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
Benton County Democratic Central Committee
Executive Board Meeting
January 12, 2026
Richland Public Library
955 Northgate Drive
Richland
6:30 PM
Benton County Democratic Central Committee
General Meeting
January 22, 2026
Richland Public Library
955 Northgate Drive
Richland
and on ZOOM
Link to Call to Meeting
Delivering Results from President Biden’s Bipartisan Infrastructure Law
Legislation Committee
Follow the progress of 2026 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
Precinct Committee Officer
Training Opportunity
December 10, 2025 10:00 AM PST
Online Zoom Training
December 10, 2025 10:00 AM PST
If you don’t already have a free account with NDTC, create one in order to attend this online training.
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 2025-12-19
Hello all! Apologize for the delay, but it is that time of year. Thanks for all you do and we have to keep up the good work to continue what we have accomplished over the last 10 months! This will be the last “Do Something” of the year, so happy holidays to you and hope you and yours have a nice time together. Things continue to be hard for each of us in different ways, let’s remember to support each other in any way we are able. Very much look forward to getting back to work in January. There are plenty of resources that have daily ideas. One is Chop Wood, Carry Water, Hopium Chronicles, and the indivisible site is also good. Links in this email.
📚🧶You’re invited to our next Stitch & Story Circle with Indivisible Tri-Cities!💬✨🧵
📌 Richland Public Library, Doris Roberts Gallery
📅 Saturday, January 24
⏰ 10:00 am
NO Founder Hour until January, will send email when that will restart
Benton County Democratic Central Committee
Executive Board Meeting
January 12, 2026
Richland Public Library
955 Northgate Drive
Richland
6:30 PM
Benton County Democratic Central Committee
General Meeting
January 22, 2026
Richland Public Library
955 Northgate Drive
Richland
and on ZOOM
Link to Call to Meeting
Other Local Party
Organizations and Caucuses
Call to Meeting Thursday October 16, 2025
Help Our Endorsed Candidates Win – Join Us in Canvassing!
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
Together, We’re Reaching New Voters
Do nothing Dan and the MAGA dream
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
Matt Boehnke -Nov. 20, 2025 | SNAP benefits was never a partisan issue, it was a people issue
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
Matt Boehnke – 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
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
Holiday Happy Hour Dec 11, 5-7pm Single Hill
Monday night’s meeting is Cancelled
Next election starts now – meeting next Mon at 6:30
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
2026 is right around the corner, and we have a lot coming our way. Extremists are plotting to expand control over our livelihoods, spread misinformation, and, unfortunately, creep into positions of power.
Take Joe Kent. The same far-right conspiracy theorist who lost twice to Congresswoman Marie Gluesenkamp Perez is now using his role at the National Counterterrorism Center to fearmonger, target immigrants, and blame entire communities for tragedy. He’s not just wrong, he’s dangerous.
Kent claims people who immigrated to the country during the Biden administration are the “nation’s top terrorism threat.” He’s calling to deport hundreds of thousands, even millions, of immigrants, while placing undue blame on these communities. As a sanctuary state, Washington will not stand idly by while extremists like Kent use fear and lies to push their dangerous agenda.
As the year ends, the stakes couldn’t be higher. We need to ensure that people like Joe Kent don’t get a free pass to weaponize fear and hate.
Every contribution strengthens our fight against dangerous agendas like Kent’s.
Thank you,
— Chair Shasti Conrad
P.S. Our hearts go out to anyone impacted by the flooding. The Red Cross is helping as rivers flood Washington state. Find out how you can help here and support those that are affected via the Washington State combined fund drive here.
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
If you are inspired by Jackie’s note below and want to make a difference in the fight to end gun violence, please subscribe to our Substack today.
I was 17 when my class huddled on the floor, the room silent except for our breathing as we watched the small window in the door, unsure if a gun might appear. Hours later, we learned that 17 classmates and teachers had been killed elsewhere on the campus of Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Florida, on February 14, 2018. Everything about our world changed in that moment, split into the life we had before and the one we were forced to begin after.
The experiences of students at Brown University this past weekend are eerily reminiscent of what my classmates and I went through that day. Students sheltering in place, holding their breath, and hoping the gunman didn’t choose their classroom to enter next.
When the world began to move on from what happened at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School, we refused to follow. My classmates and I helped start March For Our Lives because we could not accept a country willing to look away while children were killed in their classrooms. We did not have a roadmap. We only knew silence was not an option, and, somehow, a group of teenagers pierced the armor of the gun lobby and forced the country to confront a crisis it had long ignored.
