Name: Kirk Samson
Gender: Male
Residence: Germany
Office: International Counsel
Member since: 2009
Biography
I'm a native of Madison, Wisconsin who has lived overseas since 1998. I am a veteran of the Air Force, a former diplomat, and a current government attorney. I'm married with three children and have lived in Germany, Norway, the Czech Republic and Tunisia with my family. I'm very interested in immigration and veterans’ issues, as well as environmental concerns. I am a staunch support of free speech and highly value a transparent and unfettered press. I strongly believe that DA and the Democratic Party can make great strides in the next election by revitalizing their agenda and broadening their appeal to capture this clear desire for change among American voters. I'm very interested in immigration and veterans issues, as well as environmental concerns. (NB - I am considered a 'less restricted employee' under OPM guidance and may take a position in the party).
Links to MYC video.
Describe your volunteer work with DA and cite your greatest DA accomplishment.
This last election was a wake-up call and I am determined to take part in positively shaping our country’s future. I’ve not prioritized my volunteer time with DA up to this point as I have three small children and a host of other activities demanding my attention and energy, but like many of you I was shocked by the result of the election into taking a more active role in politics in the years to come to ensure that my children have a secure and healthy future in the US.
Why are you running for this office?
I’m running for this office because I believe that the party needs new voices to move forward successfully. During the election, I felt that there were too many entrenched and frankly uninspired voices representing the party. DA offers a great shot of objectivity and passionate perspective to the broader Democratic Party and I would like to help shape our agenda for the next decade.
How will your skill sets and experience contribute to DA’s success?
As an attorney, veteran and former diplomat with two decades of experience overseas, I believe that I can help DA to craft a positive and inspirational agenda for both our organization and the nation. As the husband of a naturalized American, I am keen to see immigration become a transparent and reasonable process for those who are endeavoring to become upstanding US citizens. I offer important insights on military and security matters that the Democratic Party also needs to tout as a strength in elections to come.
If elected what are the three top issues within DA you will work to affect and how?
As counsel, my role is mostly to work on legal matters, and my goal would be to ensure that any issues that come up in DA are dealt with promptly and correctly. Additionally, I hope to use the position as an opportunity to share relevant pending legislation and legal issues with other DA members so that they can keep themselves informed on 'hot topics' for voters. Finally, taxes are a real headache for all Americans, especially those living overseas. If I can help to simply that process for us by working with the IRS and the Democratic party, it would be a great boon.
What three planks/issues are you most passionate about to include in the DA 2020 Platform and why?
Obviously the major issue for 2020 is getting more people involved in supporting the party during the election and I’m passionate about DA helping mainstream members learn how they can help through outreach, fundraising and fighting misinformation. That has to be our primary issue – empowering and inspiring the voter who may have been on the sidelines last year. Secondly, the Democratic Party (with assistance from DA) needs to burnish its credentials with the voters on security matters and international relations. We need to show, through sober action and thoughtful engagement, how America is a strong and reliable partner on security matters, as a foil to the jingoistic chest-thumping that we are hearing today. Finally, DA has great insight into immigration and visa concerns and these will continue to be a hot-button topics for the election. DA needs to champion reform of the immigration system and help educate others as to the need for rational, reliable systems of border control.
What can Democrats Abroad do to increase its profile among voters globally and better work to elect Democrats?
Improve our use of social media, encourage greater interaction with Congressional Delegations when they travel into our countries, encourage member participation through surveys, local 'town halls', and more opportunities to present their opinions and ideas to Democratic leaders back in the U.S.
How can DA work best with the Democratic Party and the Democratic National Committee to represent the issues of Americans living abroad? What can be enhanced or improved in this relationship?
That remains to be seen, as the party shifts gears with new leadership and (hopefully) fresh ideas intended to better reflect the needs and interests of party members and Americans across the land. For DA, it's important that we help feed these ideas into the shaping of the party, to bring our best ideas and concerns to their attention, and encourage elected officials to listen to their constituents overseas as important parts of the political process.
What will you do to grow DA and ensure greater overall participation by Chapter Members?
Democrats Abroad will only attract a broader membership with a positive message of hope and the opportunity for members to proactively shape the party’s agenda moving forward. My role in assuring this growth is to help DA find ways to ensure our bylaws and rules allow maximum participation and input from all members at the Chapter and international level. We need to ensure that our charter is interpreted in a way that all interested voices are heard as policy is shaped by the Democratic Party.