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IT'S TOO LATE TO MAIL YOUR BALLOT! But You Still Have Until June 30 at 7:00PM MST to turn it in! |
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The June 30, 2020 primary election is less than 6 days away, and your ballots have been mailed! It is now too late to mail your ballot -- but don't worry! You can drop off your ballot at ballot drop-off location! |
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Why is this Primary Important? Ultimately, it will be YOU who will help decide who will be facing off against their Republican opponent this November! Here's a couple high-profile races with primaries that you can decide on:
U.S. Senate Colorado has two excellent candidates running to be the Democratic nominee for U.S. Senate -- former Governor John Hickenlooper and former Colorado House Speaker Andrew Romanoff. We are home to the #1 most vulnerable Senate Republican in Cory Gardner, and winning this seat is an absolute MUST if we want to win back the U.S. Senate majority this November. Your vote will help decide who will take on Cory Gardner, so make sure to VOTE!
Congressional District 3 Coloradans living in the 3rd Congressional District (check here if you do!) are currently represented by Republican Scott Tipton. He hasn't held a town hall in over two years, has voted repeatedly to gut affordable healthcare coverage, and won't support the CORE Act, which would protect our public lands. Voters living in CD3 can choose between former state representative Diane Mitsch Bush and businessman James Iacino. Your vote will help decide who will take on Scott Tipton in November, so make sure to vote!
The Colorado Democratic Party is neutral in all primaries. |
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A Palooza to Remember! |
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The 3rd Annual Obama Event: Virtual Edition An Incredible Success! |
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It was an event to remember! The Colorado Democratic Party held its first ever Virtual Edition of the Annual Obama Dinner to comply with social distancing, and it was an incredible success! Over 800 tickets were sold, and we smashed our fundraising goals -- with all proceeds going towards funding our 2020 Win Plan!
Thank you to everyone who bought passes and sponsorships and who watched the Virtual Political Palooza! This event would not have been an overwhelming success without your support. |
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Colorado Democrats gear up for election at virtual fundraising dinner
Colorado Democrats heard from state and national party leaders Saturday night during the party's annual fundraising event, which was held virtually instead of in a downtown Denver hotel, due to the coronavirus.
U.S. Rep. Hakeem Jeffries, the Brooklyn Democrat who chairs the House Democrats' caucus and was one of seven impeachment managers during President Donald Trump's Senate trial earlier this year, delivered the third annual Obama Dinner's keynote address via video link. He had plenty of company in the spotlight, with a dozen of the party's biggest names also addressing the hundreds of donors gathered online in brief videos, some pre-recorded. The party postponed the dinner in April after restrictions on in-person gatherings went into effect as the COVID-19 pandemic swept into the state.
At just over two hours, this year's brisk fundraiser wrapped up at about the same time last year's attendees were being served their entrees.
"No rubber chicken this time," said Laura Packard. "[H]omemade pesto with fresh raspberries for dessert." The health care activist, who attended last year's Obama Dinner, told Colorado Politics she enjoyed this year's version from the comfort of her kitchen.
"This was the responsible way of doing it, and also interesting in its own right," she said, adding that she missed the chance to visit with people but applauded the party for doing the right thing.
"If it were in person I probably would have bought a ticket to show support, but a ballroom full of people is a ballroom full of COVID," she said.
With more than 800 tickets sold, attendance was down from the roughly 1,200 the fundraiser drew last year, but moving it online could mean the party nets as much cash without having to cover the cost of a hotel ballroom and catered dinners. Tickets for the fundraiser ranged from $150 for individuals to $10,000 for the highest-level sponsorship, for a table of 10.
In addition to party chairwoman Morgan Carroll, Colorado officials who beamed in to the fundraiser included Gov. Jared Polis, U.S. Reps. Diana DeGette, Ed Perlmutter, Jason Crow and Joe Neguse, Attorney General Phil Weiser, Secretary of State Jena Griswold, State Treasurer Dave Young, Senate President Leroy Garcia and House Speaker KC Becker.
