MESSAGE FROM THE CHAIR
Happy Friday, Washington Democrats!
Mourning in Minneapolis
The DNC meeting in Minneapolis last week was cut short due to the horrific mass shooting at Annunciation Catholic Church just 10 minutes from where we had gathered. We had just heard from Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey who left a meeting with us to head straight to Annunciation to mourn the deaths of two children and 17 injured. Our hearts are broken for the families that lost loved ones and those who will spend weeks and months recovering from their injuries. DNC Chair Ken Martin delivered remarks to the public after the shooting. I encourage everyone to read them here. You can watch my statement to the press on behalf of the DNC here.
Democrats Fighting Back
DNR to conserve 77,000 acres of mature forests: ‘We are the Evergreen State’,
The Olympian
Public Lands Commissioner Dave Upthegrove delivered on his promise to preserve structurally complex, old growth forests. This is a promise kept to future generations to ensure our forests’ long-term sustainability. Click on the image above to hear Commissioner Upthegrove explain what this means for forests in his own words or click here.
West Coast governors say states will establish their own vaccines guidelines,
The Seattle Times
Governor Bob Ferguson joined Oregon Governor Tina Kotek and California Governor Gavin Newsom to fight back against the politicization of public health from Trump and RFK Jr. As 1,000 current and former CDC officials call on Health Secretary RFK Jr. to resign, Washington will work with our West Coast neighbors to provide “consistent and credible vaccine guidance.”
Democrats seek ‘immediate answers’ after reported arrests of firefighters by US border agents,
The Guardian
Two firefighters who were called upon to help battle the Bear Gulch fire which continues to burn in the Olympic National Forest were detained by border agents. Senator Patty Murray immediately demanded answers from the Trump administration, saying, “Trump has wrongfully detained everyone from lawful green-card holders to American citizens – no one should assume this was necessary or appropriate.” This latest abuse to our brave firefighting community comes on top of the Republican budget which decimated the US Forest Services personnel dedicated to fighting wildfires.
A Washington senator prepares to block one of Trump’s federal prosecutor picks,
Washington State Standard
Pasco Mayor Pete Serrano, who lost handily in the Attorney General election last year and has sought to rewrite the history of the January 6th insurrection and launched an organization to ensure more dangerous assault weapons are on our streets, was selected by Trump to become Eastern Washington’s next U.S. attorney. Senator Patty Murray had made it clear she will use every legislative tool at her disposal to stop this unqualified conspiracy theorist from dispensing false justice in our state.
Trump admin must restore health data, websites, per WA lawsuit settlement,
Tri-City Herald
More than 100 health and science datasets and webpages must be restored thanks to a lawsuit bought by the Washington State Medical Association. Guidance on LGBTQIA+ health, trans youth, pregnancy and reproductive care, opioid-use treatment, and racism in health care will once again be publicly available after the Trump administration wiped that information for purely political purposes. This is a huge win for public health!
Two WA Democratic senators named ‘spotlight candidates’ by national party arm,
The Olympian
State Senators Victoria Hunt and Deb Krishnadasan have been identified by the Democratic Legislative Campaign Committee as “Spotlight Candidates” due to their tough special elections this year. Washington Democrats have been working all year long to build support for these incredible senators and that work paid off with both of them securing more than 50% of the primary vote. With this new national spotlight, we will need to show that Washington can get our senators over the finish line LDs 5 and 26!
Federal appeals court affirms Washington’s redrawn legislative district map,
Washington State Standard
This is a BIG victory for voting rights in Washington state. Yakima Valley’s Latino voters can elect leaders who will best represent their interests. Despite numerous lawsuits from Washington Republicans, the 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals has ensured these lines will stand for next year’s elections. These lines fixed violations of the Voting Rights Act and now respect the rights of all Washington voters.
