In This Blog
DNC 2024: Renewed Hope, But Rural America Still Overlooked
Turning Central & Eastern Washington Blue: The Race is Closer Than Ever
Setting the Record Straight: Why My Vote for Dan Newhouse Doesn’t Equate to Endorsement
How Ballot Curing Transformed the Race: Dave Upthegrove’s Surge and What It Means for November
Join the Momentum: Support Yakima Democrats at the FDR Dinner and Help Shape Our Future
Potpourri:
DNC Platform Revealed
Democratic Convention Opening in Pictures
Next newsletter: Granny Caravan shares stories of life in remote rural Washington
DNC 2024: Renewed Hope, But Rural America Still Overlooked
I’m thrilled. The opening of the Democratic National Convention renewed my belief in the party’s commitment to the marginalized and working class. As President Joe Biden said, “We will grow this nation from the bottom up and middle out,” and “the middle class built this country, and unions built the middle class.” It’s remarkable that in just four years, the Biden administration has achieved more than the Clinton and Obama administrations did in their combined sixteen years. President Biden’s leadership has reversed harmful Reagan-era policies and put us back on a path toward the true American dream. For a moment, I almost forgot that the Democratic Party still largely overlooks rural America and that, despite the celebration and speeches, we’re still on our own—at least for now.
Turning Central & Eastern Washington Blue: The Race is Closer Than Ever
The momentum is building in Central and Eastern Washington. Legislative District 14 and Congressional District 5 are closer to flipping blue than ever before. In the recent primary, Democratic candidate Carmela Conroy came within striking distance of Republican Michael Baumgartner in Congressional District 5. In deep-red Yakima County, Democratic candidates Maria Beltran, Chelsea Dimas, and Ana Ruiz-Kennedy made significant gains, showing real potential for victory.
Campaigns operate in two key phases: persuasion and Get Out The Vote (GOTV). Up until the primary, resources were focused on persuading voters to support our Democratic candidates. Now, with the general election approaching, campaigns are shifting full force into GOTV—knocking on doors, making calls, energizing the base, and engaging Democratic-leaning voters. But is this enough to push us to 50% +1?
This is where Rural Americans United steps in. We’re reaching the voters traditional campaigns can’t—targeting newly registered voters, key counties where small shifts could flip an election, and remote rural areas that need to feel included and motivated. We’re laser-focused on delivering results where they’re needed most.
Our strategy includes engaging thirty thousand newly registered voters, connecting with over twenty small towns, reaching thousands of key influencers in rural areas, and deploying direct-to-IP advertising. This allows us to send targeted pro-Democratic messages directly to specific households, giving us a powerful edge in key communities.
To make this happen, we need to raise $43,000 by September 30th. Every dollar raised goes directly toward closing the gap between the candidates’ efforts and the critical work needed to secure a majority. We’re at a tipping point—your support could be the difference between success and another lost opportunity.
Now is the time for Democrats and moderates to unite and bring sensible, responsive representation back to Central and Eastern Washington. This is more than a donation; it’s an investment in our shared future.
Let’s close the gap and turn these districts blue—together!
Setting the Record Straight: Why My Vote for Dan Newhouse Doesn’t Equate to Endorsement
I recently received a passionate email from John, expressing his disappointment and taking me to task for delivering mixed messages. Miscommunication can happen—it’s inevitable given the variety of media, the brevity in our messaging, and the different perspectives each of us holds. However, this instance requires clarification.
I had a letter to the editor published on August 8, 2024, in the Yakima Herald-Republic, where I criticized "do-nothing Dan" Newhouse for focusing on issues irrelevant to our district and for his deceitful behavior, writing congressional bills like IOUs for the false promises he makes to constituents. This message is consistent with all my past statements.
The confusion arose when I was quoted in several Washington State papers as saying that I would vote for Dan Newhouse and write an op-ed encouraging other Democrats to do the same. While I did say I would vote for Dan Newhouse—and I will—I did not and do not tell anyone how they should vote. The correct quote is that I said I would write an op-ed exposing the many failings of Jerrod Sessler and his life of lies, which is very different from encouraging Democrats to vote for Dan Newhouse.
While it may seem contradictory to criticize Dan Newhouse while also voting for him, those of us in rural America are often faced with the dilemma of voting for the lesser of two evils. I can easily reconcile my disdain for the disingenuous, well-polished politician that is Dan Newhouse with my greater responsibility to prevent someone like Jerrod Sessler from gaining power. Sessler himself admitted that he viewed our nation’s capital from a window and cheered on the insurrectionists attempting to overthrow our government on January 6th. We can’t let him get any closer than that.
How Ballot Curing Transformed the Race: Dave Upthegrove’s Surge and What It Means for November
August 19, 2024, was the last day to cure ballots. Curing ballots is the process of fixing problems with submitted ballots, such as obtaining a missing signature and addressing other incidental issues, to make an invalid ballot valid. The importance of curing ballots was highlighted in the race for Commissioner of Public Lands. The top Democratic candidate, Dave Upthegrove, was far behind as of August 7, 2024. It seemed that Republican ex-Representative of Congressional District 3, Jaime Herrera Beutler, and Republican candidate Sue Kuehl-Pederson were comfortably advancing to the general election.
However, a statewide effort by Democrats, Dave Upthegrove’s campaign was mounted to cure ballots. Dave himself made calls to supporters reaching out to our very own Grannie, Shirley Grossman. As a result, Dave has gone from a distant third place to holding onto second place by just 160 votes. This will go to a recount, but thanks to Democrats’ “don’t take defeat lying down” attitude, it’s now a race we have a strong chance of winning.
No one person or entity, other than the federal government, has more influence over Washington’s landscape than the state lands commissioner, who presides over about 6 million acres of the state’s forest, range, agricultural, aquatic and commercial lands—with firefighting responsibilities covering 13 million acres of public and private land. (email from Angie Girard)
Join the Momentum: Support Yakima Democrats at the FDR Dinner and Help Shape Our Future
Yakima County and the Yakima County Democrats are turning a corner, and it’s time to lend support. With the hard-fought redistricting, three strong candidates—Maria Beltran, Chelsea Dimas, and Ana Ruiz-Kennedy—have broken through the voting ceiling. A capable leadership team is also forming in the new Legislative District 15, making this the perfect moment to build a solid foundation for the future.
On September 14th at the Yakima Convention Center, the Yakima County Democrats will be holding their annual FDR dinner. You can purchase tickets or tables using this link: https://secure.actblue.com/donate/ycd-gala-2024. I’ve personally purchased a table to show my support because I believe this election and the reorganization of Legislative Districts 14 and 15 will provide the community-level motivation needed to move forward as a force to be reckoned with.
Potpourri
The Harris/ Walz Democratic Platform 2024
The Democratic National Convention Opening in Pictures
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