any particular cultural position, but we do believe in tolerance, choice, and diversity of ideas. Based on their background, religion, moral compass, personal experience, and other factors, individual Democrats are free to embrace or reject various cultural and philosophical positions. However, we encourage tolerance and understanding, and we try to learn from one another rather than let any philosophical differences divide us into rival factions. We believe in individual freedom to the maximum extent that it can be achieved without adversely impacting the freedom and well being of others.

This is who we are. If you share many of these ideals and those of the Alabama Democratic Party (please see below), why don't you join us as we rebuild our local Dale County Democratic Party. Currently we hold our monthly meetings in Ozark on the second Monday of each month. As we grow and get better organized, we will be looking to recruit precinct captains (leaders) in each of the 16 voting precincts found in Dale County. Where there is interest, we encourage the development of smaller community based Democratic groups, with “community” defined as a geographic location (Newton Democrats as a hypothetical example), or a particular demographic group (for example, a Dale Democratic Women's group), or a group based on a common background / interest (for example, a Wiregrass Democratic Veterans' group). If you just want to volunteer, there will be many future opportunities, some of which are outlined on our website.

Alabama Democratic Party Principles

The Alabama Democratic Party holds to these principles:

• That government functions best when it is closest to the people.

• That Democrats are determined to provide economic opportunity for all Alabamians. It is our purpose to take maximum advantage of the bountiful natural resources with which we are blessed. We work for the day when no young Alabamian must go beyond the confines of our State to find opportunity. We are committed to the creation of a climate, which will foster a greater growth of industry and agriculture.

• That a quality system of public education is the cornerstone of all our attainments and the foundation of our hopes for the future; that we must relentlessly strive to attain such a system so that every child is afforded full opportunity to realize his or her God-given potential.

• That in recognition of our dependence on modern links of transportation, the Democratic Party seeks not only major expressways, but also airways, railways, waterways, and local roadways extending to even our most remote areas. We are determined to develop transportation facilities that are second to none and we acknowledge that we must bear a significant financial responsibility in this undertaking.

• That the Democratic Party is committed to clean air and water. We recognize that the complex problems of our era necessitate governmental action, control of which must be in the hands of the people and not those whose regulation has become unavoidable.

• That the Democratic Party holds it to be a significant public trust to provide for the needs of Alabama's people in the fields of public health, both physical and mental. We must give a helping hand to every Alabamian who can be rehabilitated and restored to self-sustaining citizenship and such services must be administered with compassion and competence.

• That the distribution of our state's tax burden should be without discrimination either for or against any region. Those who benefit most from our free enterprise system should bear a proportionate cost of its maintenance. We condemn all schemes of taxation, which shift a disproportionate burden of government onto to the shoulders of those who are least able to pay.

• That the Democratic Party recognizes the importance of full and free collective bargaining in a free society.

• That the people are entitled to honest and ethical government; that it is demanded of all public servants that they make complete, current, public disclosure of all potential conflicts of interest; that in carrying out their public trusts they serve no master save only the people; and that they fairly make and administer the laws without fear or favor. It is the duty of all public servants to relentlessly support and enforce the highest ethical standards without any regard to political exigencies of affiliations.

• That the preservation and protection of our natural resources is a sacred obligation to unborn generations of Alabamians; that the development of our parks, recreational facilities, historical sites and wildlife is among the highest duties of our state.

• That it is the duty of our State government to provide imaginative leadership and to strengthen the capacities of our free enterprise system in meeting the challenge of providing decent housing for all Alabama citizens.

• That a fundamental duty of public service is to provide an honest dollar's worth of service for every public dollar spent. The continuing and pressing needs of our State make discharge of this high duty even more compelling.

• That it is the inalienable right of every Alabamian to face the future with dignity and without fear. We must assist the sick, poor, the aged and others in need with compassion and with realistic awareness of today's needs.

• That the government is of laws and not of men. We condemn any resolution of men's conflicts save through the legal processes. The Democratic Party stands for law and order and for a total and increasing war against crime, for the strengthening of our law enforcement agencies, and for justice under the law.

• That every citizen no matter what his religion or race or how humble or exalted his origin or station owes the duty to participate fully at every level of government and is entitled to an equal voice and to equal treatment at its hand; that all Democrats are bound to defend, protect and honor our Nation, our state, or Party, that when they are right, it is our privilege to sustain them, that when they err, it is our duty to correct them.

• That as Democrats, we are proud and upright citizens of the United States; that we are determined not only to serve here, but also to stand shoulder to shoulder with citizens of our sister states in giving meaningful, responsible and constructive leadership such as befits a great Nation.