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Happy New Year Jackson County. . . .
Over this past year of serving as the Party Chair of the Jackson County Democrats, I’ve often woken up before dawn to delve into planning and catch up on emails. Sometimes the work can seem daunting. There is so much that we need to do . . . but then the sunlight cracks over the Siskiyou mountains and I’m reminded of all the good people who are working together right here in Jackson County to bring about positive change.
Thank you to all of you who have contributed to our party’s important work in 2023. Whether you’ve supported us financially, helped a candidate run for office, written postcards to voters, served on a committee, attended a fundraising event or knocked on doors to remind your neighbors to vote, your actions have made a real difference.
Today, we find ourselves at the dawn of 2024, a year sure to be a turning point in our nation.
And now, it’s now time to re-awaken our activism . .
"I think people have woken up to the fact that they need to put skin in the game, and when they do, they will recognize that a strong majority of us prefers democracy to authoritarianism, and it’s worth fighting for." - Heather Cox Richardson, Historian, Author of Democracy Reawakening
I hope Heather Cox Richardson is right. Putting skin in the game right here in Jackson County is equally if not more important than sending our money and volunteer time to the swing states.
The race for the White House and Congress will suck up a lot of oxygen. But for us, it’s the state and local races where Jackson County Democrats can demonstrate our greatest impact. When we do well in local races and local issues, local democracy flourishes.
Top to bottom, today’s Republican Party is preoccupied with conspiracy theories and driven by authoritarian impulses. Regardless of who the GOP selects to be its Presidential nominee, that person will likely be tethered to Project 2025, a dark roadmap produced by Donald Trump’s allies that tells how they plan to dismantle our democratic institutions should they have the opportunity.
Meanwhile, the Oregon GOP has a new platform. If voters will only give them the chance, here’s just some of what Republicans are promising to do for Oregonians:
Eliminate vote by mail
Revoke reproductive freedom
Revoke the freedom to love and marry who you want
Outlaw gender-affirming care
Allow firearms anywhere including courtrooms, schools, and public meetings
Those authoritarian impulses are present in Jackson County. There are still a few Republicans who reject extremists, but most do not appear to be willing to call them out.
In Washington, D.C, only the Democrats have shown how to pass major bipartisan legislation through a narrowly divided Congress, spurring reinvestment in our infrastructure, supporting climate action, standing up for diversity, bringing down inflation while increasing real wages, and resulting in the world’s most dynamic economy. The Biden-Harris Administration has been good for America.
In the Oregon Legislature, Democrats managed impressive accomplishments in spite of the GOP walkout that brought everything to a standstill. Persistence has paid off. Democrats have been good for Oregon.
Closer to home, just 13 months ago, the Jackson County Democratic Party turned out its voters to help Democratic State Senator Jeff Golden retain a seat that was targeted as a priority by the Republican National Committee. While we were disappointed to fall short of electing a Democrat to the Jackson County Commission for the first time since 2006, we were inspired by Denise Krause’s spirited and creative campaign. Thanks to her example, we are motivated to stay focused and see ourselves anew as true competitors, never backing down and not shying away from a challenge.
And this past May, in the special district elections, Democrats turned out their voters to hand a convincing defeat to the local GOP’s slate of extremist school board candidates. Conservatives may dominate most local races, but in this particular case voters showed they wanted good governance, NOT culture wars.
Let’s be proud and tell others about our accomplishments.
The Oregon Primary will be Tuesday, May 21 and the general election will be Tuesday, Nov. 5.
Our biggest challenge is to get this message across to voters young and old: America and Oregon are better off under Democrats!
Our biggest opportunity is that we can increase the number of Democrats serving in local elective office.
Examples:
City council elections – Fall 2024: Over the years, almost every city council in southern Oregon has included representatives who happen to be registered Democrats. Quite a few have been re-elected several times. Most people don’t know this because these are nonpartisan offices. Party registration doesn’t appear on the ballot and it really shouldn’t matter. Most voters want problem solvers, not culture warriors, and most voters will consider any candidate who focuses on solutions and works collaboratively to bring them about. Perhaps that’s YOU!!
Similarly, Medford House District 6, currently held by Kim Wallan, has always been tough for Democrats but it is not out of reach. Republicans outnumber Democrats but HD6 has many progressively minded non-affiliated voters. Reaching them will be key to our success!
Statewide races next year will be more competitive than usual because there are no incumbents running for Secretary of State, State Treasurer, and Attorney General. While Jackson County will likely favor Republicans, Democrats here can narrow the GOP margin if we educate ourselves about the candidates and vote in all races (also known as “Voting the Down Ballot”). We’ll do even better if we encourage more progressively inclined non-affiliated voters to turn out. By the way, WE HAVE A PLAN FOR THIS. Read on.
Remember Will Rogers’ humorous boast? “I’m not a member of any organized political party – I’m a Democrat.”
But your local Democrats actually do have a plan, and it has six parts: 1) Candidates, 2) Support, 3) Outreach, 4) Messaging, 5) Turnout, and 6) Celebration. Please read the details below and contact us at [email protected] to get involved.
Work is underway to find Democrats who want to serve. Even if you’re not sure elective office is your bag – but you’re curious – I urge you to learn more about the process. We also want to hear from folks who are interested in being part of a campaign (management, communications, canvassing, etc.). Please take a couple minutes to complete this short survey. We have experienced volunteers ready to help you learn the ropes!