Others who addressed the crowd — nearly 700 donors were logged in at the event's peak, a party spokesman said — included former Vice President Joe Biden, the party's presumptive presidential nominee, along with most of the other prominent candidates in this cycle's presidential primary: U.S. Sens. Bernie Sanders of Vermont, Elizabeth Warren of Massachusetts, Amy Klobuchar of Minnesota, Kamala Harris of California, Cory Booker of New Jersey and Michael Bennet of Colorado, former Housing and Urban Development Secretary Julian Castro; former South Bend, Ind., Mayor Pete Buttigieg; and U.S. Rep. Eric Swalwell of California. Former Georgia gubernatorial candidate Stacey Abrams also spoke.
Several speakers contrasted the virtual fundraiser with President Donald Trump's Saturday night rally at an arena in Tulsa, Oklahoma, which took place at the same time.
"When anybody asks you which party values life, here we are doing this in a safe way, and the president of the United States, who finally made it out of his bunker, is jeopardizing the lives of tens of thousands of people in Oklahoma as we speak," said Polis.
After detailing the House Democratic caucus's unprecedented diversity, Jeffries, whose speech clocked in at about 9 minutes — three times as long as any other speaker's but less than a third the duration of the dinner's typical keynotes — referenced Trump's in-person rally a state away in Oklahoma.
"We know as we gather here under the diverse umbrella, the hopeful umbrella, the good-natured umbrella of the Colorado Democratic Party, in a neighboring state of Colorado, we know that Donald Trump is holding another 'Make America Hate Again' rally," Jeffries said.
"The contrast couldn’t be any clearer between what we’re about and what the Republican Party under Donald Trump is all about," he said.
"We want to move the country forward; they are trying to turn back the clock. We’re working to bring people together; they are trying to tear us apart. We’re fighting for the people; they’re fighting for the privileged few. We believe in the public interest; they’re all about the special interest. We are fighting for the least, the lost and the left behind; they’re fighting for the wealthy, the well-off and the well-connected."
Arguing for the urgency of the November election, speakers took aim equally at Trump and at Republican Cory Gardner, who they called one of Trump's closest allies in the Senate and faces the winner of a June 30 Democratic primary between former Gov. John Hickenlooper and former state House Speaker Andrew Romanoff.
Democrats ought to consider taking up a collection to buy Gardner some luggage, quipped Gloria Neal, director of public affairs for Denver Mayor Michael Hancock and the event's emcee, "since we're going to send him packing."
"The rule of law and our capacity for self-governance is on the ballot in 2020," Weiser said. Crow, who served with Jeffries on the team of impeachment prosecutors, likewise sounded the alarm over the prospects of a Trump winning a second term, saying the president "presents a threat to our democracy itself and our institutions."
"Colorado Democrats, the bottom line is this there’s no substitute for victory. We have to win," Crow said. "The other side knows that they can’t beat us on the policies. They know that if the people understand what we are fighting for, they will rally behind us. So they resort to deception and they try to divide us. Our strength will be our unity."
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This Week In Making a Difference |
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2020 Win Stops -- Virtual Edition! |
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Be on the lookout for your invite! |
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SAVE THE DATE
Saturday, June 27 at 11:00AM (Montrose, Fremont, Delta, Elbert) Flipping Red Seats in Rural Red Counties!
Tuesday, July 7 at 7:00PM (Jefferson, Arapahoe, Larimer, Adams, Pueblo) Winning in Large Swing Districts!
Saturday, July 11 at 5:00PM Winning in Medium Swing Districts! |
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Work for the 2020 Wave Webinars |
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SAVE THE DATE for our upcoming "Work for the Wave" webinars! |
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Monday, June 29, 2020 @ 6:00PM MST Volunteer Recruitment (Hosted by Karin Asensio) Volunteers are the lifeblood of any campaign. Learn from our volunteer coordinator how you can engage with volunteers to get the word out about getting Dems elected! (Keep an eye out for an invite!) |
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Monday, July 13, 2020 @ 6:00PM MST Down Ballot Races (Hosted by Karin Asensio and David Pourshoushtari) The Presidency and the U.S. Senate aren't the important seats that are up for grabs this November. It's important that Dems win everywhere -- from district attorneys' offices to school board, winning down ballot races is critical to building a permanently blue state. Learn how! (Keep an eye out for an invite!) |
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Monday, July 20, 2020 @ 6:00PM MST E-Canvassing 101 (Hosted by Karin Asensio and Tyler McDermott) In this era of social distancing, campaigning looks a lot different than it typically does. Have no fear though -- there are still effective techniques to reaching voters! Learn how with our volunteer coordinator and our statewide field director! |
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Trainings to be a Better Ally |
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Want to learn how to become a better ally to your neighbors of color and to combat white supremacy? Here's a few trainings coming up! |
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A History of Race and White Supremacy in the U.S.
