Santa Rosa's Erin Carlstrom falls short in bid for Young Democrats of America post

Santa Rosa City Councilwoman Erin Carlstrom came up short over the weekend in her bid to be the next president of the Young Democrats of America.

The first-term councilwoman had served as executive vice president of the national partisan organization since 2013, and sought the presidency at the group’s conference in Los Angeles last week.

Louis Elrod of Georgia, who was serving as vice president of the group, won the post.

Carlstrom, 32, campaigned on a platform of her knowledge of the organization and her ability to train new members how to run for public office. In a campaign video, she called the position of president a “full-time job.”

“The president of the Young Democrat of America needs to be able to walk into the White House and say, ‘Congratulations Madame President. Now what are you doing about student loan debt? What are you doing about universal childcare? What are you doing about ending the war?’” Carlstrom said.

Tyler Dos Santos-Tam, chair of the week-long convention at the Millennium Biltmore Hotel Los Angeles, said he didn’t recall the vote count. But he said the affiliated group from Hawaii, of which he is a member, cast their ballots for Carlstrom, who visited the state in June to rally support.

Carlstrom, an attorney and mother of a 22-month-old boy, recently accepted a full-time position as a government affairs representative with Pacific Gas & Electric Co. She could not be reached for comment Tuesday afternoon.