The Central Committee
The Stanislaus County Democratic Central Committee (aka Stanislaus County Democratic Party or Stan Dems) is an elected body that organizes the Democratic Party here in Stanislaus County. Members are elected every 4 years on the US Presidential Primary ballot based on County Supervisor District.
Our purpose is to conduct the County Party’s general business, approve its budget, coordinate campaign activity, recruit and endorse Democratic candidates for office. Ex-Officio members are the elected Democrats or Democratic Party candidates who received the highest number of votes in statewide or federal offices in the most recent primary election.
Meetings are held on the fourth Wednesday of each month at 7pm. We meet via Zoom and in-person at the North Valley Labor Federation headquarters at 1235 M Street, Suite 100, Modesto, CA 95354. Any Stanislaus County registered Democrat (or those who would register as a Democrat when/if they become eligible) are welcome to attend these meetings as guests, or by joining as an Associate Member. Associate Members may not vote at these meetings, but are voting members in their assigned subcommittees.
The Central Committee does the following:
Recruits, trains, and endorses candidates
Charters democratic clubs
Sends voting delegates to party conventions
Coordinates campaign efforts for candidates and issues
Sponsors voter outreach and registration drives
Recruits volunteers to support candidates and issues
Central Committee Members
District 1
Austin Grant
David Tucker spent his career as a civil engineer: 32 years as a consultant and 23 years in public service, ending as City Engineer of Merced for eight years. David serves as Treasurer of the Central Valley Democratic Club and has been a Central Committee member for more than ten years.
Linda Lagace is a non-native Californian, having moved here from New Jersey via Louisiana in 1986. Linda’s formal education has been in both technology and the social sciences. She has had a diverse job history, including working as a petrochemical engineer, an artisan distiller, and a hospice social worker. She has lived throughout California from Mendocino to Santa Cruz, Menlo Park, and Merced. Linda enjoys her retirement with her husband David. While no longer hiking the California wilderness, she enjoys photographing the beauty of the wildlife and wetlands of the Central Valley.
Lisa Coburn
Naramsen Goriel
District 2
Victor Costa is the Chair of the Stanislaus County Democratic Central Committee. Additionally, he is a founding member and current President of the Young Democrats of Stanislaus County.
Margaret Souza represents you as an elected member from District 2.
Elizabeth “Lise” Talbott represents you as an elected member from District 2 and former Chair and Controller for Stan Dems. She also serves the community as a Waterford City Council member. Additionally, she is the Political Activities Chair for the CVDC. Lise is a passionate advocate for community-based solutions to health, environmental, and racial equity. She's also married to the best husband in the world and mom to two awesome young men.
Michelle Tennell serves as Vice Chair of the Stanislaus County Democratic Central Committee. After 26 years in education, she now works in nonprofit management and is focused on strengthening the Committee’s systems and operations to maximize its effectiveness and impact. She is committed to electing Democrats to local offices throughout the county, fostering unity within the party, and engaging the next generation in the political process.
Michelle lives in Turlock and enjoys spending time with her husband of 38 years and their three adult children.
District 3
Kevin McClarty
Antonio Madrigal is a Turlock native and former council member for the city of Modesto. After graduating from UC Santa Cruz, he served two terms on the Santa Cruz City Council. Tony serves on the boards of the King-Kennedy Memorial Center, Latino Community Roundtable, and South Modesto Businesses United.
District 4
Aleta Bryant
Blake Mittan is a retired special education teacher with 30 years of experience, the majority of which were spent at Modesto High School. He is also an Army veteran. During his career, Blake served as a Site Representative and Political Action/Strategy Chairperson for the Modesto Teachers Association for many years. He currently serves on the Stanislaus County Democratic Central Committee and as a CADEM state delegate. Blake is a passionate advocate for public education, LGBTQ+ rights, and gender and racial equity.
Chris Ricci
Larry Bolton
Melissa Santos
District 5
Cynthia Homen is a lifelong Democrat and has served as a member of the Stanislaus County Democratic Central Committee since 2016. A former Patterson City Council member, she prioritizes community engagement and voter outreach. Cynthia is a retired Stanislaus County employee who has dedicated her career to public service. She has worked closely with individuals experiencing poverty, teaching job readiness skills to help them enter the workforce, and concluded her career as a social worker in Child Protective Services. She remains deeply invested in her community.
Renee Zumstein
Rosalinda Vierra is a Student Success Specialist with extensive experience in community leadership and public service. She has worked on campaigns ranging from local races to presidential elections and currently serves as a Councilmember. Rosalinda has spent 15 years on the County Economic Development Committee and is actively involved in local initiatives such as Christmas Tree Lane and a free community concert in the park. Her priorities include economic development, community engagement, and equitable access to resources. She holds a Master’s in Business and a Graduate Certificate in Public Policy, and is a proud mother of four and grandmother of three.
Ex-Officio Members
Congressional Candidate Michael Barkley (CA-05)
Congressman Josh Harder (CA-09)
Congressman Adam Gray (CA-13)
State Senate Candidate Tim Robertson (SD-04)
State Assembly Candidate Rosella Rowlison (AD-09)
State Assembly Candidate Jessica Self (AD-22)
Alternate Members
District 1
Pedro Ramirez, alternate for Naramsen Goriel
District 2
Daniel Miller, alternate for Lise Talbott.
A Turlock native, Daniel is a retired family physician and veteran who spent 24 years with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. He began his career in Cancer Prevention and Control before transitioning to Global Health, where he served as the CDC’s liaison in Global Health to Congress and as a Senior Technical and Policy Advisor to the World Bank, the State Department, the Office of the Secretary of Health and Human Services, and an international organization in Geneva, Switzerland. As a federal employee, he was legally prohibited from participating in political activities.
After retiring, Daniel returned to the area and became active in local Democratic leadership. He was elected President of the Turlock Democratic Club in February 2025 and Secretary of the Stanislaus County Democratic Central Committee in August 2025.
Joe A Souza, alternate for Margaret Souza
Cathy Doo, alternate for Michelle Tennell, retired after 31 years with PG&E. Former utility electric estimator and utility construction & customer contact, active in Democratic politics since 2016. Member of SCDCC since 2019, she was very involved in Josh Harder's 2018 campaign to successfully flip CA10.
Michael Provenzale, alternate for Victor Azevedo Costa
District 3
District 4
Brian Eugeni, alternate for Chris Ricci
District 5
Ryan Segoviano, alternate for Renee Zumstein
Juan Vazquez, alternate for Rosalinda Vierra
Ex-Officio Members
Lisa Montarro-Moore, alternate for Congressman Adam Gray'
Keristofer Seryani, alternate for Jessica Self
Associate Members
District 1
Darleen Patrick
Madison Wingate
Michael Masuda
District 2
Daniel Reyes
District 3
Lori Magruder
District 4
Kimberly Ricci
District 5
Sofie Barron
Pearl Alice Marsh
Chester Moon