Our Team and About Us
Brandi Brown, President (she/her)
Brandi works in progressive politics as an organizer. She got her start in LGBTQ+ activism when she helped planned the first Pride event in Macon, Georgia. Since then, she has worked with a variety of causes and organizations. She managed the campaign of the first openly transgender woman to run for office in North Carolina - and remains hopeful for the day we will be able to break that barrier. She previously served as our chapter Vice President, currently is area coordinator for Knightdale, and a member of the State Executive Committee.
Cody Viars-Whisinnand, Vice President (he/him)
Cody helps lead efforts to mobilize voters, support LGBTQ+ candidates, and advance inclusive policy. He also represents his community on the State Executive Committee of the North Carolina Democratic Party and chairs Precinct 01-38 (Brentwood Neighborhood) in Raleigh.
Professionally, Cody is a marketing analyst who specializes in using data and insights to drive strategic communications and decision-making. With experience across industries including commerce, data analytics and AI, research and development, and healthcare, he brings a fact-based, results-oriented approach to every initiative. He is especially passionate about elevating marginalized voices and believes in the power of collaboration to create lasting change. Cody lives in Raleigh with his husband and their two dogs.
Wayne Galli, Secretary (he/him)
Wayne is new to actively participating in the local party and new to the Raleigh area where he resides with his partner, their three dogs, too many chickens (fresh eggs anyone), and three guinea fowl. He has been active in the past with the Human Rights Campaign when he lived in South Florida. He is a member of the Wake County Democratic Party Impact Circle. In his day job he works to improve the electric grid to facilitate the transition to renewable energy.
Rich Elkins, Treasurer/Member at-Large (he/him)
Rich’s Democratic and LGBTQ+ activism goes back to his college days in the early 90s when he was an officer with the NCSU College Dems, then at ECU when he started the LGBTQ+ Student organization on campus there. Over the years, his focus would switch between the two until becoming a charter member of the LGBTQ+ Democrats of NC, where he served as 3rd District Chair until moving to Raleigh in 2016. He served as our Chapter President from 2021-24 and currently serves as a Precinct Chair in East Raleigh, WCDP Assistant Parliamentarian, and a member of the SEC.
Katie Day, Member at-Large (they/she)
Katie is a geek, singer, writer, and chaos goblin that recently turned to politics. She shares blame for 'alt.transgendered', the first public open online forum for trans folks on USENET in 1992. They became visible and heard in the Raleigh/Durham/Chapel Hill kink, queer, and punk community when the began transition as a non-binary trans femme in 2022. Their transition brought them into social circles where they saw the stark challenges for service labor, the impoverished, the unhoused, the unfed, and the disabled. She saw voices within her social circles were not heard by local politicians nor the local party. Their fumbling to bring those voices to elected officials led to involvement in party and activist groups. She is comfortable talking to elected officials that campaigned on erasing her existence and building relationships to elected officials that are allies. They are comfortable talking to conservative parents about keeping a trans child surving and thriving. She's comfortable digging through public data to make the slog suck less.
Chase Franklin, Member At-Large (he/him)
Chase Franklin is a proud working-class progressive, precinct chair, and member of the State Executive Committee. An elder millennial with a geeky streak, Chase is passionate about building power from the ground up—both in the community and at the ballot box.
They’ve worked in web and software development and are currently on the job hunt for their next role in tech—while holding it down at a local sub shop. Outside of organizing and coding, you’ll find Chase playing softball and pickleball, dancing like nobody’s watching, or holding the point in Overwatch with a well-timed Moira fade or sneaky Sombra flank.
With a partner of nearly seven years and a deep commitment to social justice, Chase believes in taking bold, unapologetic action to push back against the rising tide of fascism and fight for a future rooted in equity and dignity. Their focus includes campaign finance reform, tackling wealth inequality, ending gerrymandering, curbing corporate lobbying, and fiercely defending the rights of our most vulnerable—especially our trans siblings.
Whether showing up for their neighbors or shutting down ultimates in overtime, Chase brings the same energy: principled, passionate, and ready to fight for a better world.
Member at-Large Vacant
We still have room for another Member at-Large to our Board. If you’re interested in being more involved in supporting our goals, a Member at-Large position is a great place to start.
Reach out to any Board Member to express your interest!
About Us
The LGBTQ+ Democrats of Wake County works within the Wake County Democratic Party, to provide a strong voice and representation for LGBTQ+ people. Our goal is to secure fully equal rights for all LGBTQ+ citizens through effective legislation and policies, to elect pro-equality Democrats to office, and encourage LGBTQ+ people to participate fully as Democrats at all levels of policy making and public service.