YCDP-TV

DeShawn Blanding’s‍ ‍life trajectory has been headed for this - running for Commissioner of Agriculture - since high school, when he was elected President of his chapter of the Future Farmers of America. In this episode he tells us about his extensive career advocating for farmers and agriculture… and for everyone who has a connection to food, such as people who like to eat… while holding positions in and out of government.Ag Comm is more administrative than political. They don’t set policy (that’s done in the legislature), but they can be a strong advocate. They can’t control grocery prices. DeShawn told us he would favor the office being non-partisan, but at present it is partisan and subject to Republican straight-ticket voting.

When you meet Tiffany Boozer, your first impression is probably not math whiz. Once you get past her name, you find she is young, energetic, outgoing, dare we say ‘spunky’? And she has a passion for… auditing ✏. Didn’t see that coming. If you’ve ever struggled to balance your checkbook (kids, ask your parents), that’s a challenge she would jump at. And as it turns out, she gets to help balance the checkbook for the entire state of South Carolina. Tiffany is an auditor in the Comptroller General’s office in Columbia, and now she’s running as a Democrat for the top job in that office. She is a CPA, and her platform is competency — she wants to run a professional shop, as a professional. And not as a politician. She would prefer the office be appointed, not elected, or at least be a non-partisan office if it has to be on the ballot. But it’s not (yet), so she’s running as a Democrat.Turns out the current Comptroller is also a Democrat (didn’t see that coming, either). He was appointed by Governor McMaster to clean up the mess after the previous Comptroller let errors creep into the state’s books over a decade, to the tune of over a Billion dollars (so he quit). it wasn’t stolen, it wasn’t ‘missing’… it was bad accounting. But the current Comptroller doesn’t want to run, and he convinced Tiffany to go for it.She does have a Primary opponent, Bruce Cole, so for the moment her sights are set on the June 9 Primary. And by the way, we mention in the episode that we couldn’t find a website for Mr. Cole. Well, Google couldn’t find it, but the Horry County Democrats did, and we found it through them.We enjoyed getting to know Tiffany, and we think you will, too.

Let’s get to know Rustin TerryRustin is running for the South Carolina House from District 48, the Lake Wylie area of York County. Rustin has no Primary competition, so he and incumbent Republican Brandon Guffey head straight to the General Election in November.Rustin joins YCDP TV host Gary Pearce for this in-depth conversation. He has a web page in the works, but meanwhile reach him at this Facebook page.

Andrew Clough is running for Congress in the South Carolina 5th District in the 2026 Democratic Primary. His Primary opponent is Mallory Dittmer. The winner of that Primary will face Republican Wes Climer and Worker Party candidate Andy Kaplan in the November 3 General Election to take the seat being vacated by Ralph Norman, who is running for Governor.YCDP TV is inviting Democratic Candidates from across the election to come chat with host Gary Pearce, and this is our leadoff interview. All the interviews will be collected in this YouTube Playlist.Check out all of our election information on our web site:Meet the CandidatesVoting in York CountyYork County Political Maps

The third nationwide NO KINGS protest brought out York County progressives for two events on March 28. In the morning it was between Fort Mill and Tega Cay at Hwy 160 and 460. In the afternoon the familiar spot along Dave Lyle Blvd in Rock Hill. Here's a quick review, and a message from two candidates: Mallory Dittmer (running for US House from SC 5) and Pete Martinez (running for SC House District 47).

The 2026 York County Democratic Party Convention is history, and it was awesome. And YCDP Chair Nikita Jackson was keeping a secret 🤫. Before the convention, we had just a handful of Democratic candidates for the various offices affecting York County. After… every State House office has a Democratic Candidate. The Convention featured speakers for most Statewide races and almost all local races. It’s a long list, so check the YouTube videos DESCRIPTION area for a time-code index to each element of the event.Our Keynote Speaker was JA Moore, Representative from SC House District 15, and he brought the house down.We’re working on excerpting video from each candidate’s speech, and they’ll be in a YouTube Playlist once they’re all done.

This episode contains some explicit language 💣In a week when Trump invaded Venezuela and ICE killed an activist, York County turned out on Dave Lyle blvd in Rock Hill to join the nation for another protest. Meet some of your neighbors, and Congressional Candidate Mallory Dittmer, running for the seat vacated by Ralph Norman.

