MESSAGE FROM THE CHAIR
It’s MLK Day Weekend, Washington Democrats!
Martin Luther King Jr. Day Weekend
This year, celebrating MLK Day has been imbued with renewed importance. Many of the issues and forces that Dr. King struggled against are rearing their ugly heads in our own time and communities. As the federal government tramples our civil liberties with unconstitutional door-to-door immigration crackdowns, murders American citizens, and engages in regime change abroad while our own communities struggle to afford basic necessities, I draw upon the wisdom and aspiration of Dr. King’s ideal of “The Beloved Community.”
From The King Center: “For Dr. King, The Beloved Community was not a lofty utopian goal to be confused with the rapturous image of the Peaceable Kingdom, in which lions and lambs coexist in idyllic harmony. Rather, The Beloved Community was for him a realistic, achievable goal that could be attained by a critical mass of people committed to and trained in the philosophy of and methods of nonviolence.”
Here are some opportunities to help build The Beloved Community in our own backyards:
- Saturday – Monday – We Have a Dream Weekend at Imagine Children’s Museum, 9AM-4PM. Details here.
- Saturday – Federal Way MLK Day Celebration, 10:30AM-1PM at the Federal Way Performing Arts and Events Center. Details here.
- Saturday – Youth-Led MLK March, 11AM-4PM, starts at MLK Jr. Memorial Park in Seattle. Details here.
- Sunday – MLK Community Celebration at Bainbridge Island Museum of Art, 12:30PM-5PM. Some activities require registration. Details here.
- Sunday – The Greater Everett MLK Community Sunday Celebration, 4PM-6PM. Details here.
- Monday – Washington State Parks Free Entrance, dawn to dusk. Details here.
- Monday – MLK Day of Service 2026, times vary by event. Details here.
- Monday – Spokane MLK Community Center annual MLK Day Event, Spokane Convention Center. Rally at 10AM, March following, Resource Fair 11AM-1:30PM. Details here.
- Monday – NAAM King Day, 10AM-5PM. Details here.
- Monday – Whole Washington presents documentary The Power to Heal. 6:30PM, Virtual. Register here.
- Monday – Free American Rally in Wenatchee. 1PM-3PM at Memorial Park. Register here.
Working for Washington
| Washington Democrats salute our peers in Skamania County who put together an incredible training on Strategies to Oppose Authoritarianism featuring historians, activists, and community leaders. The training filled to capacity in record time (so fast that the link was taken down before last week’s newsletter went out – apologies for anyone who tried to sign up and couldn’t get in!) and demonstrates that even in the so-called red counties of our state, communities seek to resist Trump’s authoritarian regime. |
This week was also the beginning of the legislative session in Olympia. On Tuesday, Governor Bob Ferguson delivered his first State of the State address. You can read the transcript here or watch it here. The top priorities laid out in his speech were investing in infrastructure, making Washington’s tax system more fair by creating a Millionaire’s Tax, and continuing progress to address the housing crisis.
Other potential legislation that is gaining traction includes a ban on law enforcement face coverings sponsored by Sen. Javier Valdez, one of our DNC members. The law has exceptions for undercover officers and SWAT operations and would not apply to personal protective equipment like faceshields or helmets. Governor Ferguson, Speaker Jinkins, and Senate Majority Leader Pedersen have all endorsed the bill as a priority for this session.
Another high profile piece of legislation would regulate AI chatbot companions. As cases mount of younger AI users committing suicide after interacting with AI chatbots, SB 5984 would require AI tools to remind users they are robots, not humans, at the beginning of every conversation and at least every three hours during a session. It would also ban chatbots from having sexually explicit conversations with underage users and require the chatbot to refer users to mental health services when they express self-harm or eating disorders.
Over in Covington, we are celebrating the election of our State Committee Member, Sean Smith, who is their newest mayor! Mayor Smith is the first Democratic mayor in Covington in over a decade and his election only became possible with last year’s election of Riley Reed to the City Council. These results would not have been possible without the countless volunteer hours that went into electing Democrats up and down the ballot last year. Congratulations Sean and thank you to everyone in the 47th LD who helped make this possible!
Democrats Fight Back
U.S. Representative Emily Randall (WA-6) helped launch an effort in Congress to impeach and convict DHS Secretary Kristi Noem. She also released this powerful video contextualizing the hate and violence we are up against. No matter what, she’s going to work for our state and we have her back!
U.S. Senator Maria Cantwell is hammering the Trump administration over their broken promises to lower costs for Americans. Grocery prices are up 2.4%. Consumer prices are up 2.7%. And electricity prices are up 6.7%. Trump’s attacks on renewable energy and tariff policies are only driving these prices higher.
Another week, another W for AG Nick Brown against the Trump administration. This time, AG Brown has won a case finding that Trump illegally canceled $7.6 billion in clean energy grants for projects in blue states.
