Committee News
[See the Web Log for prior Committee News write-ups.]
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.
Buttons for Committees and Affinity Organizations:
From the Chair
Hey Benton County Dems PCO Team,
Hope you’re having a great day.
We are ramping up for the upcoming local elections. We’re calling on PCOs (and future PCOs!) to help us go all in on outreach.
Here’s what we need — and how YOU can be the hero:
Link to PCO Call to Action Email Message
Delivering Results from President Biden’s Bipartisan Infrastructure Law
Legislation Committee
Follow the progress of Bills of Interest in this linked chart.
Platform and Resolutions
The Platform and Resolutions Committee has added a new resolution for comments.
The Platform and Resolutions Committee is starting resolutions work this year. Below are two resolutions in need of a review. Please read and comment.
For those wishing to propose a resolution, below is a link to a template you can use to craft your resolution.
This is a link to a chart of our current resolutions plan and actions taken.
The 2024 Platform has been adopted. Many thanks to the platform committee and the folks who contributed their precious time.
The following resolutions have been passed by the Central Committee and forwarded to the State party.
- Agrivoltaics Benefits to Eastern Washington
- Reinstate ban on naked credit default swaps
- Limit ratio of Executive v Employee pay
The following resolutions have been passed by the State party.
- Reinstate Restrictions on Stock Buybacks (final)
- Recovery Government Funded IP & Patents developed in whole or in part with taxpayer investments: Modification of Bayh-Dole Act 1980
- Faith and Credit-Debt Ceiling
- Reforming SCOTUS Nomination and Confirmation Process
The following resolutions are available for comments as they are being worked on by the committee:
Link to our Rittenhouse Resolution:
This is a link to the current State Party resolutions.
Organization Committee
PCO Training Opportunity
National Democratic Training Committee
MiniVan for Canvassing
Thursday, Oct 23, 2025
10 AM PDT
Votebuilder Training Opportunity
Thursday October 16th, 4 PM PDT
Offered through the National Democratic Training Committee
Link to original email message
NDTC PCO Votebuilder Training Link
The new PCO Handbook for 2025 is out!
The new PCO Handbook for 2025 is out!
The new PCO Handbook for 2025 is also in Spanish!
Here’s a complete list of all our PCO’s, elected, appointed, and acting:
Benton County Democratic Precinct Committee Officers
Here’s a link to more information about being a PCO.
Elections Committee
The Benton County Canvassing Board will be meeting at various times during the November 4, General Election cycle. This is to advise you of the current ballot processing schedule and canvassing board meetings for this election.
Estimated Dates for Processing – All subject to change due to voter turnout. Schedules will be sent to party coordinators at the end of each day with set times beginning October 20th.
- Ballot Runs – Beginning Oct. 20 and going through Nov. 5
- Sorter processes and signature verification – beginning at 1:00 pm, October 20 and continues throughout the election cycle These may vary depending on turnout at the ballot boxes.
- Ballot Opening – begins Oct. 27 at 9:00 am. Schedule depends on voter turnout. May just be morning shift sometimes, sometimes both shifts (Likely during Election week).
- Ballot Scanning – begins Oct 28 at 9:00 am. Schedule depends on voter turnout. May just be morning shift sometimes, sometimes both shifts (Likely during Election week).
- Random Batch Audit – must be done within 48 hours of election day. Will obtain random batch numbers from morning observers at 9:00 am on Thursday, Nov. 6 – The Audit will take place during the 1:00 pm shift on Nov. 6
- State-Wide Risk Limiting Audit – Wednesday, Nov. 19th 9:00am
- Pre-Certification/Certification of the Election – Pre-certification November 24th 9:00 am – Final Certification November 25th 9:00 am or immediately after the Commissioners Board meeting
The processing schedule may be modified from time to time depending on the number of ballots received daily.
All election processes will take place at the Benton County Election Center, located at 7122 W. Okanogan Pl., Bldg. F, Kennewick.
During processing, no persons except those employed and authorized by the county auditor may touch any ballot, ballot container, or vote tallying system. We also ask that no photos be taken without the approval of the Election Manager.
To determine which processes are being conducted on a given day, we advise that observers contact our office directly.
Please let me know if you have any questions.
Sign up for upcoming Public Disclosure Commission trainings
The summer is flying by and the August primary is almost here!
We’ve added another Disclosure 101: Candidates and Committee class, on Monday, July 14, to help you follow Washington’s public disclosure laws this election season.
Upcoming trainings include:
Disclosure 101: Candidates and Committees – 10 a.m. July 14 and 1:30 p.m. Aug. 6.
ORCA Demonstrations – 10 a.m. July 23 and 1:30 p.m. Aug. 20.
Upcoming Lunch and Learn events:
- Tuesday, Aug. 26: Prohibitions on use of public facilities in political campaigns
- Tuesday, Sept. 9: A guide to political disclosure data published by the PDC
- Tuesday, Oct. 7: Last-minute contributions and mandatory pre- and post-election reports
- Tuesday, Nov. 18: Wrapping up your campaign
WA Public Disclosure Commission 711 Capitol Way, Olympia, WA 98504
Campaign Resources
Meet Outwork. Built by Democrats. For Democrats.
Campaign Plan Template from NDTC
Candidates take notice!
Communications Committee
Table of Contents
Links to Activism Resources
- The Big List of Protest Signs for #NoKings 10/18
- How to Verify a Quote from a Public Figure
- The Visibility Brigade Toolkit
- The Visibility Brigade – Toolkit – version 2
- WHAT YOU CAN DO RIGHT NOW!
- The Revolution Will Be LIVE: Top 10 Reasons to Organize in the Real World
Click here to see the full Do Something 2025-10-29
Hello all,
Thanks to those who were able to make the meeting last weekend. We will send out a recap in the next few days. There were some QR codes not working, so if you are interested (meeting tomorrow) please respond to this and I will send you the info.
The most important thing we need to do this week is VOTE!!!! Don’t forget to send in your ballot or drop at the ballot box.
This why Indivisible Tri-Cities exists: to hold our elected officials accountable. We do it one piece at a time, starting right here at home. While we don’t endorse candidates, we believe that informed voters are powerful voters.
That’s why we built the Voter Toolbox → https://linktr.ee/IndivisibleTriCitiesVoterTools
Your one-stop hub for:
🗳️ Registering or updating your voter registration
📮 Finding your nearest ballot drop box
📘 Reading the Benton & Franklin County voter pamphlets
📁 Exploring local candidate responses to see where they stand on education, science, free speech, and immigration
This week SIGN waving!!
There will be people going to John Dam Plaza around 3:30 TOMORROW to wave GET Out The VOTE signs.
If you can join, DO.
Mark you calendar:
Sat, Nov 22nd
Indivisible Book and Knitting Club
Book this month:
Dreaming of Home: How We Turn Fear Into Pride, Power, and Real Change
By: Christina Jiménez
Here is the link for the zoom. See you if you can make it.
Zoom link:
Join Zoom Meeting
https://zoom.us/j/98705415948?pwd=D9LvB2i9FEJ99BwpWFq70jBP2ENa2a.1
Meeting ID: 987 0541 5948
Passcode: 021290
THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 20 | Noon to 1 PM
BADGER FORUM: Transgender Athletes
Participation in School Sports
Other Local Party
Organizations and Caucuses
Call to Meeting Thursday October 16, 2025
Help Our Endorsed Candidates Win – Join Us in Canvassing!
Every weekend until November 4
Call to Meeting Thursday August 28, 2025
Call to Meeting Thursday July 17, 2025
Event – People’s Town Hall Invitation
Call to Meeting Thursday June 26, 2025
Events – Hernandez Kickoff – June 24 , 2025
Events – July 4 Signup – June 21, 2025
Call to Meeting Thursday May 22, 2025
🎉Walk with Us This Cinco de Mayo – Volunteers Needed!
Call to Meeting Thursday April 17, 2025
Free Candidate & Staff Training – March 28-29!
Call to Meeting Thursday March 20, 2025
Call to Meeting Thursday February 20, 2025
REMINDER Call to Meeting – Every 2 Years Reorganization – Thursday, Jan. 9
Call to Meeting – Every 2 Years Reorganization – Thursday, Jan. 9
Happy Holidays! Please hold the date Jan. 9
Call to Meeting this Thursday 11/21 DO SOMETHING #17
4th CD News
From Blue Sky Ranch to Big Ag: A Family Farmer’s Perspective
From Blue Sky Ranch to Big Ag: A Family Farmer’s Perspective
Strategy, Media, and the Future of Rural Washington
Is Compassion a Failed Narrative for Democrats
Reclaiming Education, Reclaiming Democracy
April 5th: Stand Up For HANDS OFF!
20,057 New Voters Reached and Thousands Pour Out To Protest!
Voices of Resilience: Yakima County Stands Firm in 2025
Saving The Republican Party: A Democrats Duty
Rural Voting: Lessor Of Two Evils? Choosing Between R’s
More “No on 2117” events scheduled and LD 14 Week of Action Kicks Off!