York County turned out in force for the second nationwide No Kings protest, sponsored by YCDP, York County Rising, Indivisible, 50501 and many others across the country (and around the world). We got this video after producer Gary Pearce rushed from his flight from London down to Rock Hill on Saturday, October 18. Earlier, another York County protest happened betweet Fort Mill and Tega Cay.You’ve proably heard Republican leadership call this the “Hate America” rally. Just shows how out of touch they are. Actually, they probably don’t believe it… they just feel they have to trash anything we do, especially when it’s wonderful.

The YCDP TV Media Empire was actually on a mini-vacation up in the North Carolina mountains as we edited Part One of this story, so kind of a rush job and we left a few things out. So here in Part Two, we stuff them back in. That includes a little more history, a little more analysis, and some media stories from WRHI Radio, WSOC TV9, and the Rock Hill Herald newspaper.

LListening to their lawyer, the York County Library Board wasn’t ready to institute a new policy of moving books written for children about LGBTQ+ issues, or just including LGBTQ+ characters, from the Children’s section to the Adult section at it’s August meeting. Instead, they will have “continuing discssions” about the matter until… who knows?The meeting was held at noon on August 14 at the main branch of the Library in Rock Hill. Attendance was limited to 60, with public comments from six speakers, limited to two minutes each. At its July meeting, the Board dropped the requirements that public comments must address agenda items, with three ‘for’ and three' ‘against’. Instead, the public may comment on any issue. The YCL web page has yet to reflect that change.Members of Support YCL arrived early, some before 10 AM, to make sure they would get in and secure speaking slots. It turned out that they dominated the audience, with only a few supporters of the Board’s expected new policy in the room, and only one speaking.After public comments, Treasurer Dennis Getter reported that the Policy Committee had turned the draft of their LGBTQ+ policy over to the County attorney, and expected to review “partial comments” in the Executive Session. He said they “have been forwarned about lawsuits and we’re proceeding very cautiously with the correct policy.”Then Chair Tim Steele adjourned the meeting to begin their Executive Session, which means the public was not permitted to hear the County attorney’s report or the Board’s discussion, and the audience filed out. Support YCL took the opportunity to take a group photo with the paper Links of Love chain, with each loop representing someone who signed a petition to oppose the draft policy.When the Executive session was over and the audience was seated again, Chairman Steele reported that the Board took no action. Support YCL members discussed that with some Board members, and learned that the board would “continue discussions” about the policy in committee meetings. No date was set for future action.

Meet some more of the activists who occupy a block of Dave Lyle Blvd in Rock Hill ever other Saturday! 2-4 PM. And/or drop by the Indivisible folks at 10 AM Mondays as they protest and drop some mail on Ralph Norman's doorstep. 516 Oakland Ave, Rock Hill, SC. Also, the YCDP Executive Committee has it's quarterly meeting on Saturday, August 16 at 10 AM, either on Zoom or — for the first time in a few years — in person. Same place we had the YCDP Convention earlier this year. Check your email, the Facebook Group, or the Newsletter for details. All YCDP Democrats are welcome.

The YCDP TV Media Empire crew was handling family stuff on Saturday while the nationwide Rage Against the Regime coincided with York County Rising's bi-weekly Dave Lyle protest. Fortunately, reporters and crews from WCNC and WBTV both covered the event. And we stole their reports. If you can't make it every time, come when you can. And at the end of this video is a short PSA on something else you can do: send postcards.

York County Council Republicans have been playing a long game with the county library system. They didn’t have much choice, but a culture war battle that started in 2022 is finally about to be completed.In 2022, Councilman Tom Audette started making noise about a list of children’s books in the library that addressed LGBTQ topics. He didn’t invent the issue—it had been a hot potato in right-wing circles for a while in other areas of the state and nation. Back then, behind the scenes, he was reported to be floating the idea of banning some of those books—removing them from the library completely. As the question became more public in 2023, he and cohorts realized that banning the books was a bridge too far. They proposed moving the books to the adult section, a “reasonable” solution that meant children… even older teenagers… wouldn’t come across them. The library board said ‘no’. The books were where they belonged.The County Council—a seven-member group with six Republicans and one Democrat—didn’t think it would be wise to appear to micromanage the Library Board. The strategy was to replace the Board. Step one was to get rid of the three At-Large positions. Another Board member was ejected because district lines had been redrawn, and she was now outside the District she had represented. The Council passed a policy that meant that she would be immediately removed, rather than be allowed to complete her term. Other terms expired, and some members left early as they felt pressured to go. By this year, the Library Board reflected the County Council’s makup: six conservatives and one progressive. And it was now dominated by political appointees with an agenda, rather then people dedicted to the full range of library functions.And the issue that started it all—the proposal to move LGBTQ books from the children’s section to the adult section—has been proposed and will be voted on at the Board’s August 14 meeting.Opposition arose. We covered some of it across several episodes of YCDP TV back in 2023. A group called Support YCL was formed, and members attended Library Board and committee meetings, making public comments, recording the meetings on video, and submitting FOIA requests for emails and official documents. Conservative groups like Moms for Liberty were also attending, and Library Board meetings—which had never had a public audience—bacame a battleground. The Board looked for ways to muzzle the opponent’s voices.In this episode, three Support YCL members—Lacey, Laura and Stephanie—join host Gary Pearce to review the history, discuss where things stand today, and talk about what they’d like to see in the future. And we take a look at a book (not in the library at this time) aimed at indoctrinating young kids into thinking “the right way”.

