Week In Review

 

Dave Reichert Announces Retirement



On Wednesday, Congressman Dave Reichert announced that he will not seek reelection to represent the 8th Congressional District. That’s right. Dave Reichert is stepping down after the end of his current term.

 

This is incredible news for Democrats. We now have our best shot in decades at winning in the 8th District. And we didn’t waste a minute in planning a full-scale ramp-up in the 8th as part of our plan to elect Democrats in every race, in every place.

 

With our Summer of Canvass program, we’ve been building up our grassroots organizing infrastructure all across the state, and we’ve had many successful canvasses throughout the 8th District. We’ve also been training canvass leaders and volunteers from Auburn to Wenatchee, as well as in other districts. To continue to build up our capacity, we’re announcing a brand new project: our Flip the 8th Organizing Academy.

 

The Organizing Academy is an interactive training program led by our expert organizers that focuses on core organizing skills that will help participants lead the fight in the 8th and beyond. We already have three upcoming sessions scheduled.

While Washington State Republican Chair Susan Hutchison tried to tell reporters on Thursday that there was no way a Democrat could ever win the 8th District, she has been sending emails to Republicans expressing a great deal of concern, even stating that our Organizing Academy could give us the edge we need to put a Democrat into Dave Reichert’s seat.

 

Republicans are scared. And we’re not going to let up, in the 8th or in any other district. But we need all the help we can get. If you want to be a part of one of the most-watched Congressional races in the country, or if you just want the sweet satisfaction of painting a red district blue, sign up to attend a Flip the 8th Organizing Academy.

 

Washington Democrats Rally to Defend DACA

 

On Tuesday morning, the Trump administration announced that it will rapidly end the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program, a policy that has provided legal status for hundreds of thousands of DREAMers, immigrants who were brought into the United States as children.

 

The Trump administration has not only promised to end protections for these young immigrants–it has threatened them with deportation from the only home many of them have ever known. DREAMers now face the prospect of being sent back to countries they left as babies, countries they neither remember nor recognize.

 

The Washington State Democrats stand with DREAMers everywhere. And Democrats in Washington state are doing big things to defend DACA and protect DREAMers.

 

 

At a press conference on Wednesday, Washington Attorney General Bob Ferguson announced that he is joining Attorneys General from at least 14 other states and the District of Columbia, claiming that President Trump violated the Fifth Amendment rights of DREAMers on equal protection and due process grounds. The suit also claims that the President did not properly follow rule-making procedures and unfairly reversed course after making assurances to protect DREAMers.

 

The members of Washington State’s Democratic Congressional Delegation have all strongly opposed Donald Trump’s dismantling of DACA. On the same day the administration announced its plans for discontinuing the program, all eight Democrats from Washington wrote a letter to President Trump urging him to reconsider:

 

“[O]ur state has long served as a leader in welcoming and protecting immigrants. Washington state has led the way to make certain that all residents have access to driver’s licenses, improved access to higher education for Dreamers as well as access to health care for children and refugees. Our economy and society are better for Washington state’s determination to create an inclusive society.”

 

You can read the full letter here.

 

On Wednesday, Senator Patty Murray gave a speech on the floor of the U.S. Senate condemning Donald Trump’s anti-immigrant actions and challenging her colleagues in the Senate to join her and “find a solution to honor the 800,000 DREAMers who call America home, and to honor the very foundation of our immigrant nation.”

 

Want to know some ways YOU can defend DACA? We’ve provided a few suggestions here, and you can sign up to be alerted about future actions to take.

 

 

Lisa Brown Announces Run in 5th Congressional District

 

Last week, former Washington State Senate Majority Leader and recent WSU Spokane Chancellor Lisa Brown formally announced her candidacy for Washington’s 5th Congressional District, a seat currently held by House Republican Conference Chair Cathy McMorris Rodgers.

 

Lisa has represented Washington’s 3rd Legislative District in Olympia as both a member of the State House of Representatives and State Senate. Under her leadership as Senate Majority Leader, the state legislature passed health care reforms and anti-discrimination laws based on sexual orientation. She holds a Ph.D. in Labor Economics from University of Colorado at Boulder.

 

While Lisa had been contemplating a run for some time, she told the Spokesman-Review that the U.S. House of Representatives’ passage of a bill repealing the Affordable Care Act earlier this year was a significant motivator in her final decision because she “understood how damaging that bill would be for Eastern Washington.” You can see her premiere campaign video here.

 

Resistance Event with Special Guests DNC Vice-Chair Michael Blake and Congresswoman Pramila Jayapal

 

 

We will be hosting an evening for Resistance members with Special Guests DNC Vice Chair Michael Blake and Congresswoman Pramila Jayapal on Friday, September 15th at the Seattle Labor Hall. If you are already a Resistance member, email friday@wa-democrats.org to RSVP for the event. If you’re not already a Resistance member, now is the perfect time to become one! For more information about the event, or to learn how to become a member of The Resistance.

 

We hope to see you Friday night!

 

Winning as an Intersectional Candidate Training With Pramila Jayapal

 

Congresswoman Pramila Jayapal will be leading a training on Saturday, September 16 on running and winning as an intersectional candidate, in which she and community leaders will be sharing their stories and discussing their experiences through intersectional lenses. For more information, check out the event page on Facebook. To participate, you can fill out an application here.

 

31st Annual Eastside Dinner with DNC Vice Chair Michael Blake

 

The Eastside Dinner will be held on Saturday September 16. Specials guests and speakers will include DNC Vice Chair Michael Blake, Senator Maria Cantwell, Washington State Democrats Chair Tina Podlodowski, State Senator Patty Kuderer, State Representative Vandana Slatter, and the Democratic candidate for state senate in the 45th Legislative District Manka Dhingra.

 

Tickets for the evening’s events can be purchased here.

 

Win a Chance to See Chris Rock with Tina Podlodowski and Michael Blake

 

We’re running a special contest for Washington Democrats supporters!

 

The winner and a friend will attend the show with Washington Democrats Chair Tina Podlodowski and Democratic National Committee Vice Chair Michael Blake. We’ll pay for your entry to the Paramount Theatre and parking — all you have to do is show up!

 

Senator Maria Cantwell’s Women of Valor Awards with Senator Elizabeth Warren

 

Senator Elizabeth Warren will be joining Senator Maria Cantwell for the 9th Women of Valor Awards, an awards event honoring women from across Washington state who have inspired their communities.

 

The awards this year will take place on October 13, in Seattle. Tickets to attend the event are available for purchase here.