|
|
Dems Fired Up and Ready for November! |
|
|
|
WAY TO GO, COLORADO DEMS! |
|
Last night was the non-presidential Democratic primary, and what a night it was! We had record-breaking turnout, and saw huge waves of unaffiliated voters choose to vote the Democratic ticket. Clearly, mail-in ballots work!
After a really competitive primary, we now have our federal Democratic ticket -- now we're onto November! |
|
IT'S HICK! Former Governor to face Cory Gardner in Fall |
|
|
Hickenlooper declared winner of Democratic primary for U.S. Senate
Former Gov. John Hickenlooper on Tuesday won the Colorado Democratic primary for U.S. Senate and will face Sen. Cory Gardner in the Nov. 3 election. As of 8:30 p.m., Hickenlooper had received 59.92% of the vote, compared with 40.08% for former State House Speaker Andrew Romanoff.
In his victory speech, Hickenlooper thanked Romanoff and his supporters. He criticized Gardner on his stances on health care and tax cuts, and the GOP senator's support for President Donald Trump.
"I’ve never lost an election in this state, and I don’t intend to lose this one," Hickenlooper said.
Before Hickenlooper spoke, Romanoff did a short live stream to thank his supporters. He said he had called Hickenlooper to congratulate him on his win.
"For all the difference that we have, I’m committed to making sure Cory Gardner is a one-term senator and John Hickenlooper replaces him in November," Romanoff said.
The face-off between Hickenlooper and Romanoff was one of the more high-profile primary Senate races in the country. Hickenlooper had been polling with a significant lead going into the election.
|
|
|
|
UPSET ALERT! Mitsch Bush to face QAnon Supporter in CD3! |
|
|
Diane Mitsch Bush Wins Dem Primary In Colorado’s 3rd Congressional District
The sprawling 3rd Congressional District covers the Western Slope and reaches into the Eastern Plains in the south of the state, just east of Pueblo. It has been a reliable Republican seat for the last 10 years.
And it will be up to Diane Mitsch Bush to flip the expansive district. The Associated Press called the race for her at 7:50 p.m. MDT.
As Mitsch Bush likes to point out, she came the closest any challenger to Rep. Scott Tipton in recent years. She lost by 8 percent. Tipton solidly dispatched all democratic challengers by double digits in previous races.
The trouble is, at the moment, Tipton trailed the entire evening Republican upstart candidate Lauren Boebert — and Tipton conceded the race before it had been called.
That sets up a race for a reliably Republican district between a political novice and a seasoned politician.
In her race, Mitsch Bush, a former Routt County commissioner and state legislator, defeated political newcomer James Iacino. The business owner thought his experience might help with voters concerned about COVID-19’s impact on the economy.
It was a close-fought race. Iacino edged out Mitsch Bush at the assembly to get top line on the primary. Mitsch Bush had a slight fundraising edge. Iacino thanked his supporters and family in a statement and started to make the case for his former rival.
"Our economy is in shambles, our environment is under extreme stress, and the ACA remains in a constant state of danger," Iacino said. "I’m proud to stand with Diane Mitsch Bush because my priorities are the same as they were then, and I know she will fight for what is right and bring a real voice back to the 3rd district."
|
|
|
|
Our Federal Democratic Ticket! |
|
|
John Hickenlooper Nominee for U.S. Senate |
|
|
|
This Week In Making a Difference |
|
On to November! |
|
|
Sadly we still can't do in-person grassroots events, but we can do it virtually! |
|
Join us on Monday, July 12, 2020 at 6:00PM MST for a general election grassroots victory kickoff! Hear from community leaders, elected officials, and political stars on why it's so important to be involved and be fired up to win in November! Click here to register! |
|
|
|
Join Our Talent Bank! |
|
|
Colorado Democrats are run by PEOPLE POWER, and the only way we're going to defeat Cory Gardner and Donald Trump is 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 or the button below to sign up for our Talent Bank, and let us know how you can contribute to a blue wave in 2020! |
|
|
|
2020 Win Stops -- Virtual Edition! |
|
.jpg "Image")
|
Be on the lookout for your invite! |
|
SAVE THE DATE
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! |
|
|
|
Work for the 2020 Wave Webinars |
|
.gif "Image")
|
SAVE THE DATE for our upcoming "Work for the Wave" webinars! |
|
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!) |
|
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! |
|
Monday, August 3, 2020 @ 6:00PM MST The Art and Science of Persuasion (Hosted by Morgan Carroll) How do we cut through the noise and convince voters to vote Democratic not just in 2020, but beyond? Check out this webinar that'll focus on how the choosing of words and messages can make all the difference! (Keep an eye out for an invite!) |
|
Monday, August 10, 2020 @ 6:00PM MST Conflict Prevention and Resolution Campaigns can be an incredibly stressful and contentious environment -- but resolving conflicts that arise internally is critical to winning! Learn how to prevent and resolve conflict within your own teams to optimize team performance and efficiency. (Keep an eye out for an invite!) |
|
|
|
Trainings to be a Better Ally |
|
|
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! |
|
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.