TIMECODE INDEX to the YouTube Video BELOW ⌚ It was another YCDP Weekend, with the Forward Together party on Friday (June 27) and another every-other-Saturday protest along Dave Lyle in Rock Hill on Saturday. We lead off with Rock Hill, and some longer interviews with some of the activists, Savanna, Will and Anna.Then backwards in time (a few hours) to the YCDP Forward Together event, where we hear from three candidates who were present. US Senate Candidate Dr. Annie Andrews leads off, then two candidates (of four announced so far) competing for the Democratic nomination for US House from SC 5 (Ralph Norman's seat). First is Andrew Clough, who announced very recently, and then Alex Harper, who's been in the race for a while. The evening wraps up with YCDP Chair Nikita Jackson, who ushered everyone inside before thunderstorms rolled in. DETAILED INDEX:00:00 INTRO, Rock Hill Protest 00:55 People and Signs along Dave Lyle Blvd montage 01:58 Extended interview with protester/activists Savanna and Will. We get a little deeper into what motivates some of the people who are out on Dave Lyle every other week. 14:44Anna Johnson reveals herself as our Costumed Crusader. First it was the Easter Bunny. Then an American Eagle. On the big No Kings day two weeks ago, she appeared as George Washington. And this week she braved potential heat stroke in an inflatable (but not air conditioned) chicken costume. Behind (or inside) all that performance is an articulate, informed activist, also willing to do a bit of the Chicken Dance on camera. 19:15 We always talk with Brian Ballard, spokesman for York County Rising, the main sponsor of the bi-weekly ('every other week' version) protest on Dave Lyle Blvd in Rock Hill. Brian told us that - as of now - there are NO planned protest events in Rock Hill for July 4. There probably will be some, somewhere nearby, so do some digging. 20:51 The FORWARD TOGETHER event begins. Host Hope Matthews thanks the major sponsors/doners for the event. Three candidates for Democratic Nominations for office in the 2026 Primary spoke at the event. Note that the YCDP does NOT endorse candidatesfor the Primary, and appearance at a YCDP event does not imply endorcement, but we provide the opportunity for all to reach our party members. Also note that the official filing period to be on the ballot doesn't even open until April 2026, so we may well see more candidates announce their intention to run. Find out more about candidates on our website Meet the Candidates page22:11 First was Dr. Annie Andrews. She is running for US Senate, challenging Lindsay Graham (assuming he runs again). Three other candidates (so far) have announced their run for the Democratic nomination for the Senate seat, but were not at the event. They are: Catherine Fleming Bruce, Kyle Freeman, and Lee Johnson. See our Meet the Candidates page for links to those candidates. Next are the two current candidates for the Democratic nomination for US House from SC District 5, which includes all of York County. This is Ralph Norman's seat, though Norman has not declared his candidacy yet and is considered to be a possible contender for Governor. Stay tuned. 28:29 Andrew Clough recently announced his bid for the nomination for US House from SC5. He introduces himself to the audience. This is his first appearance before a Democratic group (that we know about). 30:41 Alex Harper is also running for the US House seat for SC5. He announced his candidacy at the YCDP Convention. 35:08 YCDP Chair Nikita Jackson wraps things up just before thunderstorms chase the party indoors.38:32YCDP TV 📺Producer Gary Pearce wraps up the episode.

