My Fellow Democrats,
With the June 26 run-off behind us, we have completed the nomination process for our November 2018 Democratic slate! Join me in thanking each of the candidates and their teams who have devoted themselves fully to participating in one of the foundational elements of our democracy: qualified citizens running for elected office.
A hearty congratulations to the nominees selected in the June primary and runoff elections: Rep. James Smith and Rep. Mandy Powers Norell, Mary Geren, Brandon Brown, Rep. Leola Robinson-Simpson, and Carrie Counton; our heartfelt appreciation to their worthy fellow candidates: Phil Noble, Marguerite Willis, Hosea Cleveland, JT Davis, Eric Graben, Will Morin, Lee Turner, Jack Logan, Bruce Wilson, and Hao Wu.
You have epitomized the spirit and vigor that underlie the Blue Wave and inspired us, along with the rest of the slate: Constance Anastopoulo, Rosalyn Glenn, Israel Romero, Melvin Whittenburg, Rep. Chandra Dillard, Bruce Brown, Judi Buckley, Lucy Hoffman, Helen Pendarvis, Councilor Xanthene Norris, Jevarus Howard, and Judge Debora Faulkner, to strengthen our resolve to create a nation, state, and community that work for all.
Now, onto phase two where we stand united in our determination to elect more Democrats in Greenville County and South Carolina in November and beyond.
We can, and we will, IF every one of us contributes money and time to the cause. Putting our wallet, our hands, and our feet behind our shared longing for liberal voices in our legislative bodies and halls of government is essential to achieving those goals. I’m aware that many of the post-mortems of the primary have included criticisms of the GCDP’s perceived role or lack thereof in the outcomes. The party’s vitality and influence are directly related to the strength and breadth of support provided by our local Democratic community.
Your party leadership is committed to doing as much as resources allow. For instance, although it is not the norm for political parties to be involved during the primary season, we supported the campaigns by opening the office for meetings, phone banks, canvassing staging, and other activities. We’ll do the same for the general election. The GCDP also distributed just short of 8,000 sample ballot postcards in the lead-up to June 12 to inform voters and encourage turnout (7,300 were mailed to targeted households throughout Greenville County) at a cost of $3,600. If we were to raise double that amount ($7,500) during the next couple of months, then we could send a GOTV postcard in October to the 20,000 Democratic voters from the primary; seven times that amount (approx. $25,000) would allow us to mail a postcard to half of the registered voters in Greenville County.
Think about the possibilities – the phone banks and canvasses, the signs and literature, the radio and social media ads – the GCDP could underwrite with your financial support. Think about how many more voters we could engage in the electoral process, and the changes that would result! And then think about how much you are willing to contribute to make this happen – because that’s what it will take.
Based on our current budget, our goal is to reach $20,000 by September 15. This month, we are launching a general fundraising campaign with a fundraising letter and will follow-up by reaching out by phone, at events, and through various fundraisers like house parties or our Circle Dinners program.
The future we all want is within reach . . . call, email, go online (greenvilledemocrats.com) and help us make it a reality.
In solidarity,
Kate