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Democracy in Action! |
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TURN YOUR BALLOT IN |
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This upcoming Tuesday (March 3, 2020) is Super Tuesday, and all eyes will be on Colorado and a bunch of states, all of whom will be casting their ballots for who they believe should be the Democratic nominee for President to take on Donald Trump!
You should have received your Democratic presidential primary ballots by now (if you're a registered Democrat or unaffiliated). Make sure to turn in your ballot by Tuesday, March 3, 2020 no later than 7:00pm!
It is now too late to mail your ballot. You must submit your ballot at an official drop off location. Don't delay -- get your ballot in today!
*Note: You'll notice there are candidates on the ballot who have dropped out of the race already. Before you fill in the dot, make sure that the candidate you're voting for is still in the race!
Need to find where you can drop off your ballot? Go to www.GoVoteColorado.com and type in your address! |
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Type in your address in that box, and you'll be shown your closest polling place! |
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Participate in the Colorado Caucuses on Saturday, March 7, 2020! |
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We're two weeks away from the Colorado Caucuses! As a reminder, while we have the Presidential Primary on Tuesday, March 3, 2020 -- we still caucus for all non-presidential candidates! Want to help decide who's going to be on the ballot for the Democratic U.S. Senate primary? Commit to Caucus! |
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So, how do find where to go? Go to www.GoVoteColorado.com and look up your precinct number! You do that by:
Once you have that precinct number, go to www.coloradodems.org/2020-caucus-locations and enter the number in the search bar! Your caucus location will then pop up! |
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Run to Be a Precinct Organizer! |
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There are 3,133 precincts in Colorado, and all of them will be caucus on Saturday, March 7, 2020!
The single most important elected position in the Colorado Democratic Party is to be elected by your precinct to be one of the two organizers (aka Precinct Committee Persons or PCPs) for that precinct (that's 6,266 organizers)!
So, why be a precinct organizer (PCP)? Precinct organizers are community organizers like President Obama was!
*If we do this across the entire State of Colorado in every precinct — game over — we win — big blue tsunami in 2020!
Putting it simply, precinct organizers are the lifeblood of the Colorado Democratic Party, and we need YOU to step up to lead the grassroots to victory in 2020!
How do I become a Precinct Organizer?
Have any questions? Email Tyler McDermott at [email protected] for more information on why you should be a precinct organizer! |
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Redistricting is right around the corner, and the first, most important step to redistricting is the 2020 Census!
What's the Census? The count is mandated by the Constitution and conducted by the U.S. Census Bureau, a nonpartisan government agency. The 2020 Census counts the population in all 50 states, the District of Columbia, and five U.S. territories.
Why should I participate? This critical process ensures that Colorado receives fair representation in Congress and its fair share of federal funding. There is approximately $880 billion in federal funding allocated across the United States based on Census counts. In Colorado, this equates to approximately $13 billion annually or an estimated $2,300 per person according to a study by George Washington University. Some of the programs funded by Census dollars are Head Start programs; section 8 housing; Tier 1 grants for educational agencies and emergency food and shelter.
Are my answers safe? The Census is safe and important; the answers are protected by law and are not shared with anyone pursuant to federal law, to include any other Federal Agency.
How do I participate? By April 1, 2020, every home will receive an invitation to participate in the 2020 Census. You will have three options for responding:
In mid-March, households will begin receiving official Census Bureau mail with detailed information on how to respond to the 2020 Census.
Click here to sign up for updates from the Federal Census Bureau, and click here to learn more! |
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APPLY NOW: Be a National Delegate to the 2020 Democratic National Convention! |
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Rollcall being taken at the 2008 DNC in Denver, CO! |
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Do you want to represent Colorado and witness history firsthand as the Democratic grassroots select their nominee for President? Do you want to hear compelling speakers and meet devoted Democrats from all across the country? Then you need to apply to be a delegate at the 2020 Democratic National Convention that's happening in Milwaukee, WI during the week of July 13, 2020. Click here to fill out the application! |
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The 2020 Obama Dinner |
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OUR KEYNOTE SPEAKER FOR THE 3RD ANNUAL OBAMA DINNER: Congressman Hakeem Jeffries! |
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ICYMI: Congressman Hakeem Jeffries (D-NY) has graciously accepted our invitation to be the keynote speaker for the 3rd Annual Obama Dinner!
The Chair of the House Democratic Caucus, Jeffries, who has represented parts of New York City since 2013, sits on the House Judiciary Committee, and was also one of the House impeachment managers alongside Colorado's own Representative Jason Crow!