|
|
|
|
Dynamic Allyship Group Conversations
|
|
|
|
HELP WANTED: New Positions to Apply For! |
|
|
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, a Deputy Data Director, Deputy Field Directors, and Regional Field Directors.
Job Descriptions:
|
|
|
|
Local Candidates of the Week |
|
|
Candidate: Amy Padden https://www.amypadden.com/ Office Running for: District Attorney, District 18 (Arapahoe, Douglas, Elbert, Lincoln counties) Why this matters: The District Attorney's office has great influence over how the criminal justice system works in their area. Electing the right DA can ensure corrupt police officers are held accountable. Amy won her primary and is now the nominee to win a seat that's currently held by outgoing Republican DA George Brauchler -- let's flip this seat!
|
|
|
Candidate: Karla Esser https://www.karlaesser.com/ Office Running for: State Board of Education, CD7 Why this matters: The State Board of Education is a governing board that can decide what educational equity policies our public K-12 system adopts and how dollars are spent. If Dems can hold this seat, they can maintain their majority!
Connect with Karla on Facebook! |
|
Dems Leading the Way |
|
Bills, Bills, Bills! |
|
|
Polis signs 14 bills Monday affecting water, law enforcement and the economy
Gov. Jared Polis held five bill-signing ceremonies Monday, June 29, across Colorado for 14 bills. Topics ranged from employee benefits to education to grants, but several stuck out as directed at rural and mountain communities like Summit County.
The Peace Officers Standards and Training Board Scholarship Rural and Small Law Enforcement bill is meant to assist rural law enforcement agencies with tuition costs of approved training academies for peace officer candidates.
The Colorado Legislature summarizes the bill as authorizing the Peace Officers Standards and Training board “to establish a scholarship program for law enforcement agencies in rural and smaller jurisdictions with limited resources due to their size or location.” “We want to make sure that we can have the very best law enforcement officials across our entire state,” Polis said in a press conference. “… By making sure that we have the right benefits and training in place, we can (create) greater trust between the officers and the communities that they serve.”
The Rural Economic Development Initiative Grant Program, is more wide-reaching. The Colorado Legislature site says the grants would be for projects that create new jobs, specifically for “projects that create diversity and resiliency in the local economies of rural communities.” These jobs can be created through a new employer or the expansion of an existing employer, including local governments and organizations or individuals working in partnership with a local government.
“The Rural Economic Development Initiative is critical to helping rural communities with less than 20,000 people plan and invest in local projects to create jobs and economic opportunity,” Polis said at the press conference.
Sen. Bob Rankin — who represents Senate District 8, including Summit County — explained that the bill was in place before COVID-19 and is now being extended.
“This is good,” Rankin said. “I like this economic development. It’s likely to affect our area because most of our businesses are small. Whether or not they’re a fly-fishing business or a restaurant or just some other recreational entity, they tend to be smaller businesses. … So I think it’s a great program for rural Coloradans.”
Rankin explained that the program is usually used for planning grants and that the local government just has to be the administrator of a project. He said that for a community, the program is about trying to focus on what the strengths of the community are, what the communities goals are and to provide resources to help the community achieve those goals.
Polis also signed conservation bills Monday, including the Colorado Water Conservation Board Construction Fund Project. The bill provides funding for certain projects, such as the Colorado water loss control initiative or the watershed restoration program.
Summit County Commissioner Karn Stiegelmeier described the bill as “complicated but collaborative” and focused on a lot of big-picture projects. She added that some of these projects will impact Summit County, including one piece of the bill that designates funds to snowmaking.