Two Powerhouse Events: Yakima Action Weekend with Governor Jay Inslee
Navigating the Pulse of Democracy: Key Insights on Politics, Voting, and Leadership
Turning Central & Eastern Washington Blue: The Race is Closer Than Ever
Ag and Rural Caucus
Ag and Rural Caucus for August
Link to recording: https://us02web.zoom.us/rec/share/XIqx_qc0z4vhIT12aS-oDXPPYfDuX_rC9Bu1-3sbDsodKMZTCiz9UwuseWI4NcFw.u1z76oc8DrrQYU_H
Policy Briefing
6:30 pm Thursday 21 August
Jenna Friebel, ED, Skagit County Drainage and Irrigation Districts Consortium
Floodgates, Farmland, and Salmon – what are the facts?
https://us02web.zoom.us/j/85907982157?pwd=MU4vV3E3VGZ5VU02dnhvZjg2b3hK.Zz09
Click link or Paste link into browser.
Jenna alerted me to a Skagit River issue that at first glance is unrelated. She reminds me, though, that land use issues in the Skagit basin seldom stand alone.
I will take you on another travelogue. If you have travelled the North Cascades Pass you will have followed the Skagit River. And – travelling west to east – just before you start the steep climb to Rainy Pass you will note beautiful Ross Lake tucked into a valley off to your left.
Ross Lake is backed up by Seattle City Light’s Ross Dam. Less spectacular are the waters backed up by Seattle City Light’s Gorge and Diablo dams, just down stream. You will have noticed the power lines as you came up the Skagit Valley and maybe have spied the dams as well (although the Skagit is diverted through a tunnel between Diablo and Gorge dams, leaving only a dribble on the surface between them).
Seattle City Light’s dams on the Skagit are a big deal. They supply about 20 percent of its power which, of course, is the power that keeps the lights on in Seattle. And they are a big deal because of a decades-long dispute over whether City Light’s closing off the Skagit at the Gorge Dam actually interrupted fish passage.
Today’s issue, though, is City Light’s 50-year relicensing it needs from FERC (Federal Energy Regulatory Commission). City Light concedes that it would look better to FERC if City Light did something to help the fish. Fish passage through to Ross Lake may not be on the table but City Light would be pleased to buy Skagit delta farmland to restore habit in the estuaries. “Estuary restoration is an essential component…”
So now we have joined the flood gate issue and Seattle City Light’s re-licensing petition with FERC. The common currency is habitat restoration using farm land in the Delta.
Even though ”City Light does not intend to utilize condemnation authority…”, such talk resonates with farmers. We tend to become righteous defenders of our farm land when big-city elites want to grab a bit. We sense disrespect from big-city elites and we are genuinely committed to keeping farm ground in production.
This combination explodes. And then these emotions spill over, from Seattle City Light re-licensing to flood gate repair. Flood gates and hydroelectric dams are not always that much different.
Don
20 August 2025
I neglected one geopolitical detail. The Swinomish Nation is just to the south of Padilla Bay, across the slough from LaConner. Padilla Bay is presumably traditional fishing and hunting grounds for the Swinomish.
Why is this significant? It gives the Swinomish Nation standing in challenging the upgrade of the tide gate and any effect on salmon runs, and the Swinomish, indeed, are the litigants on the other side of the tide gate issue.
Jenna is central in the tide gate matter and she will brief us with authority next Thursday.
You will notice that I refer to the Swinomish as “Nation”, not tribe. This should – not will – make a difference in deciding who is responsible for paying for mitigation. (I suspectJenna will lay out the proposed mitigation and the dollar figures.)
In eastern Washington we are routinely asked about who is going to pay for the ex ante mitigation we advocate for the Lower Snake River dams. At issue are federally-protected fish runs and the Nez Perce Nation and other native American nations are asserting treaty rights between their Nations and the United States Nation. If Nez Perce treaty rights are violated, it should be up to the Federal Government to make good. These are inter-national affairs; the rest of us are bystanders.
It should be added that we are always told “congress” will make the decision about the Lower Snake River dams. If congress makes the decision, congress pays the bills.
So, one point of comparison between tide gates and dams is who is responsible for the mitigation. In the tide gate matter, the local drainage and irrigation are being held responsible. When it comes to the Lower Snake River dams, the expectation is that the Federal Government will pay for mitigation. Jenna may give us a reality check on why dealing with a federally-protected fish run and upholding 1855 treaty rights between nations do not protect local drainage districts.
The other touch point is who is eventually making the call. The tide gate issue is in the courts. Eastern Washington dam advocates are insistent that congress – not the courts – will make the authoritative decisions regarding the Lower Snake River dams. The political risk is that power in D.C. will shift; the legal risk is that the courts will claim authority, like in the tide gate issue.
Risk, political and legal, drive ARC’s ex ante mitigation strategy. They are why ARC urges the region come up with a Plan B and make sure that the Federal Government will pay for it in advance.
I have hijacked the tide gate issue to talk about the Lower Snake River dams. I apologize. Doing so, though, does put the Padilla Bay tide gate issue in the context it deserves.
I have in several places anticipated that Jenna will fill in details. This is presumptuous…Jenna chooses to address these issues or not. She is fully capable of responding to your questions.
Don
18 August 2025
Next Thursday, the 21St, we will be talking about a specific tide gate at a specific location. The tide gate is at the foot of Portilla Bay just south of Bay View. To orient most of us, Portilla Bay is north of La Conner and Highway 20 from Burlington to Anacortes.
The tidegate at the center of the current controversy is not impressive. It is the tiny purple dot in the map above; “12” refers to Dike, Drainage and Irrigation District 12. I took a photo of it not quite sure if I knew what I was looking at.
I believe the tide gate is at the water line below the blue car. You can barely see it.
Why tide gates are important can be seen by the farm ground at the left. It lies below the level of Padilla Bay to the right of the path on top of the dike, and you can see a drain canal at the inside of the dike.
Jenna will us know next Thursday whether my guess about the tide gate is correct. Join us to find out. I have no pride about this one.
Don
14 August 2025
Have you recently driven up I-5 to Bellingham? Roundabout Mt. Vernon you may have glanced to your left and seen tulip fields, a dairy or two, or potato fields. You thought ‘that’s nice’ and you headed up the highway, maybe taking the scenic route up Chuckanut Drive along Salish Sea.
You were looking at about 60,000 acres of the state’s best farm ground, and at Puget Sound beyond which is held back by dikes, levees and tide gates.
What’s a tide gate? “The Skagit Delta tidegates have a simple purpose: to drain farmland when the tide goes out, then block incoming tides when they come lapping at the gate. “
And the tide gates are old. They need repair. This is the issue, and the rules have changed. What was once routine, no longer is. Salmon recovery complicates the issue. And salmon advocates introduce litigation into the routine.
Jenna Friebel heads up the Skagit Drainage and Irrigation District Consortium, a consortium that includes District 12 which is involved in the current litigation, leaving Jenna to coordinate the legal action.
Just to relieve Jenna to talk about the issues, I will let the State Auditor tell you about the Consortium:
The Skagit County Drainage and Irrigation District Consortium was formed in December 2018 to coordinate efforts countywide. Members include Skagit County Diking District No. 3, Skagit County Dike, Drainage and Irrigation Improvement District No. 5, Skagit County Drainage and Irrigation Improvement District No. 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, Skagit County Consolidated Dike, Drainage, and Irrigation Improvement District No. 22, Skagit County Drainage and Irrigation District No. 22, Skagit County Dike and Drainage District No. 25, and Skagit County Dike, Drainage and Irrigation Improvement District No. 12. They are overseen by a five-member Executive Board and an Executive Director. Its main revenues are assessments charged to each of the creating drainage and irrigation districts. Revenues in 2021 and 2022 were $163,500 and $252,728, respectively.
Join Jenna and our team. Learn about a natural resource issue affecting farmers in the Skagit Valley. How are Skagit Delta tide gates like our Lower Snake River dams, and what can we learn?
Don
11 August 2025
The Ag and Rural Caucus approved support of the north counties (Pend Oreille, Stevens, Ferry, and Okanogan) in the amount of $500 to each county organization to use at the county’s discretion.
Don
8 August 2025
David Green, State Party Treasurer and Finance Committee co-chair, has seeded our conversation this evening with his notes below.
Take David’s initiative as an opportunity to develop your own thoughts and join the conversation this evening.
Don,
The state party’s Finance Committee has been charged with awarding funds to local party organizations who have submitted grant requests to the committee (the first round of submissions is due later this week, I believe.) Our grant-making process focuses on “party-building” activities (to avoid the issue you addressed with the PDC on supporting specific candidates or ballot initiatives.)
Rural initiative submissions are part of the targeted categories for which RFPs have been solicited by the Finance Committee. It is suggested that any single RFP be limited to a maximum of $2,000 funding request, although it is possible for local LPOs to “band together” for funding in excess of the $2,000 suggested limit.
A couple of thoughts for your internal conversation on Thursday:
- The Caucus could consider transferring its funds to the state party for inclusion in the 2025 grantmaking process, with the request that the funds target rural RFP submissions.