Congressman Jeffries is an attorney who received his JD from New York University. He is married to Kennisandra Arciniegas-Jeffries, and they have two kids.
Congressman Jeffries made headlines when, during a speech he gave before the Senate on day two of the impeachment trial, he quoted deceased rapper Biggie Smalls, who also hailed from Brooklyn:
“We are here, sir, to follow the facts, apply the law, be guided by the Constitution, and present the truth to the American people. That is why we are here, Mr. Sekulow, and if you don’t know, now you know.” |
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ICYMI: The 2020 Obama Dinner Awardees |
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You nominated, and you voted! Congratulations to these incredible Democrats for being recognized by their fellow Democrats all across our 64 counties! Make sure to buy your tickets to the 2020 Obama Dinner on Saturday, April 18, 2020! Click here or the button below to get your tickets or to buy a table! |
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Get Involved with the Colorado Dems! |
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Join Our Talent Bank! |
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Colorado Democrats are run by PEOPLE POWER, and the only way we're going to defeat Cory Gardner and Donald Trump is to by working together! EVERYONE has a talent -- whether it's writing, programming, designing, speaking 2nd or 3rd language, or managing data, we need all Coloradans of all talents who want to elect Democrats to get in the game!
So, what are you waiting for? Click here to sign up for our Talent Bank, and let us know how you can contribute to a blue wave in 2020! |
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Work for the 2020 Wave Webinars |
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Homer's getting ready to show the family the next CDP Webinar! |
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Ready to launch another blue wave in 2020? Get all the information you need at our "Work for the Wave" webinars! |
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Multi-County Assembly for Organizers (Hosted by Halisi Vinson) Monday, March 2, 2020 @ 6:00pm MST Multi-county assemblies and conventions are the final step before we get to the state assembly and convention on April 18! Learn how to run those by clicking here to sign up for this webinar! |
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Voter Registration Trainings (Hosted by Betsy Daniel and Julia Bristor) Thursday, March 12 and Thursday, March 19 @ 6:00pm MST One of the most important things we can do to defeat Republicans and elect Democrats is register new voters! Learn how to do that and be able to join us at voter registration drives by clicking here to sign up for this webinar! |
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Precinct Organizer (PCP) Training (Hosted by Morgan Carroll and Karin Asensio) Monday, March 16, 2020 @ 6:00pm MST Precinct organizers (formerly known as PCPs or Precinct Committee Persons) are the heartbeat of organizing at the grassroots. They are community leaders and are indispensable to Democrats winning in November! Learn some tips and tricks by clicking here to sign up for this webinar! |
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Messaging and Combating Disinformation Training (Hosted by Halisi Vinson and David Pourshoushtari) Monday, April 27, 2020 @ 6:00pm MST Precinct organizers (formerly known as PCPs or Precinct Committee Persons) are the heartbeat of organizing at the grassroots. They are community leaders and are indispensable to Democrats winning in November! Learn some tips and tricks by clicking here to sign up for this webinar! |
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Volunteer of the Week |
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The Volunteer of the Week is Gene from Las Animas County! You may not realize that Las Animas is the largest county in the state, and the cities and towns are separated by substantial distances, which creates a special problem for the county Democrats in getting people together. But Gene has come up with a good solution! |
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Gene has been an active Democrat in three states: Indiana, Texas, and now Colorado, where he’s worked at both city and county levels for the Democratic Party. He’s now the Vice Chair of the Dems for Las Animas County and has done canvassing, attended meetings, and served as precinct chair for Precinct 10 in the county. He’s keenly aware of the recent incursions of Republicans into what is primarily a Democratic county and is now working on solidifying Democratic leadership. We really have to work to regain our Democrat voters in the far eastern section of the county.
The advice Gene has for Colorado volunteers is this: get the young people involved, even if they say they don’t care! A local Colorado legislature hopeful, Carlos Lopez, has gone to visit a community college in Trinidad to get the students involved, but it wasn’t easy. But since they are the next generation of voters and leaders, it’s crucial to show them by example and experience that participation matters.
