Virginia leads Democratic resurgence, say Moulton and others at FCDC fundraiser

By Brad Swanson:

Democratic elected officials took turns praising Virginia’s role in turning the tide after the disastrous 2016 election and urging continued attacks on Republican majorities in the mid-term elections in November. The politicians were speaking at Sunday night’s Jefferson Obama Dinner, the main fundraising event of the year for Fairfax County Democratic Committee.

“We wake up tomorrow in the America that we make,”  keynote speaker Rep. Seth Moulton (D-Mass.) told the sold-out audience in the ballroom of the Hilton McLean Tysons Corner. Moulton, a charismatic Marine veteran thought by many to be eyeing a presidential run in 2020, urged the creation of a 21st century infrastructure for America featuring universal broadband internet access, high speed rail communications and widely available technical training to prepare the workforce of tomorrow.

Moulton noted that Donald Trump’s election to the presidency in 2016 marked the worst electoral position for Democrats nationwide in a century,  but Virginia’s statewide elections one year later  — featuring a sweep for Democratic candidates from Gov. Ralph Northam on down to a near-capture of the House of Delegates – signaled a new offensive for Democrats.

Moulton’s theme was echoed by other state and local Democratic leaders including Sen. Tim Kaine, Reps. Gerry Connolly and Don Beyer, and Va. Lt. Gov. Justin Fairfax.

Read the rest at The Blue View.

Come Knock Doors With Us!

The closer we get to election day, the more opportunities will arise for you to take part in canvassing—knocking on doors to talk to potential voters. Hunter Mill is already doing canvassing events on May 5 and May 19. These are part of a Voter ID project in which we are trying to learn more about how voters in those precincts vote in elections, and lay the groundwork for more effective candidate campaigns in the fall.

Canvassing is one of the most powerful tools in the electoral toolbox. While political campaigns work hard to get their messages out to voters through television, radio, mailers, email, text messages, and phone calls, there is really nothing as potent as a face-to-face conversation. It really shows your neighbors how important you think voting is, and how passionately you feel about the issues at stake. It is easy to dislike or dismiss a faceless group of people, but a canvasser’s knock on a door helps a neighbor realize that parties are made of people who care enough to talk to them, person to person.

And voters are just that: your neighbors. Canvassing is a great way to meet the people who live in your community. We all tend to walk our normal paths and stick to our usual friends and acquaintances, but we are part of a larger community. Canvassing can help you build your own understanding of the individuals who form that community.

Canvassing also helps the party better understand the community. That, in turn, facilitates more effective engagement with the community’s priorities. Effective engagement with communities is how grass roots become blue waves.

And, of course, who among us couldn’t use a little sunshine and exercise?

So, as you see canvassing opportunities arise throughout the summer and fall, right up through election day, consider participating and deepening your and your party’s ties to the community, and building the momentum that will set Hunter Mill District, Fairfax County, Virginia, and Washington on the path to a brighter future. Don’t hesitate to reach out to Hunter Mill’s Vice Chair for Precinct Operations, Joanne Collins at collinsjoanne@yahoo.com or 585-703-1121 if you have questions.

A Message from the Coordinated Campaign

Hello Hunter Mill Dems! My name is Adam and I’m a field organizer for inner NOVA with the Democratic coordinated campaign. I’ll be your point of contact for all volunteer events with the coordinated campaign. A little about myself, I was born in Washington DC but I grew up in Asia, Latin America, and right here in Fairfax, VA. Previously I worked on the Hillary Clinton campaign in Wisconsin, the Ralph Northam campaign in Fairfax, and now the Tim Kaine campaign. We’re currently seeking “influencers” to recruit, train, and launch volunteers for canvassing, phone banking, and voter registration drives in Hunter Mill. If you’ve done this for past campaigns, or are interested in learning more please shoot me a message at adam.kubiske@virginiavictory.org or call/text at 703-678-6835. If you are not able to lead events, but would still like to volunteer, please sign up at TimKaine.com/events or by contacting me directly. Looking forward to meeting you and working together to achieve a historic blue tsunami this November!

Early Primary Voting Has Begun!

If you live in the 10th CD (Hunter Mill Precincts COLVIN and FOX MILL) you can vote in the June 12 primary for the candidate to oppose Barbara Comstock. If you will be unable to vote on June 12, you may vote early (“absentee in-person”). You will need to have a valid reason why you cannot vote on June 12; don’t worry, this is not an obstacle (see full info).

You may vote through June 9, at one of ten polling locations throughout the county (you do not need to live near the polling location for early voting). These ten include the main Fairfax County Government Center in Fair Lakes.

Full information available here and here.

Hunter Mill District Voter ID Project

HMDDC Precinct Operations launches a Voter ID Project starting April 22, 2018.

The Voter ID Project will attempt to identify unknown voters within Hunter Mill District. We will contact neighbors who are registered to vote, but it is unknown to us how they identify themselves. Do they consider themselves a Democrat, Republican or Independent and how are they likely to vote?

Join us in South Reston/Herndon for our first Voter ID Canvass where we will be walking Dogwood & McNair Precincts to listen and build relationships with neighborhood voters to lay the groundwork for our candidates to campaign more effectively and increase the turnout in our favor on Election Day in November.

South Reston/Herndon Voter ID Canvass

2429 Freetown Dr, Reston

April 22 at 12pm & 3pm

Contact: Joanne Collins, HMDDC Vice Chair of Precinct Operations

at collinsjoanne@yahoo.com or 585-703-1121 with any questions.

Connolly and Guzman predict continued victories for Democrats at national and state level

Two prominent Virginia elected officials took turns Saturday night at a fund-raising event to celebrate recent Democratic victories and rally party members to take over the House and Virginia state legislature.

Speaking first, Va. Del. Elizabeth Guzman (D- 31) used her story as the first Hispanic female immigrant to win election to the state House of Delegates to claim that, “Anyone can achieve the American Dream here in Virginia.”

Following her at the podium, Rep. Gerry Connolly (D-11) said the energy coming into the party from women fuels his optimism at taking over the House in November, and then using the new Democratic majority to hold President Trump accountable for his actions.

Read the rest at the Blue View

Lasagna Dinner Tickets Are Running Out

There are a lot of reasons to move now to get your tickets to the 43rd annual Hunter Mill Democrats Lasagna Dinner, but perhaps the most pressing one is that tickets are limited by the size of the room and we’re running out fast. We wish we could fit everyone into the Reston Community Center on April 7, but alas, space is limited.

And don’t forget that if you wait until after March 14, the tickets that are left (if any) will be more expensive! Prices go up on March 15.

We will have special guests Rep. Gerry Connolly* and Del. Elizabeth Guzman, we will have a live auction with our incomparable auctioneer, Del. Ken Plum.  and we will have plentiful pans of lasagna.

Get your tickets here, feel free to share this link with more information, and if you’re a denizen of the social media domain, share the Facebook event with your hordes of friends and followers.

*Gerry Connolly is appearing at this event as a special guest. Gerry Connolly is not soliciting funds or donations