Now that the money is allocated, Stiegelmeier said there are lots of “projects on the ground” that could receive funding. She said the county has applied for funding through its Open Space & Trails department before and that the Blue River Integrated Management Plan and the Swan River Reclamation Project have received funding.
|
|
|
|
Crow on Russia Offering Bounties on U.S. Troops |
|
|
Rep. Crow: Trump's reaction to Russian bounties reveals 'toxic cocktail' in WH
Congressman Jason Crow (D-CO) joins Ayman Mohyeldin after reports of a Russian plot to offer bounties for attacks on American troops emerged. Crow calls the President's questioning of the intelligence reports "disturbing" and that it demonstrates a "lack of respect for our military."
|
|
|
|
Neguse: "Together we can, we must, and we will adapt, solve and act." |
|
|
Neguse: Congress must embrace the national climate action plan
Last summer, Washington heard directly from Coloradans when the U.S. House Select Committee on the Climate Crisis traveled to Colorado for the committee’s first — and only — official bipartisan field hearing. Committee members heard from federal scientists at our research laboratories who are studying our oceans, our earth systems and crafting innovative solutions for renewable energy, energy-efficient buildings, etc. They heard from our towns and cities, communities that are leading locally to lower their emissions and contribute to climate action. And they heard from Colorado activists, who demanded Congress take decisive and bold climate action.
This week the committee, on which I’ve been honored to serve as the only member from the Rocky Mountain West, submitted its official report to the U.S. Congress. The report is lengthy, but one thing is unmistakably clear: the voice of Coloradans — their ideas, their actions and their ingenuity — has been ingrained in a new national strategy for climate action.
In Colorado, climate change is not abstract or distant. We have witnessed the impacts on our lands, our forests, our farms and in our national parks. We have seen rising temperatures, earlier snowmelt, increased flooding and erosion, more frequent wildfires and we have experienced a disproportionate level of damaging climate-related disasters.
As Coloradans, we have chosen to meet the crisis with action. Fifteen towns and counties (more than half of which are in my congressional district) have adopted 100% renewable electricity goals. In 2004, Coloradans adopted the first voter-approved state renewable energy standard. Our state has the 8th largest electric vehicle market in the nation, is home to roughly 60,000 clean energy jobs and many of the nation’s leading scientists, activists, conservationists, and climate entrepreneurs. Wherever I go, as I meet with constituents and visit our communities, the state of our environment and the need for climate action is nearly always the top priority for Coloradans. Rather than fueling fear or inaction, the reality of a shortening runway and catastrophic consequences has sparked incredible ingenuity, innovation and commitment from Coloradans of all ages and backgrounds.
When I ran for Congress, I made clear that fighting climate change would be my first priority, which is why I worked to secure a seat on the Select Committee on the Climate Crisis. I wanted to ensure that Colorado had a seat at the table, and I’m proud that so many Colorado ideas are included within the pages of the Committee’s report. The congressional climate action plan truly is a comprehensive report, which outlines climate change proposals for our public lands, for our infrastructure, for our energy systems, for our farmers and workers and for our future. And anyone who reads the report will quickly come to the same conclusion I have — that Colorado truly has a unique role to play in national and international conversations about the fate of our planet and the steps needed to create a greener, cleaner, resilient future that we can be proud to pass down to the next generation. The plan includes our proposals to expand zero-emission vehicles and clean energy, revitalize our nation’s conservation corps, invest in regenerative agriculture research, safeguard scientific integrity, modernize our federal labs and protect the beautiful outdoor spaces Coloradans enjoy for generations to come. All of these ideas came straight from our communities and have been crafted by Coloradans to support and invest in the Colorado way of life that we love.
|
|
|
|
Trump, Gardner, & GOP Watch |
|
Trump Ignored Russia Putting Bounties on U.S. Troops?! |
|
|
The Russian bounties on US troops in Afghanistan scandal, explained
The past few days in American politics have been dominated by revelations that Russia may have paid Taliban militants to kill US troops in Afghanistan in 2019 — and that the Trump administration knew about the scheme and did nothing to stop it or punish Russia.
The New York Times reported Friday that US intelligence officials found evidence indicating that a unit of the GRU, Russia’s military intelligence agency, had put out bounties on US troops in Afghanistan. It’s not clear how many Americans may have been killed as part of this plot, but at least one incident in April 2019 that killed three Marines in a car bomb attack near Bagram Airfield is reportedly being investigated in connection to the alleged Russian effort. The Times reported that President Donald Trump was briefed about the Russian operation months ago but chose to do nothing in response.
Trump loudly denied this claim on Sunday, tweeting that “Nobody briefed or told me, [Vice President Mike] Pence, or Chief of Staff [Mark Meadows], about the so-called attacks on our troops in Afghanistan by Russians,” adding that “everybody is denying it & there have not been many attacks on us.”
But there’s mounting evidence that this is false.
The Associated Press reported on Monday night that in March 2019, then-National Security Adviser John Bolton personally briefed Trump on the Russian scheme. Also on Monday night, the New York Times reported that the intelligence had been included in the February 27 edition of the President’s Daily Brief, a daily summary of what the CIA describes as “the highest level of intelligence on the president’s key national security issues and concerns” prepared specially for the president by his intelligence chiefs.