Now to Gene’s solution to the problem of living in a very large rural county: don’t try to do large gatherings or fund-raisers: go small, local, and neighborly. He wants to work on getting events such as picnics organized, events at which twenty to fifty local people can get together, become acquainted, and do some sorely-needed donating to their local Democratic party. This gets the local voters together in a very effective way, especially because it doesn’t require them to drive the 100 miles between cities to attend a larger fund-raiser. This is a creative and clever way to respond to the special difficulties of political activity in a large rural county, and we applaud him! |
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Do you want to volunteer? Reach out to our volunteer coordinator Karin Asensio at [email protected], and see how YOU CAN GET INVOLVED! |
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Dems Leading the Way |
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Bennet Takes Facebook to Task |
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Photo Credit: Alex Edelman/Getty Images |
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A senator is demanding to know how Facebook will stop misinformation from spreading online From Recode/Vox
"Facebook says it’s expanding its efforts to fight misinformation on its platforms ahead of the 2020 US presidential election. But many people, including top-ranking US politicians, aren’t convinced.
"On Monday, US Sen. Michael Bennet (D-CO) sent a letter to Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg in which he called out Facebook for its “inadequate” efforts so far to stop manipulated media campaigns that have wreaked havoc on democratic processes around the world.
"In his letter, Bennet, who recently ended his bid for the White House in 2020, shares examples from countries such as the Philippines, where President Rodrigo Duterte’s campaign circulated viral disinformation such as a false endorsement from the pope to help the candidate win the 2016 election. In Brazil, 87 percent of Facebook’s WhatsApp users in the country reported seeing fake news on the platform during the country’s 2018 presidential elections.
"'In dozens of countries, Facebook has unparalleled power to shape democratic norms and debate, and as a result, elections,' states the letter, which was shared with Recode. 'I am concerned that Facebook, as an American company, has not taken sufficient steps to prevent its platforms from undermining fundamental democratic values around the world.'"
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Crow Covers Much in Aurora Town Hall |
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Photo Credit: Denver Post |
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Jason Crow discusses impeachment, immigration, abortion in Aurora town hall From the Denver Post
"In his first town hall meeting since prosecuting President Donald Trump, U.S. Rep. Jason Crow defended his work in the impeachment trial, then moved beyond the contentious topic to talk about an array of kitchen table issues.
"The freshman Democrat from Aurora spoke to 150 people Monday night at an auditorium in Aurora Central High School. After brief opening remarks, he heard about 45 minutes of questions on topics ranging from abortion to foreign policy, climate change, immigration and health care.
"The crowd was predominantly friendly, giving Crow a standing ovation when the event concluded, but unafraid to ask tough questions and demand answers from their congressman. A woman in a pro-Trump hat asked whether Crow supports the New Way Forward Act, a liberal immigration bill that would ban for-profit immigration detention facilities, among other major changes to existing law.
"Crow said he was unfamiliar with the legislation but vowed to look into it. The congressman is a critic of a privately-operated immigration detention site in Aurora, and Monday night touted his POD Act, requiring immigration sites allow members of Congress to tour them. The POD Act, born out of Crow’s frustrations with the Aurora site, was attached to an appropriations bill and became law in December.
"'Regardless of how you come down on the immigration debate, we can all agree government works better when there is transparency and oversight,' Crow said."
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Jena Griswold: #MakeAPlanToVote |
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Colorado's Secretary of State is getting the word out to voters to participate in the Tuesday, March 3, 2020 Presidential Primary! Unaffiliated voters can participate in either the Democratic or Republican Presidential primaries -- but they can only submit one ballot! |
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Weiser Defends Against Another Trump Attack on Reproductive Freedom |
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Photo Credit: David Zalubowski/AP |
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Colorado sues Trump administration over mandate that insurance companies send separate bill for abortion coverage
"Colorado has joined six other states and the District of Columbia in suing the Trump administration over a rule requiring insurance companies to send a second, separate bill for abortion and other reproductive health coverage.
"The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services policy, which went into effect Tuesday, applies to states that allow insurance companies on their individual markets — plans that people buy on their own and don’t get through their employer — to cover abortion and reproductive health. Colorado is among those states.
"Colorado Attorney General Phil Weiser, however, fears that the rule will create an administrative nightmare for insurance companies and confusion among the insured, potentially even threatening their coverage if they don’t make correct payments.
"'This is an effort to undo our state’s protections and make life more difficult for patients,” Weiser said.
"The attorney general sees the rule change as being part of broader national efforts to roll back women’s access to abortions. 'This rule change is one of several efforts that would undermine women’s right to choose,' he said.
"Weiser said he filed the lawsuit after hearing concerns from Colorado’s insurance commission. He’s also worried it could cause insurers to drop their abortion and reproductive health coverage."
