In the days and weeks following the elections on November 5th, many of us have been having some big feelings: sadness, worry, fear, and dread, to name a few. On November 24, 2024, about 40 folks from across Waldo County got together to express those feelings but also offer suggestions for how we can proceed.
The meeting yielded lots of great input from people speaking up and through posters where participants could identify the issues they find most important. Some the takeaways included:
- We need input like this on an ongoing basis.
- We need to get people’s contact info and reach out to them to make sure they keep coming and get involved in committees which initiate most of the activities.
- We also need people to step up as candidates.
- Keep people connected and active during the off season (committees, trainings, socials) so we can really get work done when it’s needed.
- We could have new committees if more people participate – for example create a legislative committee.
- We also need more committee leaders.
- Maybe focus on reaching across the aisle and forming a committee for this purpose.
A detailed summary of the verbal statements shared that afternoon and a separate presentation summarizing how people ranked issues they cared about were prepared and shared with everyone who attended, as well as other WCDC members and friends.
The Waldo County Dems aim to use this very valuable feedback to channel our efforts in the coming months, and we hope that it will inspire Dems county-wide to take action – join a committee, attend a training, talk to a neighbor, run for office, call an elected official or write a letter to the editor. Please reach out if you have specific ideas we could leverage, or if you’d like to join or lead a committee, and especially if you’re planning on running for office as deadlines for municipal candidate filings are coming up in many towns.
There are many resources available on the WCDC website, especially the Calendar, so please check those out. And don’t forget to find us on Facebook–our public and private groups!