NOTE: this is the audio track from our YouTube video. There are lots of interviews and voices, but there are some visual elements that aren’t described. Not much, but drop by YouTube if you miss it.Rock Hill, York and Lancaster Counties turned out in force for the June 14 Nationwide No Kings Protest. Crowd estimates approached 2000, by far the largest turnout for the every-other-Saturday event along Dave Lyle Blvd, sponsored by York County Rising, along with several other progressive groups. Of course the YCDP-TV media empire mobile production unit (a camera and wireless mic) were there to document the event, so meet some of your friends and neighbors – and a Candidate for Congress – who were more than eager to share their thoughts and reactions to what’s been going on in Washington and around the country.Note that at this event there was no trouble – it was entirely peaceful (if a little noisy… ok, a lot noisy 📯). Early on, you’ll see a few pickups with Trump flags circle the parking lot at the edge of the protest (they disappeared before the 2 pm start time), and for a while a clump of men stood at the edge of the event watching, though they didn’t have any signs, hats or identifying clothing, and they didn’t make any noise. Mostly they were ignored.Keep in mind that this event continues, every other Saturday until… from 2-4 pm.

Saturday, May 31, 2025, was a busy day for the YCDP TV Media Empire. In the morning, our Columbia bureau (Gary) covered the South Carolina Democratic Party annual Convention. We're not showing you the whole thing*, but we are including all of the (short) speeches by candidates you'll see on your York County Primary ballot in June, 2026: Senate (4), Governor (1), Superintendent of Education (1) and US House from SC 5 (1). (The Primary is a year away, so we may well see more candidates for any of those offices.) We also meet a couple of popular South Carolina Public Radio journalists. Minnesota Governor and 2024 Vice Presidental candidate Tim Walz was the keynote speaker, and while he came first at the convention due to his busy schedule, we're putting his 45 minute speech at the end of this video. In the afternoon, our Rock Hill Bureau (also Gary) dropped in on the bi-weekly protest in Rock Hill. We meet more of your York County neighbors with their signs, and talk to the world-famous EASTER BUNNY, this time disguised as an American Eagle. Episode-wise, we're presenting the Rock Hill protest first because it's fairly short, then the SCDP Convention, and again we put Tim Walz's longer speech at the end (the way the grocery store puts the milk at the back of the store). *Almost the whole convention was streamed live by Fox5 Television in Washington DC. They got started late, during Tim Walz's keynote, but he was the first speaker (and we have all of it in this episode), and then they hang in there until the end - all the 'business' of the convention and speeches from candidates who won't be on a York County Primary ballot. The YouTube link is: https://www.youtube.com/live/7UvEvJ5htHw?si=jmo_hf2OLl67Gc-4

Lee Johnson visited the YCDP Dessert Before Dinner event on May 2, and corralled our YCDP TV camera crew to make a pre-announcement of his intent to run for the Democratic Nomination for US Senate from South Carolina. That seat is currently held by Republican Lindsey Graham, who you can find on Fox News more easily than you can find him anywhere in the state he is supposed to represent. This election happens in 2026. The Primary will be in June, and the Election is in November, as usual. Several other candidates from various parties have already announced their candidacy, but Lee was the one who showed up at the YCDP event.

Your YCDP TV Media Empire Mobile Production Unit (Gary and his video camera) showed up at three events surrounding May Day this year.On Wednesday, April 30, the Lancaster County Democratic Party held an Empty Chair Town Hall at the Indianland High School auditorium. A couple dozen people addeessed a cardboard cutout of the otherwise absent Ralph Norman, who represents pretty much only the hard-right Republicans in the South Caroina 5th Congressional District. We're presenting just a few seconds of most of the speakers, but you'll get a good idea of the tone of the event.Next, it's our Dessert Before Dinner event at YCDP Headquarters on Friday, May 2. You'll get a short tour of our modest HQ office, meet Lee Johnson, who is about to announce his canddidacy for US Sendate (we have a separate video of his announcement, here on the YCDP TV YouTube channel), and State Representative Jermaine Johnson, visiting from the 52nd State House District.A heavy downpour failed to dampen the spirits of the YCDP supporters who showed up to enjoy the goodies. You, OTOH, won't gain an ounce, unless the shots of the yummy cakes and cookies drive you to the kitchen.And the weekend wrapped up with the bi-weekly protest along Dave Lyle Blvd in Rock Hill. This event happens every other Saturday at 2 pm, coordinated by York County Rising in cooperation with other progressive groups. You will hear from several of your progressive friends and neighbors who also braved some rain – which ended just as things were getting started – to show the world that we're not going to take what Columbia and Washington are trying to dish out. They encourage you to join them! Enthusiastically!Two more events to keep in mind (among many, we know): a York County Empty Chair Town Hall on Friday, May 16. And another Rock Hill No Kings protest to join other nationwide events on Saturday, June 14. This one falls on the regular bi-weekly schedule for York County Rising, but it's extra-special because it’s the President's birthday 🎂, and he plans a big, North Korea-style military parade in his own honor. So natiionwide, progressive groups want local and network TV to have a split-screen opportunity. In Rock Hill, it's 2 pm as usual along Dave Lyle Blvd.

