By Elias “Eli” Valentin II
Chair, GCDP

Happy New Year and I hope you all are looking forward to a happy, healthy, and successful 2021. This past year has tested us in so many ways. We are living through our country dealing with a world-wide pandemic, reacting to an economic crisis unlike any we have seen, and we all witnessed one of the most bizarre, yet exhilarating, election seasons in our nation’s history. What energy do we have left for this upcoming year?

We have tremendous opportunities in front of us here as Greenville Democrats. Over the next couple of months, join us as we roll out our path forward. The elections here in the State of South Carolina and Greenville were not what many of us hoped for. Do not despair and do not be discouraged. We can look to our neighbor, Georgia, seeing how effective planning, consistent outreach, and the motivation to win can change the outcome of even the reddest of areas. It isn’t something which will happen overnight, but it is doable. Sign up with our Mobilization team to get involved and listen to our voters and community members.

Opportunity is only one side of the coin. There are also challenges we must face head on if we want to become relevant in governance here in the Upstate. With 45 gone, will Democrats be as engaged? Can we unify around a subject, topic, issue, or person, the way we did around him? How many of us will be as active during these four years as we were the last four? Many of us saw the existential threat the President was on our country. It is why we called, knocked, text, and spoke to our friends about Hillary. It wasn’t enough. So we dove in deeper. His election motivated people to step up their level of engagement, with so many people getting involved with politics for the first time. Will these folks still be as engaged? Will you? We need you NOW more than ever.

I am so anxious for the Biden-Harris administration. We need them to build back better, repairing the damage our former President has done domestically and abroad. I am so hopeful the leader of the Senate will be a Democrat. This will allow us to pass more robust legislation and confirm the team President-Elect Biden deserves and needs at this inflection point in America’s history.

I am so anxious for the Biden-Harris administration. We need them to build back better, repairing the damage our former President has done domestically and abroad. I am so hopeful the leader of the Senate will be a Democrat. This will allow us to pass more robust legislation and confirm the team President-Elect Biden deserves and needs at this inflection point in America’s history.

I truly believe this is the time we must work in solidarity, pushing beyond what we think is possible. Our Democrats leaders will. I know President-Elect Biden and Vice President-Elect Harris, from first hand knowledge, will work tirelessly For the People of this great country. Our majority in the Senate is a majority, but it is thin, however I know Leader Schumer and his team will work to provide relief to the American people.

I am thankful for the great leadership of Nancy Pelosi, steering the House of Representatives into action continuing to focus on the legislation that matters. My heart is overjoyed to see one of our own, Jaime Harrison, take over at the Democratic National Committee and continue to keep South Carolina prominent in the conversation of national politics.

Our piece to the puzzle comes right here in our own backyard. We must expand the electorate in Greenville and across South Carolina. We must hold accountable elected officials, who vote against our interest and the interests of our communities.

This will play out as we see the fetal heart-beat bill, a potential education reform package (they have controlled all three levels of government for years and still can’t get something to move us out of the bottom of the national education rankings), and will reveal folks true colors as we work through the redistricting process. We CANNOT and MUST NOT accept a discriminatory map through redistricting, which exacerbates the racial injustice we see happening everyday in this state. This is the beginning of a new journey. Join us! Stay engaged, stay active and stay healthy. Let’s continue to make Good Trouble!

Democratically yours,

Elias “Eli” Valentín II