Upcoming Events
For ballot help you can consult the Progressive Voters Guide.
Washington 4th District Public Calendar
Visit our News and Views Google Doc
You can suggest additional riffs by contributing them to our Google Doc, You Might Be A Democrat
Democracy produces the best decisions when everyone votes. Please complete your ballot and turn it in. It’s postage-paid, so you can put it in a mailbox, but if you haven’t voted by Sunday, August 2nd, We recommend taking it to a ballot box because our mail goes to Spokane for processing.
If you haven’t registered yet, you can still do that. Monday, 7/27, is the deadline for online registration, and Election Day, Tuesday, 8/4, is the deadline for in-person registration.
Find ballot box locations and voter registration information on the county auditor’s websites.
Benton County Auditor – Current Election
Franklin County Auditor – Elections
Resources to learn about candidates include -the WA State Voter’s Pamphlet, (on auditor’s websites), –411vote.org, -The League of Women Voters’ Candidate Forum (produced this year with NWPB), (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9Dxt3AWE24k , and https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xX_tXGq2dnQ –Tumbleweird.org publishes a terrific voters’ guide that should come out this week.
There are some great candidates to support with your time, your wallet, and your vote!
*Doug McKinley for Congress for the 4th Congressional District (https://www.dougmckinley2020.com)
*A place at the table with Shir for State House of Representatives 8th LD, Pos. 1 (https://www.atthetablewithshir.com/our-vision)
*Elect Danielle Garbe Reser for State Senate, 16th LD (https://garbereser.com)
*Elect Frances Chvatal for State House of Representatives, 16th LD, Pos. 1 (https://www.electfrances.com)
*Committee to Elect Carly Coburn for State House of Representatives, 16th LD, Pos. 2 (https://www.facebook.com/ElectCCoburn/)
*Elect Justin Raffa Benton County Commissioner for Benton County Commissioner District 1 (https://justinraffa.com)
Elect Kim Lehrman for Franklin County Commissioner District 1 (https://www.electkimlehrman.com)
Elect Ana Ruiz Peralta for Franklin County Commissioner District 2 (https://www.facebook.com/ElectAnaRuiz/)
*Endorsed by Benton County Democrats (Kim and Ana are great candidates in Franklin County!)
From State Chair Tina Podlodowski:
After consulting with public health officials about the COVID-19 pandemic, DNC convention organizers are announcing today that they have determined state delegations should not plan to travel to Milwaukee and should plan to conduct their official convention business remotely. The DNC will be in touch with delegations in the coming weeks to share more information about the processes being developed.Four nights of convention programming will be anchored out of our host community, Milwaukee, from August 17-20, 2020. Programming will include live content from both Milwaukee and other satellite cities, locations, and landmarks.
Announcements
[See the Web Log for prior Announcements]
The Benton County Democratic Central Committee supports the passage of the Fire District 4 Levy Lift.
The Benton County Democratic Central Committee encourages EVERYONE to protect their family and neighbors by wearing their masks in public.
Tap or Click this link to see How you can support strikers at Yakima Valley fruit warehouses.
Tap or Click this link to donate to the StrikeHuelga Fund for Yakima Agri Workers
The Central Committee of the Benton County Democrats has endorsed a number of candidates in the upcoming elections.
- Doug McKinley for the 4th Congressional District.
- Website : https://dougmckinley2020.com/
- Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/vote4mckinley
- Justin Raffa for Benton County Commissioner District 1
- Website: https://justinraffa.com/
- Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/ElectJustinRaffa/
- Danielle Garbe-Reser for 16th LD Senator
- Website: https://www.garbereser.com/
- Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/electgarbereser
- Frances Chvatal for 16th LD Representative, Position 1
- Website: https://www.electfrances.com/
- Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/electfranceschvatal
- Carly Coburn for 16th LD Representative, Position 2
- Website: https://www.electcarlycoburn16ld.com/
- Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/ElectCCoburn
- Shir Regev for 8th LD Representative, Position 1
- Website: https://www.atthetablewithshir.com/
- Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/ShirRegev4Washington
In Washington state, the Public Disclosure Commission has strict rules on what amounts to in-kind donations to political campaigns. Facebook has determined that it isn’t in their interest to do the necessary reporting to the PDC for political advertising. Our local political campaigns have been effectively cut out of using Facebook to spread their messages. Therefore, there’s a special need for local supporters to haunt their preferred candidates’ pages and assist in spreading their messages by Loving (not just Liking), commenting, and sharing their posts.
