Let's be clear. Democracy belongs to all of us, and the more of us who stand up to participate in any way we can, the better off we will all be together. A key take-away from the 2016 national election, and even from our local 2017 municipal elections in Dallas County, is that passion, volunteer power and smaller donations from more people can compete effectively and win big versus larger donations from a few mega donors trying to buy the process. In fact, more donors, regardless of the amount, signals more people invested in the ideas, principles and values of the Democratic Party, which to my mind include:
- A fair economy that gives everyone a real chance at the American Dream
- A progressive and transparent criminal justice system that treats all people fairly
- A law enforcement system that protects people and stops targeting African Americans
- Immigration reform that is informed by compassion and respect instead of racism
- Affordable, accessible healthcare for everyone
- Outstanding public schools and affordable higher education
- Civil rights, voting rights, and the right to representation free of gerrymandering
This last week, the Dallas County Democratic and Republican parties both filed finance reports. I'm pleased to announce that the results show that we Democrats are the party of the people. The tally? 28 to 1,816.
That's right. The Dallas County Republican Party had only 28 donors, dominated by large donations from PACs and corporations.
In contrast, we had 1,816, with the vast majority coming from individuals! We are also breaking through our fundraising benchmarks and have raised well over $200,000 so far this year. We've done this by building on the momentum of two successful Johnson Jordan Dinners, featuring key strategist for President Obama, David Axelrod, and former presidential candidate Martin O'Malley. We have also established new funrdaising channels such as the Tillotson Speaker Series, and ramped up our sustaining memberships.
It's an exciting time to be a Democrat in Dallas County. If you want to help with a donation, your support will go directly to electing Democrats who will fight for our Democratic values. If you want to volunteer, we have all kinds of exciting and effective programs in place, and something for everyone, from voter registration, to block walking, to phone banks, community outreach and more.
I am proud of our progress in Dallas County, and I am grateful for the hard work that Democratic volunteers, activists and precinct chairs are putting in every day, every week, and every year. We are on the front lines in Dallas County. We need your help. The opportunity to win back the U.S. Congress starts right here in Dallas County with Congressional District 32. We have a chance to pick up more Texas Senate and House seats right here in our own backyard. Please get involved today.
