Blog Archives - LINN COUNTY DEMOCRATS

LINN COUNTY DEMOCRATS

December 31st, 2022

12/31/2022

Words of thanks from Chris Smith

Chris Smith and his dog Simon like to walk in Albany's Bryant Park. Chris is 2nd Vice Chair of the Linn County Democrats.

I want to thank you all for all the donations you selflessly gave. Tragedy strikes when you least expect it, and the Nov. 5 fire at my home caught me at a particularly vulnerable time. Your donations helped keep me off the streets and gave me the only cushion I had to reassemble my life.
From the money needed for gas to get to work, to repair what things I could salvage, and even to buy my dog food. Every cent made a measurable positive impact in my life.
Words fall far short of the gratitude that I feel. Often in life is easy to just wish well for someone in the midst of hardship, but each donation was a tangible action given to me to help make things better when they were dire.
Happy holidays and thank you so much for everything.
– Chris Smith
*****
Twenty-one people donated a total of $1,600, reaching the GoFundMe goal for Chris. Thank you to everyone who donated!
– Graham Kislingbury

December 31st, 2022

12/31/2022

Health Care Justice Rally

Fifteen people (and two dogs) turned out Dec. 12 for a health care justice rally at Third and Ellsworth in downtown Albany. Dec. 12 was Universal Health Coverage Day, an annual United National observance. The local rally was sponsored by Health Care for All Oregon – Linn County.

December 30th, 2022

12/30/2022

Zelensky to Congress:
Against all odds, Ukraine still stands

• 5 takeaways from Volodymyr Zelensky's historic visit to Washington (Dec. 22, CNN)
• Ukrainian Volodymyr Zelensky's remarks to Congress (CNN, Dec. 22)
• Opinion: Zelensky recalled us to ourselves (Dec. 22, The Atlantic)
• Opinion: Zelensky's powerful message to Putin (Dec. 22, CNN)
• Analysis: Zelensky's grit and defiance epitomize the nation he leads (Dec. 22, CNN)

December 29th, 2022

12/29/2022

Jan. 6 committee refers Trump to DOJ
on four criminal charges

• Jan. 6 committee releases final report, says Trump should be barred from holding office (Dec. 23, CNN)
• Takeaways from Monday's Jan. 6 committee meeting
(Dec. 19, CNN)
• Prosecute Trump, Jan. 6 committee declares in historic criminal referral (Dec. 19, Time)
• Opinion: Trump represents our founders' worst fears (Dec. 19, CNN)
• Analysis: Justice is coming for Donald Trump (Dec. 19, The Atlantic)
• Earlier Jan. 6 Committee Public Hearings

December 23rd, 2022

12/23/2022

Stay warm

Posted Thursday, Dec. 22

December 23rd, 2022

12/23/2022

'The people have spoken'

Raphael Warnock defeats Herschel Walker in Georgia runoff to win six-year term.

• Five takeaways from Georgia's Senate runoff (Dec. 7, CNN)
• Warnock's win matters for Democrats now and in 2024 (Dec. 6, Time)
• What Georgia runoff revealed (Dec. 7, The Atlantic)
• Sinema leaving Democratic, registering as an Indepdent
(Dec. 9, CNN)

December 23rd, 2022

12/23/2022

A letter from Linn County
Democrats Chair Jerred Taylor

Jerred Taylor

Nov. 15
Today marks one week after an extremely consequential election here in Linn County, in Oregon and across the nation. As results continue to come in, several races have been, or are very likely to be, called once final mail-in ballots are counted this evening (and for others, there is still work to do). We all owe a huge debt of gratitude to our candidates for stepping up and running in an environment that was projected to be challenging for Democrats up and down ballot.
We successfully elected Tina Kotek as governor, Christina Stephenson as BOLI Commissioner, and Val Hoyle to Congress for Oregon's 4th Congressional District. We re-elected Ron Wyden to the US Senate and Sara Gelser Blouinto the Oregon Senate. We appear to have won all three Albany City Council races with Stephanie Newton, Jackie Montague and Ramycia McGhee all currently leading by decent margins, and Michelle Steinhebel fended off a well-funded write-in campaign for Lebanon City Council. All four of the ballot measures that the Linn County Democrats endorsed also appear to be on their way to passing (but some are close). Ben Watts, Mary Cooke, Tami Cockeram, Cassie Cruze, Scott Bruslind, Ashley Pelton, and Michelle Emmons all ran fantastic campaigns and helped to move the needle throughout Linn County, and Jamie McLeod-Skinner inspired, motivated and activated so many people throughout the 5th Congressional District, and lifted the prospects for Democrats far beyond what they would have been without her on the ballot.
On behalf of the Linn County Democrats, thank you all for letting us get to know you, to work with you, to grow with you, and to be inspired by you.
I also want to celebrate each and every one of the folks who knocked doors for our candidates, knocked doors as Neighborhood leaders, made calls or texts to voters, wrote post cards, wrote letters to the editor, donated, staffed the office, observed drop boxes, observed ballot counting, or helped in some capacity throughout the campaign. Even though there were some hard heartaches this cycle, there is a lot for all of us to be proud of. Your efforts made a tremendous difference. Thank you!
Now, for some updates:
• The Linn County Democrats Reorganization Meeting will take place on January 5th at 6:30 PM in the Albany Public Library. This will be an in-person meeting to elect our Officers, State Central Committee Delegation, and Congressional Committee Delegation. If you are a Precinct Committee Person, please plan on attending this important meeting.
• By popular demand, we will be hosting a Democrat 101 (date/location TBD) for folks who are interested in learning how the Democratic Party is structured on the County, State and Federal level, and how Democrats in Linn County, our Precinct Committee People, Officers, and Delegation Members can make a difference in party politics. We'll plan on this taking place sometime before our reorganization meeting, so stay tuned!
• Our office space available through February, so if any folks would like to hold small meetings or use the space between now and then, let us know,
Again, thank you all for your hard work this election cycle, and thank you to our candidates!
In solidarity,

Jerred Taylor
Linn County Democrats Chair

December 23rd, 2022

12/23/2022

Election Night Watch Party

Fifty Dems, including three of our hard-working candidates, turned out for the Nov. 8 gathering at Dos Arbolitos in Lebanon.

December 18th, 2022

12/18/2022

The home stretch

Canvasses, Demonstrations for Democracy, fundraisers, ongoing work at the campaign office and other events brought our volunteers and candidates together in the lead-up to the Nov. 8 election. A big thank you to everyone who helped and contributed in so many ways.