Thank you to all the folks who filed as Precinct Committee Officer candidates. Nineteen people filed for 17 precincts. Two of the precincts will have their PCOs elected in the August primary election. The other 15 candidates will become elected PCO’s by default.
A new platform for 2020 has been approved. You can see it by tapping or clicking the following link.
Benton County 2020 Democratic Platform
Links to recently-approved resolutions have been added to the Documents and Resources page.
| Approved Bylaws, Policy Guide, and Rules Revisions to the three governance documents were approved in 2019. |
Committee News
[See the Web Log for prior Committee News write-ups. All meeting Minutes are available on the Documents and Resources page.]
Would you like to start a political conversion with someone? You can use this question generator to kick things off. Refresh the page to see a new question.
We are working on a messaging campaign for use in all media that ends with the tagline, “—you might be a Democrat,” Take a look at our current list of messages on this Google Sheet. If you have more catchy lines, please send them to secretary@bencodems.org.
Here’s an excellent article on methods for activism to be effective. Practical Activism – Go for the Money
Our own Richard Badalamente has a cogent post on the contents of the Mueller Report, including the answers to a number of pressing questions.
BCDCC Officers and Subcommittee Chairs for 2019-2020
The Benton County Democratic Central Committee is searching for a Newsletter editor, if you’re interested please check out information here: https://www.bencodems.org/newsletter-editor/
Recent Events
See the Web Log for information about past events
The Tri-Cities Womxn’s March has accepted an invitation to collaborate with Blackformation in an event that ensures the upliftment of womxn leaders within the Tri-Cities and surrounding areas.
As voting deadlines approach, our intent is to educate ourselves without bias as it relates our political social, and economic power!Come prepared to be inspired by local womxn leaders, politicians and activist of our time, in every shade of womxn, as we address Anti-Blackness in our community and the importance of solidarity between all black & brown people and our allys.
Following the event a resource fair will be provided in support of our community needs.
Be prepared to be educated, empowered, and elevated with knowledge and tools to take your civil rights to the next level.
Please bring your personal protest signs and masks as social distancing is still required!
Justicia para Vanessa Guillen & Breonna Taylor 
We look forward to keeping you up to date with local politics as we prepare to make an informed decision to fight oppression and rock the vote!
Friday, July 31, at 6:00 PM
Location: Cable Bridge
Sponsored by Black Lives Matter Coalition: Tri-Cities
Recently the injustices and police misconduct of the nation found its way once again to one of our own residents of the Tri-Cities. Joe (Mike) Thornton is a local business owner, organizer of a big brother program here in the Tri, and is working on a documentary to highlight “good” cops. He was picking up food and headed home in Kennewick when he was surrounded by police cars and officers who then pulled out their weapons on him. In a case of mistaken identity Joe acted as slowly as possible in fear of losing his life. His car was searched without a warrant, his rights not read to him until he was cuffed and in custody and no one even bothered to ask his name until after he had been detained. Just like many others in our nation this could have EASILY ended in tragedy. For a man that was just bringing food to his family. We have been organizing and fighting injustices here in the Tri-Cities under the premise that systemic racism happens to all of us and police brutality could happen to ANY of us. It did this week.
Not only did this unfortunate event happen to an AMAZING and upstanding member of this community it happened it the same city that used to have a sign up saying that “Blacks were not allowed in after dark”. A sundown town.