- I don’t know whether there’s any overlap between ARC membership and the membership of the Finance Committee, but if there is, an alternative approach would be for ARC to designate such a dual-role committee member as capable of “taking” one or more rural-focused RFP submissions out of the Finance Committee’s consideration and have that funding occur by ARC instead of the state party. This would mean there would be no need to have a separate RFP process — as the ARC funding could “cherry pick” any rural-focused RFP requests that are coming into the Finance Committee (in the near term, if not already received.)
- Other options are also potentially on the table — given the overlap in interest in funding rural-focused projects by the Finance Committee and ARC. I’m happy to entertain (with Finance Co-Chair Julie Johnson) any thoughts you might have.
- Finance Committee is scheduled to review the first round of RFP submissions a week from today, August 12.
Keep in mind that some LPO recipients may be “mini-reporting” filers with the PDC — and if so, have a maximum amount of $500 that they can receive from any single funding source (whether it be the state party, ARC, or an individual contributor.) The Finance Committee carefully reviews the PDC filing status of LPOs prior to its grantmaking approval process.
Isabella is the staff person coordinating the RFP process for the Finance Committee in case you might have any process questions for her. I’ve copied her and Finance Committee Co-Chair Julie Johnson on this message.
Dave
Don
7 August 2025
Better Practices
August Potpourri
6:30 pm Thursday 7 August
Marty Gilmore, ARC treasurer, reminds me that ARC has about $3,000 in the bank. The amount has accrued over a number of years when we had annual dues of $40 per county. It has accrued, too, because we have recorded no expenses, thanks(?) to COVID and our move to on-line meetings.
I sought PDC guidance to how we can use the money. We have a green light as long as we do not support specific candidates or ballot initiatives.
My thought is that we should invite LPO proposals for constructive use of the funds and award the money.
Your thoughts? Let’s discuss Thursday.
Don
05 August 2025
Ken Golling from LD 19 has a report and request.
Indivisible – what do you know? We can share.
https://us02web.zoom.us/j/86197176823?pwd=6BIWfzuGjNJvviW6YvgbeDeLHKF8FA.1
Policy Briefing
6:30 pm Thursday 21 August
Jenna Friebel, ED, Skagit County Drainage and Irrigation Districts Consortium
Floodgates, Farmland, and Salmon - what are the facts?
https://us02web.zoom.us/j/85907982157?pwd=MU4vV3E3VGZ5VU02dnhvZjg2b3hK.Zz09
Click link or Paste link into browser.
Our Better Practices roundtable is on the first Thursday of each month at 6:30 pm.. Use the link above for 2025.
Our Policy Series is on the third Thursday of each month at 6:30 pm. Use the link above for 2025.
Copyright © 2025 Ag and Rural Caucus, All rights reserved.
Ag and Rural Caucus of State Democratic Central Committee
Our mailing address is: Ag and Rural Caucus 2921 Mud Creek Rd Waitsburg, WA 99361
Ag and Rural Caucus for July
Policy Briefing
6:30 pm Thursday 17 July
Lynda Mapes, Seattle Times: Environment, Natural History, Native American Tribes
Columbia at a Crossroads: a look at the great river of the west
https://us02web.zoom.us/j/85907982157?pwd=MU4vV3E3VGZ5VU02dnhvZjg2b3hK.Zz09
Click link or Paste link into browser.
I apologize. I have not introduced Lynda Mapes. You can, of course, google her but that seems a little mechanical.
I have noted that Lynda specializes in coverage of the environment, natural history and Native American tribes. She writes for the Seattle Times but publishes elsewhere too.
Lynda made herself unpopular with eastern Washington several years ago when she wrote about Tahlequah, the dead Orca calf that her mother carried around Salish Sea for a thousand miles. Lynda put a compelling face on the Orcas in Puget Sound and linked their survival to the restoration of salmon runs. This meant salmon habit restoration and culvert removal in western Washington but what we in eastern Washington heard was how the Lower Snake River dams were responsible for Tahlequah and the survival of the empathetic Orcas…actually, maybe you should google Lynda.
Don
14 July 2025
Resilient Columbia Basin Agreement…what was it? Note the past tense “was” but more below.
“Ex ante mitigation” has long been Ag and Rural Caucus’s position on the Lower Snake River dams. Our position has been that whether you support breaching the dams or oppose breaching, our region needs a Plan B. There are political risks and the litigation risks to the operation of the dams. Congress can turn on a dime, courts can require change. These risks mean that we need to map the current functions of the dams (“services”) and advocate now for the investments needed to replace these functions. The mapping is not hard: energy, barging, and irrigation. Maybe throw recreation into the mix. The “ex ante” part means that the solutions need to be funded and in place before dirt moves.
Ex ante mitigation got a voice in the summer of 2022 when Senator Murray and Governor Inslee wrote “we are adamant that in any circumstance where the Lower Snake River Dams would be breached, the replacement and mitigation of their benefits must be pursued before decommissioning and breaching.”
The Resilient Columbia Basin Agreement followed in the fall of 2023 and was published in December, 2023. The Agreement was between the Federal Government and tribal sovereigns plus the states of Oregon and Washington. “Tribal sovereigns” is important here. The agreement put on hold tribal litigation to enforce the 1855 Stevens treaties that guaranteed the tribes rights to fish at all accustomed and usual places: “exclusive right of taking fish in the streams running through and bordering said reservation is hereby secured to said Indians, and at all other usual and accustomed stations in common with citizens of the United States…”
Eastern Washington irrigators and wheat growers complain that they were not included in the negotiations among the sovereigns. They were not parties to the litigation and had not been injured. The tribes were both.
The Resilient Columbia Basin Agreement was a first step in funding ex ante mitigation. Mr. Trump has reversed that first step: “The negative impacts from these reckless acts, if completed, would be devastating for the region, and there would be no viable approach to replace the low-cost, baseload energy supplied; the critical shipping channels lost; the vital water supply for local farmers reduced; or the recreational opportunities that would no longer be possible as a result of these acts.”
His preface, though, tells the back story: “It is essential to protect Americans’ ability to take full advantage of our vast natural resources to ensure human flourishing across our country. “
Lynda Mapes, is this the hint of culture that we have been looking for? Natural resources are for human use…“take full advantage”? Maybe so, but it does leave unanswered whether there are people who are more human than others.
Don
12 July 2025
Our neighbors from Spokane to Pasco to Quincy are passionate about the Snake River Dams. Almost all are passionate that the dams stay in place as they have for nearly seventy years.
I share this passion about Grand Coulee and the Columbia Basin Project. Even when Grand Coulee (and Chief Joseph) closes off salmon migration, I have seen the enormous change the Project has brought to central Washington. I remember Dad driving us across the Basin and seeing the dusty parcels of alfalfa next to the mobile home with a couple of hand lines trying to make a difference in the sand. These memories now live only in my mind and on the pages of Basin histories. My memories of scarcity are replaced by shiny Grant County tourism brochures boasting of prosperity.
So, what about the Lower Snake River dams? Who has comparable memories of economic transformation coming from these dams? Not many, I suspect. Yet eastern Washington has the same sense of investment in these dams as I have in Grand Coulee. The LSR dams do provide a modest amount of electrical power to BPA, a little irrigation in Franklin county, and enough subsidized barge traffic to qualify Lewiston as a seaport.
The economic benefits of the LSR dams can be replaced by solar panels, some investment to keep water flowing to Ice Harbor orchards, and restoration of the rail network in southern Whitman County.
This is where our neighbors’ personal investment in the LSR dams is out of proportion to their economic exposure. This is the province of passion. Using “culture” to stand in for passion may make the puzzle more tractable.
I confess that I lack the tools to deconstruct culture. This is where we need Lynda Mapes and her perspective to help us understand ourselves and our neighbors. Lynda has the tools to understand culture. Even so, this is a lot to ask of her. That is why your voice counts. Join the conversation.
Don
9 July 2025
Lynda Mapes is going to give us a tour of the Columbia/Snake River. She sees the Columbia River at a crossroads. To be at a crossroad, of course, means that you select a path forward. This notion of choice may mean that you allow the past simply to push you forward in one direction, or it may mean that you imagine a quite different path. Either way, it helps to know the path we have taken to arrive at this crossroads.
Lynda will give us a read on how we Europeans have influenced the metaphoric – and actual - flow of the Columbia over the last two hundred years or so. Some of this will be familiar and even reassuring. Other aspects may not be so comfortable.
This part is the path to the present. The path forward…what are our choices?
Don
7 July 2025
Our Better Practices roundtable is on the first Thursday of each month at 6:30 pm.. Use the link above for 2025.
Our Policy Series is on the third Thursday of each month at 6:30 pm. Use the link above for 2025.
Copyright © 2025 Ag and Rural Caucus, All rights reserved.