How did we get here? How did racism emerge as a such a pervasive social structure in the U.S.? What is the reality of "race"? It's a question many of us have asked at one time or another, and it has a clear answer.
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Dynamic Allyship Group Conversations
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HELP WANTED: New Positions to Apply For! |
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We're staffing up in preparation for the 2020 General Election! Colorado is a battleground state, and we're looking for scrappy, driven, politically savvy organizers to join our team! Specifically, we're looking for Field Organizers, Latino Community Organizers, African American Community Organizers, a Deputy Data Director, Deputy Field Directors, and Regional Field Directors.
Job Descriptions:
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Local Candidates of the Week |
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Candidate: Rachel Zenzinger (Incumbent) http://www.rachelforcolorado.com/ Office Running for: Senate District 19 Why this matters: Democrats in the State Legislature currently have majorities in the House and Senate, with their Senate majority only being safe by 2 seats! Senator Zenzinger and has led as one of the Dems' two members of the powerful Joint Budget Committee. Re-electing Zenzinger is critical to protect the Dems' majority!
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Candidate: Kaitlin Turner https://www.turnerforda.com/ Office Running for: Judicial District 11 Why this matters: Interim District Attorney Kaitlin Turner was appointed to this seat after previous DA Molly Chisholm resigned in 2019. Previously held by Republican Thom LeDoux (who is running again) -- the DA position has tremendous influence over criminal justice, and elected a progressive DA can move an area forward on criminal justice reform!
Connect with Kaitlin on Facebook! |
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Dems Leading the Way |
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"Sometimes We Make History, and Sometimes History makes Us." |
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Photo Credit: AAron Ontieveroz, The Denver Post |
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After pandemic and protests, Colorado lawmakers close the books on 2020 session
A Colorado legislative session unlike any other wrapped on Monday, with lawmakers having passed a slew of major reforms but shelving others due to the coronavirus pandemic.
“Sometimes we make history, and sometimes history makes us,” said House Majority Leader Alec Garnett, D-Denver, of the session’s strange circumstances.
The session concludes after just 84 days of lawmaking, well short of the typical 120 days. It also concludes more than a month behind schedule. Both facts are results of the virus’ spread shutting down the Capitol for two and a half months, from mid-March to late May.
Three days after returning to the building, lawmakers shut it down once again for two days as protests against police violence swirled outside.
This was the second year of a new era of total Democratic control of Colorado state government. In early January, when the session began, the majority party laid out some of its biggest priorities for the year, including repealing the death penalty, passing at least two new gun reforms, creating a public heath insurance option, creating a statewide paid family and medical leave program, passing new air quality standards and improving monitoring, passing stricter vaccine exemption standards and finding new money for transportation projects.
About half of that work was accomplished. The session ends with the public option, family leave, gun reforms and transportation all unresolved, among other matters. Some of the bills Democrats didn’t have time for; others they could no longer afford due to an expected $3.3 billion budget hole created by the pandemic-induced economic slowdown. Democrats have vowed to continue discussion on a public health insurance option into next year, while family leave may be resolved on the ballot in November.
“This session was nothing any of us could’ve predicted,” said Senate President Leroy Garcia, D-Pueblo. “Despite our challenges, I’m extremely proud of the work we were able to accomplish together.”
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Crow on Impeachment, Bolton Revelations |
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Crow: 'I don't regret' the narrow focus of the impeachment inquiry
Former Impeachment Manager Rep. Jason Crow (D-Colo.) says he does not regret keeping the impeachment inquiry focused on Ukraine.
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Neguse: "Go Big and Be Bold" on Public Lands |
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Joe Neguse wants to direct billions to public lands to help Western states recover from coronavirus
U.S. Rep. Joe Neguse on Thursday introduced comprehensive legislation that aims to help Western economies better recover from the pandemic while addressing long standing conservation, forest management and wildfire challenges on public lands.
The Boulder County Democrat’s 21st Century Conservation Corps for Our Health and Our Jobs Act is a mouthful and a big ask.
