Dear John ,

Last week was like nothing we could have imagined.


January 6th started with a beacon of hope from Georgia; we began to approach the democracy we aspire to be. Black voters, whose vote our country has historically suppressed and taken for granted, turned out in record numbers, delivering both Reverend Raphael Warnock and Jon Ossoff victories that will reshape the balance of power in the Senate.

This is no small feat, and our country's future is brighter because of the hard work of many organizations — particularly those led by women of color, including our colleagues at Georgia Conservation Voters [gcvoters.org]. These victories are a reflection of more inclusive elections and the more inclusive democracy we strive for. Thank you for all you did to help secure these wins.

Though we started the day with jubilant news out of Georgia, the atmosphere of celebration and accomplishment was quickly overtaken.

We witnessed the reckless and opportunistic behavior of some Members of Congress who used a routine procedural vote for their own political gain by objecting to the certification of a free, fair, and legitimate presidential election result. We watched in horror and outrage as a lawless mob of white supremacists violently overtook the Capitol. These terrorists were incited by an increasingly unhinged President Trump, who is unfit for office and remains a clear and present danger to the safety and security of everyone in this country.

The brazen entitlement with which this mob acted — and the ease with which these terrorists were able to storm the Capitol — was shocking. Last summer Black and Brown demonstrators were met with a show of force. That Wednesday's riot led by white supremacists was handled in a radically different manner speaks volumes to the systemic and institutional racism in this country.

The electoral victories of Senators-elect Warnock and Ossoff ensure that we will soon have pro-democracy, pro-justice, and pro-environment leadership in both houses of Congress. When President-elect Joe Biden and Vice President-elect Kamala Harris are sworn in on January 20th, our nation can move forward with unified resolve to address the intertwined crises of systemic racism, the COVID-19 pandemic and its economic impacts, and climate change.

This moment is an opportunity to acknowledge the work you have done to repel the near constant attacks on our democracy here in Wisconsin. Your support has helped us strengthen voting rights, especially for communities of color – voices that Speaker Robin Vos and his allies have worked to silence and whose votes they seek to disenfranchise.

In 2020, with your support, we kicked off our ambitious Democracy for All program to ensure access to the ballot and to safeguard our democratic institutions. As we move forward, we will double down, defending our democracy in Wisconsin. A healthy environment is only possible with a healthy democracy.

Thank you for being part of this work.

Kerry
Executive Director
Wisconsin Conservation Voters

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