Final Push to the VA State Elections

Fellow Ward 6 Democrats,

The 2017 Big Blue Wave in Virginia was the precursor to the 2018 Big Blue Wave that delivered the House of Representatives to the Democrats, and we've seen the fruits of that ranging from last month's historic hearing on DC Statehood to holding Trump accountable for his many violations of our democratic norms and, possibly, our laws, as the impeachment inquiry will determine.

The next several weeks are a critical time for the upcoming Virginia state elections. Ward 6 Democrats, Democrats across DC, Democrats in Virginia, and Democrats outside our region have been working assiduously to flip both houses of the Virginia state legislature blue this fall.

Can success at the state level in Virginia in 2019 set Democrats nationwide up for success in 2020? We think so, but we need your help to make that a reality.

Chuck Burger

President, Ward 6 Democrats

October 1 VA State Elections GOTV/Postcard Party Recap

We had a large group of volunteers at Mr. Henry's Tuesday, Oct. 1, who continued writing Get Out The Vote (GOTV) postcards for Dan Helmer and Sheila Bynum-Coleman.

As a reminder, we are supporting the campaigns of three candidates in the Virginia state elections this fall, as we work to flip both houses of the Virginia state legislature blue.

Sheila Bynum-Coleman (HD-66), challenging incumbent Speaker of the House of Delegates Republican Kirk Cox
Dan Helmer (HD-40), challenging incumbent House of Delegates majority caucus chairman Republican Tim Hugo
Wendy Gooditis (HD-10), Democratic incumbent seeking her first re-election

All three are on the record in support of DC Statehood. They are also united in their support of issues that matter most to Ward 6 Democratic voters: sensible gun safety protections, protecting women's reproductive rights, support for the ERA, and ending extreme partisan gerrymandering.

One of the ways we are supporting these candidates is to write postcards to voters in the relevant Virginia districts. Personalized postcards are a highly effective way to remind inconsistent voters of upcoming elections, spur them to research your candidate, and encourage them to get to the polls and VOTE.

Volunteer Opportunity: FINAL VA State Elections GOTV/Postcard Party - Tuesday, Oct. 15

Our FINAL postcard writing party will take place Tuesday, Oct. 15, from 6:30-8:00 p.m. at Solid State Books (600 H Street NE). After we finish up our final postcards - we're nearly out of addresses - we will proceed to Valor Brewpub (723 8th Street NE) to watch that evening's Democratic debate, and you are definitely welcome to join us for the postcards, the debate, or, we hope, both.

You can RSVP for the October 15 postcard event at https://www.ward6dems.org/va_state_elections_gotv_postcard_party_tuesday_oct_15 - it's not required, but it does help us know how many supplies to bring.

(Councilmember Elissa Silverman, who was supposed to join us at Solid State that night, has had a conflict, and we are in the process of rescheduling her salon conversation with us for later this fall.)

#DemDebate4 Watch Party, Tuesday, Oct. 15

Tuesday, Oct. 15 is going to be a busy night. After we finish our final postcards to Virginia voters, we'll be headed to Valor Brewpub (723 8th Street NE) to watch the fourth Democratic debate. The debate starts at 8:00 p.m., and we'll be at the hightop tables in the bar area as usual. You can join us for the postcard party, the debate watch, or, we hope, both.

Volunteer Opportunity: Canvass for Dan Helmer - Sunday, Oct. 20

The Ward 6 Democrats are continuing our support for candidates in Virginia this year with some door knocking for Dan Helmer on Sunday, Oct. 20. Shift times are at 10:00 a.m., 12:00 p.m., and 3:00 p.m. We'll be working with the Fairfax Young Democrats, so we should have a good crowd. Canvassing is a critical way to motivate inconsistent Democratic and Democratic-leaning voters to get to the polls in the final weeks before an election, and Dan needs your help.

For more information or to RSVP, visit: https://www.ward6dems.org/canvassing_for_dan_helmer_in_virginia.

Volunteer Opportunity: Canvass for Wendy Gooditis - Saturday, Oct. 26

The Ward 6 Democrats are continuing our support for candidates in Virginia this year with some door knocking for Wendy Gooditis on Saturday, Oct. 26. Canvassing is a critical way to motivate inconsistent Democratic and Democratic-leaning voters to get to the polls in the final weeks before an election, and Wendy needs your help.

For more information, visit: https://www.ward6dems.org/canvassing_for_wendy_gooditis_in_virginia.

Save the Date: Ward 6 Matters Panel on Justice in DC - Wednesday, Nov. 13

We're still in the process of finalizing our panelists, but we know that our next Ward 6 Matters panel discussion will be on the topic of Justice in DC, examining issues of transparency, the courts, and public accountability in addressing violent crime in our community. Plan now to join us Wednesday, Nov. 13, from 7:00-9:00 p.m. at the Hal J Gordon Building (124 15th Street NE).

Women of Ward 6: Veola M. Jackson (1932-1991)

October’s Woman of Ward 6 is Veola M. Jackson, a dynamic educator who was the first principal of the Capitol Hill Cluster Schools (Peabody, Watkins, and Stewart-Hobson). She changed Capitol Hill by not only giving parents the option of putting their children in public school, but by making those schools representative of the diversity of the population of Capitol Hill.

The Ward 6 Democrats are recognizing and honoring Ward 6 women who have made significant contributions to better our community as a lead-up to the 2020 anniversary of the ratification of the 19th Amendment, which gave women the right to vote.

Jackson was described by Courland Milloy of the Washington Post in 1983 as “unquestionably among the brightest and indeed most able school administrators in the system.” At the time, Jackson said: “I’m very competitive, you might say hung up on tests. Like it or not, people judge a school by its test scores.”

When Jackson became principal of Peabody in 1972, only 1 percent of the students were non-black. By 1984, Jackson said, the student body “reflects the diversity of the neighborhood, with blacks, whites, Asians and others” enrolled. “It’s a well-integrated school,” she said. She later became principal of Hobson before she was named the principal of the Capitol Hill Cluster Schools.

The Post described Jackson as a poised and bespectacled woman of 53 in 1984, with fluffy swirls of gray and black hair. One of her challenges, the Post said, was to turn Hobson into a fine school. That effort was rewarded when Hobson was selected to receive an exemplary school award by the Department of Education.

In August of 1984, Floretta D. McKenzie, DC school superintendent at the time, told the Washington Post that she was confident that Jackson could handle all three schools and their 850 students. McKenzie said Jackson was “a very dynamic educator, a real tour de force. She seeks out challenges so she can conquer them. She needed the new challenge. She thrives on that. Her performance will probably go up rather than down.”

Veola M. Jackson was 59 when she died on Sept. 3, 1991. She had retired earlier in 1991 as principal of the Capitol Hill Cluster Schools. She was born in Baltimore in 1932. She received a master’s degree in dietetics from Fordham University and a master’s degree in education from the University of Massachusetts. She also studied at Harvard.

Jackson received the Washington Post Distinguished Educational Leadership Award in 1989 and the Capitol Hill Community Achievement Award from the Capitol Hill Association of Merchants and Professionals in 1985.

About the initiative: The Women of Ward 6 initiative is a non-partisan recognition of Ward 6’s women. The initiative, in partnership with the National Woman’s Party, Capitol Hill Restoration Society and the Hill Rag will culminate in the 2020 100th anniversary of the ratification of the 19thAmendment, which gave women the right to vote.

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