WSDCC – June 20, 2025

MESSAGE FROM THE CHAIR

Happy Friday, Washington Democrats!

Political Assassinations in Minnesota
The political assassinations in Minnesota are meant to terrify and coerce us into silence. But Washington Democrats have proven that none of us will be silent. My heart and prayers are with Sen. John Hoffman and his wife as they recover and I mourn the deaths of Rep. Melissa Hortman and her husband Mark. No one who serves their community and our country should fear for their life. All of us stand for the values of justice and fairness and peace. This heinous act of violence will not stop or silence us. Nor will we let it strip us of our joy and the community we create when we come together to protect each other and our ideals for this country.

Happy Belated Juneteenth
Yesterday was Juneteenth – in case you missed it, here’s the statement we released to recognize this important holiday: 

Washington Democrats wish everyone a safe and joyous Juneteenth. Today, we commemorate the day when federal troops arrived in Galveston, Texas in 1865 to take control of the state and ensure that all enslaved people were freed. These troops arrived a full two and a half years after the signing of the Emancipation Proclamation. 

As we honor the end of slavery in the United States, we recognize how far we have come and how far we have yet to go. Just this year, in 2025, Washington state swore in its first statewide Black elected leader in Attorney General Nick Brown. This historic achievement also underscores the systemic oppression and silencing that Black people face in American society. Despite these realities, Washington Democrats seek to lift up the joy, vibrancy, beauty, and talent in the Black community as we work to dismantle white supremacy and build a future that embraces everyone regardless of their heritage or skin color. 

Please also enjoy this special Juneteenth message from Attorney General Nick Brown. You can view it by clicking the image above or going here.

Working for Washington

Washington state understood the brief. 70,000 protestors marching in Seattle (we think it was more), 5,000 in Olympia, 5,000 in the Tri-Cities, hundreds in Walla Walla and Yakima and Kettle Falls – every corner of our state hosted massive protests telling Donald Trump the last thing he wanted to hear on his birthday – America has No Kings!

Thank you to everyone who came out and made your voices heard peacefully, but passionately. We made it impossible for pundits, the media, and our elected officials to ignore the groundshaking opposition of the American people to the direction our country is heading. The split screen between the depressing images of Trump’s poorly attended military parade and the vibrant energy of our movement could not have been more stark. Our troops deserve respect and support, not to be used as political pawns to stoke the ego of a dictatorial president. 

This week was also the DNC’s election for Vice Chair. By fixing a procedural vote that went wrong in February’s DNC meeting, we brought attention to three qualified women who each represent different regions and people that have been taken for granted for too long. I thank David Hogg for his service to the DNC and for raising the critical issues affecting young voters. I look forward to earning the votes of my fellow DNC members and I pledge to work with all of the Vice Chair candidates to build a stronger and more effective national party regardless of the results. As of press time, votes were still being counted for this election and I look forward to updating you all on the DNC’s newest Vice Chair in next week’s newsletter. 

Democrats Fighting Back
Trump gets his parade – and massive protests across the country in response, 
NOTUS
More than five million Americans took to the streets to register their anger and resistance to Trump’s MAGA regime on his birthday. This may well have been the largest mass protest in our nation’s history. That was only possible because of the incredible determination of all of you and our allies to meet this moment with our hearts and our energy for positive change.

Cantwell demands answers from AT&T, Verizon over Chinese Salt Typhoon Breach,
 Industrial Cyber
Senator Cantwell is demanding a full account of the breach and its impacts on AT&T and Verizon’s networks. The Republican reconciliation bill would hand over sensitive national security spectrum to private telecom providers, making this more urgent than ever given that current and former government experts indicate that Salt Typhoon may remain active in U.S. networks. You may watch a fireside chat with Senator Cantwell on this topic here.

Call to Action

• Rally, Protest, and Gather
  • Wednesday, June 24 – Northwest Immigrants Rights Project Update Webinar and Know Your Rights Presentation / Webinar sobre Actualizaciones Migratorias por parte de NWIRP a las 5 PM el 24 de junio. Webinar will be in English from 5PM-5:45PM and Español 5:45PM-6:30PM. Click here to register/Haz click aqui para registrarte en nuestro webinar.
  • Every Friday – Refuse Fascism Fridays in Everett at the Social Security Administration Office from 5PM-6:30PM. Sign up here.
  • Every Monday – Mikey Mondays in Spokane outside the office of U.S. Representative Michael Baumgartner. Sign up here.
  • Every Tuesday – Tesla Tuesday in Liberty Lake from 4:30PM-5:30PM. Sign up here.
  • Every Wednesday – Musk or Us Protest in Redmond from 4PM-5PM. Sign up here.

