Fellow Ward 6 Democrats,
Happy New Year!
With the approval of two coronavirus vaccines to date (and hopefully more to come), we have a lot to look forward to this year: getting our kids back in school; resuming physically proximate social activities with our friends, families, and neighbors; more easily patronizing the small, local businesses that make Ward 6 special; and supporting Democratic candidates and Democratic causes with in-person volunteering.
While we wait our turn to be vaccinated, your Ward 6 Dems officers are strategizing ways to assist in electing another Democratic administration in Virginia and protecting the Democratic majorities in both houses of the Virginia state legislature this year, working with the DC Democratic State Committee and our local statehood organizations (Free DC, DC Vote, Neighbors United) to keep promoting the cause of equal representation for our 700,000+ citizens, and planning some upgrades and updates in how we serve you and keep you informed.
Best,
Chuck Burger
President, Ward 6 Democrats
DC Statehood Update: 202 for 51 in 2021
DC statehood hero Delegate Eleanor Holmes Norton definitely did NOT take the holidays off. She has been hard at work lining up original co-sponsors of H.R. 51, the Washington DC Admission Act, for the 117th Congress that was just sworn in yesterday, Sunday, January 3. As of the first day of the new Congress, Del. Holmes Norton had already secured a RECORD 202 co-sponsors, a mere 16 members away from being able to pass the bill entirely with co-sponsors.
The DC DSC's Statehood Committee reports that most additional statehood actions are, for the moment, waiting on the results of tomorrow's Georgia Senate runoff elections. However, even if Democrats Rev. Raphael Warnock and Jon Ossoff win both seats, we will still need to work on Senators Sinema (AZ), Kelly (AZ), King (ME), Manchin (WV), and Padilla (just appointed from CA). Membership in the Democratic party is not an automatic statehood vote, so we have to keep up the pressure. Statehood activists will also keep working on Republican Senators Murkowski (AK) and Romney (UT), who seem to be the least hostile to the cause.
Want more? The next DC DSC Statehood Committee meeting, which is open to all, takes place Wednesday, January 13. RSVP at https://www.mobilize.us/dcdems/event/367791/.
The DC DSC also has their monthly general body meeting THIS week, Thursday, January 7. Topics will include plans for the Biden/Harris inauguration and hosting a panel on ranked choice voting. RSVP at https://www.mobilize.us/dcdems/event/367455/.
Call for Volunteers: Ward 6 Dems Website Refresh
It's been a little while since our website has been re-done, and it's looking a little dusty. We need two types of volunteers to help us refresh it, one immediate and one later this spring/early summer.
Immediate: we are looking for a few (2-3) people with significant experience in web design, web usability, IA, and/or UX to help us and our designer envision what the refreshed site will look like and how it will function. Familiarity with NationBuilder and/or Mobilize a plus.
Summer: we will need a bunch of volunteers (10 or more) to help test our new site when it's ready to roll. No particular skill set required for this volunteer job, just some time. We'll give you one or two simple tasks to accomplish on the new site, and you'll let us know how it went.
Can you help? Email Elizabeth Engel at ewengel@yahoo.com.
Mayor to DC: Please Stay Home
Per the Washington Post, Mayor Muriel Bowser is asking city residents to avoid the downtown area and stay at home this Tuesday, January 5, and Wednesday, January 6. Trump supporters plan to come to DC ostensibly to protest the ceremonial acknowledgement in Congress of Joe Biden and Kamala Harris's electoral win. But many of them appear to mostly be spoiling for an actual, physical fight, so our mayor has asked us all to cooperate in not giving them opportunities, even via counter-protesting. "[Bowser] urged residents 'not to engage with demonstrators who come to our city seeking confrontation'..." Full story here.
2021 Virginia State Elections
Yes, Virginia loves elections so much, they have them every year. This year, governor, lieutenant governor, and attorney general races are on the ballot, in addition to all the seats in the Virginia House of Delegates and various municipal races. As a reminder, Governor Ralph Northam is prohibited from running again. So far, four Democrats and at least two Republicans have announced for the gubernatorial race alone. As usual, we will NOT be getting officially involved in the Democratic primary. However, once Virginia voters have selected their Democratic candidates on June 8, we will work to elect their choices up and down the ballot. Of course, we will resume our highly successful GOTV postcards to voters, and, as the summer progresses and we achieve sufficient levels of vaccination in the DMV region, we'll be looking for volunteers to cross the river to canvass. More information to follow.