WSDCC Wrap-up September 9, 2022

Posted on September 9, 2022

MESSAGE FROM THE CHAIR

Since the rise of Donald Trump and MAGA Republicans, we’ve seen a surge in extremism and political violence — both leading up to and in the aftermath of the deadly Jan. 6 insurrection. 

In early July, a man with a pistol showed up outside Congresswoman Pramila Jayapal’s Seattle home, making threats and yelling racist expletives at her. When police arrested him, they found the gun on his hip, with a round in the chamber. She bravely recounted this recent experience to The Washington Post, and in the piece, she said the incident triggered many of the same emotions she felt while trapped on the balcony of the House gallery, as rioters stormed the Capitol last year. 

“I’m sharing this because we can’t be silent in the face of rising violence,” the congresswoman tweeted Thursday with a link to the article. “These aren’t isolated incidents. From the Big Lie to Jan. 6 to an armed man at my door, too much is at stake.”

At the state party, we support Rep. Jayapal, and stand alongside her in working to combat the racist vitriol and violence, which has been unleashed and “normalized” by MAGA Republicans.

Blatant disregard for the rule of law seems to be a key pillar of the GOP’s platform now, as we continue to see more and more public officials unmasked as extremists with ties to anti-government militia groups like the Oath Keepers. In a recent report from the Anti-Defamation League’s Center on Extremism, 81 individuals were identified across the country who, as of Aug. 8, are currently holding or running for public office in 2022 — three were in Washington. In total, 1,098 people are signed up as Oath Keepers in the state, including seven people who work in law enforcement, eight in the military, and four first responders.

Even a single person presents a serious threat to our democracy whether they are in office or one of these professions. And yet, neither the state or national Republican parties have condemned any members linked to the Oath Keepers or the extremist organization in its entirety.

In fact, we are seeing a trend in the Evergreen State and nationwide with MAGA Republicans attempting to hide their extremist beliefs from voters right now. Why? Because they know they are completely out of touch with a majority of Americans on the issues that matter most.

Tiffany Smiley is a prime example. She recently was caught scrubbing a section from her website saying she had “serious questions about the integrity of our elections.” She also is trying to backtrack on abortion and claim she opposes a federal ban, but yet calls herself “100% pro-life,” endorsed Texas’s extreme, near-total abortion ban, and celebrated the fall of Roe v. Wade. 

And then there’s Matt Larkin who won’t say whether he believes President Joe Biden’s win over Trump was legitimate —  something Smiley won’t do either.

Even Trump’s chosen candidate, Joe Kent, is trying to paint himself as a less extreme extremist, despite having connections  to a number of white nationalists, like Nick Fuentes, Patriot Prayer’s Joey Gibson, and Oath Keeper and Arizona state Sen. Wendy Rodgers, and publicly making statements in support of “a white people special interest group,” as well as ending virtually all immigration in the U.S.

MAGA Republicans like Smiley, Kent and Larkin can’t even be trusted to tell the truth. How could they be trusted to  represent the people of Washington state in office? They can’t.

As Democrats, we will never waver on our values, nor our commitment to pushing back against extremism. We know there is so much at stake this election year, which is why we are working round the clock to get out the vote throughout the state to help our incredible candidates cross the finish line in November. Your support is critical to that mission. Consider signing up for one of our many volunteer opportunities found below, or investing in our efforts by making a donation HERE today. 

The work to stop MAGA extremism is happening now — join us!

WORKING FOR WASHINGTON

This week, the Democratic National Committee held its summer meeting in Maryland. There, our DNC delegation — Chair Tina Podlodowski, Vice Chair David Green, Rep. Javier Valdez, Sharon Mast, and David McDonald — helped advocate not only for our own state party, but state parties everywhere, stressing the need for additional funding to aid 24/7 mobilization efforts and grassroots organizing. Did you know less than 8% of the DNC’s budget goes back to state parties? As the backbone of the Democratic Party, state organizations are responsible for building the political infrastructure needed to get Democrats elected at every level of government, so we can turn our Democratic values into public policy that makes a meaningful difference in people’s lives. 

