The District of Columbia Democratic State Committee

“The DC Democratic Party”

1225 – 19^th Street, NW, Suite 800, Washington, DC 20036

202-223-2113; fax 202-293-3388; www.dcdsc.org

April 14, 2006

Alexis Herman

James Roosevelt

Co-Chairs

Rules and By-Laws Committee

The Democratic National Committee

430 South Capitol Street, SE

Washington, DC 20003

Re: DC’s Request to be an Early Caucus State

Dear Secretary Herman and Mr. Roosevelt:

Attached please find DC’s application to conduct its presidential preference contest in the “pre-window” period as a caucus state.

There are compelling reasons to grant this request:

1. The District of Columbia has voted Democratic in Presidential elections more consistently than any state in the union.

2. The District of Columbia is much more diverse than its urban setting implies. For its geographic size, the District of Columbia is more diverse than most states in terms of race, sexual preference, income, employment, education, size of families, government vs private sector; wealth vs poverty, and development vs lack of development.

3. We have the experience of funding combination primary/caucus election processes since the allowance of partial home rule in 1974.

4. Not being allowed full voting rights, we hold the few we have as precious. We can be a model for the nation.

For all these reasons and more, we humbly apply for pre-window Presidential preference status.

Sincerely,

Wanda Lockridge

Wanda Lockridge, Chair; Ron Bitondo, Vice-Chair; Jeffrey Norman, Treasurer

Yvette Alexander, Corresponding Secretary; Ron Collins, Recording Secretary

Marilyn Tyler Brown, National Committeewoman; Arrington Dixon, National Committeeman

MaryEva Candon, Executive Director; Keenan Keller, Counsel