We’re excited to tell you we already have a good start on a campaign fund to support our candidates next year. If you’re already a donor, THANK YOU – and please consider increasing your contribution for 2024. If you aren’t, please consider making the commitment to give monthly throughout 2024. You can easily set up monthly contributions via ActBlue here: https://secure.actblue.com/contribute/page/jackson-county-democratic-party--or--1
If you’d rather contribute by writing a check, please send your check to:
Jackson County Democrats
P.O. Box 4474
Medford, OR 97501-0175
Make sure you include your name, address and occupation for campaign reporting purposes.
Please also support the local Democrats by participating in two fundraising events scheduled for 2024. This year’s Roosevelt-Kennedy Dinner, scheduled for March 14, will celebrate Women’s History Month by featuring local women in leadership. Our annual Wine in the Garden fundraiser will be the kick off to the Fall Campaign season in late summer. Stay tuned to our monthly newsletter and announcements on social media for more information about these events.
Your small, medium and large donations are our best antidote to the GOP dark money which is expected to flow in from out of state next year.
Through the efforts of a small but dedicated group of canvassers over several recent elections, we’ve conducted brief door to door surveys of non-affiliated voters (NAVs), who represent the largest block of voters in our county and state. We’ve identified more than 2,000 who tend to favor Democrats – but they vote less frequently than other groups. There are MANY more of these voters that we know are out there. We want to find them, connect with them, and encourage them to vote every election.
We’re planning outreach in several precincts this spring. We’re especially anxious to connect with 18 to 25-year olds and members of the Latinx community. How far we get with this plan depends on VOLUNTEERS.
Will you help us identify them? We need people willing to contact voters, and a few who are willing to help coordinate. We could also use a couple of data geeks!
Messaging is like the weather: Every Democrat complains about it but nobody does anything about it. That’s got to change.
Now’s your chance to do something. Host a postcard writing party and invite friends and neighbors. We’ll supply a knowledgeable person who can answer questions about candidates and issues. Your group will create messages that you think will resonate with local Democrats. We’ll furnish voter addresses, cards and stamps. You write the messages and send the cards.
“Like” our posts and invite your friends to follow our social media pages. Volunteer to help us write posts and expand our presence on Social Media by emailing [email protected].
GOTV is short for Get-Out-The-Vote. In recent years, the main element of GOTV for our party has been the Neighborhood Leader Program (NLP) which is based on similar local programs operating across Oregon. Participation in NLP provides a sense of agency to its volunteers – and contributes to positive results for our local party. Over many years, the data clearly shows that adopting your neighborhood and calling on fellow Democrats election to election can be highly effective for building relationships and trust. And Democratic turnout in these neighborhoods is typically at least 20 percent higher than in areas without an active NL (Neighborhood Leader). Find out more about NLP here.
However, if we are to become more competitive in countywide races and rural legislative races, we must make inroads with non-affiliated voters (NAVs). Finding these voters is the first challenge. After that, we can adopt a similar model to NLP and communicate with these voters consistently election to election.
Turning out voters requires persistence. It often takes multiple attempts to reach them – in person, by phone or text message, and sometimes using postcards. Therefore, our GOTV effort typically starts as soon as ballots are in the mail. Please join us in making GOTV a priority by reserving the following periods on your calendar – and help out any way you are able. We need all hands on deck!
May 3 (ballots mailed)) thru May 21 (Primary Election Day)
Oct. 18 (ballots mailed) thru Nov. 5 (General Election Day
Last note about GOTV: We don’t currently have any phone bank or text bank for our local party. For numerous reasons, old models aren’t working as well as they once did, and we need to basically reinvent how we go about this. If you are an out-of-the-box thinker, perhaps this is a good opportunity for you to get involved! Email [email protected] if this is a way you can help your local Democratic party.
We plan to work nonstop to save democracy here in Jackson County in 2024 and then on election eve we’ll gather for the traditional Blue Bash to celebrate our accomplishments. Make a plan to join us. I’m pleased to tell you that we already have a team working on the Blue Bash celebration. Let us know if you can help out.
Thank you for taking time to read this important message. In the early months of 2024, we’ll be working on building and expanding our programs for candidate recruitment and support, outreach and messaging for the 2024 election cycle. Email [email protected] to let us know you’re ready to step up and help us. The more of you who step up now and are willing to make this a priority, the more we can expand these efforts.
You are key to our local party’s success. I know you have many other demands in your life. Time is precious and many people and organizations compete for your attention. In 2024, I’m asking you to count Jackson County Democrats among your top priorities.
I’m asking you to put skin in the game, right here in Jackson County. Today. Let us know you’re “on board” with making local Democrats more competitive. Please give generously however you are able. Carve out some volunteer time – consider getting out of your comfort zone just a bit – to stand up for democracy in our county. Donate at jcdemocrats.org.
Let’s work hard together from now through November 5, 2024. On election eve, let’s go to bed knowing we did everything we could do for success this election season. And then, on November 6, we can wake up to a glowing sunrise and bright future here in Jackson County.
In solidarity,
David Sours
Party Chair, Jackson County Democratic Party
PO BOX 4474, Medford, OR 97501 | 541-858-1050 | jcdemocrats.org
Jackson County Democrats
PO BOX 4474
Medford, OR 97501
United States
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