Young people went on to win battles no one expected. We helped weaken the NRA’s political dominance. We pushed hundreds of gun safety laws across the finish line in statehouses nationwide. Millions of young people voted in 2018 with ending gun violence as a top priority.
Since then, the crisis has only deepened. Gun violence remains the leading cause of death for young people in America. Twelve young people die from gun violence every single day. Entire communities live in permanent grief. And, now, the federal government is rolling back violence prevention efforts and opening a “gun rights office” inside the Department of Justice.
There is a specific heartbreak in realizing that the world you worked to change continues to fail the generation growing up after you. But we are not hopeless. The same generation that flooded the streets after Parkland is still here. We are older now, more strategic, and far less willing to wait politely for adults to decide whether our lives matter.
March For Our Lives is prepared to meet this moment with a five-year plan that strengthens what has always driven our movement: disrupting complacency, applying pressure, and reshaping a culture that treats gun violence as normal.
1. We will expose the people and institutions enabling gun violence
Gun violence persists because powerful people enable it through political decisions, corporate ties, and industry influence that rarely faces scrutiny.
Over the next five years, we will run targeted national campaigns that reveal who is profiting from this crisis and who is blocking solutions. This year, we launched “Parkland Pam,” a campaign to expose Attorney General Pam Bondi’s record of taking NRA money and rejecting reforms that could have saved lives. That approach to accountability will be expanded nationwide.
2. We will bring youth stories into the places the country cannot ignore
Most Americans know the statistics, but they rarely see the quieter truths behind them: the untouched bedroom, the unopened college acceptance email, the sibling who jumps at sudden sounds. Stories like these show the human toll of this crisis in ways data cannot.
Youth stories will be placed in cultural spaces that shape public attention, including festivals, creator platforms, gaming communities, public art, and unexpected installations. By meeting people where they already gather, these experiences will be harder to dismiss and harder to scroll past.
3. We will turn moments of national attention into real action
Young people often want to help but do not know where to begin. We are creating a clear path forward.
Our digital action hub will offer quick and meaningful ways to engage, from emailing lawmakers to mobilizing for key votes to joining rapid-response protests. It will help young people take action from wherever they are and will grow into a digital community that can move together when it matters most.
4. We will train a new generation of survivor-leaders
Survivors have always given this movement its moral clarity. Their voices shaped the nation after Parkland and continue to carry a power that cannot be replicated.
We are building a national cohort of survivor-leaders who will receive training, support, and real platforms to shape public understanding. Narrative change drives policy change, and survivor-leaders are central to both.
Why this will work
MFOL’s strengths—digital fluency, authenticity, moral authority, and cultural relevance—align with what this moment demands. Young people already influence culture every day, and when that influence is coordinated, it becomes political power.
We are clear-eyed about the forces working against us. The new gun rights office inside the Department of Justice is a huge setback after MFOL’s important work in establishing the former White House Office of Gun Violence Prevention. In Florida, efforts are already underway to roll back the reforms passed after Parkland.
But the gun lobby is miscalculating. It is betting on fatigue. It is forgetting what young people have already accomplished. We pushed dozens of major corporations to cut ties with the gun lobby after Parkland. We helped pass nearly 70 gun safety laws in a single year, including red-flag laws and expanded background checks. These victories happened because young people acted together.
I will never know who my 17 classmates and teachers might have become. I do know that young people have changed this country before, and we can do it again. Over the next five years, we’re building the future we hand to the next generation—one in which safety, not gun industry profits, defines our lives.
If you want to hear more from March For Our Lives, or just stay up to date on the progress of our movement against gun violence prevention, subscribe to our Substack here.
Sincerely,
Jackie Corin
Executive Director
March For Our Lives
Email us: info@marchforourlives.com
Democratic National Committee News
The Blue Print – Thank You for a Historic 2025
They say a picture’s worth a thousand words, but we’ll let this one speak for itself:
White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt recently said that Trump’s “main priority” is his new ballroom.
That’s right — his “main priority” while health care costs, grocery prices, and electricity bills continue to rise, and a record number of Americans are taking on credit card debt.
Democrats have a real chance to win back Congress next year and bring down costs for millions of people. But we can’t do it alone. That’s why your early support is so crucial.
Thank you for everything,
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.
Democratic National Committee · 430 S Capitol St SE · Washington, DC 20003-4024 · USA
The Blue Print – The DNC Is Reaching Voters Everywhere
The Blue Print – Become a Local Listener!
