Dear Demcast —
We need to say it loudly and clearly: George Floyd should be alive today. We need to say, Black lives matter. And we need to say that we stand in solidarity with the people in Minnesota and around the country who are calling for justice for George Floyd.
We also condemn the calls to violence and incitement coming from the White House.
We condemn Trump’s words when he tweets, “The only good Democrat is a dead Democrat.” We also condemn Trump’s use of the phrase, “When the looting starts, the shooting starts,” a phrase that was first used in 1967 by Walter Headley, then the chief of the Miami Police Department. Headley made it clear who his target was: black men, 15 to 21, who were protesting during the Civil Rights movement.
We must do better than this. The events of this week are an urgent reminder that we must be involved in reforms at every level of government. Yes, we desperately need a new president. We also need better leadership from governors, mayors, and elected prosecutors. Too often we focus our political energy at the top of the ticket, and ignore the elections (held in off-years, or in the summer months) that affect our daily lives.
We hope you’ll join us in making sure that all our friends and family will turn out to vote in the August election. Is it a presidential election? No. But will it affect how we live and are governed here in Miami-Dade? 100% yes. Some of the offices that will be up for election in August: County Mayor, the majority of seats on the County Commission, half of the School Board, the State Attorney’s office, many judges, and more.
Get ready to vote in August—safely—by signing up for Vote-By-Mail here: www.votefromhome.miami.
DEC Committeeman and Committeewoman Elections
Do you know who else might be on the ballot in August? You.
We are looking for candidates to run for Committeeman and Committeewoman for the DEC. What is the DEC? The Democratic Executive Committee is the governing body of the Democratic Party in Miami-Dade County.
On August 18, on the same ballot where we’ll be electing a new county mayor, we will also elect a committeeman and a committeewoman to represent Democrats at the DEC from 55 different districts around the county. This is a change from years past, when individual precincts would elect DEC members. We’ve now moved to a district system, where district committeemen and committeewomen will represent around 15 precincts, and will be in charge of organizing and increasing voter turnout in those precincts.
- Find out which district your precinct is in by clicking here.
- Not sure of your precinct? Find it here.
The qualifying period is from June 8 to June 12 and forms can be submitted starting now. There is no fee or petition requirement. In order to qualify, two forms must be submitted to the Supervisor of Elections (SOE). These are the committeeman / committeewoman oath form and the certification of access to the Handbook and Election laws forms. There is a third form that must be submitted if money is expended for your campaign. These forms can be downloaded here:
- CANDIDATE OATH – Committeemen and Committeewomen (This form needs to be notarized, but if you take it to the Supervisor of Elections during office hours, they will notarize it for you).
- Access to Handbook and the Election Laws of the State of Florida
- Campaign Treasurer’s Report – Miami-Dade County Electronic Filing Requirements (only required if you plan on raising money for your campaign)
Signed and completed forms can be sent attached via email to qualifyingdocuments@miamidade.gov.
Sign up for the Voter Protection Team
One of the missions that we have in the Miami-Dade Democratic Party is to protect the right of our fellow citizens to vote. The Miami-Dade Democratic Party’s Voter Protection Committee, chaired by Wayne Brody, is looking for volunteers to help with this mission.
We don’t know what in-person voting will look like in August or November, but we do know that we need lawyers, activists, and problem solvers to help recruit, work the polls, and troubleshoot remotely. If you are up to joining the fight to save the vote, click here to sign up.
Volunteer Opportunities:
This weekend, we are teaming up with the Florida Democratic Party to host a weekend of action! We are holding a virtual phone bank on Saturday and FDP is holding one on Sunday. Please help us spread the word about voting safely by mail by making some phone calls this weekend.
Volunteer with the Miami-Dade Dems: Sat, May 30 @ 12:00pm
Volunteer with FDP: Sunday, May 31, multiple time slots
In the News:
Steve Bovo Should Call For an Investigation into His #MaduroMoney
After more links to Venezuelan dictator Nicolas Maduro emerged yesterday, Miami-Dade Dems chair Steve Simeonidis stated “If Steve Bovo was so concerned with these transactions that it caused him to immediately fire his advisor, then he should join the call for the US Attorney’s office to move with an immediate investigation,” Simeonidis said. Read more here.
Voter Protection
Yesterday, we released a statement to the press promoting our voter protection efforts, and explaining that starting June 1, we will train an unprecedented number of voter protection volunteers. “We’re standing up for all of Miami-Dade, making sure that every citizen counts,” explained Wayne Brody, Chair of the Miami-Dade Democratic Party Voter Protection Committee. You can read more about our Voter Protection plans here.
New Executive Director
On Tuesday, the Miami-Dade Democratic Party announced that I would assume the role of Executive Director after serving as Digital & Development Director since January. Read more about this announcement here. A personal note from Christopher: I am thrilled to be taking on this new role with the party, and I am proud to be working with some of the most dedicated people I have ever met working for positive change in our communities. I also know I will need all the help I can get. Miami-Dade County is not only a hugely important county for Florida, it’s important for the whole country. If you have ideas or suggestions for me, please reach out to me. I will do my best to respond, although I may not respond right away. Thank you.
Become a Sustaining Donor
I know this is a long newsletter, so I appreciate you reading all the way to the bottom. Here at the Miami-Dade Democratic Party, we are organizing the largest Democratic county in the most important swing state in the country. Every dollar you contribute goes to supporting our voter turnout efforts in Miami-Dade County, and we rely on monthly donors to ensure we are a sustainable organization.
Can you become a sustaining donor of $7, $10, or $20.20 today?
We know this is a tough time for many of us right now, so please know we appreciate you staying involved in any way that you can. Thank you for all you do.
Onward,
Christopher Richmond
Executive Director
Miami-Dade Democratic Party
http://www.miamidadedems.org/
Coronavirus Resources: We’ve collected resources on drive-through testing, grocery store hours, unemployment and small business aid and more here at miamidadedems.org/covid.
Are you a sustaining donor? Even $5 a month makes a big difference.
The local Miami-Dade Democratic Party is a self-funded, membership-driven organization of dedicated volunteers.
We are the largest Democratic county (600K registered Democrats) in the biggest swing state. We have a plan to win in 2020 and remove Trump from office, and it involves paid staff, increasing efforts in voter registration, outreach, events, and marketing. Support our work with a monthly donation of any amount here: https://www.miamidadedems.org/sustaining