Working for Washington
After the tragic shooting that cut short the DNC meeting in Milwaukee, I needed to reconnect with the community and work to help candidates that will take gun violence seriously and work to enact real solutions like the ones we have in our Washington. It was soul-restoring to join South Asians for America and build organizational power on behalf of the gubernatorial candidates in Virginia and New Jersey. Abigail Spanberger in Virginia and Mikie Sherrill in New Jersey are both talented, whip-smart, and powerful women who will lead their states to prosperity and join Washington’s fight against the Trump administration’s many abuses.
These are the most important national races in the country right now. If you want to help out, you can visit the campaign websites for Abigail Spanberger and Mikie Sherill. In our Washington, we work to elect Democrats nationwide as well as in our own backyards.
I was so proud to see Rep. Emily Randall working this week to secure justice for the wildfire fighters who were detained by border agents while on-site, working to keep our communities safe. She was denied entry to the Tacoma ICE detention center where they are being held. This is the kind of real leadership Washingtonians can trust to fight back against the Trump administration’s cruelty.
Last week, I also had the pleasure of joining KUOW’s Soundside hosts Libby Denkman and Scott Greenstone to discuss the future of the Democratic Party and the lessons national Democrats can take from our state’s record-breaking wins. Our Washington has a lot to teach the other Washington about policies that make people’s lives better. You can listen to the whole conversation here.
Call to Action
- Rally, Protest, and Gather
- TODAY – Freedom Friday – Rally for Crosswalk in Spokane from 4:30PM-5:30PM. Sign up here.
- TODAY – Weekly Resistance Event in Wenatchee from 4:30PM-5:30PM. Sign up here.
- TOMORROW – Democracy Rally in Poulsbo from 11AM-1:30PM. Sign up here.
- TUESDAY – After the Farm Bill: A Discussion About the Future of Farm and Rural Policy from 9AM-10AM on Zoom. RSVP here.
- Every Friday – Refuse Fascism Fridays in Everett at the Social Security Administration Office from 5PM-6:30PM. Sign up here.
- Every Monday – Mikey Mondays in Spokane outside the office of U.S. Representative Michael Baumgartner. Sign up here.
- Every Wednesday – Musk or Us Protest in Redmond from 4PM-5PM. Sign up here.
- Send us details on rallies and protests in your communities
- Email details to press@wa-democrats.org
- Donate
- If you would like to see less Washington D.C. and more Washington state in your community, please DONATE to The Real Washington Fund – our rapid response account to counter MAGA’s chaos with real organizing, real solutions, and real results. We can’t do the work of holding Republicans accountable without your support.
- Follow us on social media
Democrats in the News
ICYMI: DNC People’s Cabinet Member & Former Washington Governor Jay Inslee Calls Out Trump’s Energy Agenda, Democrats.org
Zac Eckstein: Setting the record straight on mail-in voting in Washington state,
The Chronicle
Crime festers in Republican states while their troops patrol Washington,
The Spokesman-Review
DNC chair says he’s tired of Democrats bringing ‘pencil to a knife fight,’
OPB
Stop asking how Democrats will fight Trump. Start asking Republicans,
Washington Monthly
What I’m Reading
The Identity Politics Double Standard featuring Rep. Marilyn Strickland, Raging Moderates
Congresswoman Marilyn Strickland was featured on the Raging Moderates podcast to talk about the Republican’s efforts to illegally gerrymander themselves a House majority, Democratic efforts to earn back power, and meeting the moment that will stop Trump’s authoritarianism. Congresswoman Strickland deftly explains a host of issues facing our country and provides tremendous insight into how we’re going to get a Democratic majority in the U.S. House of Representatives. Washington state and the 10th Congressional District have a fighter who is working to bring down costs, deliver results, and defend our rights.
Thanks for all you do,
Chair Shasti Conrad
Washington State Democratic Party
In 2024, Washington Democrats led the nation with sweeping electoral victories. Now, we’re fighting to elect a supermajority in Olympia, protect our swing seats in the House, and stand up to MAGA extremism across the country.
WA Dems empowers grassroots organizing and elects Democrats up and down the ballot. Your support fuels our fight to stop Trump and defend our democracy.
We sincerely thank you for your help and support.
Washington State Democrats PO Box 4027 Seattle, WA 98194 United States