Ag and Rural Caucus of State Democratic Central Committee
Our mailing address is: Ag and Rural Caucus 2921 Mud Creek Rd Waitsburg, WA 99361
8th Legislative District Democrats
Chair Retirement & General Meeting
Wednesday, October 15th, 2025
Round Table Pizza
3300 W Clearwater Ave, Kennewick, WA 99336
and on ZOOM
6:30 PM
Link to email for General Meeting
Link to email for E-board Meeting
Matt Bouhnke – Sept. 24, 2025 | A fresh start: It’s Back-to-School in Washington
Link to email for Comedy Night
Link to email for August E-Board Meeting
Link to email for August General Meeting
Link to email for July Executive Board Meeting
Link to email for July Ice Cream Social Meeting Invitation
Matt Boehnke Legislative Report July 16, 2025
Link to email for July General Meeting Invitation
Link to email for June Executive Board Meeting
Link to email for June General Meeting
June 11 | E-newsletter | Helping chart Washington’s energy policy
Matt Boehnke Town Hall May 31, 2025
Matt Boehnke Legislative Report March 17, 2025
Matt Boehnke Newsletter, April 25, 2025
Call to Meeting, April 24, 2025 at 5:30 PM
Matt Boehnke Newsletter, April 22, 2025
Matt Boehnke Newsletter, March 29, 2025
8th LD Bill Alert on SB 726, March 17, 2025
Matt Boehnke Legislative Report 2025 02 26
8th LD Bill Alert on SB 5174, February 14, 2025
Matt Boehnke Legislative Report 2025 02 11
Legislative Latte Rescheduled – Update
Due to unforeseen circumstances, Legislative Latte with Sen. Boenke has been cancelled
REMINDER 8th LD – Clean Slate Meeting – Saturday, November 16, 6 p.m.
New Meeting: Saturday, Oct. 19
8th LD Call to Meeting – 6 p.m. Oct. 5
Convention After-Action Report, and Future Plans
CORRECTED LD8 Membership Meeting – NOW Wednesday, July 10, 6-8 p.m., Conf Room A, Richland Library
14th LD News
14th LD Virtual Town Hall
Thursday March 13, 2025
6:30 PM
Rep. Deb Manjarrez
14th Legislative District
Deb Manjarrez is serving her first term representing Washington state’s 14th Legislative District. She is a certified public accountant and has been the senior partner in her firm for 25 years.
Deb chaired the Wapato Chamber of Commerce for 10 years and helped found the popular Wapato Tamale Festival.
Deb and her husband, Mark, are long-time apple orchardists in the Wapato area. They manage an orchard that has been in her family since the 1940s.
Rep. Gloria Mendoza
14th Legislative District
Gloria Mendoza is serving her first term representing the 14th Legislative District.
A former farmworker, Gloria has lived in Yakima County for more than 45 years. She has owned and operated various small businesses for more than 25 years, including a private vocational and technical school, and is the founder of a company that provides services to children and families.
Gloria served as Grandview’s mayor and on the Grandview City Council. She is the proud mother of three children. Gloria is active in her community and deeply cares about family and the agricultural community.
15th LD Democrats News
16th LD Democrats News
16th District lawmakers to hold virtual town hall meeting March 17
State lawmakers Sen. Perry Dozier (R-Waitsburg) and Rep. Mark Klicker (R-Walla Walla) will hold a virtual town hall meeting from 6 to 7 p.m. on Monday, March 17. Those who wish to participate must register in advance.
Both lawmakers serve the 16th Legislative District, which includes Walla Walla, Benton City, parts of Richland, Pasco, and surrounding communities in Benton, Franklin, Walla Walla, and Grant counties.
In addition to providing an update on the 2025 legislative session and legislation they have introduced, Sen. Dozier and Rep. Klicker will also answer their constituents’ questions and listen to their concerns.
The virtual town hall meeting allows constituents to interact with lawmakers from their computers, tablets, or smartphones using the Zoom platform.
When: Monday, March 17, 2025
Time: 6 to 7 p.m.
9th Legislative District
9th District legislators to host virtual town hall on Thursday, March 20
Sen. Mark Schoesler, Rep. Joe Schmick and Rep. Mary Dye are inviting citizens to join them Thursday, March 20 for a 9th District virtual town hall meeting.
The eastern Washington lawmakers will provide an update of the 2025 legislative session and then take questions from participants. Citizens may also submit written questions during the process of registering to participate in the meeting.
During the town hall meeting, the 9th District legislative team will discuss several issues, including:
- The upcoming two-year state operating, capital and transportation budgets.
- The likelihood that majority Democrats will impose new and/or higher taxes on Washingtonians.
- Efforts by Democrats to pass anti-gun legislation.
- Bills impacting K-12 education and higher education.
- Bills affecting agriculture in Washington.
The event will be held from 7 p.m. to 8 p.m. and conducted using the Zoom platform. Preregistration is required by clicking here to preregister. Those registering will receive a confirmation email with instructions for joining the meeting.
Walla Walla County Democrats News
Yakima County Democrats News
Oct 27 meeting features Justice Housing
Monthly Meeting this Monday, 6:30 pm
Candidates, Issues & Endorsements, NOW
Meeting this Monday – Preview the Fall campaign
Join the Fall campaign – don’t sit this one out!
Primary ballot questions answered July 28
Meet more candidates, Monday, 6:30 pm
Lots to PROTEST and CELEBRATE in June
We’ve got candidates, come meet some of them
Last chance to run for Council, School Board
REMINDER: Dems meeting this Monday, 6:30 pm
More protests coming up on Calendar
Time to stand up for Democracy
Monthly Meeting MONDAY 6:30, doors open 6 pm
Protect Mother Earth from MAGA
Monthly Meeting MONDAY 6:30, doors open 6 pm
RESIST the re-writing of history: Black History Month
Resolve: be an ACTIVE Yakima Democrat in 2025
Reorganization Meetings Dec 7, 9:00 a.m.
Call to General Meeting, Nov 25
Maria Cantwell at TODAY’S event!
Less than a week to ELECTION DAY!
Call to YCDCC regular business meeting
From the State Central Committee
MESSAGE FROM THE CHAIR
Happy Halloween, Washington Democrats! Time to get those ballots into an official drop box!
Make sure to get your ballots in before they get you! This is the final weekend to vote! Click on the image above or here for a spooky GOTV video our Communications Team worked on.
Not sure how to vote? Check the endorsements made by your LD and County Democratic Parties. Vital races for school board, city council, county officials and other municipal and county elections are on your ballot – see who your neighbors endorsed!
And be sure to vote APPROVE on SJR 8201. This is likely the first thing on your ballot and would amend the state constitution to allow an independent, non-partisan board to protect the solvency of the long-term care program. Nearly every legislator, Democrat and Republican voted for this common-sense amendment. Learn more here.
And don’t forget what’s going on nationally: Virginia, New Jersey, and California all have crucial elections. Find ways to volunteer for any of these great campaigns here.
Working for Washington
It is the final push before the election – we need everyone to get their ballots in and that starts with you! Once you’ve filled out your ballot, come to one of the many Get Out the Vote events WA Dems are hosting around the state. Find more info below!
Washington
The DNC listed State Sen. Deb Krishnadasan’s race in LD26 as one of the most important of the year! Find an event to help our Sen. Krishnadasan here. Join us on Nov 1 for a special canvass for Deb – sign up here or click on the image above!
State Sen. Victoria Hunt is an expert on affordable housing, climate science, and delivering for her community. Find a canvass or phone bank to retain our Sen. Hunt here. Join us for a special canvass with Victoria on Nov 1 – sign up here or click the image above!
National
New Jersey is electing a new Governor. We need someone who will protect their Congressional Districts from a Republican gerrymander. Help make calls for Mikie Sherrill’s campaign by signing up to volunteer here.
Virginia is electing a new Governor who also needs to be someone that will prevent a Republican gerrymander. Make calls for this crucial race by signing up to volunteer here.
The biggest race on the West Coast will be Prop 50 to allow California Democrats to counter Trump’s Texas Takeover that stole seats from Democrats. This one is a team effort and there are lots of opportunities to help out. Find a phonebank event here.
If you haven’t already – please sign up as a WA Dems volunteer here!
- Rally, Protest, and Gather
- SATURDAY, 11/1 – GOTV Rally for Sen. Deb Krishnadasan w/ the WA Dems, the WA State Labor Council, & special guests in Bremerton at 11 AM. Sign up HERE.
- SATURDAY, 11/1 – GOTV Rally for Sen. Victoria Hunt w/ the WA Dems & special guests in Issaquah at 3 PM. Sign up HERE.
- SUNDAY, 11/2 – Canvass for Senator Victoria Hunt w/ Rep. Steve Bergquist and our friends from WEA PAC in Maple Valley at 10 AM. Sign up HERE.
- SUNDAY, 11/2 – Canvass for Senator Deb Krishnadasan in Bremerton at 11 AM. Sign up HERE.
- SUNDAY, 11/2 – Phonebank virtually for Senator Deb Krishnadasan at 1 PM. Sign up HERE.
- MONDAY, 11/3 – Phonebank virtually with the WA Dems for Sen. Deb Krishnadasan starting at 10 AM, going all day! Sign up HERE.