Governor Ferguson and Washington Democrats in the state legislature are working to pass a 9.9% tax on income above $1 million per year (property values won’t count towards this threshold). Fixing our state’s upside down tax system which has the poorest Washingtonians paying far more as a percentage of their take-home earnings than the richest Washingtonians has been one of Washington Democrats’ top priorities since I entered politics. There will be inevitable court cases and probably ballot measures, but this is a tremendous first step to fixing our budget woes and restoring justice to our state’s tax system. If implemented, low-income residents, small businesses, and property owners will see reduced taxes.
When We Count Fellowship
I’m excited to share with you the DNC’s new organizing effort, the When We Count Fellowship. This is a new DNC program to build Democratic voter registration in key states – and you can be part of it. Apply to be a When We Count Fellow and join a national cohort of emerging organizers who will make the difference in upcoming elections. Apply today!
Delegate Election Process for 2026 State Convention
Every two years, Washington Democrats host a state convention for delegates across the state to vote on amendments to the party platform, resolutions, and charter and bylaw amendments. Any self-identified Democrat in Washington state may run to be elected as a delegate to the state convention. I encourage you to run! This year’s Convention will be in Spokane, June 19-21!
Delegates impact our official positions on today’s biggest policy issues, represent their community’s needs and values, connect with leaders from around the state, and teach and learn more about the Washington Democrats alongside other activists and party members.
Anyone willing to publicly identify as a Democrat may run to be a delegate. There is no age limit, but candidates must reside in the legislative district for which they are running to be a delegate in. 1,171 state delegates will be elected alongside 490 alternates from Washington’s 49 legislative districts. State delegates will be elected by their Legislative District Party Organizations (LPOs) to represent their district at the 2026 Washington State Democratic Convention. The Online Delegate Self-Nomination Portal opens on January 1, 2026 at this link. Those with questions should email partyaffairs@wa-democrats.org.
- Rally, Protest, and Gather
- Anytime – Sign up to receive ICE Mobilization Alerts for communities in Washington state. Sign up here.
- Tuesday, Jan 20 – National Walk Out. All day. More information and pledge here.
- Tuesday, Jan 20 – NW Immigrants Rights Project (NWIRP): Know Your Rights: Colleges & Universities. English: Noon -12:45PM. Spanish: 12:45PM-1:30PM. Register here.
- Wednesday, Jan 21 – National Democratic Training Committee (NDTC) Developing Your Local Democratic Party’s Structure and Priorities, 10AM, Virtual. Sign up here.
- Thursday, Jan 22 – NDTC Planning Your Fundraising Strategy, 10AM, Virtual. Sign up here.
- Saturday, Jan 24 – We’re Still Standing March & Rally, 12:30PM-3 PM, Hiawatha Playfield in Seattle. More details here.
- Sunday, Jan 25 – Pramila Jayapal Special Edition Resistance Lab: Stand for Good, 11AM, Virtual. Register here.
- Monday, Jan 26 – NDTC Field Tactics 101, 10AM, Virtual. Sign up here.
- Tuesday, Jan 27 – NWIRP Immigration Updates. English: 5PM-5:45 PM. Spanish: 5:45PM-6:30PM. Register here.
- Tuesday, Jan 27 – NDTC Tech Time: Building a List in VoteBuilder, 4P,M Virtual. Sign up here.
- Wednesday, Jan 28 – NDTC Running in a Red District, 11AM, Virtual. Sign up here.
- Send us details on rallies and protests in your communities
- Email details to press@wa-democrats.org
- Donate
- If you would like to see less Washington D.C. and more Washington state in your community, please DONATE to The Real Washington Fund – our rapid response account to counter MAGA’s chaos with real organizing, real solutions, and real results. We can’t do the work of holding Republicans accountable without your support.
- Follow us on social media
DEMOCRATS IN THE NEWS
Guess who supports a millionaire’s tax? Republicans, WA poll finds, The Seattle Times
Key bills to watch as Washington’s 2026 legislative session begins, King5
Video of masked ICE arrest in Redmond sparks push for ‘No Secret Police’ rules, King5
How have prices changed in a year? NPR checked 114 items at Walmart, KUOW
Governor Ferguson to support bill that regulates AI to detect users searching about self-harm, KIRO7
Behind the curtain: the Haves, Have-Nots, Have-Lots economy, Axios
Seattle will see ramifications of U.S. attack on Venezuela, The Seattle Times
In a divided Congress, WA’s members share a baby chick, The Seattle Times
Citizenship interviews canceled in Seattle amid Trump crackdown, The Seattle Times
EPA to stop considering lives saved when setting rules on air pollution, The New York Times
WA Dems move to regulate ‘high-risk’ AI used in certain decisions, The Seattle Times
WHAT I’M READING
Here are Seahawks’ top 12 moments of the 2025 season, The Seattle Times
This MLK Day weekend, I will be taking a break on Saturday to watch the Seattle Seahawks fight for glory on their path to a potential third Super Bowl as they host the San Francisco 49ers. What better way to get hyped for tomorrow’s game than reliving some of the biggest highlights from this history-making season. Go Hawks!
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