When Town of North Hempstead Supervisor Jon Kaiman serves as a delegate at next month’s Democratic National Convention, the Great Neck resident said he will have an unique opportunity to help shape the “grand national discussion” about the future of his political party.
Kaiman will be joined by Nassau County Legislators Judi Bosworth (D-Great Neck) and Wayne Wink (D-Mineola) as delegates at their party’s convention in Charlotte, N.C., which will begin its three-day run on Sept. 4 and result in President Barack Obama and Vice President Joe Biden receiving the Democratic nod to run for re-election for another four-year term.
“I think it’s a great honor,” Kaiman said of serving as a delegate. “It’s only a handful of people in the county who really get to go and represent us at this national convention. It is a very difficult place to get to. You don’t get to wake up some day and say you want to be a delegate. It really is a privilege to be selected.”
“We’re still part of this historical process,” the town supervisor added, “that takes place every four years since this country has been formed.”
New York will send 384 delegates to the 2012 Democratic National Convention, which is second in the nation to California and that state’s 610 delegates.
The 2012 Democratic National Convention will include nearly 6,000 delegates. In 2008, the convention played host to 4,419 delegates.
“It’s really just kind of a fascinating collection of political folks coming together to kind of plan for the future,” said Kaiman, who will be attending his third national convention. “It’s generally a lot of energy in the air, a lot of networking going on.”
Along with Kaiman, Bosworth and Wink, retiring U.S. Congressman Gary Ackerman’s 5th District will be represented by delegates Toby Ann Stavisky, Matthew R. Silverstein, Grace Meng and Evan M. Stavisky.
The 5th Congressional District includes Great Neck portions of New Hyde Park, Albertson, Baxter Estates, East Hills, Greenvale, Harbor Hills, Manhasset, Port Washington and Roslyn, along with an area encompassing White Stone, Bayside and Flushing in Queens.
U.S. Rep. Carolyn McCarthy’s 4th Congressional District delegates include Nassau County Legislature Minority Leader Kevan Abrahams (D-Freeport), Dorothy Goosby, Earlene Hooper, David Chauvin, Lauren Summa, Thomas Garry, Andrena Wyatt and Michael Reich.
The 4th Congressional District currently includes portions of New Hyde Park, Floral Park, the Willistons, Mineola, Garden City, Rockville Centre, Franklin Square, Westbury, East Meadow, Freeport, Oceanside and Long Beach.
“This is how we’re going to start that grand national discussion that concludes in a national election,” Kaiman said of the convention. “There’s something very energizing about that.”
Kaiman’s first foray into the national political process came in 2004 when he attended the Democratic National Convention in Boston as a delegate for then presidential candidate Massachusetts Sen. John Kerry.
In 2008, Kaiman was a delegate for former First Lady and New York Sen. Hillary Clinton at the convention in Denver.
Although Kaiman said it was an honor to serve as a delegate for Clinton in 2008, he said the opportunity to attend another convention is exciting.
Kaiman said he plans on engaging in discussions with fellow Democrats from around the country about the direction of the “party and the country.”
“There’s not been much of that going on as of yet,” he said. “It will be fascinating to have the opportunity to kind of start that engagement when the campaigns really kick off at this time for both the Republicans and Democrats.”
For Wink, the process of becoming a delegate for Obama began over a conversation with Nassau County Democratic Committee Chairman Jay Jacobs.
“I understood that there were a few people who were interested,” Wink said. “At the end of the day I had been told that I had been picked by the Obama campaign to be a delegate. I’m very honored for the opportunity to attend.”
Wink said he is excited to take part in a national convention ahead of what he called a “watershed election.”
“What I expect is that there will be a great deal of discussion of the issue effecting all Americans, whether it be the economy or foreign policy or any of a thousand issues that are of vital importance to all Americans,” Wink said. “I expect for the party to come out incredibly unified behind our president.”
Bosworth said next month’s confab in Charlotte will mark her first trip to the Democratic National Convention as well.
“I was approached and asked if I would like to do it,” Bosworth said of her status as a delegate. “I hope that’s a reflection of the confidence that the party has in me.”
Although there will be no drama involved with which candidate the Democrats put forth in the presidential election, Bosworth said there is plenty of work to be done at next month’s convention.
“It’s really a privilege to be involved with what is an important national event that I view as one of the touchstones of our democratic system of government,” Bosworth said.
At the convention, Bosworth said she plans to open a critical dialogue with Democrats from around the country on issues ranging from the nation’s continued support of Israel, women’s rights and access to health care, along with economic recovery in the U.S.
“I believe it’s important for the local Democratic voices from our community to be there at the national convention to articulate some important things,” Bosworth said. “I view it as a wonderful opportunity to be able to speak with colleagues from across the country.”
