ARTICLE 1. Name

The name of this committee shall be the First Congressional District Democratic Committee (hereinafter referred to as "the Committee").


ARTICLE 2. Organizational Authority and Purpose

Section 1. The Committee is organized under the authority of and in accordance with the code of the State of Virginia and the Party Plan of the Democratic Party of Virginia currently in effect. These Bylaws exist in addition to the Party Plan as it provides for the organization and operations of the Congressional District Committee, and shall remain in effect subject to amendment by the methods provided. Should any conflict occur between these bylaws and the Code of Virginia and/or the Party Plan, then the code or the Party Plan, as the case may be, shall have precedence.

Section 2. All activities of the Committee shall be conducted in accordance with the relevant provisions of the Code of Virginia and of the Party Plan.

Section 3. The Committee shall have entire charge and full control of all matters relating to congressional nominations and elections within its district. It shall be the duty of the Committee to perfect the Democratic organization within its district, and see to the proper discharge of their duties by county and city committees or other constituent committees within the congressional district.

Section 4. Whenever a caucus and/or convention shall be held by or within the district, it shall be the responsibility of the committee to see that each caucus and convention is held in accordance with the requirements of the Party Plan.

Section 5. The mission of the Committee is to elect Democratic candidates to public office and to promote the core values of the Democratic Party. Among the core values of the party are that all people are created equal and entitled to the rights of a free society. The party believes that government is a vehicle for improving the lives of its citizens, protecting their rights, and extending opportunities for all.


Article 3. Membership of the Committee

Section 1. Elected Members. Twenty (20) persons, equally divided between men and women where possible, shall be nominated in a district convention held in the year of the gubernatorial election prior to the Democratic State Convention and elected by the State convention for a term of four (4) years. The geographical distribution of the membership shall be determined by the Committee in a manner consistent with the apportionment of convention delegates set forth in the District's Call to Convention. Section 4.18 of the State Party Plan supercedes provisions pertaining to reorganization in cases where there is no State Convention.

Section 2. Additional Elected and Ex Officio Members. The Committee, after its organization, shall elect one Democratic member of the General Assembly and three county or city representatives. All shall be voting residents of the district, and all shall be elected to membership by the committee and confirmed by the Central Committee in accordance with all provisions of the current State Party Plan. They shall become members of the Central Committee and shall be counted in determining a quorum of this Committee and the State Central Committee. In addition, all statewide party officers and members of the Steering Committee who are voting residents of the district shall be members.

Section 3. Vacancies. The remaining members shall fill vacancies in the elected membership through election. The replacement(s) should maintain the gender balance of the Committee and should be from the same jurisdictional group as the former member(s). The remaining member(s) from the jurisdictional group may nominate the replacement(s) but other members of the Committee may also make nominations from the floor. Persons nominated for membership on the Committee must be a registered voter in the First Congressional District, and a current member of a county or city committee. The Chair shall make reasonable efforts to notify each county and/or city Chair of any vacancy in the appropriate area and when it will be filled. The jurisdictional references in this section do not apply to vacancies in the membership positions held by the members elected under Section 2 of this Article. Members elected pursuant to this section shall be voting members of the district committee as soon as elected by the district committee.

Section 4. Voting Rights. All members elected to the committee pursuant to Sections 1, 2, and 3 of this article shall have equal voting rights within the committee. Vote by proxy and the use of the unit rule or practice are prohibited. The option to vote by secret ballot in District Committee meetings or conduct of any Committee business is restricted to the election of officers or a vote concerning membership.

Section 5. District Committees and Reapportionment. Whenever redistricting occurs, committee membership will be based on Section 6.13 of the State Party Plan and all other such applicable articles and sections of the current State Party Plan.

Section 6. Commitment to Local Committees. Each member of the Committee shall, upon election, become a voting ex-officio member of the Democratic committee of the county or city in which he or she resides. Such members shall pay any required filing fee or membership fees unless waived by local committee and be bound by the duties of such membership.

 

Article 4. Officers of the Committee

Section 1. Officers. Following the State Convention in the gubernatorial election year, the Committee will organize by electing from its membership a Chair, a Vice-Chair, a Secretary, and a Treasurer. Officers must be a registered voter of the congressional district and currently a member of a county or city Democratic Committee.

Section 2. Election of Officers. A temporary Chair and Secretary will be chosen by the committee for the sole purpose of electing officers. Only members of the committee may participate in the election of officers. Nominations and election will be conducted for each officer position separately. Candidates for committee officer positions must be present or have indicated their willingness to serve. The committee may adopt rules for the conduct of elections, but those rules shall not supercede requirements of these bylaws or the State Party Plan.

Section 3. Vacancies. All vacancies in any office will be filled by rules of election in Section 2 of this Article. The open office (exception addressed in Section 4, part B of this Article) may be filled on a temporary basis by appointment until a meeting of the Committee can be convened for such purpose.

Section 4. Duties of Officers.

Part A. The Chair will preside at all meetings of the Committee, shall be the temporary Chair at all District Conventions, shall be the Chair of the District delegates to the State Convention, and spokesperson for the District Committee. The Chair will attend all meetings of the Steering and Central Committees, and advise all members of the District Committee of details. The Chair shall appoint all subcommittees of the Committee, their Chairs, and be responsible for the Committee’s oversight of the proper performance of the duties of the City/County Democratic committees within the congressional district. The Chair will perform such other duties as required by these bylaws, the Party Plan, and the Central Committee.

Part B. The Vice Chair shall assume the duties of the Chair in the Chair's absence, shall perform all duties delegated by the chair, and shall be Acting Chair if the position becomes vacant, until a new Chair can be elected.

