Thursday, August 10, 2023
Dear Friends,
Access to abortion is threatened at the state level and now there’s an attempt to declare Grayson County, an Unborn Sanctuary. A proposed ordinance in Grayson County, in the Southwestern part of Virginia, would ban abortion in the county, criminalize the receipt of abortion medication through the mail, and penalize (fine and/or jail) anyone who assists in providing this care. Bristol is the last central access point in the South for reproductive healthcare. Please take their requested actions below. Please join me in helping VA NOW PAC-endorsed Virginia Senate candidate Trudy Berry as she battles to overcome a typing error that is preventing her from being on the ballot in November. Trudy is challenging Frank Ruff, the multi-term Republican incumbent in Southside Virginia. Trudy needs to pay her lawyer to show the State Board of Elections (SBE) how the law (VA Code 24.2-511) provides for the Board to put her name on the ballot just as they did for Terry Kilgore (R) in 2019 and Dave LaRock (R) in 2021 who had attorneys represent them. Candidates cannot be held responsible for the mistakes of their party leaders. Please help bolster Trudy’s campaign funds. This weekend, the National Women’s Politcal Caucus, Virginia (NWPC-VA) will host the 26th Biennial NWPC Convention in Richmond with a Friday evening program at the Library of Virginia featuring some of our favorite candidates: Lashrecse Aird, Kathy Beery, Ghazala Hashmi, Stella Pekarsky, Jessica Anderson, Betsy Carr, Rae Cousins, Debra Gardner, Susanna Gibson, Rachel Levy, Shelly Simonds, Irene Shin, Parisa Dehghani-Tafi, Shannon Taylor, Mary Person, Mark Lux, Bilal Raychouni, and Herb Walke. Sign up for the full weekend or just join us for the Friday evening portion. Enjoy the last month of summer!
ALL IN,
Stair
UNDERSTANDING THE IMPACTS
August 11, 2023, 12 NOON ET
Family Equality has spent more than 40 years ensuring that everyone has the freedom to find, form, and sustain their families by advancing equality for the LGBTQ+ community. Stacey Stevenson (CEO, Family Equality) will address actions we can take to support the LGBTQ community in these troubled times. She will also tell us about the August 26th big 60th anniversary of the March on Washington where Martin Luther King delivered his “I Have a Dream” speech. Groups from across the country are coming to Washington DC to march against hate crimes, hate speech, and antisemitism. One of the hot issues during the primary election was the need for data center industry reform. Virginia hosts the greatest concentration of data centers in the world (Data Center Alley in Loudoun County) and is currently experiencing a deluge of data center applications. This necessary industry has significant negative impacts on the environment, land use, economy, energy supply, environmental justice, and climate change that are not well understood by voters and politicians alike. Natalie Pien (Piedmont Environmental Council and Chesapeake Climate Action Network), Julie Bolthouse (Piedmont Environmental Council) and Ann Bennett (Sierra Club Great Falls Group) will help us understand this complicated issue and present how we can help make this a critically important campaign issue. Friday Power Lunch legal pundit Gene Rossi will give his own brand of high energy commentary on the three Trump indictments and the legal terrain.
Calls To Action
Our friends in Grayson County are asking for our help in two ways:
-First, sign the petition: Reject Grayson County’s Anti-Abortion Ordinance! ! Sign-ons will be accepted on a rolling basis until the December 14th hearing in Grayson County. The petition campaign, created by the Peace Pentagon and Virginia Reproductive Equity Alliance, states in part: “This local ordinance was drafted by the Federalist Society and Texas Right to Life for the purpose of sowing division and confusion for people seeking abortion care in rural southwest Virginia…”
-Second, sign and share the Advocates’ Letter of Support to the Grayson County Board of Supervisors. The letter explains that local bans will further decrease access to healthcare and disproportionately affect marginalized communities. Please add your signature or your group’s signature by Labor Day- Sept. 4.
Let’s help get gender equality into the Constitution, by signing the petition put together by Grove fellowship students at Hunter College in New York City to demonstrate for the ERA. Read the Ms. Magazine article that explains in more detail why signing the Petition is important.
DemLabs has summarized Saul Alinsky’s Rules for Radicals into a free 25-minute audio book with nine tracks. Have a listen.
