We’re excited to announce that two of HCDP’s own received awards at the August tenth NC11 Gala! Joe Elliott received the Ramsey award for Henderson County while Dalton Buchanan was named Mountain Democrat of the Year.
JOE ELLIOTT: Joe was described as “one of the finest examples of leadership in Henderson County” in his nomination for the Liston B. Ramsey Award for Henderson County. The Ramsey Award recognizes those who have made outstanding contributions toward furthering the values of the Democratic Party, including human rights, accessible healthcare, and environmental protection.
Joe has lived in Western North Carolina for a dozen years and has always been interested in current events and US history. In 2018, he managed Scott Donaldson’s campaign and then went on to serve as HCDP Secretary. More recently he has focused on candidate recruitment and support and is part of the messaging team.
One of Joe’s most impactful accomplishments was co-founding the nonpartisan Civic Advocacy Network (CAN) with community activist Rachel Poller. Members of CAN regularly attend and speak about local issues at public meetings, including the Board of Commissioners and the School Board meetings.
“We felt the prevailing Right-Wing domination of discussion/thought on political and social issues needed a stronger counterpoint voice,” Joe explained. “In this instance, we thought working as only Democrats would dilute the message. Rachel, Chris Walters and others were already going to public meetings and speaking up, so CAN added more structure and focus. Politicians need to listen to everyone and need to be transparent in their governance. Under Republican extremists, neither is part of our current political makeup.”
Joe and his wife, Paula, recently celebrated their 54th wedding anniversary. They have two daughters and four grandchildren. According to his nomination, “Joe is involved because he thinks the people running our country need to be the best of who we are. He isn’t only involved for himself or his family, but for his community and his country. Henderson County thanks you and honors you for being an instrumental person to all that we have achieved since you have joined.”
Joe encourages everyone at HCDP to keep on working. “We’ve been moving the needle slowly to the left over the past few cycles. Let’s push hard to accelerate that progress.”
DALTON BUCHANAN: Being named Mountain Democrat of the year recognizes the multiple ways Dalton has positively influenced our community.
“We have so very many incredible people out here in Henderson County but the person who goes above and beyond is our third vice chair, Dalton Buchanan,” his nomination explained.
“Dalton has held this position for two terms and oversees our communications, which means he has spent the past several years cleaning up our website, and streamlining all of our printed materials. Dalton and his team create graphics for large signs, social media posts, candidate design support and many other features that have been vital to connecting with our community. They also manage our social media platforms to include not only Facebook, Instagram and Threads, but videos for TikTok and YouTube.
“Dalton is also the president of the Young Dems of Henderson County and most recently encouraged them to purchase a billboard for one month long prior to Election Day to use for our messaging purposes. Additionally, Dalton and his husband regularly attend events and festivals. They encourage other young folks to join and volunteer and have succeeded in that mission. I just can’t see how our County Party to have grown in record numbers over these past years without the power of a strong communications leader.”
More about Dalton’s background and role can be found in his leadership profile.
Congratulations to both of these leaders! We appreciate your work.