New academy offers boot camp for would-be Democratic campaign staffers

Political activism wasn’t on Jessie Lopez’s mind when she left a solid, 10-year job as a records technician at a prominent Costa Mesa law firm to study sociology at Cal State Long Beach.

But shortly after starting classes four years ago, Lopez read an article in the school newspaper about a rape that had happened on campus.

She was frustrated that the administration hadn’t told students about the assault. So the Santa Ana native got together with a friend in the arts program to create life-size paper silhouettes of women, then added statistics pertaining to college rapes. Lopez and her friend stood in the middle of campus during the lunchtime rush hour holding the silhouettes, triggering conversations with passing students about sexual violence on college campuses.

“That really just changed the trajectory of my life,” said Lopez, now 30.

That trajectory now includes politics. Last week, Lopez was one of 60 students selected from hundreds across the country to join the inaugural graduating class of the National Democratic Training Committee’s Staff Academy.

The free program is aimed at helping a new generation of political workers land positions on campaigns for Democratic candidates and causes in 2019 and 2020, with a focus on bridging the gap for aspiring female, minority and LGBTQ activists.

The National Democratic Training Committee is a donor-funded political action committee. It started in 2016, a year when a flood of people — many with no prior political experience — were volunteering for campaigns or running for office amid Donald Trump’s presidential run.

Aspiring candidates, staffers and volunteers can complete free online courses and join one-day live trainings NDTC puts on in all 50 states. A June 2018 training held for the first time in Orange County drew 96 participants, while this year’s program, held June 15 in Fullerton, attracted 82 local Democrats who want to be involved in politics, according to NDTC spokesman Andrew Feldman.

With another flood of new candidates in 2018, NDTC’s Staff Academy manager Allyson Raines said the organization held a “listening tour” to find out what political newcomers viewed as their biggest challenges. What they heard from folks all across the country was concern over a lack of well-trained staff.

Specifically, candidates wanted staffers who better reflected their increasingly diverse constituencies. They also needed people who could help raise funds and make the best use of digital technology.

So, earlier this year, the NDTC committed funds for the Staff Academy, and then started spreading the word through state Democratic parties and local organizations to find prospective students.

The idea isn’t unique to aspiring Democrats, or to this political era. The Republican National Committee launched educational programs for aspiring candidates and staffers several years ago, and some other Democratic organizations also offer online or in-person training.

But many of those programs can cost $150 or more. The NDTC is touting its academy as the first that’s totally free to accepted students thanks to some $7.4 million in contributions in 2017 and 2018 alone, with more than 90 percent of that money coming from individuals and the rest coming from union and other Democratic groups.

Lopez heard about the NDTC through a friend and signed up to be on its email list. In March, when she got a message about the training program, she jumped at the chance to apply.

Since graduating from college in 2017, Lopez had been recruited back into the legal field. But she remained active in local politics, fighting for hotel workers rights in Long Beach and green space in her hometown of Santa Ana.

Lopez is a first generation American and her parents are immigrants from El Salvador. She grew up in a rough Santa Ana neighborhood, but her parents always emphasized education. She was still in high school when she landed an internship at a law office.

While the legal field gave her great benefits and security, Lopez realized during college that community work made her feel the most fulfilled. She didn’t see a path to enter that world full time, though. Landing a paid job in electoral politics is largely a game of who you know, and it’s long been dominated by white males.

Even when she first applied to the NDTC academy, Lopez wasn’t optimistic about her odds. And when she saw Hillary Clinton had tweeted encouraging people to apply, she thought, “Oh, I’m never going to get in now.”

The NDTC received nearly 600 applications for its Staff Academy. Organizers chose 100 applicants for video interviews, then selected 60 students to enter the eight-week intensive training program the started May 1.

The demographics of the final group defied the traditional norms of political operatives, with two thirds women, two thirds people of color, and more than a third identifying as LGBTQ. And while many were young — roughly 8 percent were ages 18 to 22 — an even bigger group was made up of people like Lopez, who were leaving other careers to make a living in politics.

The first seven weeks of the academy consisted of online training, with homework assignments, weekly webinars and formal assessments. Lopez was initially most intimidated by — then the most proud of — an assignment that required her to build her own campaign website.

In late June, students gathered in Chicago for a four-day training, graduation and interviews with campaigns looking for staffers.

Some academy graduates have landed positions with city council candidates, state legislative campaigns and even presidential primary candidates. Others are negotiating offers.

Lopez completed the program’s digital track, inspired in part by the online presence of Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, D-New York.

She hasn’t landed a staff job yet. She’d love to work with a candidate or cause in Orange County. But she’s open to going wherever she’s needed, happy to have prospects in a career path that aligns with her passions.

“Education is power,” Lopez said. “And I’m so thankful NDTC opened the door.”

The NDTC has committed $2.8 million to build up its academy over three years. By 2021, the group hopes to be graduating 250 students. And, along with repeating digital and fundraising tracks, they plan to add training on communications and field strategy.

Anyone interested in applying for the academy can join an email list on the NDTC’s website to get notified when the application period opens.