New Orleans – Today, longtime Democratic grassroots activist and strategist Lynda Woolard announced she is stepping in to fill the void left when Representative Ted James exited the race for Louisiana Democratic Party Chair. The state party leadership elections, originally scheduled for August 29th, were postponed due to Hurricane Laura, with a reschedule date yet to be determined.

Lynda said, “When the field narrowed to one candidate, I received numerous calls from members of the Democratic State Central Committee and activists across the state encouraging me to step up and run for Chair. With the firm belief that people deserve options and to have their Democratic values represented, I felt called to serve. While I am convinced that the party will unite around Joe Biden on November 3rd, now is the time for a healthy debate about the future of our state party.”

It is not lost on Lynda that Louisiana marked the 15th anniversary of Hurricane Katrina and the Federal Flood, which was the motivation for her political engagement, in the same week that the state was hit by yet another devastating hurricane. “I wish we were not here again, but I will use my experience gained in the work we put into rebuilding our region to lead the party in efforts to recover from our state’s latest challenge,” said Lynda.

In addition to working to elect and support the government officials who will best assist those in the affected areas, the party must juggle responses to the ongoing pandemic, the economic downturn, attacks on our voting systems, and social justice issues. Lynda’s 15 years of experience and record of success put her in the best position to help the party with these goals.

Lynda Woolard’s experience includes:

• Organized with Barack Obama, in a campaign and advocacy relationship that lasted from his 2007 announcement to his re-election in 2012

• Served for 4 years as Secretary to the Orleans Democratic Parish Executive Committee

• Worked as a grassroots organizer for the Louisiana Democratic Party from 2013 through the election of Gov. John Bel Edwards in 2015

• Served as State Director for Hillary Clinton’s campaign in 2016, in addition to serving as an At-Large Clinton Delegate and Louisiana Whip Captain at the DNC Convention

• Worked with national grassroots coalition to thwart Republican efforts to repeal the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act in 2017

• Led statewide organizing efforts for the Unanimous Jury Coalition to pass Constitutional Amendment 2, ending Louisiana’s discriminatory practice that allowed a defendant to be convicted of a felony with a non-unanimous jury in 2018

• Joined Victory for Louisiana, the coordinated campaign to reelect Gov. John Bel Edwards, tasked with constituency outreach and get out the vote programs in 2019

• Served as an At-Large Biden Delegate, and again was Louisiana Whip Captain for this year’s DNC Convention

• Serves on the Board of the Independent Women’s Organization, the state’s oldest and largest Democratic women’s group for a decade, including as President for 4 years

• Has registered thousands of voters through C’est La Vote, an entity she founded in 2012, and continues to manage as part of a new voters coalition

• Received the Organizer of the Decade award from the Louisiana Democratic Party, the inaugural Felicia Kahn Citizenship award from the New Orleans Coalition, and the Frank Ganz, Sr. Award for Inspiring Others to Give Back from Thomas Morstead’s What You Give Will Grow Foundation

Lynda is more than qualified for the office of Chair. She has built and maintained relationships across the state. She has innovative ideas and continues to learn about new technologies and evolving methods of campaigning, which will prove critical for party-building during a pandemic. Still she recognizes the importance of traditional outreach to meet the needs and engage members across age, race and gender. Lynda believes there are exciting days ahead for the Louisiana Democratic Party.