Part C. The Secretary shall keep an accurate record of all proceedings of all the Committee meetings, and after such meetings mail the minutes of that meeting to all members of the committee that do not have Internet connections and electronically transmit the minutes to those members that have previously agreed to such receipt. The Secretary shall maintain a file of all reports and official correspondence, and a record of the attendance of members and guests to all meetings. The Secretary shall send to the membership, meeting notice to be received no later than ten (10) days prior to the meeting and perform other duties as incumbent upon this office.

Part D. The Treasurer shall be responsible for, and in charge of all funds belonging to the Committee and deposit them in a bank approved by the Committee. He/She shall pay all bills by check and report at each meeting of the Committee in writing. The financial records of the Committee shall be audited annually by an audit committee of three (3) members appointed by the Chair. The Treasurer shall file all required state and/or federal financial reports in a timely manner.

Article 5. Removal of Officers and Members of the Committee

Section 1. An officer and/or elected member may be removed from the District and Central
Committee for failure to attend three (3) consecutive meetings without proper excuse and notice, or for malfeasance. An elected member who supports any candidate in opposition to the Democratic nominee running from the First Congressional District shall be removed from the District and Central Committees. Any member who ceases to be a registered voter in the First Congressional District shall immediately cease to be a member of the District and Central Committees. Any member who ceases to be member in good standing on a county or city Democratic Committee may be removed from the District and Central Committees.

Section 2. Before making a recommendation of removal, however, the Committee shall
provide the member with ten (10) days written notice of the charges and an opportunity for a hearing before the Committee. The decision of the Committee may be appealed to the Steering Committee.

 

Article 6. Meetings of the Committee

Note: (See language in Section 6-4, Section 8.11 and Section 9.5 of the Democratic Party Plan)

Section 1. General Provisions.

Part A. The First District Committee shall hold periodic meetings at publicized locations and times. Notice of the time and place of all meetings of the First District Committee shall be publicized fully and in such manner as to assure timely notice (at least ten (10) days before said meeting date) to all interested persons. Notice may be given by mail, E-mail, telephone, web site notice, press releases, paid advertisements, or other reasonable method.

Part B. Notice of such meetings shall be provided to all Democratic city and county committees within the First Congressional District. Notice shall also be provided to the Virginia Young Democrats District Chair and the Virginia Democratic Women’s Caucus District Representative and other Democratic groups within the First Congressional District.

Section 2. Call. Meetings of the First District Committee may be called as follows:

1. By the chair; or

2. By any five (5) members of the First District Committee, if signed call is filed with the secretary of the First District Committee at least ten (10) days before the proposed meeting date; or

3. By vote of the First District Committee at a properly convened meeting of the First Committee.

Section 3. Frequency. The First District Committee shall meet at least four times each year.

Section 4. Site.

Part A. The location shall be in a place easily accessible to all Democrats and large enough to accommodate all interested persons. Such meetings shall be open to all members of the Democratic Party. In addition, the public may attend all such meetings as observers.

Part B. If a meeting of the Committee is conducted by telephone conference or video conference or similar electronic means, at least two members shall be physically present at the meeting place included in the notice. The audio equipment shall be sufficient for any member or visitor in attendance to hear what is said by any committee member participating in the meeting who is not physically present.

Section 5. Quorum. Note: (See language in Sections 10.1 and 10.5 of the Democratic Party Plan)

Part A. A quorum of forty percent (40%) of the members of the First District Committee shall be required to take any action, except to adjourn a meeting to another time or place.

Part B. No person who is a member of the First District Committee shall be permitted to vote by proxy.

 

Article 7. Budget and Expenditures

Section 1. An annual budget for the committee shall be formulated by a budget committee of three (3) members including the Vice Chair and the Treasurer. This proposed budget shall be circulated to the entire membership to be received at least ten (10) days prior to a meeting of the Committee at which time it shall be acted upon.

Section 2. Except for routine expenditures (less than $100.00), which must be approved by the Chairman, all expenditures of Committee funds shall be made with the approval of the Committee. With officers’ approval, expenditures of up to $500 may be spent for committee purposes if available.

Section 3. The budget shall be voted on and passed by the Committee prior to or during the last meeting of the year to be effective on the first day of the new calendar year (January 1).

 

Article 8. Amendment of Bylaws

Section 1. These bylaws may be amended by the Committee at any regular or special meeting called for the purpose provided that at least forty per cent (40%) of the Committee is present. A two-thirds (2/3) vote of those present and voting at two consecutive meetings shall be required for the adoption of an amendment except those required by Section 2 of this Article. Any proposed amendment shall be disseminated in writing to the entire membership at least ten (10) days prior to the meeting at which action on the proposal is to be taken.

Section 2. If a change in the Virginia Code or the Party Plan is deemed by the Chair to necessitate a change in these bylaws, the Chair shall appoint a committee to prepare proposed amendments to accommodate the needed change. Notice to the full Committee that recommendations from such a committee will be made at the next meeting shall be sufficient to enable the full Committee to take binding action on any such proposed amendments.

Section 3. Changes to these Bylaws to correct spelling, grammar, punctuation, or typographical errors shall not be considered to be amendments and can be enacted by a majority vote of those members present at a duly called meeting of the Committee.

 

Article 9. Parliamentary Authority

Where not inconsistent with the Party Plan, these bylaws or any special rules of order the Committee may adopt, the rules in the current edition of Robert's Rules of Order Newly Revised shall govern the Committee in all cases to which they are applicable.

 

Adopted: June 26, 2004