Spotlight on Speaker: Anderson Clayton, Chair of the North Carolina Democratic Party
- dalton buchanan
- 11 hours ago
- 2 min read
Youth, Grit, and a Relentless Passion for Democracy
We are thrilled to welcome Anderson Clayton, Chair of the North Carolina Democratic Party, to the Henderson County Democratic Convention stage!
Anderson Clayton is not only the youngest state party chair in the nation — she’s also one of the most determined, energetic, and visionary political leaders in North Carolina today.
Born and raised in Roxboro, NC, a majority-minority rural town just north of Durham, Anderson graduated from Appalachian State University in 2019 with degrees in journalism and political science. Her political journey began in 2016, when she heard Republicans were trying to shut down the polling station on her college campus. Outraged and inspired, she attended her first local board of elections meeting — a moment she now calls her “first real political act.” That same year, Watauga County flipped blue for the first time ever, and Anderson was hooked.
Since then, she hasn’t looked back.
She worked on high-profile presidential campaigns, including those of Elizabeth Warren and Kamala Harris, and took on organizing roles for Amy McGrath’s Senate campaign in Kentucky and Kathy Manning’s congressional campaign in North Carolina. But it was her time in rural Iowa during the Harris campaign that transformed her understanding of grassroots power. “No one comes out to us … no one wants to talk. No one wants to say that they're a Democrat,” she said. “And I was like, ‘well hell, I do.’”
In 2023, Anderson was elected Chair of the North Carolina Democratic Party, bringing that same fierce conviction to her leadership. Under her direction, the party has:
Prioritized year-round local organizing
Invested in candidate recruitment and development
Focused on rebuilding Democratic infrastructure in every corner of the state
Her goal? To flip North Carolina blue — not just in one election cycle, but for the long haul.
Anderson Clayton embodies the new generation of Democratic leadership — grounded in rural experience, motivated by equity, and ready to fight for a better future.