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Colorado Legislature Highlight |
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The first bill of the year was signed into law this week! State Representative Bri Buentello (Pueblo) and State Senator Nancy Todd (Aurora) were present as Governor Polis signed their bipartisan bill to expanding Native representation by adding the Southern Ute and Ute Mountain Ute tribes to the Colorado Youth Advisory Council.
"Legislation in 2008 created the council, which comprises one member from each of the 35 state senatorial districts, plus five at-large members. Students who are of middle or high school-age may apply to join. The council informs the work of legislators and discusses topics that are relevant to youth, including education, substance use, poverty, and participation in state and local government.
"The legislation, House Bill 1021, reduces the at-large membership to three to provide for the two tribal representatives."
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Death Penalty Repeal Passes |
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Colorado House passes bill to repeal state's death penalty to Gov. Polis' desk From the Denver Channel
"The bill to repeal Colorado’s death penalty cleared its final legislative hurdle Wednesday afternoon in a 38-27 vote in the House of Representatives, and the governor’s office says he will sign the measure in what is expected to be one of the most consequential moments of the 2020 legislative session.
"The measure passed its third reading Wednesday morning after passing its second reading early Tuesday morning after an 11-hour debate period. There was more than five hours of emotional testimony from lawmakers before the final vote Wednesday. Passage of the bill, SB20-100 (Sponsored by State Representatives Jeni Arndt and Adrienne Benavidez and State Senators Julie Gonzales and Jack Tate), was all-but a foregone conclusion after the bill cleared the Senate late last month because of the strong Democratic majority in the House. ... "But many Democrats pointed that there are other options, which they say are more cost-effective, than capital punishment. Rep. Jovan Melton, who represents the district from where all three of Colorado's death row inmates hail, said it was not equitable for that to be the case, and said he supported the measure because it was something he had hoped to accomplish since he first took office. House Speaker KC Becker, D-Boulder, read a statement from her friend and capital punishment attorney Madeline Cohen, who represents one of the state's death row inmates, who said that she supported the efforts to put her out of a job because she felt the system was unjust to those who face the death penalty."
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Trump, Gardner, & GOP Watch |
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Cory Gardner, Jobs And Space Force: Trump Sells The Promise Of 4 More Years In Colorado Springs
"President Donald Trump riffed for more than an hour to a near-capacity crowd in Colorado Springs on Thursday night.
"Between sweeping tributes to American greatness, sinister warnings and teases about the Space Command — along with complaints about fake news and the Oscars — the president showered praise on Sen. Cory Gardner, the Yuma Republican.
"'We are going to win Colorado in a landslide. And you’re going to help us get Cory Gardner across that line, because he’s been with us 100 percent,' Trump said. 'There was no waiver. We appreciate it. Thank you, Cory. Thank you.'
"It was just the first of several times in the speech that the president praised Gardner and urged the crowd to support his reelection. Later, he described the freshman senator as 'rock solid.' ... "He needs strong support from state GOP voters to have any hope of holding his seat. But Democratic groups hope his alliance with the president will drive away moderates, and they plan to emphasize their ties at every opportunity.
"'What we heard tonight was exactly what we expected — lies and misleading statements from both Donald Trump and Cory Gardner intended to save their floundering political careers,' said Colorado Democratic Party Chair Morgan Carroll in a statement. 'Gardner has been a loud cheerleader for Trump as he’s degraded the Constitution and undermined Coloradans’ health care, and Colorado will show Trump and Gardner the door this November.'"
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Join the High Fivers Club! |
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"What's the High Fivers Club", you ask? It started with a simple idea: There are nearly 1.2 million registered Democrats in Colorado -- what if every single one of them gave just $5 a month to the Colorado Democratic Party (CDP)?
Answer: The CDP would be the best-funded state party in the country -- with zero dollars from corporate PACs and plenty for flipping red seats to blue!
If you haven't given to the CDP yet, here are a few simple reasons why we're asking you today:
Click the logo below to join High Fivers Club! |
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On The Road! |
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CDP Treasurer Rosanna Reyes and communications director David Pourshoushtari visited Democrats at the House District 56 meeting in Adams County to go over caucus and the delegate selection plan! Volunteer coordinator Karin Asensio took part on a panel on Telemundo Denver to discuss Super Tuesday and why people need to get out and vote! CDP Chair Morgan Carroll is on the board of the Women's Centennial Vote Commission, and participated in a historical panel talking about Colorado's role in getting women the right to vote locally and nationally! |
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Share the Dispatch |
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Contributions or gifts to the Democratic Party of Colorado are not tax deductible |
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