YCDP Chair Nikita Jackson joins Gary to talk about the YCDP fundraiser Dessert Before Dinner starting at 5 pm Friday afternoon, May 2, at our HQ office, 858 Cherry Rd in Rock Hill. Details and ticket purchase here.They also talk about the protests that continue across the country and right here in York County. Protests have been sponsored by Indivisible, York County Rising, 50501, and MoveOn. They will continue, with York County Rising scheduling one every other Saturday along Dave Lyle Blvd (at White St) in Rock Hill at 2 pm. The next few are May 3, 17 and 31. So have dessert 🍰 with us on Friday, and walk it off on Saturday🚶🏽‍♀️And if you missed it somehow, the YCDP TV Production Unit was out at the protests on April 5 (Hands Off) and 19 (No Kings), and you can review the events on our YouTube shows and podcasts.But wait, there’s more. Our neighbors in Lancaster County have scheduled an Empty Seat Town Hall for SC Congressional District 5 at 7 pm on Wednesday, April 30 at Indian Land High School, 6100 Charlotte Hwy, Lancaster, SC 29720. They have invited our District 5 Rep Ralph Norman – he has not responded. Maybe he will show up? So much to do… so many Democrats!

Once again, York County was part of thousands of protests nationwide on April 19, this time with the theme No Kings. The Rock Hill event was coordinated by the fairly new progressive group York County Rising, in cooperation with 50501, Move On, and many other organizations. And once again, YCDP TV was there to document the action. We have an extended interview with Brian from York County Rising to learn what this new group is all about. He appears for a minute at the top of the program, and much more toward the end.They are planning on bi-weekly protests along Dave Lyle Blvd in Rock Hill, so the next one is scheduled for May 3. Note that advance notice of all events can be hard to come by, especially if you rely on Facebook, because Facebook doesn’t show you everything from your groups and friends. You have to do some digging. York County Rising does have a calendar with information on their and other activities, with the goal of surging progressive turnout at these events.

Saturday, April 5, 2025 saw Hands Off protests in cities and towns nationwide, including Rock Hill in York County. Not the biggest, probably not the smallest… several hundred people lined Main Street near Fountain Park, and Dave Lyle Blvd to let the world know that we don’t like what’s happeining in Washington and Columbia. More are planned, nearly every week. You’ll probably see a notice on the YCDP Facebook Group (a private group).

The York County Democratic Party met for our annual Convention on March 15, 2025 in Newport, SC. We elected officers for the next two years. See the Convention Page for details.

When we recorded Episode 28, after we finished talking about the upcoming YCDP Convention, Gary asked the assembled Board members to get political for a bit. And they did.

In this episode, YCDP Executive Board members discuss the upcoming Annual Conventiuon, and a little bit about the State Convention. Details on the Convention itself are here on the website.Here are the basics:Date: March 15, 2025Time: 10 AMLocation: Union Baptist Church, 1195 Hands Mill Hwy, Rock Hill, SC 29732 (Newport)We’d like you to register if you plan to come.That and lots of other stuff on the web page.

When you get down to the level of School Board, many voters find themselves in the dark. School board seats are non-partisan, and the YCDP does not endorse any. There is a fairly new organization in York County called CAPE (Community Advocates FOR Public Education) that has taken on the mission of getting the word out. CAPE is also non-partisan and education focused, but they do advocate for all students. They recently participated in a School Board Candidate Forum hosted by - yes - the York County Conservative Club. All but two of the candidates from the four school districts were able to attend. Each candidate spoke for two minutes, and there was no Q&A. CAPE offered a video recording of the event to YCDP-TV, and we’re happy to add it to our podcasts.And although we at YCDP don’t endorse candidates for these non-partisan seats, we know - and you know - that School Board has become highly political, thanks to some on the far right who have been campaigning to end things like letting kids know that gay and trans people even exist, or that our nation’s history has some unpleasant things in it. They have been running candidates for school board seats from which they launch their agenda on the schools. Some of the candidates you’ll hear from make their position clear. Some couch it in dog-whistle statements. And some - most? - are really just there for the sake of education. A candidate with progressive leaning can’t say that overtly in this pretty red county and still be elected.