The Blue Print – The DNC Is Reaching Voters Everywhere
Next year, we have the chance to win back control of both chambers of Congress by flipping four seats in the Senate and just three seats in the House. And we have a chance to elect Democrats as governors across the country.
We have a very real chance to fight for working families and bring Trump’s presidency to a grinding halt. But only if we keep our momentum from 2025.
But here’s the bad news: Donald Trump and the GOP’s billionaire donors saw how enthusiastic people were to elect Democrats this year, and they’re getting ready to unleash a flood of money in states across the country to stop us.
Thank you for standing with us,
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 – Americans Deserve Better This Holiday Season
The Blue Print – Democrats Have Undeniable Momentum Heading into the Midterms
The Blue Print – How Trump Destroyed the Economy in 10 Months
The Blue Print – Get Out the Vote in Miami
The Blue Print – The DNC is Making Electoral Strides Nationwide
A Message from the DNC National Training Team
Hello Democrats,
Thanks to your hard work, Democrats won BIG in key elections across the country last month. We won statewide races and ballot measures in Virginia, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, California, and Maine, and secured key positions in local offices across the country. Thank you to everyone who has made phone calls, knocked on doors, and helped us get out the vote in any way this year.
As 2025 comes to a close, there are still many training opportunities hosted by the DNC and partner organizations to help you prepare for paid positions and volunteer opportunities for the 2026 Election.
Recap: DNC Campaign Readiness Voter Protection Bootcamp 🗳️
Last month, the DNC National Training Team hosted the first DNC Campaign Readiness Bootcamp of the cycle for political talent interested in voter protection jobs and opportunities for the 2026 Election. We had over 459 participants join us remotely for this training opportunity. Thank you to those who joined us for this event! If you missed it, the DNC National Training Team will continue to host specialized programs throughout 2026, so keep an eye out in upcoming newsletters for future opportunities!
Training Announcements 📣
DNC National Training Team: Post-Election Training Series
Coming off of a 2025 race and need help figuring out what’s next? The DNC National Training Team is hosting a post-election training series designed to support political talent seeking jobs for the 2026 election cycle. Sign up for an upcoming training session below:
- 2026 State of the Race | Register HERE
- Tuesday, December 16 from 4 – 5:30 p.m. ET.
- In this session, you will have a chance to hear from our sister committees about the work they do, targeted 2026 races, and the timeline for coordinated campaigns to launch and ramp up next year.
Want help refreshing your resume in preparation for 2026? Please sign up for the DNC’s Victory Vault to access resources from our Building Your Political Resume training session held last month
DNC’s Know Your Rights Informational Session | Sesión Informativa: Conozca Sus Derechos al Vota
Thursday, December 4 at 6 p.m. ET | El jueves 4 de diciembre a las 6 p.m. ET
The right to vote is a sacred and cherished idea — an essential part of our democracy. That’s why Democrats across the country are uniting to uphold democracy and protect every American’s fundamental right to vote. But we can’t do it alone. Join the Democratic National Committee and Latino Victory Fund for the informational session Know Your Rights to Vote to learn about your voting rights at the polls and how the Democrats are actively working to safeguard elections. There are critical elections this December, from Nashville to Miami.
El derecho al voto es un valor fundamental de nuestra democracia. Por eso, en todo el país, muchas personas se están uniendo para defender la democracia y proteger el derecho al voto de cada ciudadano. Pero no podemos hacerlo solos. Únase al Comité Nacional Demócrata y al Latino Victory Fund para una sesión informativa bilingüe sobre sus derechos electorales, donde aprenderá sobre sus derechos de voto en las urnas y cómo estamos tomando medidas para proteger nuestras elecciones. Tenemos elecciones decisivas de segunda vuelta este diciembre, desde Nashville hasta Miami.
Upcoming Partner Trainings📝
Latino Victory Project
Path to Victory – Chicago
What: Are you an aspiring candidate for public office, a campaign staffer, or a community leader in Illinois ready to take action and build a stronger, more representative democracy? The Latino Victory Project, in partnership with NDTC, Unidos US, and the Illinois Democratic Party, is hosting a statewide training to help candidates become prepared, confident, and empowered to run winning campaigns in Illinois. Over the course of two days, participants will learn how to develop effective fundraising, field, and communications plans, guided by experienced political strategists from across the country.
