CANDIDATES CARNIVAL

Let's Begin

Dorothy Wilkinson

Chair, WSD

June 24, 2024 at 5:30 pm. 

As West Side Dems we begin on that day and that time to keep the West Side, New Mexico, and the United States blue. But we are also going to have some fun. 

Come to our Candidates Carnival at Don Newton Community Center. Eat popcorn and cotton candy, and for just a few minutes become a kid again. 

But the work is serious. We must win on the West Side, in Bernalillo County, in New Mexico, and in the United States if we want to preserve the Democracy that we love.

We must volunteer our money, our time, and our energy to win this war. Our money is good, but it is not enough. This year everything is at stake. The Republicans are coming for us here on the West Side, in New Mexico and in the Nation. They are coming for revenge because they do not like the democratic values and idealism we exhibit.

I pledge to make as many phone calls as time allows. I will call and ask for volunteers. I will give as much money as I can afford to the candidates because I know money is the mother's milk of politics. 

What will you do? Are you willing to knock doors to talk to voters about your candidate and why they must vote? Sometimes no one is home, or residents may seem indifferent. But you are helping to win the battle with every door you knock and with every flyer you leave.

Are you willing to make phone calls to people you don't know? You will find that many of your calls are not answered. But you are winning the war with every voter who answers your call and with every message you leave.

Are you willing to have house parties to raise money for candidates and to go to house parties to give money to candidates?

Are you willing to write postcards until late in the evening although you have a million other chores?

We are in a war and I wish doing all the things we must do to win the battle were easy and relaxing. But that is not the case. We live in a divided country. We must persevere and work hard without fear and without hesitation. 

This is a war we can and must win, but we won't win unless we fight! Are you ready to fight for our democracy? Are you willing to fight for our candidates? 

• Come to our Candidates Carnival. Recall your childhood when everything was simple. 

• Then sign up with one or two or more candidates to call, canvass, write postcards and write checks. 

• Volunteer for our candidates for National Office.

• Spread your values of equality, justice, and democracy. 

Then let's create a ruckus at a celebration in November when we win!

Congratulations

Congratulations to the winners of the June 4 Primary Election. This was a hard fought election. And in the end we know who would run in the November 5 election. 

But there were no losers. The candidates in the primary are a testament to the courage and commitment we have on the West Side. 

We must honor that courage and commitment. If your candidate will not be in the General Election, choose another candidate. Help keep the West Side Blue. 

The winners in the Senate Races are Cindy Nava in District 9 and Antonio (Moe) Maestas in District 26. Moe has no Republican opposition for the General Election so he will continue as Republican opposition for the General Election so he will continue as our Senator. 

Come to the WSD Candidates Carnival on June 24, and sign up to help one or more of these candidates get elected. 

Working Together on the West Side



by Linda G. Harris

Dorothy Wilkinson, chair of West Side Democrats of Bernalillo County (WSD), said the group has ambitious plans for the next phase of the 2024 campaign season. “While our goal is to get Democrats elected, we also want to create a space where like-minded Democrats can work together,” she said. Those who feel welcome within the group often become its most committed members.

The West Side, which includes the chunk of Bernalillo County west of the Rio Grande, is one of Albuquerque’s fastest-growing areas with a 2020 population of 132,500. Previously the West Side was entirely within NM Congressional District 1, but, due to recent redistricting, a rectangular portion of the area is now in CD2. At one time the West Side was mostly Republican territory, but, with more people moving into the area, new voters have helped turn it Democratic blue. 

Wilkinson is her own best example. After her retirement from a 28-year career teaching high school English in Gallup she moved to Albuquerque. “I had planned to take it easy, but 2016 happened,” she said laughing. Drawing on her hard-fought collective bargaining experience in Gallup, she thought, “I’d better step in.” She attended her first precinct meeting in early 2017. 

She said the group hit its stride when Flora Lucero became chair. “Flora was a whirlwind, and made sure we all found our niche. Mine was making phone calls,” she said. Then COVID hit, shutting down public gatherings. Gearing back up again was slow work.

However, they did rebound, thanks to volunteers who made phone calls inviting people to meetings. Traditional methods like phone banking and door-to-door canvassing in the run-up to the 2022 midterms paid off in what Wilkinson called “people working for people.” By election day volunteers had logged thousands of hours in get-out-the-vote efforts.

Those volunteer hours helped Democrats win the House as well as local races. Democrats won every race on the West Side in 2023. 

Members of the WSD helped capture a seat on the school board representing the West Side. “We worked with the Teacher’s Federation to keep Moms for Liberty out of the district,” she said. In the final tally, their candidate, Ronaldo Tome-Warito, defeated the long-time incumbent by 200 votes. 

This spring Wilkinson was elected chair of the WSD. As the group gears up for the November election, it will again tap into the power of its volunteers. The communications committee is retooling its social media to become “the pulse of the West Side,” a resource on issues relevant to the area.

The WSD also will continue to mix politics and fun. “We proved we could get people elected. It’s old-fashioned politics,” she said. They often hold casual get-togethers at a coffee shop or brew pub. On June 24, the group is hosting a carnival-themed meeting at 5:30pm at the Don Newton Community Center. WSD, after a hiatus in July, then plans to hold a picnic on August 15. Wilkinson said a more casual atmosphere encourages people to get to know their elected officials and talk with the candidates running for office. 

A Big Win for the Immigrant Community



The immigrant community of Albuquerque won a significant victory on June 3rd at the city council meeting.

A motion to make immigrants less safe by turning immigrants suspected of serious crimes over to Federal Authorities for immediate deportation failed on a vote of 4 in favor and 5 against. This motion would have made it difficult to prosecute accused criminals here in Albuquerque. It would have led to less cooperation in the immigrant community with local law enforcement because of fear. And it would have led to more racial profiling.

City Councilors Brook Bassan, Renee Grout, Dan Campine, and President Dan Lewis voted for the motion and Klarissa J Pena, Tammy Fiebelkorn, Louie Sanchez, Nichole Rogers and Joaquin Baca voted against the motion. 

Albuquerque has a long history of immigration. We know immigrants make our city richer in culture, in compassion, and in social justice.

Summer of Nonviolence

Information about Summer of Nonviolence to foster peace and community cohesion for youth and families.

The community, Bernalillo County, and the City of Albuquerque are coming together to foster summer days of peace and community cohesion for our youth and families, bringing options for youth recreation, employment, volunteering, learning, socializing, and mental health support into one place.

Here is a link for more information.

Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.'s Six Principles of Nonviolence

1. Nonviolence is a Way of Life for Courageous People
2. The Beloved Community is the Goal
3. Attack Forces of Evil, Not Persons Doing Evil
4. Accept Suffering Without Retaliation
5. The Universe is on the Side of Justice
6. Nonviolence Chooses Love Instead of Hate

You Are Invited to Attend Executive Committee Meetings

 As a member of WSD you are invited to attend This Executive Committee Meetings. The Executive Council meets on the first Monday of each month at 1:00 on zoom. If you wish to attend, request a link at info@westsidedems.org