December 12th, 2020

We must keep moving forward:
Joint letter from Democratic county chairs

Dec. 11, 2020 
​On Dec. 14, members of the Electoral College will meet across the country to cast their votes for the next president of the United States. With election results certified in all 50 states and the District of Columbia, Joe Biden will receive far more than the 270 electoral votes necessary to secure the Presidency and be elected the 46th President of the United States.
  That has not stopped a desperate attempt from Donald Trump to overturn the will of millions of voters through baseless claims of systemic voter fraud and frivolous lawsuits filed in courts all over America. These efforts are not designed to legitimately challenge the results of the election, they are designed to sow more hatred, more division, and more distrust in our democratic system of governance. This is not about policy; it is about consolidating power by any means necessary.  
  This fevered march towards autocracy will not simply dissipate when Donald Trump leaves office on Jan. 20. No, the Republican Party has invested everything they have into winning, no matter the cost, for decades. Donald Trump is not the cause for the breakdown of our institutional norms, he is the beneficiary of the focused efforts of the Republican Party to whittle away at voting rights, to gerrymander congressional districts beyond any reasonable fairness, and to brand anyone who disagrees with their tactics as unpatriotic. It is no coincidence that the president and his allies are now opining about secession or civil war because the election did not go their way. It is the natural progression of their methods.
But what can be done to stop this? 
  We must continue to build our coalition by rallying folks around our shared ideals; ideals like fairness and equity for all, social and environmental justice, and respect for human rights. We must do a better job not only building our party but also working with and embracing others who share our values – regardless of their political affiliation – as well as calling out our own party and our own elected officials when they are not living up to our ideals. We must be willing to have uncomfortable conversations with those who disagree with us, and not just in the relative anonymity or safety offered by social media platforms. We must speak up and challenge lies with facts, while at the same time listening, truly listening, to the grievances and issues that have motivated people to support Donald Trump and the Republican Party. 
Even though we will have a new President on Jan. 20, our work must continue, and we must continue to support one another to help move our country closer to one that represents we, the people. 
  In solidarity,

Jerred Taylor
Chair, Linn County Democrats
linncodems.org

Taryn Bazurto
Chair, Benton County Democtrats
bentondemocrats.org