 SEPTEMBER 2022 NEWSLETTER |
| CHAIR’S MESSAGE The election is almost here—voters will start to receive their 2022 general election ballots in just over two weeks. I hope you will join me in working every day to help elect our candidates. The Democratic Party of Contra Costa County has endorsed 68 candidates for offices ranging from Ken Carlson for the County Board of Supervisors to the city councils, school boards, and special districts throughout the county. Our candidates represent the diversity of our county, with 21 being first-time candidates. Each one needs our support to win and make a difference for their community. You can see more about these candidates in a story later in this newsletter. Getting Ken Carlson elected to the Board of Supervisors is one of our top priorities. His election could change the board’s balance for many years to come. If Ken wins, our priority issues and values have a chance to be realized. If Ken loses, our push for housing, healthcare, social justice, climate sustainability, and economic equity will all suffer. This is a race with generational importance. Please add your energy and voice. I want to urge you to join me in picking a few key races at the local level to get involved in and help us Get Out the Vote! In addition to Ken’s campaign for the Board of Supervisors, other local candidates are facing coordinated efforts to get MAGA Republicans elected to our school boards. Please pick a few campaigns to help by knocking on doors, making phone calls, sending texts, or making contributions. A few hours a week will help us elect our 68 locally endorsed candidates and our statewide and Congressional officials. You also will see later in this newsletter how you can take action to help Democrats win close elections in the Central Valley and keep our House majority. It is a lot of work. But I believe electing Democrats is the reason we are here. Let me know if you have any questions. You can email me at chair@contracostadems.com. I hope to see you on the campaign trail! Stay healthy and strong, Katie Ricklefs Chair, Democratic Party of Contra Costa County SEPTEMBER MEETING REPORT The DPCCC’s September 15 Membership Meeting featured the wrap-up of our endorsement process, a report from our Issues Committee (see report later in this newsletter), and updates from our committees on the work they are doing to prepare for election day. Chair Katie Ricklefs thanked Tamela Hawley and Irene Tait for their excellent handling of the endorsement process, working with our District Directors and endorsement committee members. Chair Ricklefs also announced that she was appointing Jeff Koertzen and Robyn Kuslits as the Ad-Hoc Transition Committee for the January 19, 2023, DPCCC Organizational Meeting. First Chair Susana Williams announced that Rebecca Barrett was appointed to co-chair our Elections Committee, joining Chuck Carpenter. The two co-chairs have talked with the District Directors and endorsed candidates, especially new candidates and have received input on what our priority races should be from them and our club leadership. We learned more about what all of our members can do to help elect our endorsed candidates. DPCCC members discussed and approved a revised budget for the rest of the year. Communications Director Jan Bell reported on updates to the DPCCC website to showcase endorsed candidates and encouraged people to provide feedback about this newsletter at commsdir@contracostadems.com. Would you like to learn more? Under DPCCC’s file access policy, access to all non-confidential DPCCC files is available to any DPCCC member (including Associates) upon request by emailing the Secretary. You can pay your dues by clicking here! If you are not a DPCCC member and wish to attend the monthly membership meeting, which is typically held on the third Thursday of the month, please RSVP to the DPCCC Secretary at secretary@contracostadems.com. If you are a DPCCC member, you should receive an email with details for the meeting about seven days in advance. If you do not, please email the DPCCC Secretary at secretary@contracostadems.com. DPCCC ENDORSES 68 CANDIDATES FOR THE NOVEMBER ELECTION The Democratic Party of Contra Costa County has endorsed 68 candidates for local offices. These endorsements include the County Board of Supervisors, city councils, school boards, and special districts. The DPCCC’s website has the full list of these endorsed candidates, grouped by east, central/south, and west county. Our endorsement website includes candidate questionnaires, campaign videos, and other useful information. The DPCCC has also endorsed Measure K, a Martinez Unified School District Bond, and Measure Q, a Voter Protected Open Space Initiative for the City of Brentwood. You can also see the California Democratic Party’s endorsements for federal and statewide offices and the statewide propositions on the November ballot. Most importantly, remember to VOTE by November 8th and donate or volunteer for Democrats running for office! TAKE ACTION – Calling all volunteers, phone bankers, and canvassers! The path to the next House majority goes through California Join Contra Costa Democrats for a one-day bus trip to work some canvassing magic in Tulare on Saturday, October 15. https://www.mobilize.us/cadems/event/514161/ Join Contra Costa Democrats as we turn voices into votes…calling voters in Kern and Kings counties on Tuesdays at 11:30 a.m., Wednesdays at 5 p.m., Saturdays at 10 a.m., and Sundays at 1 p.m. https://www.mobilize.us/cadems/event/439762/ Knock doors every Saturday in Hanford, Kings County, through election day! https://www.mobilize.us/cadems/event/445111 Knock doors on Fridays through Sundays, beginning on September 30 in Bakersfield, Kern County, through election day! https://www.mobilize.us/cadems/event/494449 For more information on volunteering, contact Cecilia at volunteer@contracostadems.comor call 510-693-4259. RESOLUTIONS AND LEGISLATION The DPCCC adopted the following proclamations and resolutions at its September 15, 2022, meeting: Proclamation in Support of Veteran’s Day 2022 Proclamation In Celebration of American Indian and Alaska Native Heritage Month, November 1 – 30, 2022; California Native American Day, September 23, 2022; and National Day of Recognition of Native American Heritage, November 25, 2022 Resolution Urging that the Contra Costa County Board of Supervisors conduct Open Study Sessions on Critical Contra Costa County Sheriff Department Functions Related to the Internal Investigations Process from an Equity Lens, Including Potential Oversight Mechanisms Resolution Re-Committing to Core Principles of Our Democracy—Free & Fair Elections The DPCCC voted at its September 15, 2022, meeting to take positions on the following statewide and local measures on the November 2022 general election ballot: SUPPORT Proposition 1 (Right to Reproductive Freedom Amendment to the California State Constitution). Click here to read the Issues Committee Application. SUPPORT Measure K, Martinez Unified School District Bond. Click here to read the Issues Committee Application. SUPPORT Measure Q, City of Brentwood Voter-Protected Open-Space Initiative. Click here to read the Issues Committee Application. You can learn more about the Issues Committee’s process for reviewing legislation, resolutions, and proclamations by reading its submission guidelines and application for consideration. You can review an index of the Resolutions adopted by the DPCCC since 2022 and a Legislative Tracker of all the bills on which the DPCCC has taken a position during the 2021-22 session.SUPPORT OUR ENDORSED CANDIDATES Our Communications team is posting canvassing and fundraising events for our endorsed candidates on the DPCCC website and the DPCCC’s event calendar. There are events all around Contra Costa County. Please support as many of our endorsed candidates as you can as Democrats work to get them elected this November! ANNOUNCEMENTS The Alameda County Democratic Party is hosting its 50th Anniversary Democratic Unity Dinner at the Oakland Airport Hilton on Saturday, September 24, at 6 p.m. Click here for more information and to purchase tickets. If you have an announcement you would like us to consider including in next month’s newsletter, please email commsdir@contracostadems.com. DPCCC EVENT CALENDAR This calendar is for DPCCC and other Democratic Party events to which all DPCCC members are invited. To request the addition of an item to the calendar, please email secretary@contracostadems.com. Please click HERE to go to the DPCCC Calendar. LET US KNOW WHAT YOU THINK Do you have any questions or feedback about this DPCCC Newsletter? We would love to hear from you! Please send your comments to commsdir@contracostadems.com. |
September 2022 DPCCC Newsletter
Posted in newsletter, newsletter.