- MONDAY, 11/3 – Phonebank virtually with the SEIU for Measure 8201 at 1 PM. Sign up HERE.
- MONDAY, 11/3 – Canvass with Sen. Hunt, Lindsey Walsh & Natalie Anderson in Issaquah at 3 PM. Sign up HERE.
- MONDAY, 11/3 – Phonebank virtually with Team Krishnadasan at 5 PM. Email Zach at zach@debkforsenate.com to sign up.
- TUESDAY, 11/4 – Phonebank virtually with the WA Dems for Sen. Deb Krishnadasan starting at 10 AM, going all day! Sign up HERE.
- TUESDAY, 11/4 – Canvass with Sen. Hunt and Liz Karkoski-Gardner in Maple Valley at 2 PM. 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
Washington Democrats Fight Back
Last week, Washington Democrats U.S. Representative Emily Randall and state legislators came together to hold Republicans in Congress accountable for the government shutdown that they are prolonging. Twenty-two million Americans are at risk of losing their healthcare and millions more will have to pay outrageous increases because Republicans refuse to negotiate. Remember, with Trump’s decision to ignore Congressionally-approved funding, we need guarantees that Americans will not suffer from the healthcare cuts that Republicans created in their federal budget.
Governor Bob Ferguson has directed the Department of Social and Health Services to fund food banks in Washington as the Republican federal government shutdown threatens food assistance payments. While Congressional Republicans go on vacation and refuse to negotiate to reopen the government, Democrats like Governor Ferguson are displaying real leadership that protects families from going hungry. Our state is incredibly fortunate to have leaders like Governor Ferguson who put people first.
U.S. Senator Patty Murray is fighting for students with disabilities, leading the charge to reinstate laid off Education Department staff. These cuts have devastating impacts on the children in American schools who need the most help. While these layoffs have been temporarily put on hold by the courts, we need a permanent solution that protects these kids. Senator Murray won’t rest until we have one and neither will we!
Attorney General Nick Brown joined dozens of other states to sue the Trump administration to continue funding SNAP benefits during the Republican federal government shutdown. SNAP or food stamps, help 42 million Americans avoid hunger and financial hardship. Thank you, AG Brown for continuing to make us all proud by defying Trump’s authoritarianism!
DEMOCRATS IN THE NEWS
Fundraising heats up in WA-03 and other toss-up House races,
Axios
Soybean trade disruption felt in Pacific Northwest,
Capital Press
Conservative group sues to overturn rewrite of WA parental rights law,
The Seattle Times
Trump shadow hangs over race in one of WA’s most purple districts,
The Seattle Times
WATCH: Money and personal attacks pointed at key WA State Senate race,
Center Square
Sen. Patty Murray vows to fight taxpayer dollars funding Trump’s East Wing project,
The Seattle Times
WHAT I’M READING
Are Democrats poised for victory in New Jersey and Virginia? DNC Chair Ken Martin joins Endless Urgency,
The Blue Print
DNC Chair Ken Martin joined Mike Nellis’ Endless Urgency for The Blue Print – the DNC’s daily webcast going over the latest updates in our national politics. In this episode, Chair Martin lays out the stakes in the New Jersey and Virginia gubernatorial elections and how Democrats are organizing to win these crucial races. I encourage everyone to check out The Blue Print every day!
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
Spooky season is here, but that means nothing to Rep. Dan Newhouse because, truthfully, he’s been ghosting his constituents all year long.
In fact, this year? He’s been invisible.
While Newhouse ghosts, nearly 80,000 federal workers in Washington, many in red districts, are missing paychecks because he and his GOP allies are putting Trump’s agenda over Washington families.
Newhouse voted to cut food assistance programs for our children, seniors, and vulnerable families. He chose tax breaks for the top 0.1% over our healthcare, over our wellbeing, and over the people who elected him to office.
With the government shutdown threatening the livelihoods of so many Washingtonians, we cannot afford elected officials who vanish when the stakes are highest. We need leaders who show up, fight, and put Washingtonians first.
This is more than politics. It’s about holding Rep. Newhouse and his WA GOP allies accountable this November, next November, and every election to come. Our end-of-month deadline is here, and every moment counts.
Thank you,
— Washington State Democrats
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.
Washington State Democrats
PO Box 4027
Seattle, WA 98194
United States
Democratic National Committee News
The Blue Print – Election Day is almost here!
A Message from the DNC National Training Team
Hello Democrats,
Only FIVE MORE DAYS until the 2025 election! Thank you to everyone across the country who has been working hard to get out the vote for Democrats and important ballot measures at the local and state levels. If you’re looking for ways to get involved, keep reading for information on GOTV events and post-election training opportunities.
Let’s GOTV!
This election is fast approaching, and we need all hands on deck for races and ballot initiatives in Virginia, New Jersey, Maine, California, and other states to get out the vote. Here are some ways you can support these states in the final days leading up to the election:
Make Calls With the DNC Call Crew
Want to support Democrats from anywhere in the country? Democrats are calling voters to engage supporters and mobilize for key elections happening on November 4. Be a part of the national Call Crew and join us for a virtual phone bank. Each day, we will make calls for a different key race happening across the country!
Volunteer in 2025 Election States
Across the country, Democrats need YOUR help to ensure we win decisively in 2025 elections. Whether it’s knocking on doors, making calls, or recruiting others to join, your support is key to helping us reach voters nationwide. Every single volunteer effort makes a difference. Here are just a few of the key races you can get involved with:
Virginia
New Jersey
California
Maine
New York City
Training Announcement: Voter Protection Campaign Readiness Bootcamp
The DNC is excited to announce the return of the Voter Protection Campaign Readiness Bootcamp! We are seeking Democrats of all backgrounds and skill levels who are interested in a voter protection position for the 2026 cycle and beyond to participate in this program.
The Campaign Readiness Bootcamp will be held virtually and will begin on Thursday evening, November 13, and conclude on Saturday evening, November 15. Folks interested in participating should fill out the quick application and skills assessment below to help the Training and Civic Engagement and Voter Protection Teams place them in training sessions. No previous/professional campaign experience is required. The deadline to apply is November 7, 2025, at 11:59 p.m. ET.
Upcoming Partner Trainings
National Democratic Training Committee
- Thursday 11/06, 7 p.m. ET: So You Want to Run for Office?
- Wednesday 11/12, 1 p.m. ET: Running an Effective Campaign Debrief
- Monday 11/17, 1 p.m. ET: So You Want to Run for Office?
- Tuesday 11/18, 7 p.m. ET: Recruiting Strong Candidates to Run for Office
- Wednesday 11/19, 1 p.m. ET: What is a Democratic Precinct Chair?
Run For Something
Join the Run for Something Online Community! Run For Something has created an online community to connect progressive young people who are interested in running for office, participate in mentorship sessions, and access candidacy and campaign trainings. Join here.
Want to learn more about running for office and want to get involved with Run for Something? Learn more about their candidate support program here.
Jobs in the Ecosystem 💼
- Alabama – Executive Director
- Arizona – Executive Director, Data Director
- Delaware – Executive Director
- Florida – See all open jobs here
- Georgia – See all open jobs here
- Idaho – Legislative Communications Manager
- Illinois – Coordinated Campaign Director
- Iowa – Senior Communication Advisor, Research Tracker
- Kansas – Executive Director, Communications Advisor, Research Tracking Coordinator
- Maine – See all open jobs here
- Minnesota – See all open jobs here
- Mississippi – Executive Director
- New Hampshire – Communications Advisor
- North Carolina – NCDP Coordinated Campaign Director, NCDP Deputy Voter Protection Director, Finance Director
- Ohio – Senior Communications Advisor, Urban Mobilization Manager, Field Researcher
- Pennsylvania – See all open jobs here
- Rhode Island – Canvasser
- South Dakota – Field Organizer
- Texas – See all open jobs here
- Utah – Communications Manager
- Vermont – Finance Director
- Washington – Regional Organizing Director, Protect Districts; Regional Organizing Director, Build Districts
- Wisconsin – See all open jobs here
Browse Committee Job Opportunities:
Democratic National Committee (DNC)
Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee (DSCC)
Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee (DCCC)
Democratic Governors Association (DGA)
Democratic Legislative Campaign Committee (DLCC)
Democratic Attorneys General Association (DAGA)
Democratic Association of Secretaries of State (DASS)
For more job opportunities in the Democratic space, please visit GAIN Power and Arena Careers to browse postings across the country.
Please reach out to the DNC National Training Team (training@dnc.org) with any questions or training needs.
Onward,
Morgan and Cassie
The DNC National Training Team
ABOUT THE DNC NATIONAL TRAINING DEPARTMENT
The DNC National Training Department delivers training to operatives in the field, activists and volunteers, state party leaders and staff, students and youth organizers, candidates and campaign staff, constituency caucus members and community leaders, and so many more!
Training topics range from field organizing to digital mobilization, data to finance, communications to compliance, and leadership development to movement building, just to name a few.
Through this vast expansion of training programs, the new DNC National Training Department is building and strengthening the Democratic Party infrastructure to ensure success for years to come!