On this episode, Nikita Jackson (YCDP Chair) and John Holder (too many to list) were two of the official Delegates to the DNC in Chicago, and we also have two 'Honored Guests' who also attended: Hattie Ross and William 'Perk' Perkins.They had fun, they have stories, and at least John has COVID😷.So, that Show Open thing.... So far, I've just started the shows by sitting in front of the Studio in the Bonus Room... I'm pretty sure that's scaring people away. So I'm asking YOU to help out.Here's how. Record a 'selfie video' 🤳🏻 at some place recognizable around where you live - city limit sign sign, iconic building, whatever. On that video, say two things:the town NAME ("Rock Hill", "City of York" (I learned it's 'City of', not 'Town of'😏),and also say "From the..." and your town name.Say it a few times with different inflections, like it’s the first thing on a list, the middle of a list, and the last thing on a list - this is 'show biz' technique that makes things sound better when they're edited together..EXPANDED VERSION:But wait, there's more! If you're up to it, also record the WHOLE INTRO (it's not that long). That way I won't have to be in it at all 😃.Here's the script:From York County, South Carolina (then all the 'from Rock Hill, Clover, Tega Cay... gets edited in).... this is the York County Democratic Party YouTube Show and Podcast! We call it YC.. DP.... TV.If you want to ad lib something more, or something else, well, give it a go 🎭🎬.If the video file is under 25 MB (probably won't be that small), email it to me at [email protected]. If it's too big to email, use any online storage like Google Drive that let's me download without joining the service, and email me the link.I'm looking forward to your creativity!

YCDP Chair Nikita Jackson, 2nd Vice-Chair Ryan Stephens and multiple office-holder John Holder are among the delegates from York County and the 5th Congressional District who will be headed to Chicago in a couple weeks to participate in the Democratic National Convention. We talk about what they're expecting, and the big changes in the party with President Joe Biden dropping out of the race and endorsing VP Kamala Harris. Attending the convention is expensive 💰. The state party estimates it will cost each delegate around $4000, and all the expense is on the delegates. So Nikita and Ryan are taking advantage of an ACT BLUE system to accept contributions to help defray the expenses. The QR Codes in the video will take you their individual contribution pages, or use these links: Nikita Jackson: https://secure.actblue.com/donate/njackson Ryan Stephens: https://secure.actblue.com/donate/natldelegatefundraiserstephens

Have you participated in any of those mass Zoom calls.... events.... in support of VP Kamala Harris' run for President? Your producer (Gary) hasn't, but Nile, Monica and Pat have. They talk about the experience and the energy that built so quickly after President Biden dropped out of the race and endorsed Harris.

Evangeline Hundley launched her campaign for US House from the South Carolina 5th Congressional District (including all of York County) with a party at the Mercantile in Rock Hill on June 12, the day after the Republican Primary. Matt Vilardebo, candidate for SC House from Fort Mill (District 26) introduced her.Hundley did not have a Primary opponent, so moves directly to the November 5th General Election, once again facing off against incumbent Republican Ralph Norman. This is Hundley’s second run at the office. Norman defeated her in 2022, her first attempt at any political office. She comes at this second try with a much better idea of what it takes to run a campaign for Congress, and strong support from the YCDP.She has a series of videos and commercials lined up on her YouTube Channel, along with a website and Facebook page.

The South Carolina Democratic Party Convention was held on May 18 in Columbia. The YCDP sent over 60 delegates. Our job was to approve rules and a platform, and elect some of the delegates to the Democratic National Convention in Chicago this summer. YCDP will send several delegates and alternates to that convention.In this program, we talk to several of the delegates from York County and the rest of the state to get a feeling for what the convention means to those attending. Then we drop in on each stage of the convention itself… but we’re not trying to present the whole thing. That lasted over 4 hours, but was conducted pretty efficiently in that relatively short time. As far as we know, the complete convention was not recorded, so the minutes are the official record.You're listening to the audio as lifted from the video presentation. We think you'll be able to follow along pretty well. Most of the speakers are identified verbally, a few are not. The event was held in a large gymnasium on the campus of Benedict College in Columbia. And frankly, you wil have a better acoustic experience than those in attendance – they had a kind of echoy, somewhat muffled experience... unless they were seated in the first few rows, in which case their hearing should be slowly recovering at this time 👂🏻.

