July 24, 2008

In First Visit Since INVESCO Field at Mile High Announcement, Dean and Peña Highlight Party's Commitment to Bringing New People to Convention

DENVER - Democratic National Committee (DNC) Chairman Governor Howard Dean and Obama Campaign Co-Chair Federico Peña toured INVESCO Field at Mile High today for the first time since the site was announced as the venue for the fourth night of the 2008 Democratic National Convention. They were joined by Democratic National Convention Committee (DNCC) CEO Leah D. Daughtry and four first-time Convention delegates from the Colorado delegation.

"Senator Obama has made a commitment to bringing new people into the Party and into the political process - people who may never have voted in an election before or taken part in a Convention," said Governor Dean. "On August 28, we will apply that model to our Convention and change the playing field - literally. The move to INVESCO Field at Mile High affords us the opportunity to bring tens of thousands more people into this process, inviting them to make history with us. That stands as a powerful example of the inclusiveness that is so core to our Party's values. So too is the delegation that will be here in Denver to nominate our next President of the United States - including so many first-time delegates just like the folks standing here with us today."

"The 2008 Convention in Denver will be a different kind of Convention - one that will put people never before involved in the political process front and center," said Peña. "Not only is this a great opportunity to engage the people that already voted for Barack Obama, it's also an opportunity to involve new people going forward. In addition to the first-time delegates you see here with us today, we are opening up the doors to the community, to Colorado and the critically important Western region."

"With just 31 days to go, these are no longer just floor plans on a wall," said Daughtry. "This is real and we'll be ready - ready to deliver the spectacular event our Party and the country awaits."

Joining Governor Dean, Co-Chair Peña and Daughtry today at INVESCO Field at Mile High were four first-time delegates to the Convention from the Colorado delegation:

Susan McMahon
Susan McMahon of Parker, Colo. has worked with Colorado for Obama and helped to organize Douglas County Delegates and Alternates. In this position, McMahon saw incredible turnout for Senator Obama in a traditionally conservative town. In addition to her political involvement, McMahon is a small business owner and operates a health and fitness business.

Saoirse Charis-Graves
Saoirse Charis-Graves of Golden, Colo. spent 27 years working as a school psychologist and is now retired.  For half of those years, Charis-Graves taught in pre-schools and knows firsthand the effectiveness of early childhood programs.  Charis-Graves started volunteering for the campaign the moment Senator Obama announced his candidacy.  She was, "completely disaffected by the old Washington politics," and now wants to make changes.

Marzette Bedford-Billinghurst
Marzette Bedford-Billinghurst of Greenwood Village, Colo. is the proud mother of two biracial children and is passionate about her support for Senator Obama. She won her delegate seat over hundreds of people due to her strong desire to be at the Convention. Bedford-Billinghurst personally called every registered Democrat in her precinct to get them to caucus, work at a phone bank or canvass the neighborhood.

Paul Lopez
Paul Lopez of Denver, Colo. is a member of the Denver City Council and has actively supported Senator Obama for almost a year. Lopez's first political experience was at age 13, when he campaigned to rename Westwood Elementary School as Richard T. Castro Elementary School. Lopez recalls canvassing for his cause and the thrill of victory he felt when the initiative passed.

Primetime Convention activities Monday, August 25 through Wednesday, August 27 will continue to be held at the Pepsi Center. The final day of the Convention on Thursday, August 28, including the nomination acceptance speech of Senator Barack Obama, will be held at INVESCO Field at Mile High.

The DNCC recently announced that a special block of "Community" credentials will be reserved for Colorado residents for Thursday night's program at INVESCO Field at Mile High. Details about how "Community Credentials" will be distributed will be released next week, though interested parties can sign up now to receive more information at http://www.demconvention.com/invesco/.

The Democratic National Convention, held from August 25-28, 2008, is expected to pump an estimated $160 million into the Denver area's economy and draw as many as 50,000 visitors to the region.