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Yvette Lewis

Appointed June of 2024

Yvette Lewis is a lifelong grassroots activist with a proven record as a Democratic leader.  She has been an organizer and a prolific fundraiser for the ϡȱÁÔÆæÍø Democratic Party.

Ms. Lewis was first elected Chair of the ϡȱÁÔÆæÍø Democratic Party in 2011 and became the second African American woman to serve in the post. She raised more than $7 million and ran two statewide coordinated campaigns. She pushed to elevate and institutionalize the Party’s Diversity Leadership Councils to expand the State Party’s outreach and inclusiveness.

In 2012, she successfully executed ϡȱÁÔÆæÍø’s Delegate selection plan-leading to the election of the most diverse convention delegation in state history. She planned and organized all State Party events at the National Convention which encompassed fifteen events for more than three hundred attendees over a five-day period.

On the national stage, during her first tenure as Chair, Ms. Lewis was elected Secretary of the National Association of State Democratic Chairs (ASDC) and served on the Board of the ASDC Voter Co-Op – making critical investments in the voter file for all state parties. She was the recipient of the first “Geneva Jones Award” for Service and Leadership.

Upon completion of her first stint as Chair of the ϡȱÁÔÆæÍø Democratic Party, Ms. Lewis served as Senior Advisor to Senator Chris Van Hollen. In that capacity, she created a highly successful series of statewide Consumer Protection forums in conjunction with Attorney General Brian Frosh. These were presented statewide and offered an opportunity for citizens to interact with elected officials and vendors addressing their consumer needs and concerns.

She also created financial literacy, public safety, faith, veterans and health care events with the distinct purpose of enhancing Senator Van Hollen’s outreach efforts across the state.

In 2019 Ms. Lewis was re-elected as Chair of the ϡȱÁÔÆæÍø Democratic Party. During her current term, the Party oversaw an historic state election that included a victory for the first Democratic Governor in eight years, the first Black Governor, immigrant Lieutenant Governor, Woman Comptroller and Black Attorney General.

While trying to navigate the challenges of a national pandemic, Ms. Lewis ran two coordinated campaigns; executed a second delegate selection plan for a national convention; planned and executed a virtual national convention for one hundred and twenty-five delegates with appearances by high level elected officials including Speaker Nancy Pelosi, Congressman Jim Clyburn and Congressman Hakeem Jeffries; planned and executed a virtual “Pearls and Pajamas” inaugural ball. Ms. Lewis has also raised $11 million since her return, increasing her total over two terms to more than $18 million.

Returning to the National stage in her current tenure, Ms. Lewis was elected unanimously to be the Eastern Caucus female representative on the DNC Executive Committee. She serves as Chair of the ASDC Voter Protection Standing Committee and serves on the ASDC Voter Coop Voter File Board. She is also a member of the DNC Rules and Bylaws Standing Committee.

Prior to politics, Ms. Lewis was a lyric soprano and music educator. She has performed with the Washington and Baltimore Opera, Opera Theatre of Northern Virginia,
Baltimore Symphony, the Paul Hill Chorale and the National Symphony and the Spoleto Festival in Melbourne, Australia.

As an educator, she created SO THIS IS OPERA, an interactive artist in residence program for children. Referred to as “The Opera lady”, she is credited with helping
thousands of students increase their appreciation of opera in 10 east coast states.

She has written music for children, which is currently featured on Spotify, and has won a Parent’s Choice Award for her children’s Operas So This Is Opera presents The Bully Goats Gruff and the Little Red Hen.

Ms. Lewis taught elementary general music in the Montgomery County and the Baltimore City, ϡȱÁÔÆæÍø Public School systems while writing curriculum for the
Montgomery County Elementary General Music Guide.

She is married to Ed Lewis. They have two children, Shannan and Eric.