About Us
The Kansas Young Democrats are the primary youth democratic organization in the state of Kansas. We represent young people all across Kansas at the highest level within the Kansas Democratic Party, throughout the state and nationally. This organization was founded on a progressive vision to help elect, engage and inspire young democrats in Kansas. We work alongside hundreds of democrats between the ages of 13 to 35 in over 25 local chapters throughout the state.
Kansas Young Democrats are the official youth caucus of the Kansas Democratic Party and we strive to bring youth-led, progressive change to Kansas. Our mission is to:
- Elect young democratic candidates in Kansas
- Increase youth engagement in politics
- Provide young people with the skills and resources they need to be successful in politics
- Establish younger leaders within the Democratic party
- Help flip Kansas blue
We cannot do this alone, we need your help to change Kansas. If you would like to help create progressive change in our state, join Kansas Young Democrats.
Our Executive Board
Our Executive Board
Ella Perkins
President
She / Her / Hers
Ella Perkins has lived in Wichita, Kansas for nearly fifteen years. She graduated from Wichita State University in May 2022 with a degree in political science. While there she founded Wichita State College Democrats and proceeded to serve as President of the organization for two terms before being elected 2nd Vice President of Kansas Young Democrats in February 2021. During the 2022 election, Ella served as the Campus Director for the Kansas Democratic Party’s Coordinated Campaign. In this role she hired & lead a team of over twenty paid campus organizers at numerous colleges across the state. Her direction of this program contributed to Kansas having the second largest spike in voter registration among 18-24 year olds in the nation in 2022.
Ella has worked on multiple federal, state, and local campaigns. Her goal is to build sustainable young democratic infrastructure across the state of Kansas. She is incredibly passionate about engaging young people in the political process and ensuring their voices are heard in Kansas. Ella Perkins was elected President of Kansas Young Democrats in February 2023.
Ana-Sofia Lahovary
1st Vice President
She / They
Ana-Sofia is from Kansas City. Currently, they are living in Lawrence and pursuing majors in Political Science and Global & International Studies and minors in German and Public Policy. In the past, she has worked with the Kansas Democratic Party’s campus program at KU and non-profits forwarding youth advocacy in politics such as Loud Light and Prairie Roots. They are so proud to now be the Kansas Young Democrat’s secretary and look forward to building a network of Kansans who prioritize forwarding progressive politics in the state!
Raiden Gonzales
2nd Vice President
He / Him / His
Rebecca Hollister
Treasurer
She / Her / Hers
Rebecca resides in Leavenworth, Kansas. She is the founding President of the Leavenworth County Young Democrats chapter. Rebecca began her political career in 2015 when she interned for the Kansas Democratic Party. Since then she has worked on multiple campaigns. In 2018 she was the Campaign Coordinator for House District 40 up until the primary, in 2019 served as a Johnson County Regional Coordinator, and in 2020 managed two state house campaigns in Leavenworth. She also interned for the Democratic National Committee in 2018, assisting with the ASDC Puerto Rico Regional Conference.
Rebecca graduated from Georgetown University in 2021 with a Bachelor of Arts degree in Political Economy and Mathematics. During her time at Georgetown, she was the President of the Georgetown College Democrats and founding Vice President of the DC College Democrats. She enjoys organization building and youth organizing.
Rebecca currently works in finance at a local school district. When she isn’t campaigning, she loves to read, play Red Dead Redemption 2, and commission portraits of her cat, Halo.
Brendan Symons
Secretary
He / Him / His
Brendan is a high school student entering his senior year at Lawrence High School. He serves as the current president of the Lawrence High School Democrats, an executive board member of the Douglas County NAACP Youth Council, and the incoming secretary for the Kansas Young Democrats. Brendan is passionate about progressive politics and movement-building, and he looks forward to working toward these goals for the state of Kansas through the executive board.
Anna Bolinger
Congressional District 1 – Chair
She / They
Anna is a political science student at the University of Kansas. They have been involved in politics for many years and often canvassed door-to-door during high school. She is passionate about reaching people across the entire state and doing whatever we can to make Kansans’ lives better! When they are not working with the KYD or doing homework, she’s hanging out with my friends or thinking about adopting a dog.
Jackson Bertoncino
Cogressional District 2 – Chair
He / Him / His
Jackson is from Pittsburg, Kansas and has spent most of his young adult life involved in local politics. During his undergraduate years, Jackson served as the President of the Pitt-state Young Democrats and a 2018 Campus Organizer for the Kansas Democratic Party. Jackson remains active in his local Crawford County Democratic Party as Co-chair of Community and Youth outreach, and continues to work alongside his local chapter to help facilitate greater youth participation in the party and to address pressing issues facing his community.
Reed Krewson
Congressional District 3 – Chair
Reed serves as the Kansas Young Democrats 3rd Congressional District Chair and is Co-Chair of Johnson County Young Democrats. He is a current graduate student at the University of Kansas. Contact Reed if you’re interested in starting a Young Dems chapter in CD3!
Ariel Dillon
Congressional District 4 - Chair
Drew Bellamy
KDP Delegate
He / Him / His
Daisy "KD" Karimi
KDP Delegate
She / Her / Hers
Daisy, "KD", is originally from Nairobi, Kenya but was raised and politized in Topeka, KS. She received her Bachelor of Business Administration (BBA) in Finance from Washburn University in 2017, where she spend my free time advocating, and organizing for the disfranchised communities inside the SNCO/ KS. She currently serves as the chairperson for African American Democratic Caucus of Shawnee County & Co-Chair of the Shawnee County Dems PCP Committee. Internally, she's a Gemini with love language of music who happened to live at Malia's (her dog) house.
Lucy Steyer
YDA Delegate
She / Her / Hers
Lucy found her passion for politics and public service in high school, and pursued a Bachelor's in Political Science at Emporia State University. At ESU, she served on Student Government for three years, was a member of the Honors College, member of Alpha Sigma Alpha, and worked as a Resident Assistant. After graduating in 2022, she worked as a field organizer for a state wide race in Kansas before transitioning to a volunteer coordinator/program specialist role at a local non-profit in the KC Metro.
Dallas Grimes
YDA Delegate
He / Him / His
Dallas is a senior at Wichita State, where he is majoring in Political Science and minoring in International Studies. He serves as the president of the Wichita State College Democrats.
Executive Staff
Kenna McNally
Communications Director and Graphic Designer
She / Her / Hers
Kenna McNally is undergraduate student at the University of Kansas. I am studying strategic communications with minors in public policy and business. In the past she has worked at the communications director for Christina Haswood's 2022 HD 10 campaign as well as an intern on the 2020 KDP Coordinated Campaign. As the KYD communications director, she is so excited to see how our socials can grow during this period. She loves spending time outdoors, going on walks, drinking matcha lattes, and spending time with friends!
Alex Teasley
KSHSD Representative
They / Them / Theirs
Alex is from the Johnson County area where they are a current high school senior at Olathe North. Alex is an alumni of the Prairie Roots Fellowship program and a former assistant at the Kansas Democratic Party. Alex has been involved in five election cycles, most recently as the campaign manager for Dr. Michael Shimeall in 2022.