March 16 was the first day that candidates for the ‘down ballot’ offices in South Carolina could file for the June 11 Primary. The YCDP-TV production crew (just me - Gary) headed out to the Government Building in the County Seat (the Town of York) to catch the action.I was going to meet Matt Vilardebo – Matt was filing to make his second run at the SC House in District 26 (Fort Mill area). I expected a quiet exchange down in the elections office in the basement. Fill out some forms, pay a fee, hit the road.Instead, I found a pretty Big Deal. The elections office set up tables in the lobby, and the lobby was full of candidates (all Republicans), all there to get filed on Day One. So was Matt.I followed him through the process, and we did a few quick interviews as thing went along.I also talked to Alan Helms, York County’s Voter Registration & Elections Director who was overseeing the whole thing. And I talked to Republican Watts Huckabee, who was there to file for his second tour with the York County Council (his first full tour - he was appointed to fill the remaining term of Brandon Guffey, who moved up to the SC House in 2022.While Matt notes that he was the only Democrat at the First Day ceremonies, fiing is open until noon on April 1. We are hoping that several other Democrats will step up to challenge some of the Republican inclubents. If you decide to do that, you’ll get some YCDP-TV coverage, too!Candidates filing from now until the April 1 deadline won’t get the royal treatment in the lobby… you’ll get that quiet exchange down in the basement. One more thing: we’ve worked hard at getting the YCDP website’s Voting in York County and Meet the Candidates pages up to date. Stop by often to learn about the process and the people that make up the 2024 election.

The YCDP held our 2024 Convention on Saturday, March 9 in Rock Hill. Officers were elected, Matt Vilardebo was introduced as candidate for SC House from District 26, several Resolutions were passed (and sent to the SCDP), and our keynote speaker was Carol Fowler from the SCDP and Richmond County Democratic Party. And it’s all here on our YouTube Channel!The video at our YouTube Channel has an extensive time-coded INDEX to all the activity at the Convention to make it easier to zero in on whatever you want to review.

Student debt relief isn’t just a headline. It impacts real people, many of them here in York County. And in this episode, we’ll meet two of them. Mary Long is a retired mother of two, and took on a buden of debt to put her kids through college, an opportunity she never had. But a series of plant closings left her unemployed for a time, while the interest on that debt kept mounting. Kizmet Moore put herself through college, including a Master’s Degree, but the cost was staggering. Both had the balance of their loans forgiven by the Biden Administration, relief that changed their lives.YCDP 2nd Vice Chair Milissa Rouse takes over the interview chair for this show, with moral support from Chair Nikita Jackson and 3rd Vice Chair Amber Pearson-Bowen. Producer Gary Pearce got to sit back and push the buttons.Note that Mary relates her positive experience with a company called ABS (A Better Solution). They consolidated student debt and structured a more feasible payment plan for many. Others accused them of being a scam. We found stories of investigations, but no results or charges. In any case, it appears the company is out of businessYCDP TV is a YouTube show and audio podcast, produced by the York County (SC) Democratic Party. Please subscribe to our YouTube Channel, or the podcast in your podcast app.

Matt Vilardebo has announced his second run for SC House District 26 which covers the Fort Mill area in York County. This year, incumbent Republican Raye Felder has announced that she is not running for reelection, making the seat wide open, and a better chance to flip Democrat.At this point, Matt is the only candidate to declare for this seat in the Democratic Primary (to be held June 11). The deadline for filing is April 1st (and filing doesn’t even begin until March 16th), so most offices up for reelection this year don’t have declared candidates yet. The YCDP does not endorse candidates in the Primary, but we will cover all bona fide candidates. Contact us at 📞(803) 327-4222.YCDP Website: https://YorkSCdems.org

The First in the Nation Democratic Presidential Preference Primary is over. The media have moved on. South Carolina had its moment in the spotlight.But for us here in York County, it’s worth taking time to reflect and review what it was all about, and what it meant to us. The outcome wasn’t a surprise, and we expected a low turnout. But was it ‘good enough’? Joining us are YCDP Chair Nikita Jackson, 3rd Vice Chair Amber Pearson-Bowen, and one of our representatives on the SCDP Executive Committee (and our institutional memory) John Holder. This is the first time on the show for Amber and John.We also talk about the June Primary for all the other offices up for election, the upcoming YCDP Convention, and what it takes to be chosen to attend the State and National Conventions. And we’ll play some of the Saturday Night Live ‘cold open’ with the surprise cameo from candidate and former SC Governor Nikki Haley. Our host and producer is Gary Pearce.website: https://YorkSCDems.org