Where: Chicago, IL 60606 (Location shared upon RSVP)
When: December 12–13, 2025 | RSVP Here
National Democratic Training Committee (NDTC)
- Recruiting Strong Candidates to Run for Office
- Thursday, December 4, 2025 | 1–2 p.m. ET (virtual)
- Grow, Win, Lead: Field Plans That Drive Your Party’s Goals
- Monday, December 8, 2025 | 1–2 p.m. ET (virtual)
- What is a Democratic Precinct Chair
- Wednesday, December 10, 2025 | 1–2 p.m. ET (virtual)
Run For Something
Candidate Introduction Call: Wednesday, December 17, 2025 | 8–9 p.m. ET (virtual)
LGBTQ+ Victory Fund
2025 LGBTQ+ Victory Fund in Miami
What: Join the LGBTQ+ Victory Fund in Miami with LGBTQ+ Victory Fund’s President & CEO, Evan Low, for an afternoon celebrating South Florida’s trailblazing LGBTQ+ leaders, candidates, and allies who are shaping the future of equality in Florida and beyond.
Where: Miami, FL (Location shared upon RSVP)
When: December 14, 2025 | 1–3:30 p.m. ET | RSVP Here
LGBTQ+ Victory Institute
LGBTQ+ Candidate & Campaign Trainings
What: LGBTQ+ Victory Institute’s Candidate & Campaign Trainings are a comprehensive, skills-building opportunity for LGBTQ+ leaders who want to elevate their political power by running (and winning!) their campaigns. Applications for all programs open and due by March 4, 2026.
Where and When: Philadelphia, PA: April 23 – 26, 2026 (4-day Bootcamp)
Denver, CO: July 9 – 12 (4-day Bootcamp) | RSVP Here
Jobs in the Ecosystem 💼
2026 DNC Talent Bank
The DNC has launched a new Talent Bank for political talent interested in jobs on a coordinated campaign, a state party, or at the DNC for the 2026 election cycle. If you’re interested in working in the 2026 Election, please submit your resume to the new 2026 DNC Talent Bank.
- 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 – How To Talk to Your Republican Relatives This Thanksgiving
The Blue Print – We’re Only Getting Started
The Blue Print – Turning November’s Wins into Sustaining Momentum
The Blue Print – Help Support Families This Weekend
The Blue Print – Democrats Are Fighting Around The Clock
The Blue Print – DNC Chair breaks down the BLUE SWEEP on Election Day
The Blue Print – Democrats Dominated Election Season
The Blue Print – Chair Ken Martin: Last Night, Voters Sent A Message To Donald Trump
The Blue Print – Election Day is almost here!
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
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
My Afternoon With The Last Living Prosecutor of Nazi War Criminals
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.
Gratitude, Determination, And Courage
Returning Trump’s White Supremacy To The Dustbin Of History – Where It Belongs
Trump Keeps Running Interference For Putin
“Putin Is A Ruthless Murderer Who Has No Interest In Peace And Cannot Be Trusted”
In An Unhinged Christmas Message Trump Confesses
The Blinding Greed, Arrogance, And Incompetence Of Their Vile 1,000 Year Reich
Sunday Hopium – Trump Is Desperate, Depraved, Corrupt, Deeply Unwell, And Guilty As F-ck
There Is Only One Story Tonight – Trump Is Unwell
It’s Not A Presidency. It’s A Crime Spree – And It Needs To End
Trump and Bondi Give Middle Fingers To The Survivors, Congress, And The American People
2026 Is Shaping Up To Be A Year Of Opportunity For Us – If We Seize It (New Video, Written Analysis)
There Is Only One Story Tonight – Trump Is Unwell
Rising Electricity Prices And The Fight For A Better Energy Future – My Conversation With Jay Inslee
Trump And Trumpism Are In Trouble As Republicans Are Growing Weary Of Defending The Indefensible
Trump Loses Big In Indiana – And Again And Again All Over Washington Today
A Year Of Opportunity Ahead – My Conversation With Jen Rubin Of The Contrarian
Eileen Higgins Blows It Out In Miami, Wins 59%-40%!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Trump Begins The Rebrand. Are We Ready?