• Send us details on rallies and protests in your communities 
  • Email details to press@wa-democrats.org

• Donate
  • If you would like to see less Washington D.C. and more Washington state in your community, please DONATE to The Real Washington Fund – our rapid response account to counter MAGA’s chaos with real organizing, real solutions, and real results. We can’t do the work of holding Republicans accountable without your support.

• Follow us on social media
  • Follow us on social media for up-to-the-minute updates and actions that can benefit your communities:
    • Facebook
    • BlueSky
    • Threads
    • Instagram
    • TikTok

Pride Message

Enjoy this special Pride Message from Director of Communications, Stephen Reed. You can click the image above or go here.

WA Dems 2025 Pride Happy Hour

Washington Democrats and Stonewall Democrats are co-hosting a 2025 Pride Celebration on our rooftop deck the Friday before Seattle Pride Weekend. Hear from members of the LGBTQIA+ caucus like Senate Majority Leader Jamie Pedersen and Senators Claire Wilson and Marko Liias as well as Attorney General Nick Brown! More speakers will be announced in the coming weeks. We hope to see you there! RSVP Here.

Spokane People’s Town Hall with Rep. Jayapal on June 30

Residents of the 5th Congressional District are invited to join us in Spokane on June 30 at Spokane Community College for a People’s Town Hall with Rep. Pramila Jayapal. We want to hear from you and listen to your stories about how Trump’s extreme agenda has impacted you and your communities. Please join us at The Spokane Community College Lair on Monday, June 30th from 5:30 – 7 PM. Please RSVP HERE to have a guaranteed seat in the auditorium!

Young Democrats of Washington Convention

Join Young Democrats from every corner of Washington as they come together on June 20-21 in Seattle for the Young Democrats of Washington Convention. The event is open to all Democrats 35 years and younger. If you can’t make it, but would still like to help, please consider sponsoring a young delegate’s tickets and travel.

Event Details:

Reception: Friday, June 20 at 6:00 PM
Location: Washington Athletic Club, 1325 Sixth Avenue, Seattle, WA

Convention: Saturday, June 21 – All Day
Location: Seattle Public Library – Central Branch
Workshops, speakers, community-building, and our statewide general session

Tickets are just $25 and available here: Click Here!

Republicans Behaving Badly

Senate GOP rethinks tax cuts, Medicaid overhaul in Trump’s megabill, 
Politico
The Senate finance committee released their version of Trump’s megabill and found ways to somehow make it even worse for working families. The new language will potentially kick millions of additional Americans off their Medicaid coverage – even more than the original House version. It also weakens the tax cuts for working families like tips and overtime while still managing to provide a bailout to billionaires.

Supreme Court upholds Tennessee ban on transgender youth medical care,
NBC News 
This deeply disappointing decision will hurt children and undermines the patient-doctor relationship. Every person deserves the healthcare they need to thrive. To our trans community: we see you, we support you, and we will never stop fighting for you. If you need help or someone to talk to, Trans Lifeline is available by calling 877-565-8860 or visiting translifeline.org. The Trevor Project also offers 24/7 help every day of the year to those 24 and under via text, phone, and online chat. 

RFK Jr. fires ‘Washingtonian of the year’ from CDC vaccine panel,
The Seattle Times
One of the nation’s foremost experts in vaccines and a former “Washingtonian of the Year” was fired from her post on one of the country’s top vaccine advisory panels by HHS Secretary RFK Jr. By putting politics over science, our health, safety, and public health infrastructure will be damaged for decades to come.

Democrats in the News

After MN shootings, Washington lawmakers push for peace: ‘This isn’t normal,’
The News Tribune

Crowds take to streets in Spokane for ‘No Kings’ protest,
Washington State Standard

Washington legislators condemn political violence following Minnesota shooting,
The Spokesman-Review

Everything we know about the Spokane ICE protests,
RANGE Media

Here are the 4 candidates running for DNC Vice Chair,
The Hill

What I’m Reading

WA GOP moves to end vote-by-mail,
The Northwest Politicast
Washington Republicans are hellbent on ruining our best-in-the-nation elections systems. First they are pushing an initiative that would require proof of citizenship during voter registration as the first step in their efforts to end vote-by-mail. Listen to Director of Communications Stephen Reed share how awful this would be for Washingtonians and for WAGOP Chair Jim Walsh’s own constituents.

Thanks for all you do,

Chair Shasti Conrad
Washington State Democratic Party

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We sincerely thank you for your help and support.

Washington State Democrats
PO Box 4027
Seattle, WA 98194
United States