This Friday evening we will be having a silent march for Big bro Joe. We will march from Pasco to Kennewick over the cable bridge in honor of every one of the Black lives that came before us who were not allowed to cross that bridge. We will march because it is apparent that Kennewick still has the remnants of being a sundown town. We will march because this city belongs to ALL of us and we will not wait until the tides turn in another situation like this. We will not wait for someone to die unjustly.
Please meet on the Pasco side of the bridge, if you would like to park on the Kennewick side and carpool back to Pasco that would also be greatly encouraged.
This is a peaceful protest.
We will be crossing the bridge in COMPLETE silence.Please do not bring signs, we have very specific signs being made for this event.Hope to see you there.
Primary ballots are due back by August 4th! We will be spending the days leading up to Election Day reminding as many voters as possible to vote for Shir when they submit their primary ballot. We are lucky to be joined by Representative Tana Senn for a night of calls on July 30th. Rep. Senn represents Washington’s 41st Legislative District and is the current Chairperson of the House Committee on Human Services & Early Learning. Hear from her about the important work her committee does in Olympia and why Shir is the absolute best choice to represent our community.
Phone banking is an easy way to get voters to return their ballots and we will provide you all the training you need to make calls.
Zoom link and calling link will be provided with RSVP.
Join Actress, Author and Activist Jane Fonda; Representative Deb Haaland (Congresswoman, New Mexico-D1); Executive Director of 350.org Tamara Toles O’Laughlin; Naina Agrawal-Hardin, National Spokesperson for Sunrise; and DNC Climate Council Chair Michelle Deatrick for a lively, insightful conversation about why it’s the right, the good and the smart thing for Democrats to run on climate.
Defying Gravity
A VIRTUAL FUNDRAISER FOR TWO CANDIDATES WHO ARE DEFYING EXPECTATIONS
THURSDAY, JULY 16 FROM 5:00-6:30 PM
WITH SPECIAL GUEST, FORMER ASTRONAUT
JULIE METCALF-LINDENBURGER
VOLUNTEER OPPORTUNITY (CONTACT-FREE)
Time for “Operation: Primary Door Hanger” for Justin Raffa for Benton County Commissioner District 1.
Randy Slovic and her husband Bob did yeoman’s work to get us maps and lists of precincts that we’re targeting so the Democrats remember to vote for us in the Primary. Those lists are at Justin’s house and ready for distribution to volunteers with specific houses to hit in each precinct. It’s easy and fun! We are hitting “friendly” houses who are established Democratic voters for this first door hanger approach.
There are 62 precincts in Richland and 22 in West Richland. Precincts range in size from 2 to 207 households, so volunteers can pick and choose what works best for them. We’re looking for about 20-25 total volunteers to share the workload.
Volunteers are asked to hole punch and rubber band their own cards, although some have been made up as needed. Cards are bundled in quantities of 50 for ease of distribution. We can provide hole punchers and rubber bands as needed.
Target timeline for getting these out is close to ballots dropping on Friday July 17. We are recommending that folks not start hanging before the July 4 holiday.
If you can help by walking a district or two, please contact Justin Raffa and take a look at the lists. This is the first time Justin is actively engaging our volunteer base, so please reach out to your friends/family who have been asking you for weeks how they can help support the campaign!
Join Saundra Hill (former Pasco School District Superintendent), Rebecca Francik (former Pasco City Councilmember), Jean Ryckman (Port of Pasco Commissioner), Ana Ruiz Peralta (Franklin County Commissioner candidate) and Frances Chvatal (16th LD House of Representative candidate) on July 15th at 6pm.Tickets start at $10 and can be purchased below. We hope to see you there!
In conjunction with the Second Harvest Tri-Cities Mobile Market drive-thru event happening at the Toyota Center, BFT will be holding FOUR food distribution events just for transit riders at our transit centers in Tri-Cities and Prosser on the same day.SAFETY REMINDER:
Face coverings are REQUIRED in all public spaces, including our BFT vehicles and transit centers.