CONNECT WITH US
- Text “Training” to 43367 to stay updated on DNC training opportunities and other insider DNC news! (By texting 43367, you are consenting to receive recurring and/or automated text messages and calls from the DNC. Text STOP to stop, HELP for Help. For SMS, msg & data rates may apply. Democrats.org/privacy-policy)
- Want to be part of an online community of Democrats, get involved at the local level, and stay up to date on events happening in your state? Click HERE to volunteer.
HAPPY TRAINING!
****If you have not yet subscribed to the Training Newsletter, sign up HERE****
Democratic National Committee · 430 S Capitol St SE · Washington, DC 20003-4024 · USA
The Blue Print – Chair Ken Martin: It’s Time To Get Out The Vote
The Blue Print – November Is Ours To Win
The Blue Print – Join the Call Crew!
The Blue Print – How We Hold Trump Accountable Online
The Blue Print – Trump Is Cutting Cancer Research
Scoop: DNC ramps up crackdown on alleged “scam PACs”
— Axios
The DNC is taking action against bad actors who are trying to exploit grassroots donors.
If you’re anything like us, your inbox and text messages are filled with campaigns and organizations asking for donations.
We wish that all of these groups were spending your hard-earned money to help elect Democrats. But the sad reality is that some of them tell you your donation is going to help elect Democrats, when really they’re just keeping the money for themselves.
So the DNC is taking action.
Earlier this week, we sent a cease-and-desist letter and worked with ActBlue to de-platform a PAC that is claiming to “help brave Democrats and fuel the fight nationwide.” The PAC has raised over half a million dollars in the last year — solicited primarily through misleading text messages — but has spent less than $10,000 in support of or opposition to any political candidate. That’s less than 2% of their total raise.
It’s completely unethical, Kendall. And we’re going to keep working to root out bad actors like these.
When you choose to chip in your hard-earned money to an organization or campaign, we know that’s a decision you don’t make lightly. You deserve to know that your contribution is actually going toward electing Democrats. You’re not an ATM, and you don’t deserve to be treated like one.
Here at the DNC, we will keep working to hold bad actors in this space accountable, and we will continue to be upfront with you about where your contributions go. Today, a donation will go towards funding our on-the-ground organizing work to win upcoming elections in states like Virginia, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, and California.
Thank you for everything you’re doing and we’ll keep you updated,
The Democrats
Text JOIN to 43367
If you’re ready to elect Democrats in all 50 states, territories, and D.C., make a contribution today.
Contributions or gifts to the Democratic National Committee are not tax deductible. Paid for by the Democratic National Committee, www.Democrats.org, and not authorized by any candidate or candidate’s committee.
The Blue Print -How You Can Protect Voting Rights This Weekend
The Blue Print -The DNC’s Historic Investments Continue to Power 2025 Elections
The Blue Print – Democrats Celebrate Hispanic Heritage Month
The Blue Print – Training the Next Generation of Leaders
The Blue Print – This Is How We Win in November!
The Blue Print – Donate and win a trip to the Women’s Leadership Conference in D.C.
The Blue Print – I Live on $70 a Month. Now My Nursing Home Could Close
The Blue Print – The “Party of Free Speech” Shuts Down Free Speech
The Blue Print – Get Out the Vote for Virginia
The Blue Print – DNC Chair Ken Martin: “I am sick of losing friends to political violence.”
The Blue Print – Democrats Are Overperforming Everywhere
The Blue Print – Join Democrats for a National Voter Registration Week of Action
The Blue Print – Grassroots Partners Fuel Our Work
The Blue Print – Join Democrats This Fall
The Blue Print – Why The DNC Is Taking New Media Seriously (and you should too!)
The Blue Print – Democrats Continue to Fight for the Lone Star State
The Blue Print – Three Actions You Can Take This Weekend To Support Fair and Free Elections
The Blue Print – Three Ways To Help Democrats Fight the Texas Gerrymander
The Blue Print – The DNC Is Out of the Beltway
The Blue Print – This Summer, the DNC Is Organizing Everywhere
The Blue Print – The DNC’s Seven-Figure Investment into VirginiaIntroducing: Organizing Summer
The Blue Print – Introducing: Organizing Summer
Join us for Out and Proud: Let’s Sashay to the Polls!
PCOs Can (and Should) Start Doorbelling – For PCOs, the time to walk or call the voters in your precincts is NOW so that we can get that data back into Votebuilder ASAP. The data PCOs collect in the first quarter of this year is essential to the voter targeting every Democratic candidate will be able to do in the primary election and for the rest of the year. If needed, our Coordinated Campaign staff can help set PCOs up with a phone or canvass list, an appropriate script for their precinct, and either a listening or ID canvass – just ask us at organizing@wa-democrats.org.
Voices
Fix Democracy First has compiled an excellent list of sites with which to expand your activism
Yes! Today is Election Day for Many Cities and States Across the Country!
URGENT: Get Out The Vote for Zohran TOMORROW — Sunday!
“Will We Remain In The Shadows, Or Will We Together Step Into The Light?”
One Week After “No Kings,” What Comes Next?
Your Pics From Yesterday’s Massive Protests
TOMORROW, October 18th — We Hit The Streets!
Hey New Yorkers — VOTE TOMORROW!
Here’s the New Pledge of Allegiance I Think We All Should Take
Why Today April 30th Should Be a National Holiday
PROTEST EVERYWHERE — Saturday, April 19 — Every city, every county, every town, everywhere! Freedom Against Tyranny!
There Was a Record 5 to 6 Million People Who Took to the Streets to Stop Trump on Saturday! — And the Only Sound of Silence You Hear is from the Media and the Democratic Party
Massive Crowds Everywhere! And Everywhere You Look, You Will See The True Leaders of This Next Revolution
Get Up! Get Out! Get in the Streets! Mass Protests Saturday Near You!
Simon Rosenberg
Veteran Political Analyst, Strategist and Commentator. 2 Presidential campaigns (incl Clinton War Room), senior roles at DNC, DCCC, NDN. One of the only ones who got 2022 right. On Substack at Hopium Chronciles.
It’s Election Day – Let’s Bring It Home, Everyone!!!!!
Senator Tim Kaine On The Fight To Repeal Trump’s Tariffs, The Coming Battle Over The War Powers Act, And His Optimism About Virginia
Trump Limps And Stumbles Into What’s Going To Be A Very Consequential Week In American Politics
Sunday Hopium – Democrats Rally Across The Country As Sad, Sundowning And Deeply Unpopular Donald Stays Home
Winning These November Elections, David Pepper Previews 2026 In Ohio, A Declining Trump Goes All In On “More For M…
Senate Rebukes Trump On Tariffs (Again), Encouraging New Polls, AZ Rep. Yassamin Ansari Joins Us To Talk Epstein, The Cowardly Speaker, And Her Fight Against ICE
Little Cracks Are Becoming Bigger Cracks – GOP Discontent With Trump Is Growing, Becoming Far More Visible
“Policies that have defended America, that have kept us secure, are being undermined by this President and his foreign policy” – A conversation with Senator Jeanne Shaheen
The Senate Rebukes Trump On His Tariffs – Let’s Keep Making Our Calls People! Little Cracks Are Becoming Bigger Cracks As Rs Begin To Buckle Under His Many Failures & Escalating Madness
Our Ass-Kicking Friend Anderson Clayton Dropped By For A Chat This Afternoon……
Senate To Vote On Trump’s Terrible Tariffs – Need To Make Our Calls!, States Sue To Get SNAP Funded, Little Cracks Can Become Big Cracks
With Our Elections A Week Away Our Malevolent Leader Pushes The Country Deeper Into Crisis
Sunday Hopium – The Importance Of Voting Early, Closing Strong And Winning The November Elections, Some Reminders Of Why We Need To Fight With Everything We Got
“Three Reasons I Still Have Hope For America” – A Conversation With Garrett Graff, Award-Winning Journalist and Historian
Sherrill And Spanberger Have Sturdy Leads, Ds Now More Trusted On The Economy, Voters Backing Ds On Health Care Fight, Let’s Close Strong Everyone!
Will Congressional Republicans Stick With Trump As His Failures, Corruption, Unpopularity, and Madness Become Impossible To Ignore? We Will See (New Video And Written Analysis)
Rep. Janelle Bynum On Senator Merkley’s Speech, Portland’s Spirited Resistance, and How “People Are Looking To Us For Hope And A Sense Of Fight”
Senator Merkley Speaks Out Against Trump’s Escalating Authoritarianism, Notes On The GOP’s Ongoing Budget Fiasco, Winning The November Elections
Adelita Grijalva Joins Hopium For An Update….
Stuart Stevens Discusses His Trip To Ukraine, The Senate Appears To Be In Play, Dems Up 7 In New Gallup Party ID Report
We Have 15 Days To Win The November Elections – Let’s Get To Work Everyone!!!!!!
7 Million Proud Patriots Joyously, Peacefully Marched, Rallied, And Protested Yesterday
A Message From Abigail Spanberger To The Hopium Community, Terrible New Polling For The Ailing Trump, Good Luck Today Everyone!
