Send Solona to the Democratic National Convention in Chicago

I've always been interested in politics, and then last month I found out that I had been elected by the Washington state Democratic Party to serve as an at large national delegate. I felt surprised, thrilled, nervous, and excited. It would be a once in a life time opportunity. However, my political comrades and I had been informed that the Democratic Party expects us delegates to foot much of the bill for attending the Democratic National Convention (DNC). That includes a hotel stay - pretty much mandatory- , travel to and from Chicago, most meals, and misc. other expenses. I am a student and have been having difficulty getting a job, so donations for this would be quite welcome. Thank you!

The 2024 DNC will be take place in Chicago, IL from Monday August 19th to Thursday August 22nd at the United Center and McCormick Place event spaces. There will (presumably?) be lots of protesting going on outside the convention, largely related to the Israel-Palestine conflict (often referred to as a genocide being committed by the state of Israel). President Joe Biden is the presumptive nominee, though this could end up being a historic event of someone else winning the nomination.

I like a lot of what President Joe Biden has done while in office (Inflation Reduction Act, Respect for Marriage Act, support for Ukraine, etc.), and I very much want him or someone else nominated by the Democratic Party to defeat Trump in the general election. However I disapprove of a couple of major actions of Biden's: his military support of Israel, and his continuing to run for reelection despite widespread concerns about his age and related physical and cognitive decline.

Alongside that, the issues that I am most passionate about are housing and climate change. I want the government to do what it can to ensure accessibility of affordable and urbanist housing for all, and to ensure an Earth and a future that are habitable rather than wrecked my multiple degrees celsius of human caused warming.

I may end up a little disappointed with the roles of the delegates and DNC being as ceremonial as they are, but I think a lot of the value for me will truly be about "the friends we made along the way." Participating in the Ceasefire Delegates movement has been a great experience for me thus far, and I am extremely grateful for the mentoring, support, and caring camaraderie they have provided.

I served as an "uncommitted" state delegate on June 22nd-23rd at the WA state Democratic Party Convention in Bellevue, WA. The many voters of Seattle who voted "uncommitted" on their presidential primary ballots in February helped enable me to have that opportunity. For the national convention, I am pledged to Biden, though I am determined to do what I can - within the laws and bylaws of the U.S. and the party - to represent the liberal and leftist values of my fellow Seattleites and Washingtonians and myself.

The state party estimates national delegate costs to be ~$4k to $5.5k, but I believe that I can get the costs to be way lower for myself, down to about $900 or $1,000. That is $211.55 for plane and bus tickets to get to Chicago from Seattle and back, $465 for my share of a hotel room split with two other people, and about $200 for food so that I won't have to stress about trying to pack lunch or dinner or lots of snacks ($20 for each lunch and dinner x 4 days of convention, plus one meal each getting to and from the convention). And probably $30 or so for public transit within Chicago.

Donations beyond $1,000 would help fund DNC merch+souvenirs, me enjoying meals and museums during a couple days of touristing in Chicago, and helping pay for a new pair of shoes that would look professional and feel comfortable- I'll be doing a lot of walking during that week in Chicago. I might also want to stay a 5th night in the hotel for convenience and comfort after a long day of convention activities on the 22nd. Those stretch goal expenses would total ~$600, and there would be GoFundMe transaction fees as well. I will stop accepting donations at $1,600.

I could try to save on hotel costs by sleeping at my brother's place in Chicago during the convention, but I would need to be at the hotel early each morning for getting credentials, and without that, I can't participate at all or have my voice heard. It would be better to not risk losing access to the convention after going through the trouble of getting elected and traveling 2,000 miles.

Here is a recent article from KUOW , featuring at the end a bit of an interview with me:

"Around a hundred of those delegates will come from Washington state. Solona Sisco is a delegate from Seattle pledged to Biden-Harris, but she hasn’t been a personal fan of Biden for some time – she’s been involved in a movement within the party to push Biden to demand a ceasefire in Gaza.

Sisco said she hopes the president steps down and there’s an open convention – where they consider other candidates, like Michigan Governor Gretchen Whitmer or Pennsylvania Governor Josh Shapiro.

'I just find it a little boring – a little frustrating – being put into a role of ceremony,' Sisco said. “I'd like to be able to make my voice heard in a meaningful way. I want to vote in meaningful ways.'"