Martin Yeung named to National Dem Board

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
March 26, 2009

Rapid City businessman named to DNC presidential primary reform board

RAPID CITY – Business consultant Martin Yeung of Rapid City will represent upper Midwestern states on the 37-member commission that will recommend changes to the Democratic Party’s rules for the 2012 presidential nominating and delegate selection process.


Governor Tim Kaine, D-Va., who also serves as the new chairman of the Democratic National Committee, appointed Yeung to the Democratic Change Commission, which will be co-chaired by Sen. Claire McCaskill, D-Mo., and Rep. James Clyburn, D-S.C.

“This commission will focus on reform that improves the presidential nominating process to put voters first and ensure that as many people as possible can participate,” Kaine said in a DNC media statement.

Kaine said he hopes the commission will be able to work with its counterpart in the Republican National Committee to make the delegate selection process and nominating process more accessible to voters.

Cheryl Chapman, the South Dakota Democratic Party interim chair, said Yeung has significant experience in working with grassroots voter programs as well as national politics, including an assignment to work in the White House during President Bill Clinton’s tenure and as a special assistant on a congressional staff. Yeung manages Yeung, Inc., of Rapid City which operates two restaurants. He was a delegate last year to the Democratic National Convention in Denver.

“Martin Yeung is a tremendously talented young man who has a wealth of experience in grassroots organizing as well as in federal government issues and business,” Chapman said. “He’s ideally suited to express the wishes of voters to reform the presidential primary and delegate selection process and make it more fair and accessible to voters.”

Yeung said he didn’t expect to be named to the commission, which includes elected officials, academics, state party leaders, labor, business and other leaders.

“This is a challenge and a great honor to have been chosen to serve on such august commission,” Yeung said. “The presidential primary process has needed to evolve for a long time. South Dakota should have its voice heard and voters should feel like their vote is valued. I look at it as an opportunity to reform primary elections so that voters in both major political parties will benefit.”