State Auditor Glen B. Gainer III will be the keynote speaker at the West Virginia Young Democrats Convention March 31-April 2 at West Virginia University.
He is set to address students at a 12:30 p.m. luncheon Saturday, April 1, at Hatfields in the Mountainlair.
The state convention, hosted by the WVU Young Democrats, also features 2 nd Congressional District candidate Mike Callaghan and representatives from the offices of U.S. Sen. Robert C. Byrd and Gov. Joe Manchin III .
Their appearances will highlight a full weekend of activities and speakers that kicks off Friday, March 31, with a 7 p.m. welcome reception in the’Lair Mountaineer Room.
A meet-the-candidates session will follow in the same location. Those confirmed include Steve Nicholas, candidate for the House of Delegates District 12; Barbara Evans Fleischauer, candidate for the House of Delegates District 44; and Robert Beach, candidate for the House of Delegates District 44. Other Morgantown-area candidates may also attend.
The evening will be capped off by an 8 p.m. dance party also in the Mountaineer Room.
Saturday’s lineup includes morning and afternoon workshops on topics ranging from leadership skills to grassroots campaigning and caucus meetings.
WVU Young Democrats President L.J. Ulrich called the convention a great tool to bring members together and kick off the 2006 campaign.
College students are an energetic and valuable part of any political campaign, so we hope that this will enable more students to become more involved with the political process,he said.This is the first time we’re trying to have workshops at a convention. It’s more of a work-oriented weekend as opposed to past conventions, where the focus was on speakers and entertainment.
Ulrich added,We want to reflect the national party. We want to be unified, we want to work, and we want to win.
A partial convention schedule is below:
Saturday, April 1 (all activities listed take place in the’Lair)
- Information table9 a.m.-5 p.m., lobby
- Training workshops10 a.m.-noon
- Luncheon12:30-2 p.m., Hatfields
- Convention general session2-4 p.m., Gluck Theater; speakers include representatives from the offices of Byrd and Manchin as well as 2 nd Congressional District Democratic candidates
- Training workshops4-5 p.m.
- Bowling party7-9 p.m., games area