MESSAGE FROM THE CHAIR
Good morning fellow Democrats,
What a week this has been! The sun is out and our Party is building momentum and making big things happen at every level. President Biden announced his bid for re-election and our Washington Democrats in Olympia wrapped up the legislative session in a whirlwind of good news for our party.
I’ve gone into detail on our policy victories below, but let’s start by taking a moment to thank our legislators for all they accomplished this session. There’s no stronger reminder of why we fight hard every single day to protect and expand our powerful and diverse Democratic majorities and I’m so proud of what we’ve been able to get done for the people of Washington!
We could never get this done without the efforts of Democrats everywhere in Washington State and I’m committed to working with each and every one of our local party organizations to make sure we’re not leaving a single vote on the table. That’s why I’m hitting the road again today to head down to southwest Washington to speak with the terrific Klickitat County Democrats and the SW Washington Equity Coalition this weekend!
We’re so much stronger when we all come together to support our candidates – and I can’t wait to connect with Democrats in every corner of the state in the weeks and months ahead!
WORKING FOR WASHINGTON
The legislative session is finally wrapped up, and we have so much to celebrate! Yesterday, Governor Inslee signed a suite of bills to protect access to abortion for every Washingtonian and anyone from a red state who travels here to get essential reproductive health care.
Earlier this week, he signed the assault weapons ban into law and immediately outlawed new purchases of weapons of war that have no place on our streets. Plus, we passed a balanced budget that invests $3 billion in public schools, $1 billion in our behavioral health care system, and $400 million in the state’s Housing Trust Fund to jumpstart affordable housing projects across the state!
A MOMENT OF HOPE
This weekend, I’m heading down to Vancouver to celebrate the graduation of a new cohort of aspiring community leaders from the Vancouver Community Leadership Institute and I couldn’t be more excited to meet these incredible graduates. Each of them have their own compelling story of transforming the hardship they’ve overcome into inspiration for improving the lives of their friends, families, and communities – a welcome reminder that for every election-denying conspiracy theorist making headlines on cable news, we have a dozen dedicated champions for social justice quietly working every day to make a difference.
DEMOCRATS IN THE NEWS
President Biden announced he’s running for re-election!
If you haven’t yet, I strongly encourage you to check out President Biden’s video announcing his campaign for re-election. It’s a compelling reminder of the stakes of this battle for the soul of our nation and how we must dedicate ourselves to giving him the chance to finish the job of protecting our democracy.
Bernie Sanders endorses Biden, rules out 2024 bid of his own | AP News
With so much at stake, I’m thrilled to see our party united behind the President. Regardless of where you fall on the ideological spectrum within our diverse party, we all understand that keeping President Biden in office is the best path we have to building on the transformative investments in clean energy, American manufacturing, and a sustainable economy that Biden has delivered in his first term.
With assault weapons ban, Washington enters a new era of gun reform | Crosscut
I’m going to keep these words from Gov. Inslee in mind for the rest of the election cycle, particularly when our work gets tough: “This has been a very long bending of the moral arc of the universe, but it does bend toward justice,” Inslee said. “The victory we are celebrating today, I think ought to be a victory for anyone involved in any long-term cause,” he added. “Keep your head up, keep your heart strong.”
Upcoming Events
May 5th Grassroots Reception: The evening before my first state committee meeting as Chair, we’re hosting a reception for all our Democratic volunteers to come and celebrate our return to in-person work together to elect Democrats across the state! We’ll be hearing from AG Bob Ferguson, Commissioner of Public Lands Hilary Franz, Senator Rebecca Saldaña, and Latino Caucus Chair Rep. Lilian Ortiz-Self for what will be an inspiring and exciting event!
State Party Updates
In case you haven’t seen, we’re looking to add talent to our incredible state party staff! We’re accepting applications for Executive Director and Communications Director, so let anyone in your network who might be interested know that they are invited to apply!
Keep in touch, stay engaged, and as always, thank you for all you do!
With gratitude,
Chair Shasti Conrad Washington State Democratic Party
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