Young Democrats plan 2026 efforts
The meeting offered a chance for a closer encounter with people other than their official launch party, which was held Feb. 28.
That event featured a multitude of speakers, including Knox County Democratic Vice Chair Domonica Bryan, U.S, State Representative Aftyn Behn, and DNC Vice Chair Malcolm Kenyatta, who joined remotely.
“Our event on the 28th had 200 people coming in and out, so we didn’t get to talk to people one-on-one as much as we would have liked,” KYD vice president Julia Kay said. “Things like this allow us to do that and to talk about what we want to do and what a 2026 roadmap looks like to get members involved.”
“It’s also about inclusivity,” KYD president Solomon Trapp added. “A lot of our demographic is spread out across Knox County, so it’s nice to meet people where they are.”
The group is a subsidiary of Tennessee Young Democrats, which falls under Young Democrats of America.
Those units are separate entities from KnoxDems, which is under the Democratic National Convention.
They do have a close working relationship with KnoxDems but with an age range of 18 to 35, KYD hopes to fill a niche in the Knoxville area.
“KnoxDems does a great job of recruiting people, getting them on the ballot and helping them fund those campaigns,” Kay said. “We’re more boots on the ground people and want to be involved in our community organizations. We want to work more than just an election cycle; we want to be involved in whatever is going on and want to make sure people know that. And once you do reach 36, you can still volunteer with us and be involved in that way, too.”
At last Saturday’s meeting, Trapp and Kay informed potential members on how to sign up for the group, as well as what they can do down the road to get involved.
They both noted more information on their 2026 slate will be announced at their first general members meeting on March 18 from 6:30 to 7:30 p.m.
“They feel like there’s not something out there for them to get involved with, so it’s important that they know there is,” Kay said. “We are here to amplify people who are already doing so much good work, so we can be a face for bringing those people in.”
She added they want to work with new members on a variety of subjects, including county district meeting
attendees and an observer corps for everything from county commission meetings to city council and school board meetings.
“We will help with especially local campaigns,” Kay said. “Our focus is here, so local commissioner, school board. Helping them with volunteer aspects like canvassing, door knocking, phone calls.”
“We want to make our voices heard,” she continued. “When you show up, it matters and makes a difference.”
Kay and Trapp both put an emphasis on non-partisan voter registration, citing University of Tennessee students as a potentially impactful group within local elections.
“A small group of people can make a huge difference, and some votes in Knox County come down to 10, 20, 100 votes,” Kay said. “So it really matters to get out.”
Overall, she and Trapp both want this group to be one of action within the local community.
“There’s a lot of organizations that preach their message, but when the opportunity arises to do something about it, nothing materializes,” Trapp said. “So we want to hold our general members accountable to make sure everyone who is a member is contributing.”
"Just going out and seeing people who agree with you and you don’t feel so alone,” added Kay, “that’s where change starts to happen.”