Sherrill and Spanberger Have Sturdy Leads in NJ/VA, Southcom Commander Resigns, Rep. Adam Gray (CA-13) Drops By, No Kings!!!!!!!!!
As His Powers Ebb Trump Has Chosen Autocracy Over Democracy. It Is Up To Us To Stop Him (Video And Analysis)
The limits of Trump’s power — My conversation with Adam Klasfeld of All Rise News
Janet Mills Jumps Into Maine Senate Race, DNC Launches Campaign Against Trump’s Tariffs, Little Cracks Can Become Big Cracks
Will Republicans Ever Pass A Budget?
War, Decline, Dysfunction – And Ridicule – At Home
Sunday Hopium – Meet Maine Democratic Party Chair Charlie Dingman, More Bad Polling For Trump, A Note About My Leon Krauze Interview
Leon Krauze On María Corina Machado’s Courage, The Global Fight For Democracy, And Trump’s “Attack On Hispanic and Latino Identity In This Country”(Video)
Democrats Are Winning The Big Arguments With Trump, And Need To Keep Fighting (New Video And Analysis)
Hopium PM – AG Letitia James’ Powerful Response To Trump: “I am not fearful – I am fearless”
Sherrill Rocks Her Debate, Schumer:”Every Day Gets Better For Us,” Greg Sargent On Challenging Trump’s Escalating Authoritarianism More Forcefully
The Reckoning For Trump’s Terrible Presidency Has Begun
Trump And The Rs Are Not Winning, MTG Rips Into GOP Over Health Care, New Ads And Videos Are Flying in NJ and VA
My New Conversation With Senator Cory Booker
Fighting Eric Swalwell Drops By Hopium To Talk The Budget Battle, Cowardly Rs, Trump’s Rising Authoritarianism, And Winning The November Elections
Every Democrat Must Now Join The Fight Against Trump’s Escalating, Dangerous, Traitorous Authoritarianism
Sunday Hopium – Brutal New CBS Poll For Trump, Fighting Their Rising Authoritarianism More Aggressively, A Wonderful New Conversation With James Talarico
Dems Have Come Out Of The Box Strong, Spanberger Up 12, Trump Disappears (Again), New Conversations W/Gavin Newsom, Rep. Adam Smith, Randi Weingarten, And More……
Rep. Adam Smith Unloads On Trump, Hegseth And Their Weakening Of America
Dems Are Forcing Trump To Take Responsibility For The Harm He’s Doing To The Country (New Video And Analysis)
Reps. Landsman and Veasey Talk The Trump Shutdown, The Fight For Health Care, And Their New Podcast “The Fly-In”
Leaders Schumer and Jeffries Are Right To Force Trump And The Rs To Take Responsibility For The Harm They’re Doing To The Country
My Conversation With Governor Gavin Newsom
Military Leaders Sound The Alarm About Trump’s Retreat From The World And Inward Turn, More Notes On Winning The Fall
A Wonderful Conversation With Randi Weingarten About Her New Book -“Why Fascists Fear Teachers”
We Must Keep The Military Off Our Streets, Schumer and Jeffries Meet With Trump, Moldova Votes For Europe
Sunday Hopium – Rest Up Folks, We Have A Big Week Ahead Of Us
A New Conversation With Allison Gill, We Are Having The Fight With Trump We All Wanted To Have, A Big Week For Jimmy Kimmel And The Opposition
Trump Has A Bad Week And He Takes It Out On All Of Us, New Interview With MA AG Andrea Campbell, Sherrill Up 7 In New Poll
We Are Having The Fight With Trump We All Wanted To Have. Now, We Have To Go Win It (New Video And Analysis)
Kimmel’s Powerful Return, Newsom Rocks Colbert, An Addled Trump Chickens Out, Staying Focused On Winning The Fall
Kimmel Returns, Trump Embarrasses, Dems Are Starting To Lean Hard Into Rising Costs And Tariffs
Sherrill Rocks Her Debate, Rs Have Chosen Shutdown and Chaos, The World Comes To New York And A Very Different America
Trump Enters The Budget Debate In A Weak Position, A Conversation With Alaska Dem Chair Eric Croft
Trump Has Shown Us Who He Is. Time For Us To Show The American People And The World Who We Are (Video and Analysis)
We Must Demand Courage, The People Have Rejected Trump’s Strongman Politics, Terrific New Tariff Ad In Alaska
Launching Hopium’s New Audacious Expansion Fund And A New Discussion With Nikki Fried, The Chair Of The Florida Democratic Part
Some Reflections On Finding A Higher Gear, Building A Stronger Movement, And Winning The Fall
Trump’s Agenda Of Sabotage, Plunder, Chaos, And Betrayal Is Coming For Red States And Red Places Too
Sunday Hopium – Trump Is Unpopular, Weakened, And Losing All The Arguments That Matter
It’s Been A Hard Week – Let’s Take It Easy This Weekend Everyone
Trump Has Failed The Country, And We Desperately Need Something Better
Inflation Surges, Trump’s Economic Plan Has Failed, And A New Video Talk -“Our North Star Must Continue To Be Democracy, Rule Of Law, And Freedom”
Trump’s Disastrous Appeasement Of Putin Has Made America Less Safe, Senator Ruben Gallego On The GOP’s Betrayal Of Latino Families (Video)
“Allow Yourselves To Feel Hope” – An Inspiring Discussion With Georgia Senator Jon Ossoff
Strong New Spanberger Ad On Prices, The Trump-Epstein Affair Takes A Darker Turn, The Robert Court Hacks At Our Liberties
Our Recommendations To Congressional Dems, 2 Brutal Polls For Trump, Trump Is Weak Not Strong
Sunday Hopium – Winning The Fall And A New Check-in With Mikie Sherrill
Surrender Not War, Trump Rebukes Kennedy On Vaccines, Rep. Dan Goldman Shares His Thoughts On Where We Are Now (Resend)
The Reckoning For Trump’s Idiocy, Extremism, And Betrayal Has Begun
As Trump’s Powers Ebb We Must Fight To Win The Fall And Send A Clear Message The Tide Is Turning Against Him (New Video, Analysis)
“Kennedy Is Too Dangerous For The Country”- A New Conversation With Senator Angela Alsobrooks On Fighting Their War On Science and Public Health
On Trump’s Escalating Madness, Epstein, Compromise And The Unsustainable Path He Has Chosen
Welcome Back Everyone. It’s Time To Fight, And To Win
Sunday Hopium – A Quiet News Weekend? Exciting Resolutions Project Update, Winning The Fall
A Court Rules Trump’s Terrible Tariffs Are Illegal (Again), Dems Need To Fight The Battle In Front Us This Fall – Not The Battle We Wish We Had
Ernst Is Out, FIRE HIM, Leon Krauze On Challenging Trump Far More Directly, Every Day
FIRE HIM, Trump’s Powers Of Persuasion Are Ebbing, Congress Needs To Hear From Us Next Week
The Resignation Letter Of Dr. Demetre C. Daskalakis Of The Centers For Disease Control
An Encouraging Win In Iowa, National Security Moms, Some Thoughts On Trump’s Occupation Of The Capital Of The United States of America
Fighting Trump Now – Some Recommendations For Congressional Democrats
Democrats Need To Get Serious About Partisan Voter Registration – Some Notes And A Presentation From Tom Bonier
Sunday Hopium – Reflecting On The Greatness Of The Four Freedoms
Winning In Red States And Red Places – A Conversation With Rita Hart, Iowa Dem Party Chair
Bringing Our Resolutions Project To Communities Across The Country – An Uplifting Discussion With Dr. Deborah Potter and Rachel Poliner
Rep. Jamie Raskin: “We should view his increasing desperation as a reflection of our growing strength”
Trump’s Maniacal Drive To Build An Oppressive Police State – A New Conversation With Greg Sargent
“Fighting For North Carolina” – A Conversation With Roy Cooper, Our Great Candidate For Senate In North Carolina
Sunday Hopium – As Trump’s Powers Ebb He’s Growing More Wild, Desperate And Dangerous
Trump, A Very Useful Idiot, Buckles In Alaska, Disastrously Sells Out Ukraine And The West
What’s Next In Texas – My New Interview With TX Dem Chair Kendall Scudder
Newsom Leads, Trump Betrays, A New Conversation With Jen Rubin
As Trump Desperately Spirals And Escalates, We Must Keep Finding A Higher Gear (New Video, Analysis)
The Vicious Cycle Of A Failing Strongman
Inflation Comes In Hot (Again), Trump Is Descending Further Into Authoritarianism And Madness
“The Illusion Of A Middle Ground Is Evaporating” – A Discussion With Stuart Stevens On Trump’s Escalating Authoritarianism
Working To Distract From Epstein, Rising Prices, His Traitorous Fealty To Putin, Trump Starts Terrorizing Another American City
Sunday Hopium – Can Bring Needed Change, Leaning Hard Into The Terrible Tariffs, Standing With Ukraine Not Putin
I Stand With Ukraine, Europe, and Freedom. I Stand Against Putin, Trump, and Authoritarianism
