2021 Vice Chair Candidate Statement
Please find below my candidate statement from the 2021 DAUK elections as a way of introduction. More to come!
My name is Brett McHargue and I am asking for your vote for Vice Chair of Democrats Abroad UK. Moving here from Texas in 2000, I joined Democrats Abroad almost immediately and involved myself whenever possible, from the early days of the Policy Network to the recent website launch.
After the 2016 election, shocked by the direction my country had taken, I knew more direct action was needed. I became a DPCA Voting Representative for DAUK. I attended the global and EMEA conventions in Washington DC and online. As an elections clerk I established the vote counting procedures for our first online convention. And as a software/web developer, I pushed for improving our online presence, in the UK and globally.
I now wish to serve as Vice Chair to continue that work within the UK and with our partners in the global community.
For those I have not met, I am a freelance software developer. From my university days forward, I have applied my technical knowledge and team building skills for progressive politics.
But technology has always been the means, never the goal. Some of the principles I follow as a software developer, I also follow in my political work. Most importantly “individuals and interactions over processes and tools”. We work best when we work together, open and transparently.
For the 2020 elections, with the monumental effort of a team of volunteers, I spearheaded the new DAUK website. A central source of up-to-date information, accessible by all of DAUK’s groups and caucuses has long been discussed. I was warned of the difficulties I might face with an eclectic group of volunteers. But I believe strongly that if you provide a team with a strong mission, thoughtful planning, and the right tools, then amazing things can happen. I hope the end product speaks for itself — and it is just the beginning.
For our EMEA Convention I installed an online forum and video conference area for the sharing of ideas and policy discussion, as well as candidate delegate meetups. I later implemented a similar setup for Vote From Abroad Champions. The main goal in all my efforts has been to provide transparency and accessibility in our work as volunteers.
As the elections clerk for the conventions, I established the procedures needed to ensure a smooth election, working closely with DA members from Sweden, Germany, Israel and Luxembourg. I plan to continue building bridges with them all.
As Vice Chair I want to ensure that all our volunteers have what is needed to succeed in our mission. If you are a DAUK member, please do consider me for your vote. Together we can grow an unstoppable coalition and do the amazing. Let’s go do it!
