About

lowercase democrats (as opposed to the uppercase political party) believe in making our government and society more democratic.  lowercase d is an open collaborative effort to define and win this goal, based in New York.  An all-volunteer effort begun in 2006, it runs on the participation, input, and donations of countless people like you.  Join us!

Currently the core team includes:

Hugh James McGlincy, Esq., Special Counsel, was born and raised in New York City, and has worked in many political campaigns.  More recently his volunteer work has been focused on the improvement of the urban environment as well as improved civilian oversight of the police.  A graduate of the University of Pittsburgh School of Law he currently works investigating cases of housing discrimination throughout New York State with a focus on the rights of the disabled.

Chris Michael, Campaign Manager, was born in New York City and raised in Northern New Jersey. He attended Columbia University for the study of Physics and Political Philosophy. Upon receipt of his baccalaureate, Michael lectured in Mathematics at Wadleigh Secondary School. He then relocated to Berlin in the capacity of a Translator and Copywriter, adapting international corporate campaigns for clients such as BMW, Mercedes and Nescafé. He is currently a PhD candidate in Politics and Law at the City University of New York.

Daniel Yohannes, General Counsel, is a New York state attorney and environmentalist. His long-held belief in the strength of the Constitution and the power of the law to correct injustice led him to pursue a JD and Master of Environmental Management.  The right of citizen review and enforcement of environmental laws and regulatory actions informs his belief that the people most affected by a government action should have a leading role in the decision-making process.

NYC native Olaf Bertram-Nothnagel, Lead Organizer, is a filmmaker, activist, and artist whose diverse work in the guts of many political and direct action campaigns and organizations has emphasized issues of democracy, basic rights, and sustainability.  His narrative and experimental film work brought him to the IMA program at Hunter, studying nonfiction media for social change.  In completing his MFA there he was able to indulge his longtime interest in direct democracy, resulting in a soon to be released documentary on the subject, and ultimately, after hundreds of conversations with fellow citizens, the launching of lowercase d.