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Organizing those who care about the progressive future of St. Louis
 

Christian Bishop, President (he/they)

Christian is a born and raised St. Louisan, spending most of his life in south city. While interested in politics and activism in high school, he didn’t truly get involved until 2021. Christian has been involved with St. Louis Young Democrats since 2022, after organizing a protest rally on the overturning of “Roe v. Wade”. After getting involved Christian has gone on to work as a legislative assistant for the St. Louis Board of Aldermen. His favorite political activity is canvassing, he says there is nothing like being face to face with voters. In his (limited) free time Christian enjoys hiking, knitting, cooking, and spending time with his cats.

Sydni Jackson, Vice President (she/her/hers)

As a life-long democrat, I am passionate about promoting progressive leadership in the St. Louis region, and Democratic party as a whole.

Travis Bournes, Secretary (he/him/his)

I was born and raised in Chicago and currently reside in the Central West End neighborhood with my partner, Weston, and our two cats, Rose and Blanche. I work as a Tenant Services Coordinator for Lexicon Services, a sister company to Cordell & Cordell Law Firm. Additionally, I serve as the president of my Condo HOA, where I am dedicated to enhancing our community. My interest in politics has always been strong, and since 2018, I have become even more passionate about getting out and making a difference. I am eager to use my passion for change to help drive progress on the city and state level.

Rosetta Okohson, Communications Director (she/her/hers)

Born and raised in Saint Louis, Rosetta has been knocking doors for democrats in the Saint Louis area since she was 8 years old. She is the former Secretary for the Saint Louis Young Dems and is the CEO and Managing Partner at Meyers Okohson Political Consulting and has been a trainer for National Democratic Training Committee for the past 5 years. When she is not working hard for democrats she enjoys being outdoors, hiking or canoeing, and spending time with her friends and family. 

Ashley Tobeck, Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DE&I) Director (she/her/hers)

My name is Ashley Tobeck and I’m a licensed master social worker and an AASECT certified sexuality educator. I currently work at Washington University School of Medicine as a Medical Case Manager for people living with HIV/AIDS and am in supervision to become a licensed clinical social worker. On the side, I help canvass for local and state candidates, get signatures for ballot initiatives, and notarize documents to move progressive policies forward. My most recent experience was canvassing and training volunteers for my prior social work policy instructor and now friend, Elizabeth Fuchs’ campaign in 2024, and I am proud to say we did get a queer state representative elected in District 80. When I am not involved in advocacy as a social worker or canvasser, you can find me Latin dancing at Club Viva or hanging out with cats at the Cheshire Grin Cat Café.

AJ Hessburg, Treasurer (they/them/theirs)

A.J. Hessburg is an Associate at Meyers Okohson Political Consulting, where they have worked since 2018, campaigning for candidates including Mayor Tishaura Jones and Hon. Trish Gunby. They graduated this year from Butler University with degrees in Political Science and International Relations, where they also participated in Model UN, Speech & Debate, and was a Transatlantic Fellow to the European Union. They are also a graduate of LeadMO. A St. Louis native, A.J. lives in Tower Grove East and enjoys hiking with their chocolate lab Zeke.

 

Ted Neimann, Membership Director (he/him/his)

Ted Niemann is an Honors Student at the Pierre Laclede Honors College at UMSL and is graduating in May 2025 with a BSBA in Finance and a minor in Portfolio and Investment Management. In Fall of 2026, he will also begin pursuing his part time JD while working as a Financial Analyst. Ted remains dedicated to leadership by serving as the Director of Outreach for the Finance Club at UMSL, serving on the Student Advisory Board to the Dean at UMSL, and has competed and placed in several regional Finance Competitions. Ted has also interned at Plancorp Wealth Management and worked with several other leading banks in the area conducting research, allowing him to offer a wide array of financial expertise. In his spare time, Ted volunteers with Big Brothers Big Sisters and provides tax and personal finance advice to marginalized groups within the St. Louis area. Ted aspires to make significant contributions to the industry with a passion for teaching financial literacy to younger generations.

 We are the st. louis young democrats

Since 2011, we have been working towards a future of progressive politics and dedicated citizens making measurable impacts in St. Louis. Now, with hundreds of dues-paying members and growing, the STLYD is a formidable voice in the St. Louis political arena.

The STLYD has helped endorse candidates such as Congresswoman Cori Bush, Mayor Tishaura Jones, State Rep. Trish Gunby, Alders Anne Rice, Megan Green, Bret Narayan, and many more. We’ve helped grassroots efforts to pass Clean Missouri, Medicaid Expansion, and Proposition D.

We meet the first Thursday of every month for our regular membership meetings, and we have volunteer events throughout the month as well!

We also have endorsement meetings, where our membership votes for who we will endorse, for upcoming elections, and…

To be eligible to vote, you must:


1. Attend at least one event in the year prior

2. Be up-to-date on dues ($25 a year, or waived/reduced due to financial hardship, which can be done by emailing STLYoungDems@Gmail.Com)

That’s it!

 

How do we do it?

 
 

CANVASSING

We build community around issues by both talking about the issues here and how they affect us, AND by following up with action by volunteering door-to-door for candidates or issues.

EDUCATION

We come together for monthly meetings, trainings, and volunteer events. We create space for our members and the larger community to learn about and take action on issues impacting our region.

DIRECT ACTION

We engage in direct action like trash pick-ups, tenant rights canvassing, and protest.

 Our Bylaws

Our organization is governed by bylaws adopted in December of 2017 and amended in July of 2020. Any member may propose an amendment to the bylaws by emailing the proposal to the secretary.

Our mission statement

In July of 2020, our organization developed the STL Young Dems’ mission statement, which was crafted at an open policy committee meeting and approved via vote by members.