————————————–FOOD DISTRIBUTION OPTIONS:
Date: Wednesday, July 15
Time: 11am (while supplies last)Ride the bus or take BFT CONNECT for FREE and head to any of our transit centers below:• Three Rivers Transit Center (Kennewick)
• 22nd Ave Transit Center (Pasco)
• Knight Street Transit Center (Richland)
• Stacy Avenue Transit Center (Prosser, starting at 11:15am)The food will be packaged in a box with handles so you can take it on the bus. However, we encourage people to bring a hand cart or something to help carry the boxes and make traveling a little easier.——————————–IF YOU NEED HELP BOOKING YOUR TRIP BY BUS:
• Use the Transit trip planner app to determine the best bus route available in your area
• Check out www.bft.org for route schedules
• Call Customer Service at 509.735.5100 and our team members can help map out your tripOR, WITH BFT CONNECT:
• Check out www.bft.org/ConnectOnDemand to learn how to use our new on-demand ride service
• Use the Via app or call BFT CONNECT Customer Service at 509.204.4189 to request a ride
July Candidate Forum
Online with the Tri-City Democrats
Time: July 10, 2020 06:00 PM Pacific Time (US and Canada)
Primary ballots will drop around July 18, so in the interest of informing voters, we’ll host as many candidates as we can who we believe will be of interest to our voters. This is an open-door event and we encourage Democrats, Democrat- friendly and Democrat-curious folks to attend.
Join Zoom Meeting https://us02web.zoom.us/j/86886709984?pwd=YTgxRSs1N05CL1NhRGNBQnNYY3kzdz09 Meeting ID: 868 8670 9984 Password: 356861 One tap mobile +12532158782,,86886709984#,,,,0#,,356861# US (Tacoma) +13462487799,,86886709984#,,,,0#,,356861# US (Houston) Dial by your location +1 253 215 8782 US (Tacoma) +1 346 248 7799 US (Houston) +1 669 900 9128 US (San Jose) +1 646 558 8656 US (New York) +1 301 715 8592 US (Germantown) +1 312 626 6799 US (Chicago) Meeting ID: 868 8670 9984 Password: 356861
Fourth of July Protest
(from Tri-Cities Black Lives Matter)
Saturday, July 4, 11 AM to 3 PM
HAPO Community Stage, John Dam Plaza
800 Jadwin Ave., Richland, WA
By popular demand the community has requested a 4th of July protest in Richland.
Being that this a historical day to celebrate a false idea of American Independence we feel it is necessary exercise our freedom to take a stand in solidarity with one another as a movement.
We recognize the power of our united voices as a direct threat to those in our society that resist the defacing of symbols deeply rooted in racial inequality.
We are visible. We will not tolerate being threatened. We will stand tall with our “little signs” against racism and declare until black lives matter we can’t celebrate the reality that freedom is designated to a select few.
We are not 2nd class citizens! Our lives matter! We celebrate the idea of real Independence for all Americans Junteenth June 19, 1865 and not the white washed narrative of July 4, 1776.
I-1776 – The People’s Campaign!
I-1776 would expand prohibitions on discrimination by the state; limit the current prohibition on preferential treatment; require that government agencies work to ensure no-cost vaccinations; and expand public availability of disease-related data.
Deadline July 2, 2020.
Forever Free: An Art Rally For Juneteenth
Saturday, June 20, 2020 at 12 noon Kurtzman Park 331 S. Wehe Ave., Pasco, WA
The Tri-Cities Juneteenth Commitee and The Black Lives Matter Coalition bring you ‘Forever Free: An Art Rally for Juneteenth.’Please join us in putting down our picket signs for the day and picking up on love. As we know, our #BlackJoy is a protest in itself. We will have a beautiful art show featuring some of the Tri-Cities own poets, painters, singers, rappers and dancers. Come enjoy yourself and take part in our phenomenal culture and all of its beautiful people. Please bring your blankets to sit on with your families and your masks as we will be socially distancing.
