The Special Election is Now
The 2017 election is happening now. Ballots are out, and it’s time to elect Democrats all over the state. If we pick up just one seat in the state Senate, Democrats will no longer face a wall of Republican obstructionism in the legislature. Instead, we’ll have built a big beautiful blue wall up and down the west coast of the United States, and we can stand up to the Trump agenda in force while putting the interests of Washingtonians ahead of Republican special interests.
Last week we discussed Joe Biden going to bat for state Senate candidate Manka Dhingra. Well it’s not just Joe Biden. Manka has a long list of supporters who know what it takes to lead. We spoke with some of them last week, and we put together this video with their thoughts on why we need to elect Manka:
The Governor. The Attorney General. The King County Executive. Every Democratic U.S. Senator and Member of Congress in our state. They’re all rallying for Manka.
Who is in Jinyoung’s Englund’s corner?
Well, there’s 8th Congressional District candidate Dino Rossi. He supports Jinyoung. But we’re not counting Dino as a leader. After all it’s been nearly two decades since he’s been elected to any office, and he’s never been elected to statewide or federal office (despite MANY attempts).
To be fair, Jinyoung also has the support of a current member of Congress: Cathy McMorris Rodgers. As a refresher, Jinyoung used to work for Cathy McMorris Rodgers and has called the congresswoman her “mentor.” Just last weekend, Cathy McMorris Rodgers called Jinyoung her “right-hand person.”
So we decided to take a quick look at some of the things Cathy and Jinyoung accomplished during the nearly three years that they worked together. Click on the infographic to the right to see some of what we found.
Jinyoung Englund likes to pretend that she’s an independent, but the truth is her record is as Republican as can be. Her thoughts on contraceptive coverage make that very clear:
Republicans have been positioning Jinyoung Englund to run for office for years now. In fact, the article in which Cathy McMorris Rodgers called Jinyoung her “right-hand person” also discussed how Republicans have cultivated Jinyoung as a political candidate. The article says that Dino Rossi “said he’s kept Englund in mind as a potential candidate since 2010, when she worked on his unsuccessful U.S. Senate campaign.”
Independent voice? Not so much, Ms. Englund. The Republican Party had your future planned out long before you “decided” to run for state Senate. And the strings they’re pulling won’t leave any room for “independence.”
Anti-Immigrant Group Publishes Addresses of Immigrants in Burien
Over the past few months, Burien has become a battlefield for a new wave of anti-immigrant sentiment that has bubbled to the surface of our national discourse following the election of Donald Trump.
Like many other cities across the country, Burien is a “sanctuary city.” The city council voted in January to enact an ordinance prohibiting Burien city employees from inquiring about residents’ immigration status. But anti-immigrant group “Respect Washington” has been attempting to change Burien’s laws to effectively make the city’s government an extension of federal immigration enforcement and directly subject its residents to the draconian federal immigration policies implemented under Trump.
This week, Respect Washington deliberately and recklessly published the names and addresses of immigrants who live in Burien in a flier the group disseminated to thousands of people. The flier calls the people listed “Illegal Alien & Gang Criminals,” even though some of them were never convicted of crimes or were mere acquaintances of people accused of criminal activity. According to King County Sheriff John Urquhart, some of the people listed may not even live at the published addresses.
State Democratic Party Chair Tina Podlodowski called out Respect Washington for “using dangerous fear-mongering tactics in order to fill the Burien city council with candidates who will push its anti-immigrant agenda.” Tina continued: “Respect Washington is now targeting individuals who live in Burien and the families who live with them. This practice is beyond irresponsible. It is reprehensible.”
Respect Washington was started by two-time failed Republican Congressional candidate Craig Keller. The group is largely funded by US Inc., a larger anti-immigrant organization founded in Michigan by John Tanton, a fringe political figure who espouses racism, anti-Semitism, and white nationalism, as well as eugenics.
Luckily, there are four candidates running for Burien city council who know the importance of looking out for all residents of Burien: Pedro Olguin for council position 1, Jimmy Matta for council position 3, current councilmember Nancy Tosta for council position 5, and Krystal Marx for council position 7. If you live in Burien, these are the candidates who will be looking out for you. Visit their websites (linked in their names above) to get involved and help them protect Burien from hateful outside special interests.
GOTV
With ballots out, we are gearing up for a big fight. You and I know how important elections are up and down the ballot. That’s why we need your help to ensure all of our supporters get out and vote! We are holding dozens of phone banks and canvasses across the state to do just that. Follow this link to find an opportunity near you and support our phenomenal Democratic candidates.
Maggies Nominations
The Magnuson Awards, also known as the “Maggies”, honor individuals whose dedication and vision move this party forward. The “Maggie” Awards are an opportunity to recognize our outstanding Democratic activists, candidates and community leaders – to celebrate our victories each year among friends and allies. It is thanks to their devotion and action that we are prepared to face the challenges at hand and celebrate our great victories ahead.
Don’t forget to nominate inspiring Democrats in your area by November 4th! You can do so
Emerge Washington Q&A Webinar
Emerge Washington is accepting applications for its inaugural training program, the Patty Murray Class of 2018. Join their webinar on November 10th, and hear from Emerge Washington Boot Camp Alumnae about the program and application, and stay for a Q&A session.
To receive an application package, please email: karen@emergewa.org.
Fellowship Opportunity
Institute for a Democratic Future is a 6 month program aimed at exposing young (under 36) aspiring politicos to the world of campaigns, policy and regional Washington politics. Fellows travel across the state with 32 peers. Our Eastern Washington Organizer, Alex Scott and Party Affairs Director, Olgy Diaz are both alumni and Diaz now sits on the board. The early deadline to apply is November 5th and the final deadline is November 12th.
DNC Delegation Elections
Last weekend, Democratic leaders across the United States converged on Las Vegas for a Democratic National Committee Meeting. The Washington State delegation represented you well, and scored an impressive number of electoral victories and appointments within the DNC.
Washington State Democrats Chair Tina Podlodowski was elected Vice-Chair of the Western States Caucus. Podlodowski is also co-chair of the joint DNC/ASDC Technology Committee and serves on the Rural Council, Women’s Caucus, and LGBTQ Caucus. David McDonald was reappointed to the Rules and Bylaws Committee. Rion Ramirez was reappointed as an at-large member, elected Chair of the Native American Caucus, and appointed to seats on both the Executive and Resolutions Committees. Juanita Ruiz was reappointed as an at large member, and appointed to a seat on the Budget and Finance Committee. Ed Cote was reelected to a seat on the Executive Committee out of the Western States Caucus. Sharon Mast was reelected Secretary of the Western States Caucus. Nathanial Block was elected to a seat on the DNC Youth Council.
Murray-Alexander: The Bipartisan Way to Defend the ACA
Even as President Trump is attempting to undermine the Affordable Care Act, our own Senator Patty Murray has been fighting to make sure that all Americans have access to quality, affordable health care.
As we mentioned last week, Senator Murray is spearheading a bipartisan effort to improve the ACA and repair the damage it sustained from months of Republican sabotage.
Recently, Senator Murray’s Communications Director Eli Zupnick joined the Washington State Indivisible Podcast to explain how the senator is reaching across the aisle to engage some open-minded Republicans in order to ensure that the ACA can withstand the President’s ongoing temper tantrum, and that millions of people don’t lose coverage as a result of Donald Trump’s refusal to carry out the law. You can hear Eli’s breakdown here.