His bill would direct more than $40 billion toward wildfire prevention, bolstering the conservation corps to restore public lands, funding deferred maintenance on U.S. Forest Service land and delivering coronavirus relief for the country’s outfitters and guides. It’s one of the most ambitious public lands bills in recent memory.
(Neguse sponsored the CORE Act, which protects 400,000 acres in Colorado and passed the U.S. House in October 2019. The measure is stalled in the Senate.)
“There are underlying structural issues that relate to our outdoor recreation economy and management of our public lands,” he said in an interview, adding that his bill also addresses critical economic and unemployment issues erupting from the pandemic shutdown. “This bill certainly seeks to address those challenges in an innovative way. It’s important in this moment to go big and be bold with a comprehensive approach that addresses the confluence of all these different issues coming to the surface.”
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Trump, Gardner, & GOP Watch |
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Trump Tanking in the Polls |
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Trump's favourite pollster puts him 12 points behind Joe Biden
Donald Trump has been hit by a rash of polls showing Joe Biden pulling ahead of him – and now, a new survey by Scott Rasmussen for website Just the News shows him falling behind Mr Biden nationally by 12 points.
According to Mr Rasmussen’s results, Mr Biden would win 48 per cent of the national vote to Mr Trump’s 36 if there election were held today. It would worry any sitting president to poll at less than 40 per cent at this point in the election, but Mr Trump is especially invested in his own numbers, which he regularly shows off on Twitter.
The latest poll will be particularly galling for the president given it comes from Mr Rasmussen, founder of Rasmussen Reports. The company is one of the only pollsters whose results Mr Trump routinely cites when celebrating his own numbers. frequently writing that it was an outlier in predicting he would win the 2016 election.
However, the company has previously been criticised for its methodology, which some say tends to produce Republican-tilted results, and the data analysis website FiveThirtyEight has rated it only C+ for quality.
And while the company’s prediction for that election was indeed one of the closest among the major pollsters, it did not in fact predict Mr Trump would win the popular vote – and nor did he, instead losing it to Hillary Clinton by one point.
Mr Biden’s numbers, meanwhile, are holding up steadily across numerous polls, and not just nationally. Recent surveys show him almost tying Mr Trump in Iowa, which Mrs Clinton lost badly, and trouncing the president in Michigan, one of Mr Trump’s most important and narrowest victories.
Across the board, Mr Biden is now polling slightly better against Mr Trump than Mrs Clinton was at this distance from election day. However, the comparison is somewhat muddled by the advent of the coronavirus pandemic and knock-on recession and the relatively early and smooth end to the Democratic primary; at this point in 2016, Bernie Sanders had not yet conceded the race.
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Gardner's Ducks and Dodges Questions on Bolton |
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In news that should surprise absolutely no one, Senator Cory Gardner acted like he hadn't seen reports about former National Security Advisor John Bolton's bombshell account that Trump encouraged Chinese President Xi Jinping to help him in his reelection bid. |
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Volunteers of the Week |
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Meet Mara Abernathy -- one of our new interns here at Team CDP! We checked in with Mara so she could introduce herself, and explain why she's excited to work at the CDP!
Hello! My name is Mara and I’m an intern with the CDP. I am almost a Colorado native, having spent all but three years of my life in Colorado Springs. I love exploring my beautiful home state, I’m an avid hiker with a passion for exploring Colorado’s public lands! Currently, I’m a student-athlete at Northern Arizona University, where I’m studying Philosophy, Politics and Law and playing Division One volleyball. I’m so thankful for the opportunity to play the game I love while furthering my education.
I’m excited to intern with the CDP and have the opportunity to further conservation in Colorado and support conservation-minded candidates in our state. |
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Do you want to intern or volunteer with the Colorado Dems? Reach out to our volunteer coordinator Karin Asensio at [email protected], and see how YOU CAN GET INVOLVED! |
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Join the Elbow Bumpers Club! |
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What's the Elbow Bumpers Club (formerly known as 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!
Here's the reality -- the Colorado Dems are working in overdrive to keep the wheels of democracy moving forward, and now is a time when we could really use your help! If you haven't joined the High Fivers Club (temporarily known as the Elbow Bumpers Club now) -- please consider a few reasons to give!
Click the gif below to join the Elbow Bumpers Club! |
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The Funnies! |
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Contributions or gifts to the Democratic Party of Colorado are not tax deductible |
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