Virginia Grassroots Resources and Canvassing
Coalition Website Resources:
–Upcoming Campaign Events – https://www.virginiagrassroots.org/action-calls-to-action.php?type=All – [If you have an event you’d like posted here, send to denis4blueVA@gmail.com]
–Locations of PowerPacks – https://www.virginiagrassroots.org/election2023-PowerPacks.php
–Candidate info – https://www.virginiagrassroots.org/election2023.php
Grassroots Canvassing: Sat, Aug 19, 10:00am–2:00pm EDT
Monthly canvassing in Leesburg, VA for State Senate 31, with SwingLeftHoCoMD
The meetup location is Russet Perry headquarters: 25 E First St SE, Leesburg VA 20175
SAVE THE DATE: Sept 30-Oct 1 & Oct 28-29 for Virginia Beach canvassing.
RESOURCES FOR CAMPAIGN & VOTER ENGAGEMENT
- Writing2Win Strategic Communications Support for Campaigns: Contact Writing2Win if a PowerPack or candidate you are supporting needs help with their messaging and strategic communications. Kristin Battista-Frazee, kbfrazee@
gmail.com , Julie Galdo, jgaldo@cox.net - Carpool Tool for Canvassing: Carpool tool guide: https://swingleft.org/
guide/carpool-tool Questions? Email mdeisen@swingleft.org - Letter Writing for Campaigns with Vote Forward and Swing Left: Create an account: votefwd.org/swingleft, Host a letter writing party: https://swingleft.org/p/letter-party Partner with Vote Forward: https://votefwd.org/partners, Learn more about the impact of letter writing: https://votefwd.org/impact2020
VIRTUAL EVENTS
Tuesday August 15, 6:00 PM and every Tuesday in AugustTexting Tuesdays with Black Voters Matters
Whether you texted with Black Voters Matter before or are new to texting, this event is for you! Texting Tuesdays is an opportunity to learn about our latest text campaigns while taking action by texting residents across the US about the power that they have to make a change in their community. They were very successful in their recent efforts for Ohio.
Thursday August 10, 7pmDPVA Summer Training Series: Voter Registration – Expanding the Electorate
Registering voters is extremely important. learn about the efforts of the DPVA and join in. Thursday, September 14, 7:00 – 8:15pm EDT
NOPE Meeting with Abigail Spanberger
Congresswoman Abigail Spanberger will explain Dems’ strategy for taking back control of the Virginia Assembly in 2023 and flipping the US House of Representatives in 2024. We’ll also hear from a state legislative candidate. Sign up now and invite a friend to join you!
IN-PERSON EVENTS
Sundays, August 13 and 20 at 3 p.m.Write Postcards with Dulles Dems for Candidates in Loudoun County
Gum Spring Library
24600 Millstream Drive Stone Ridge, VA 20105 August 19th Team Up training in Richmond: Join Swing Left for an in-person training about how to start a local group and organize to elect Democrats in your community! We will also match you with 2-4 co-leaders during the training so that you can work as a team. This is a great opportunity to share with folks you know in the Richmond area who are new to grassroots organizing. Learn more and apply
Monday August 21 7:30am
Dulles Area Democrats Breakfast: Pivotal Races in Fairfax & Loudoun
Jimmy’s Old Town Tavern, Herndon
Join DAD for a breakfast panel with Fairfax and Loudoun Candidates:
– Saddam Azlan Salim – Senate District 37, Fairfax County
– Chris Falcon – Clerk of Court, Fairfax County
– Albert Vega – Springfield District Supervisor, Fairfax County
– Craig Buckley – Sheriff, Loudoun County
Welcome first time candidates who are in pivotal races in Northern VA. If elected, we will see significant changes for the constituents and the region they represent. Although their races are winnable, this year’s election cycle proves to be a challenge to turn out voters without a statewide candidate on the ballot. Local candidates will not be designated with a “D” next to their name on the ballot. Educating voters is critical this year while energizing them to vote in these important races. John Block, LCDC Joint Campaign Director, will join the discussion as to what’s at stake this year.
Tuesday, August 29: 7 – 9pm EDTVirginia Blue Victory 2023 Northern Virginia Community MeetupStar Hill Biergarten in TysonsJoin the Virginia Blue Victory 2023Swing Left group for a Northern Virginia Community gatherine to bring together campaign, party and grassroots leaders and organizers to discuss how we can work together to Protect The Senate, Flip The House and Win Local races in November! The event will be held at the Star Hill Biergarten in Tysons on the “Perch” rooftop of the Capitol One Center near the McLean metro stop. The rooftop has spectacular views and features a stage with live music, games, food truck and mini-golf area, a dog park and the lounge of the Watermark Hotel.
Be a BADASS, Share Your Power and Forward this Opportunity to a Friend!
