Message from the Chair
Thank you to all members that attended our Special Endorsement meeting on Monday the 24th.
In our next General Meeting on June 2nd membership will again be hearing from the 45th Endorsements Committee, who have selected candidates for membership approval. Their due diligence enables us to vote on the path of elected leaders in serving our communities and for us to hold them accountable in their positions.
Our endorsements – together with the Voters Pamphlet – represent guidance for voters in the 45th, arming them with factual knowledge shared from the diverse, life-experienced representation encompassed by the Endorsements Committee. Our wants and needs are just as crucial on the Eastside as the rest of King County. We want our voices heard loud and clear with our endorsements of their candidacy.
Some members at the May 24 meeting chose not to vote. By not excusing themselves from the room and remaining in the main room without voting, they effectively voted for No Endorsement for the candidate – a no vote. Their mere presence in the main room counted as part of the calculations for the approval voting. We all need to be mindful of our actions for complete transparency. If you know that you will not be voting in a race (for any reason), please use the abstention break-out room. This room is for this very reason -members abstaining from a vote without them triggering a No vote towards a candidate. It makes a difference to the calculations of the approval two/thirds threshold.
It will be a while before the Endorsement Guides go out, and we still have time to add an endorsement in any race (per our Bylaws Section V) with candidates running as the filing period is over. For example, we have time to revisit the Port Position 4 endorsement before our Guides go out.
It takes courage for first-time candidates to step into any role, and we must all congratulate the teams that brought these candidates forward and gave them the encouragement and knowledge to start and run their race.
A big thank you from all of us to the Outreach Committee and Volunteer Committee; without their diligent follow-up, workshops, Zoom meetings, and many, many phone calls, these brave new candidates would not have stepped up. Working behind the scenes, they enabled all of us to have choices. It is always good to have options.
Finally, working with endorsed candidates, please remember that you are NOT doing this as part of the 45th Legislative District body, but as yourself. We will let you know when our canvassing starts for all our endorsed candidates. Public Disclosure Campaign rules are extremely strict about “in-kind” contributions, so please follow them. Thanks.
I look forward to seeing you all at the Wednesday, June 2nd general membership meeting – registration is now open.
In Solidarity,
Linda Jenkins (she/her)
Chair, 45th District Democrats