At the meeting, our hard-working DNC delegation also had the chance to hear from President Joe Biden, who spoke on the importance of state parties and the work being done nationwide to protect and expand our Democratic majorities, enabling us to continue passing historic legislation moving our country forward. Listen to a portion of the president’s speech HERE.

DEMOCRATS IN THE NEWS

When a man with a pistol shows up outside a congresswoman’s house

Rep. Pramila Jayapal recounts the night an armed man shouted at her and her husband outside their Seattle home, and how threats of political violence haunt and alter the lives of elected officials.

GOP Senate candidate scrubs website of 2020 election doubts

As the general election looms, Washington’s Republican candidate for U.S. Senate, Tiffany Smiley, has deleted a section of her website that previously questioned the integrity of the 2020 elections.

‘New opportunities we didn’t have before’ – Gov. Inslee talks climate policy

Soundside guest host Kim Malcolm sat down with Gov. Jay Inslee to ask him about recent environmental decisions made by the state.

Appeals court upholds Washington state conversion therapy ban

The 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals on Tuesday unanimously upheld the state’s ban on conversion therapy, ruling that the state legislature had acted rationally in 2018 when it passed legislation that bars physicians from seeking to change a minor’s sexual orientation or gender identity.

Find additional news items and more on our website and social media.

STAFF CORNER

We’re still continuing to grow! Recently, we welcomed Brandon Rountree, Evan Greenwood, Julia Lain, Ryan O’Connor, and Eliza Welty to our team. As field organizers, they all play an integral role in our GOTV operation, and will help mobilize communities throughout Washington state, as we work to expand our efforts ahead of the general and get our incredible Democratic candidates across the finish line in November. We’re so excited to have them on our campaign staff!

Want to join our team, or know of someone who’d make a great addition? 
Current openings:

Visit wa-democrats.org/jobs to learn more.

GET INVOLVED

For the week of Sept. 10-16:

Learn more of what’s happening in your neck of the woods and sign up for event alerts HERE. 

From now until November, we have to mobilize every Democratic voter in Washington state — and we need your help to accomplish that. Join our incredible team of volunteers!

TRAINING OPPORTUNITIES

CONNECTIONS LAB
Messaging for the Midterms: Democrats Get Stuff Done | 5 p.m. Sept. 12
Democrats, with very little help from the Republicans, have passed important legislation that will positively affect Americans. Learn more about the successes and how to deliver effective messages from your own experiences and values.
Register to attend for free HERE.
Messaging for the Midterms: Messaging GOTV | 5 p.m. Oct. 3
We all know what to do to Get Out the Vote: door knocking, phone banking, texting, mailers, lit drops, etc. It's tough to get people to vote during the midterms and even tougher to get them excited about local elections. We need to tell people why they should vote, not just who to vote for, when and where. Learn messaging strategies that will compel people to want to get out and vote.
Register to attend for free HERE.

Keep in touch, stay engaged, and as always, thank you for all you do!

With gratitude,

Washington State Democratic Party
Donate

The work we do today wins elections this November. If you’re ready to elect Democrats in every race and every place in Washington state, invest in our efforts and make a contribution now. 


Want to support our work year round? Join Blue Washington, our monthly giving program! It is the most effective way to help candidates, volunteers, organizers, activists, and staff because it gives us the certainty we need to scale up our program with confidence. Your monthly investment ensures we can defend our strong legislative majorities, flip key congressional seats from red to blue, and fight for progressive values. Help us lead the way to victories at all levels of government today!

The work we do today wins elections in November. If you’re ready to elect Democrats in every race and every place in Washington state, invest in our efforts and make a contribution now. Consider supporting our work year round by joining our monthly giving program, Blue Washington!

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