So what to make of all this?
Experts on Russia and Afghanistan say the underlying claim — that Russia paid bounties to Afghan militants to kill US troops — is quite plausible. Since at least 2015, Russia has attempted to undermine and weaken the US and its allies from the shadows, sometimes violently. The GRU has been the tip of Putin’s spear in this effort; it makes sense that it would target US troops in Afghanistan in particular, a kind of delayed payback for America’s support for anti-Soviet Afghan rebels in the 1980s.
“Russia, or at least some Russian agencies, apparently feel free to assassinate regime opponents in London, Salisbury, and Berlin,” says Steven Pifer, an expert on Russia at the Brookings Institution. “It’s not that big a step from there to going after coalition soldiers in Afghanistan.”
|
|
|
|
NAACP Leader to Gardner: Condemn Trump's Racism or Drop Off |
|
|
NAACP Leader Calls Gardner’s Juneteenth Bill “Totally Disingenuous” Given His Silence on Trump’s Racism
A leader of the civil rights movement in Colorado has called on Sen. Cory Gardner (R-CO) to break his silence and denounce President Trump’s racism.
“The fact that Cory Gardner has the total support of someone, a president no less, who would retweet “white power” should give us all pause,” said Rosemary Harris Lytle, President of the NAACP Colorado, Montana & Wyoming State Area Conference via email. “Supremacy and bigotry have been a constant threat to the very existence of Black people. Sen. Gardner should immediately distance himself from these despicable ideals — or he should step down. Colorado is entitled to, and must demand, better — for every person, not just white people.”
In less than 48 hours, President Trump retweeted a video of a supporter shouting “White Power,” and issued another full-throated endorsement of Sen. Cory Gardner (R-CO). The racist tweet drew vocal criticism, including from several other senators, but nothing from Gardner himself.
Asked about Gardner’s recent proposal to make Juneteenth a federal holiday, given the senator’s silence in the face of President Trump’s numerous racist statements, Harris Lytle, dismissed Gardner’s introduction of the bill as “totally disingenuous.”
“While I have supported and have called for establishing Juneteenth as a holiday for the last ten years, there is much more that Senator Gardner can and must do. If he believes that Juneteenth should be a paid federal holiday, perhaps he will also fight for the Emmitt Till Anti Lynching Act.”
In a press release last week, Gardner announced the introduction of a bill making June 19 a federal holiday, noting, “It’s past time we honor Juneteenth as a federal holiday so Americans across the nation can celebrate and recognize America’s long-fought path towards equality.”
Nearly three years ago, following President Trump’s controversial speech after the deadly hate rally in Charlottesville, VA, at which the president described white supremacists as “very fine people,” Gardner joined with many of his fellow senators in promptly condemning Trump’s statement.
Since then, however, Colorado’s junior senator has refrained from comment on the President’s racist statements, such as when Trump referred to African nations as “shithole countries,” in 2018 or when Trump referred to COVID-19 as “Kung Flu,” during his recent rally in Tulsa.
|
|
|
|
Volunteers of the Week |
|
|
|
|
Meet Ji Yoon Park -- one of our new interns here at Team CDP! We checked in with Ji Yoon so she could introduce herself, and explain why she's excited to work at the CDP!
Ji Yoon Park attends Wesleyan University in Middletown, Connecticut where she is a pre-law student, pursuing a double-major in Government and the College of East Asian Studies with a certificate in International Relations. She is passionate about fostering active politicization in order to address the oppression and discrimination of marginalized populations. She loves working with others to bring empathetic and engaged activism to communities in need of solidarity and support. As an intern for the Colorado Democratic Party, she hopes to engage in an outreach initiative to Colorado’s AAPI community, other communities of color, and young Democrats in order to emphasize the importance of their vote and address their low levels of voter turnout.
The pursuit of this work is ultimately aimed towards encouraging communities of color to participate in the dynamic democracy that remains the core of the nation’s livelihood--one that should embrace and progressively evolve with the United States’ ever-diversifying society. As a strong believer in the power of the people, she hopes to be able to explore how she can utilize her political curiosity in a productive and mobilizing manner in the fight for equality and empowerment. |
|
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! |
|
Join the Elbow Bumpers Club! |
|
.gif "ELBOW BUMP!")
|
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! |
|
The Funnies! |
|
|
Share the Dispatch |
|
If you know someone interested in receiving our weekly newsletter, they can sign up here! |
|
|
Contributions or gifts to the Democratic Party of Colorado are not tax deductible |
|
|
|
