David Sours: Chairperson of the Jackson County Democrats

Jackson County, Southern Oregon grassroots.

Jackson County Democratic Party Chairperson David Sours is in the 2nd year of his 2nd term as party chair, and he is retiring at the end of the year. His number one goal is to educate as many people on the city council entry floor. “That’s how we build our bench.” The political experience in smaller arenas like that is invaluable because many first-time candidates have never had the opportunity. 

No matter your party, David Sours is committed to aiding in the impartial education of our systems to as many people as he can, and is offering his hand to help the newcomer step into whatever avenue they choose. The chairman wants you to know that elected offices are not out of your reach.

Reflecting on the current political climate in the region, and reports that registered voter turnout was very low, David affirms that “Democratic voters must rally behind the nominees in November.” While lower voter turnout is common, and to be expected, according to Sours, Democratic nominees can only win their races if democrats vote for them.

“It is our job as democrats to elect democrats.” the chairman stated. “Republicans elect republicans and democrats elect democrats.” His priority includes not just the state of the local party as it stands, but it also involves actively fostering an environment that newcomers feel welcome to explore their political office options. 

This year’s midterms suffered from a lack of registered voter participation. According to sos.oregon.gov (1), Jackson County saw 43,692 total Democrat voters, and 49,929 Republican registered voters, out of a total voter population of (approximately) 164,855. That means approximately 26% of Democrats voted, and just over 43% for Republicans. (David wants to remedy this disinterest in the system by educating more people about the system itself. 

Two years from now, according to Mr. Sours, he wants to have at least one democratic candidate in each race for office that is up for election. Currently, they are actively mobilizing to prepare for the summer. The summer is the perfect time for anyone who is interested in becoming involved to “get their feet wet.” City councils must re-file every summer, and it’s a great opportunity to see what each office does, how meetings work, and build connections. Library meetings, which occurred all through last summer and fall, will be returning as well, and these are places where you can gather to meet. 

Internally, his secondary priority is leadership succession. He understands that young people have a hard time believing that he is genuinely willing to step aside. It is a novel concept in our current age of politics.

Now, if you are concerned about attending these meetings, or hesitant about politics, do not be alarmed. David reports that at many of these meetings, the agendas get left at the door and neighbors cooperate, even in the most rural areas. “We don’t want extremists of either side to bring their agendas in city councils and school boards.” David says. “And plenty of people get their start in [these] places.” 

If you are already eager to get started, campaigning here locally is easy and cheap! 25 signatures or $25, and then it’s off to the races for you! (Rules apply)

Elections happen in the fall for all 11 city councils in Jackson County. 

The chairman has a caution and an encouragement for anyone who seeks an official position. “You will get a lot of heat. it’s rewarding work where you can contribute to a team.”

Part of the new facelift for the party is a new office in Talent! 306 East Main, Talent, is the party’s first functional office since before COVID, which was closed due to budgets, and simply never reopened. This move saved the party on overhead so that they could reallocate necessary funds to support their candidates. “It was the most credible paradigm shift of 2022.” Says David. However, during the midterms, the Jackson County Democrats realized an office would be necessary again. Prior to selecting a new office, they had a small outlet for candidates to use individually, or to store campaign material such as signs, pamphlets and a phone bank, but it was not operational in a traditional capacity. This new office is possible because of a generous donation, and is being treated as an experiment to see how much the office can handle, and if it affects the campaign performances. David is especially watching school board and city council elections to monitor the effect of the central hub. The chair of the democratic party is primarily a volunteer project coordinator, but he operates within a team. Sometimes he takes the lead, other times he is confident enough to let others take the lead. Nobody “reports” to him in a traditional sense, but they “report to each other on what they are up to,” which is very important to David. He prioritizes transparency, and is eager remain transparent in his efforts, even when he no longer holds the office of chairman. 

Now that the chaos of the midterms are over, Chairman Sours is diving into the primaries. He admits it’s a lot like the blind leading the blind, because many of the current candidates have never run for office before, and neither has David; but he is not letting that stand in the way. 

David has a large network of rank and file that he maintains communications with, and if you have a question that he cannot answer, he will send you in the direction of someone who might.

Secretary of State Tobias Read. Oregon Blue Book Almanac & Fact Book (accessed 5/29/26)