Advancing the Demand for Reparations and H.R. 40
Juneteenth, COVID-19, and the Killings of Black People
Advancing the Demand for Reparations and H.R. 40
After being forced to labor for the enrichment of America, newly emancipated Black Americans continued to suffer violent repression and exploitation under Jim Crow laws, black codes in the South, and de facto segregation across the nation — long after Juneteenth.
Even today, Black people bear the brunt of oppressive policies, as significant disparities in healthcare, wealth, racism in policing and the criminal justice system, and intentional voter suppression persist. These inequities continue to require a significant remedy and reconciliation process.
H.R. 40 would establish a commission to examine the institution of slavery, its legacy, and make recommendations to Congress for reparations, beginning a process of repairing and restoring after centuries of enslavement.Join this urgent forum that will highlight the case for H.R. 40 and the path forward.
Friday, June 19, 2020 at 4 PM – 6:30 PM PDT
This is an online event.
We are concerned when armed citizens include open-carry firearms as a means of “visual deterrence” of property violence.
Tri-City Democrats Virtual Candidate Forum
On June 12 at 6pm, Tri-city Democrats will host a forum for candidates in and around the Columbia Basin. Candidates in Legislative District 8, Legislative District 9, Legislative District 16, Benton or Franklin Counties or Congressional District 4 or adjacent districts are invited to participate. Each participating candidate (or their delegate) will be given about 5 minutes to introduce themselves to the group and a few minutes further to address questions. We’ll be meeting virtually via Zoom.
Join Zoom Meeting Click or Tap Here to Join the Zoom meeting Meeting ID: 847 1933 4953 Password: 752067 One tap mobile +1 253 215 8782 US (Tacoma)
We are thrilled to have three trailblazing women as our Democratic candidates for LD 16 — the only district in Eastern Washington to have three female legislative candidates, all endorsed by Win With Women.
Danielle Garbe Reser – State Senate
Frances Chvatal – State House Position 1
Carly Coburn – State House Position 2
Please join us in celebrating this milestone and supporting all three campaigns at this virtual fundraiser on Wednesday, June 10 from 5:00-6:30 pm (Pacific) with our candidates and our hosts:
Win With Women
Network of Exceptional Women
Senator Karen Keiser, Senator Mona Das, Senator Rebecca Saldana, Senator Patty Kuderer, Senator Emily Randall, Senator Valoria Loveland (former), Rep. Gael Tarleton, Rep. Noel Frame, Rep. Laura Grant (former), Norma Hernández, Yazmin Bahena, Diane Sundvik, Kate Moran, Genie Crowe, Meghan Ryan, Judith Johanneson, Pamela Guadet, Elizabeth Follet Figueroa, Afrose Ahmed, Sara Quinn, Julie Campos, Stella Williams, Naima Chambers, Joni Martin
Tickets available at a range of prices, starting at $15, and will benefit all three campaigns. Get yours today:
https://secure.actblue.com/donate/sweet16ld
Zoom details will be sent after ticket purchase.
Pasco Protest for George Floyd
June 6, 11 AM to 2 PM At the Albertson's 1330 N 20th Ave Pasco, Washington 99301
Jaime Torres and The Justice League was founded to stand for all of those who have been disenfranchised. All of those that have been effected by injustice and the systematic racism that this country has been founded on. We are aligning today and uplifting the black voices, spirits and minds of The Urban Poets Society (Daishaundra & Bryan Hearne), The Power Of ‘Re’ (Marlando & Stephanie Sparks) and Joel Nunn-Sparks photography to bring awareness to the racism and discrimination that black people face every single day. In this moment and at this time we are standing for, and fighting for, our beautiful black brothers and sisters. Justice for #GeorgeFloyd #EricGarner #SandraBland #BreonnaTaylor and the countless lives we have lost to racial injustice. Join us in making a change.
