Growing up in a household mixed between life as the daughter of a local union president and daughter of post-World War II Japanese-American has shaped every aspect of Crystal Strait’s progressive values and dedication to the Democratic Party.

In fact, before becoming a Democratic Party activist, most of her initial political and organizing experience was non-partisan ranging from writing letters to Congress for East Timor’s self-determination to acting as a peer-to-peer youth minister for the Catholic Church. But the one common thread throughout all of Crystal’s personal and professional activism is this: a dedication to fighting for others.

And in 1996 her dedication to others lead her straight to the Democratic Party. After doing a press internship at the Republican National Convention in San Diego, CA and having an up-close and personal view of the Grand Old Party, Crystal realized that like her Catholic faith, Democrats were the Party fighting for American values; values that make strong families through a growing economy, good education and clean air for everyone to enjoy.

In 1997, as a political science student at the University of California, Santa Barbara, Crystal became a member of a premiere young Democrats chapter in California that was dedicated to mobilizing other students and young community members to vote for Democrats. The work might have been simple, but it was invigorating—talk to friends and neighbors about why it was important to vote.

After graduating, Crystal moved to Japan to teach English. And in November of 2000, she promised her students that by the end of the day they would know who the President of the United States would be. Hearing the chaos in the United States from thousands of miles away, memorialized to Crystal not just how important it is was to vote, but to actively make sure that her peers have the opportunity to vote as well.

Upon returning to California, Crystal moved to Sacramento for a fellowship with the State Superintendent Delaine Eastin in her legislative unit. After work, Crystal became active in the Sacramento County Young Democrat; first serving as treasurer and later as president. Crystal worked to get more young Democrats elected to the local party, city council and school boards through volunteer voter contact efforts and fundraising for the candidates.

After working as a local Field Director in the 2002 California Democratic Party Coordinated Campaign, Crystal began pursing her Master's Degree in Public Policy at the University of Southern California. Crystal continued to be active in local party politics, serving on the Sacramento County Democratic Party Executive Committee and the Truman Club Executive Committee (a PAC for local candidates), and became a statewide board member for the California Young Democrats.

In the winter of 2003 Crystal began working for Assemblymember Lloyd Levine (D-Van Nuys); first as his Senior Legislative Aide and later as his Communications Director. Meanwhile, Crystal was elected for two-terms as Vice-President of the California Young Democrats and then for two terms as the President of the California Young Democrats.

As President of California Young Democrats, Crystal helped push California to be the first state YDA invested in with President Gallaway’s Chapter Revolution and later in a campaign project that protected a precious Democratic seat in the red sea of Orange County. Additionally, through the support of YDA, Crystal oversaw an organization that made over 100,000 peer-to-peer phone calls and door-knocks for the 2006 cycle.

In 2006, Crystal realized that her “extracurricular” activities of helping get Democrats elected was truly her main passion and she left her job in the State Assembly to became a Deputy Political Director for California Democratic Party. During the 2006 Coordinated Campaign, Crystal served as Northern California Field Director for the California Democratic Party.

Although she devotes the majority of her time to Democratic candidates and causes professionally and in a volunteer capacity, Crystal does find time to spend with her husband Randy (vice-president of their local young Democrats’ chapter) and her bichon frise Mochi. To find out more about her “non-political” side, check out her myspace.