We Must Lean In Much Harder Against Trump’s Terrible Tariffs, A New Lively Conversation With Michael Steele (Former RNC Chair, Current MSNBC Host)
As Voters Reject Trump Dems Are Finding A Higher Gear (New Video), The Terrible Tariffs Have Taken Effect And His Betrayal Of The American People Deepens
“You Have To Be Willing To Fight”
“The Ambience Of Information” – A Very Compelling Conversation With Nathan Heller
Fighting Trump’s Madman Agenda Of Sabotage, Plunder and Betrayal And Some Coffee with The Contrarians
Try As He Might Trump Cannot Escape Epstein, His Terrible Tariffs And His Failed Economic Agenda
Sunday Hopium – Some Notes On Where We Are Today And The Path Forward
Trump, Our Mad Leader, Is Angry Because He And His Plan Are Failing
The Trump Slowdown Is Here, The Tariff Madness Escalates, Dems Lead In Party ID And Generic Ballot
Trump’s Tariff Madness Makes It Clear He Doesn’t Give A Sh-t About The American People (New Video, Analysis)
Fighting Trump’s War On Science With Colette Delawalla and Dr. Jeremy Berg
Trump’s Escalating Tariff Madness, Roy Cooper Breaks Fundraising Records, Senator Alex Padilla On ICE, The Budget, Rescissions And More
How The Roberts Court Is Betraying The Country – My New Interview With Professor Leah Litman
Roy Cooper’s Launch Video, Trump’s Ongoing Tariff Fiasco, Voters Want Epstein Files Released, New Discussion w/Rep. Josh Riley (NY-19)
Roy Cooper Jumps Into The NC Senate Race, Trump Imposes A 15% Tariff On Europe, It’s The Zealotry, Stupid
Sunday Hopium – The Last Best Hope Of Earth
Epstein Is A Huge Problem For Trump. So Are His Tariffs, And The Upcoming Budget Fight
As Trump’s Powers Ebb We Must Keep Fighting For “The Last Best Hope Of Earth”
Things Are Bad For Trump Now. They Are Likely To Get Worse (New Video And Analysis)
“Trump’s Budget Could Break The Economy” – A New Conversation With Dr. Rob Shapiro
It’s Time For The “Just Locker Room Talk” And Sanewashing To End – Trump Is Pushing The Country To The Brink
Looking Ahead I See Far More Peril Than Promise For Trump and Republicans
Trump’s Struggles Have Given Us A Big Opportunity – We Need To Seize It
Sunday Hopium – Six Months In The Country Is Not Buying What Trump Is Selling
“Trump” The Brand Is Failing, New Interview With Ken Martin, And Dems Open Up A Big Enthusiasm Advantage
“Organize Everywhere, Win Anywhere” – My Conversation With DNC Chair Ken Martin
“A Pal Is A Wonderful Thing” – Why We Must Lean Into, Not Run From, The Epstein Scandal
New Analysis -“Trump” As Strongman Brand Is Failing (Video and Memo)
Epstein, Musk, Putin, Rising Inflation, Ongoing Tariff Fiasco – The World Just Isn’t Bending The Knee To Trump
Inflation Is Rising And Trump’s Agenda Is Failing
Trump’s Rancid Agenda Of Sabotage, Plunder and Betrayal Has Given The Pro-Democracy Movement A Big Opportunity
Sunday Hopium – Trump Is Struggling And We Need To Get Very, Very Loud Now
Trump’s Dangerous Tariff Madness, A Judge Restrains ICE in LA, “It’s A War on Due Process” – My Conversation With David Leopold
Trump Is Weak Not Strong, Brutal New Gallup Poll For Rs, Colorado’s Phil Weiser On Success of Dem AGs
The Passage Of The Big Ugly Has Given Us A Big Opportunity. We Need To Seize It (New Video & Political Analysis)
Trump Is Making America Poorer, Weaker, Less Safe and Less Free And The American People Are Unhappy About It
COURIER at 6, Winning The Info Wars – My Conversation With Tara McGowan
Trump’s Assault On Our Health Care, Explained – A Conversation With Charles Gaba
3 What’s Next Events This Week, Trump Drops 4 Points In 1st Post-Big Ugly Poll, Trump’s “Polluted Heart”
Some Early Thoughts On What Comes Next After The Big Ugly Bill
Sunday Hopium – Grateful To Be In This Community With All Of You
“Our Lives, our Fortunes and our sacred Honor”
Leader Jeffries Takes To The Floor Of The House, My New Video On The Republican Party’s Unprecedented And Dangerous Betrayal Of The Country
The House Needs To Hear A Roar Of Disapproval From The American People Today – Let’s Get To Work Everyone!
While Trump And Republicans Have Given Up On America This Community Never Will
Trump’s Big, Ugly Bill Will Make America Poorer, Weaker, Less Safe and Less Free – My Conversation With Stuart Stevens (Video)
America Is Not Winning Under Trump, We Are Losing. Today Is A Day Of Action. We Need To Be Very, Very Loud Today!!!!!
Signing This Terrible Bill Will Be A Loss For Trump – And America – Not A Win
“Time For Democrats To Go On Offense” – My Conversation With Senator Elissa Slotkin
A Corrupt SCOTUS Comes To A Struggling Trump’s Rescue (Again), Their Assault On Our Public Health Escalates, Let’s Keep Fighting To Stop Their Terrible Budget Bill
“Boundless Optimism” – My Interview with Mikie Sherrill, Our Great Candidate for Governor of New Jersey
Folks Aren’t Buying What Trump Is Selling, Dems Are Hurtling Into A New Era (New Video)
On Trump’s “Spectacle of Power” – A New Interview With Anne Applebaum
Folks Ain’t Buying What Trump Is Selling, Mamdani Wins, Our NM Resolutions Advance, Keep Working Vs. The Big, Ugly Bill Everyone!
New Interview With MI AG Dana Nessel, Folks Just Ain’t Bending The Knee, Initial Iran Polling Bad For Trump
Trump Warming To “Regime Change”, Budget Bill Takes Big Hits In The Senate, Our Resolutions Advance In New Mexico
Is Trump STRONG Now? An Uplifting Story From New Mexico, “I Feel Like I’ve Been Lied To”
Struggling And Unpopular, Trump Goes To War With Iran – My Conversation With Rep. Adam Smith (Video)
Dems Need To Get Serious About Partisan Voter Registration – My Conversation With Tom Bonier (And A Presentation Too)
Delusional Trump Thought The World And America Would Bend The Knee – He Was Wrong, Seriously Wrong (New Video And Analysis)
Struggling And Unpopular, Trump Considers War With Iran – My New Conversation With Rep. Adam Smith (Video)
Celebrating Juneteenth And Our Fight For Freedom, All Eyes On Virginia Now, “A Big, Beautiful Bust”
Trump Is Wagging All The Dogs He Can Find (Video), Double TACOs, Hawley On Trump’s Budget Bill: “It’s very bad policy, and it hurts poor people”
Double TACOS, Dropped Papers, Declining Poll Numbers – Monty Python Or American President?
A New Conversation With Senator Chris Van Hollen (Video), More Bad Polling For Trump, Next Steps After No Kings Day
Celebrating No Kings Day Across America
Good Luck Today Everyone!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Trump’s Escalating War On Immigrants – My Conversation With Leon Krauze
Trump’s Escalating Migrant Terror Campaign Is Unpopular, Out Of Control, Inhumane And Doing Enormous Harm To The Country
Trump Is Weak, Not Strong (New Video), Hopium Endorses Jon Ossoff, Public Not There On Trump’s Immigration Escalation
Newsom’s Powerful Speech, Hopium Endorses Sherrill in NJ, Standing Up For Science With Colette Delawalla
Trump’s Madness Has Become A National Emergency (New Video)
The Madness Of The Trump Regime Has Become A National Emergency For The United States Of America
Gov. Newsom Fights The Trump Regime, Job One Remains Stopping The Reconciliation Bill, Rallying For The Bethesda Declaration
Sunday Hopium – Musk Wounds Trump And We Get Troops In Los Angeles
Trump’s Immigration Fanaticism Is Creating A Humanitarian Crisis in Florida – My Conversation With Joe Garcia
Trump Is Weaker Today, The Economy Is Slowing, And We Need To Keep Fighting MAGA’s Ruinous Economic Agenda
The Feud – Three Initial Takeaways
Trump Is Putting The American Dream Out Of Reach – And We Have To Fight (New Video), Jolly Jumps In, Trump’s Bill “Losing Steam
Musk Calls Trump’s Budget Bill “A Disgusting Abomination,” Charles Gaba On MAGA’s Savage Assault On Health Care in America
Trump’s Tariffs Slowing US/Global Economies, Ukraine Lands Another Blow, Iowa Heats Up
Congress Is Back And We Have A Big Economic Argument To Go Win
Revisiting “The Gray and The Brown” with Ron Brownstein
Richard Badalamente
BCDCC Officers and Subcommittee Chairs for 2025-2026
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