Closing Strong In Miami, Allred Drops Out Of Texas Senate Race, House Rs Abandoning Ship
Sunday Hopium – Off To The DNC/ASDC Meetings This Week, Some Things I Continue To Wrestle With
Meet Mayor Paige Cognetti, A Fighter Running in PA-8
Affordability: How Trump Has Made It Worse – A New Conversation With Dr. Rob Shapiro
When We Fight Trump We Can Win – 2025’s Most Important Lesson
They Are For The Oligarchs, We Are For The People – My New Discussion With Stuart Stevens
Let’s Make December A Very Good Month For Democracy
Putting The Trump Regime’s Corruption, Lawlessness, And Betrayal Front And Center In Our Politics
Trump And His Regime May Be Heading Towards A Legitimacy Crisis
Supporting Hopium, Our Candidates, And Our State Parties This Holiday Season
Happy Thanksgiving All – So Grateful For This Remarkable Community That We’ve Built, Together
Democratic National Committee, November 12, 2025
Aftyn Behn Tied In New Emerson Poll, Some Holiday Thoughts About Trump’s Failed Project And Working With Much Greater Ambition Now
New Conversation With The Inspiring Aftyn Behn – Let’s Help Her Close Strong Everyone!!!!!!!!!!!
Supporting Aftyn Behn And Flipping The House, Trump And The GOP Are Melting Down, Gov. Beshear On Aspiration And Winning Back Rural Voters
Both Sane and Insane – My Conversation With Dr. Ruth Ben-Ghiat About Understanding Trump And Other Autocrats
Standing With Ukraine Not Putin, Hopium Backs Rep. Aftyn Behn, Rs Coming To Realize Trump Is A Malevolent Fu-k Up
“This is one of the most serious geopolitical mistakes of my lifetime” – Senator Angus King on Trump’s rancid betrayal of Ukraine and the West
Congress Rebuked Trump On His Epstein Cover Up. Now It Must Rebuke Him On His Surrendering Of Ukraine To Putin
War In Venezuela, Appeasement Of Putin, Congressional Death Threats – A Conversation With Rep. Adam Smith, Top Dem On House Armed Services
After His Epstein Humiliation, Trump Takes Putin’s Side In Ukraine, Threatens To Hang Democrats In Congress, Preps For War With Venezuela
Rep. Robert Garcia On The Epstein Files – How We Got Here, Where We Are Going
We Are Stronger Now, And Trump Is Weaker, Much, Much Weaker (New Video, Written Analysis)
Marine, Proud Mom, Candidate For Congress in Arizona 6 – Meet JoAnna Mendoza
Congress Delivers An Extraordinary Rebuke To A Weakened, Ailing, Failing Trump
Launching Our 2026 Winning The House Campaign – First Up, Christina Bohannan (IA-01)
A Failed, Unpopular Trumpism Is In Retreat On Many Fronts Now – And We Cannot Let Republicans Escape
My Morning Talk With Jen Rubin and Norm Eisen – Trump Is In A Lot Of Trouble And More Is Possible For Us Now
The Epstein Scandal Explodes, Trump Melts Down, Little Cracks Are Becoming Very Big Ones
Sunday Hopium – We Are Stronger No
Some Thoughts On What Comes Next
Epstein, Election Blowout, Failed Government – Trump And His Presidency Are In Deep Trouble
House Rs Slink Back Into The Capital, Grijalva Gets Sworn In Today, Epstein: Trump “Knew About The Girls,” Understanding Strong And Weak
Katie Phang Dropped By For A Very Spirited Discussion About What Happened This Past Week And Where We Go From Here
Republicans Come Out Of The Elections And Shutdown Battered And Weakened, And Will Now Have To Defend The Indefensible
“We Have A Stronger Hand To Play” – My Conversation With Stuart Stevens About Where We Go From Here
OK. The Senate Voted To Re-Open The Government. What Do We Do Now? Some Early Thoughts
We Need To Hit The Phones Tomorrow, And Be Very, Very Loud
Sunday Hopium – Recapping A Very Important Week In Our Politics
Despite Election Blowout Trump Chooses To Keep Malevolently Harming The American People, Doubling Down On A Politics The Country Just Rejected
Trump’s Government Has Failed, His Powers Are Ebbing, And For The Good Of The Country Democrats Must Become More Ambitious Now
Blue Wave, Enormous Margins, Clear Repudiation Of Trump And Republicans – My 2025 Election Recap (Video, Written Analysis)
Joyous 2025 Election Recaps With Jen Rubin & Norm Eisen, Tom Bonier, And Charlie Dingman The Chair Of The Maine Dem Party
In A Blue Wave Election Americans Deliver A Powerful Rebuke Of Trump And Republicans Across The Country
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)
Richard Badalamente
BCDCC Officers and Subcommittee Chairs for 2025-2026
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