Shar Allen, of the 47th District’s Griffith Precinct, was elected as a delegate to the Democratic National Convention for Barack Obama on June 15, one of just seventeen at-large delegates chosen from a field of over 380 candidates. The at-large delegates were elected by the national delegates chosen at the Congressional District Caucuses as part the State Convention held in Spokane.
Shar Allen works as a consulting accountant and has been a resident of the District since 2001. She lives in the Carriage Crest neighborhood with her husband Leland and their two children; son T.J. attends Bellevue Community College, while daughter Alexis is entering sixth grade. Shar has been an active volunteer at Carriage Crest Elementary, Northwest Harvest and the Union Gospel Mission.
Although she has always voted Democratic, this year marks Shar’s first foray into politics, Believing that “our country’s soul is at stake” in this election, and inspired by Barack Obama’s message and personal story, she attended her very first precinct caucus in February and “it changed my life.” She committed herself to getting to Denver if she possibly could, first running at the 8th CD Caucus in Covington, then making a full court press to get one of the at-large seats.
Shar attributes her success to sheer persistence and one-on-one contact. She attended every possible gathering of elected national delegates and even hosted one of her own; those who didn’t come to these events received phone calls and personal visits. She was especially encouraged by a long meeting with State Party Secretary Luis Moscoso, who told her that her own story and passion were exactly what Democrats need to have at the National Convention.
“This isn’t just about Barack Obama,” Shar observes, but she acknowledges that, as a multiracial American herself, she takes great pride in seeing his rise to leadership. She also notes that her brother, a United States Marine, met Senator Obama in 2006 while serving in Iraq and encouraged him to run for President, so there’s some family pride involved, too.
Shar’s commitment goes well beyond attending the Convention. Working with her mother, a native of Vietnam, she plans an active outreach to the Vietnamese-American and other Asian-American communities, who too often feel disconnected from the elections and/or tended to support other candidates in the primaries. She has already sponsored voter registration sessions in Kent, and was the lead organizer for the “Unity for Change” event on July 28. She has filed for election as Precinct Committee Officer for Griffith Precinct, with the full support of current PCO Evelyn Reymond.
It is always exciting to have one of our own among those making history at the national convention. The Democrats of the 47th District have good reason to be pleased about this passionate and effective new voice in our community.
- Tyler Page