We had a lot to celebrate and a lot to be thankful for at our November meeting! Candidates and committee leaders expressed their gratitude for all the amazing volunteers who worked so hard to achieve the wonderful results Democrats achieved in the November 8 election. Com. Betty Johnson, Sheriff-elect Jason Trundy, Rep. Jan Dodge, and Sen. Chip Curry were with us to thank volunteers and supporters, and other candidates sent their thanks and good wishes as well. Our amazing Field Organizer Megan Marquis has since shared that Waldo County had one of the top three phone banking teams and one of the highest volunteer participation rates in all of Maine!
We also congratulated our candidates for stepping up and making the sacrifice to run for public office, whether they won this time or not. Every candidate’s race helped make Waldo County Democrats stronger for the next election cycle.
We will be collecting feedback from candidates and volunteers during the next month or two, to build on our success going forward into 2023 and plan on flipping some red districts blue in 2024. Keep an eye out for the chance to tell us what YOU think we did right this cycle, and how we can improve.
In the near term, WCDC officer positions are up for election in January 2023. Please consider how you want to be involved in helping to lead the committee’s work for the next two years.
Rules Committee Election: Betty Johnson was re-elected to serve another term as Waldo County’s representative to the state party’s Rules Committee. We are lucky to have her experience and expertise in this important role. Congratulations, Betty!
Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Committee: The Waldo County Dems voted unanimously to create a county-level Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Committee. WCDC officers will work with Laura Baker, who is a member of the Maine Dems’ DEI committee, and other interested WCDC members to develop the necessary bylaws amendments for the county committee to consider at the December meeting. We’re very excited about the level of support and enthusiasm for this new initiative!
Holiday Charity Donation: We will be donating $1,000 from committee funds to Waldo County charities this holiday season, half for heating assistance and half for food assistance, with the specific charities to be determined at our December meeting. Thank you, Waldo County Dems, for your generosity to those in need!
Probate Judge Recommendation: The Waldo County Democratic Committee will recommend one or more candidates to Governor Mills to fill the Probate Judge vacancy created by Judge Sean Ociepka’s elevation to the District Courty. WCDC officers will develop a transparent process for committee members to meet and evaluate potential candidates for the position and vote on our recommendation(s). We’ll schedule an early December meeting to fulfill this responsibility in a timely way. If you know a Waldo County attorney who is a Democrat and might be interested in the position, please let us know, or have them contact us at info@waldocountydemocrats.com.
December Meeting: We will likely meet before our usual second Sunday, so watch for a meeting notice arriving in your inbox in late November!