Wes Climer is the Republican State Senator from District 15 in York County. On February 1, 2024, he presented a 'Town Hall' on his Facebook page, talking about some of the issues before the state Senate and taking a few questions. The session ran about 30 minutes. We edited that down to a 4- minute synopsys, without any editorial comment of our own, just to give you an idea of what he had to present. It will be kind of choppy, without a transition between topics, but we think you can follow along. You can see the full session here: https://www.facebook.com/wesclimersc/

Don’t look now, but it’s election season 👀. South Carolina is host to the First in the Nation Democratic Party Presidential Preference Primary on Fegruary 3rd. That’s First, plus or minus New Hampshire just ignoring the DNC’s mandate (but without Joe Biden on the ballot 😮). And the RNC sticking to their traditional calendar and voting three weeks later in February, well after Iowa and New Hampshire. 🙄The Primary calendar is complicated by all that, and the effect it has on early voting. And the third Primary date in June for all the other offices on the ballot. Perhaps you’d like some help.To the rescue rides YCDP’s new Chair, Nikita Jackson, joining host Gary Pearce to review the calendar and all the options in detail. They’re picking their data from the YCDP web page Voting in York County, so you can go there to review all the info they give you. But the show is kind of a fun romp… anything but dry and dusty. This is Nikita’s first visit to YCDP-TV. And ‘visit’ isn’t the right word. As Gary says, “I feel like I’m welcoming you into your own home.” When this Primary is done, you can catch your breath. The action will move to a few other states, and only the cable news channels will be doing wall-to-wall politics. Oh, and us. We’ll be watching to see who enters the state and local races ahead of that June Primary. So settle in.

South Carolina is playing catch-up. 22 other states have beaten us to the punch in passing anti-trans legislation, specifically laws that prohibit giving kids under 18 what’s called ‘Gender Affirming Care’. But we’re getting back in the game. The first legislation the ‘3M’ committee in the SC House took up in the new session in January 2024 was our own anti-trans bill. It’s H-4624. They call it Gender Reassignment Procedures. We call it… well, read the title of this show.For anyone under 18, the bill would outlaw drugs that block the onset of puberty while a kid, their doctor and hopefully their parents figure out their gender identity; hormones for older kids who are farther along the transition process; and gender reassignment surgery for the very, very rare situations where it’s called for. It may also require school teachers and staff to inform parents if they suspect a student is showing signs of gender dysphoria (the clinical term for ‘wondering if they’re in the wrong body’). And if the school thinks that the student’s parents might react badly (violently) to learning that their kid thinks they should be trans… too bad. They can’t even advise the kid not to tell the parents. The bill passed out of the subcommittee and full committee where it started, and at press time was set to be introduced in the full House, where it’s expected to pass. If it does pass, it moves to the State Senate for debate. Chances there are unknown, but if it passes the Senate, it goes to the Governor for signature. In 2022, McMaster signed an anti-trans athlete bill. Early in January, a subcommittee of the House Committee on Medical, Military, Public and Municipal Affairs held a hearing. Almost 50 people testified. Of them, only one favored the bill. All the rest firmly opposed it. Those testifying included doctors, therapists and counselors, educators, advocacy group leaders, and many transgendered people. But the Republicans held fast to their notion that denying care to potential trans youth was ‘protecting’ them, and that parents had a right to know if schools suspected a student might have those thoughts, regardless of what the parent’s reaction might be. Here on our first YCDP-TV show of 2024, we talk to four of the people who testified at the subcommittee hearing. Lacey Lane is a York County parent and educator. She’s been on the show before, in her role with CAPE (Community Advocates for Public Education). There, she helped us keep track of the York County Council’s efforts to interfere with the Library Board. At the top of this show, she brings us up to date.Dr. Martha Edwards is a Pediatrician. Jessicka Spearman is a Counselor and parent of a trans child. And Amberlyn Boiter is a parent, activist and trans woman.At the end of the show, we include video of the testimony from several of the people who attended the hearing. The session ran over three hours, so we can’t show them all, but their presentations are compelling. If you want to see more, you can download the video here. You can watch online if you prefer, but it’s a little harder to get to. Go to this website, select the year 2024, then scroll down to Tuesday, January 9 - House Medical, Military, Public and Municipal Affairs Committee -- 3-M Medical and Health Affairs.

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