Democratic Primary Election TOMORROW, June 12

Don’t forget that there is a Democratic primary election TOMORROW, Tuesday June 12, 2018.

Two of Hunter Mill’s precincts—Fox Mill and Colvin—are within Virginia’s 10th Congressional District, and will therefore vote to determine the Democratic opponent to take on the incumbent, Republican Barbara Comstock.

The Fairfax Democrats’ news publication, The Blue View, has done a fantastic job of chronicling the Democratic candidates’ positions on various issues, and obtained a set of closing statements from the candidates’ campaigns. It is a great way to make sure your vote is an informed one.

No matter who you support, if you’re in a precinct with a primary election, make sure you get out there and vote. Primaries are critical in making sure the party’s nominees represent the will of its voters. Your vote makes a difference in the future of the party.

Learn more about the primary election at the Virginia Department of Elections website.

Stopping the ICE Deportation Pipeline in Fairfax County

Tomorrow, June 6, four outstanding panelists from Fairfax for All will discuss the current situation and their past and current efforts to keep the county from assisting ICE in deportations. It is not over with the end of the jail detention agreement. The event will be a report from the Fairfax for All Coalition of 10 immigration groups that have been working with the county. The panelists will discuss what Democrats should know and what we should do.

When: Wednesday June 6,  7 – 9 PM

Where: Fairfax County Democratic Committee (FCDC) Headquarters

Sponsored by the State and Local Committee of the Fairfax County Democratic Committee

Free. Sign up here. Space is limited.

Medicaid Expansion, Huge Win for Virginia

You may have heard that yesterday the Virginia legislature approved a budget that includes an expansion of Medicaid, making it the 33rd state in the country (including the District of Columbia) to do so since passage of the Affordable Care Act.

It is hard to overstate the impact of this victory. In Fairfax County alone, 15,000 families will be eligible for health coverage. At least 27,000 individuals could receive health care. Throughout Virginia, over 400,000 people are eligible for coverage.

Thank you to every member of the Hunter Mill Democrats for your part in helping make life better for everyone in Virginia. Your work will literally save lives. Check out Fairfax County Democratic Committee Chairman Dan Lagana’s statement on this incredible victory.

Sue Langley and Tae Chang Woo honored at Democratic Asian Americans of Virginia dinner

The Democratic Asian Americans of Virginia (DAAV) honored former Fairfax County Democratic Committee (FCDC) Chair Sue Langley and President of the Korean American Society of Virginia Tae Chang Woo at its Fourth Annual Asian American Pacific Islander Heritage Month Awards Dinner on Sunday May 20, 2018 at the Pakistani restaurant  Sapphire in Tysons. Elected officials including Gov. Ralph Northam spoke at the award ceremony.

Sue Langley and Tae Chang Woo were presented with the 2018 Joe Montano Community Engagement Awards.  Joe Montano was a prominent Virginian community organizer and activist who served as Northern Virginia Regional Director of Constituent Services for Senator Tim Kaine, and worked on a number of campaigns for the Democratic Party of Virginia.

Sue Langley was FCDC Chair for two terms, from 2014 to 2017.  She started in politics as a volunteer with the Wesley Clark campaign in the 2004 primary and then worked for John Kerry in the general campaign.  She was active with the Hunter Mill Democrats and served as FCDC Vice Chair for Precinct Operations.  Sue has hosted numerous canvasses, phone banks, picnics, and fundraisers at her home in Flint Hill precinct.  Sue Langley grew up in Thailand, received her Ph.D. in economics from Iowa State University and was a senior economist and branch chief at the Department of Agriculture.

Read the rest at The Blue View

Grassroots Profiles: Herndon-Reston Indivisible

Editor’s Note: Another in our periodic surveys of local grassroots organizations, compiled by Holly Hazard. This time: Herndon-Reston Indivisible. 

Herndon-Reston Indivisible’s mission is to fuel a progressive network to resist the Trump agenda while electing Democrats who support our values of transparency, inclusion, tolerance & fairness. HRI is led by a steering committee: Heidi Zollo, Carrie Bruns, Anne Alston, and Joanne Collins.

Q: Other than the 2016 election results and/or the Women’s March, what was the spark that moved you to create your organization and what has kept you engaged?

A: Heidi: Fear of living in a country governed by Trump’s values and policies. I believed that citizens had to do something to respond to Trump et al., in some way. I had an idea that Herndon and Reston election volunteers could join forces to respond against Trump and Republicans. We would organize by issues, but could respond as a group if a larger voice was needed. I pitched my idea to Carrie, and, after some brainstorming, we agreed to call ourselves Herndon-Reston Indivisible.

A: Joanne: Early on HRI began breakout Issue groups where participants took on leadership roles. Issue groups which have coalesced include: Election, Immigration, Defending American Institutions, Science & Environment, Education, Gun Violence Prevention, Economy, Healthcare, Federal Government, & Voting Rights. These groups have their own meetings monthly outside of the general meeting held each month. Each group participates in resistance activities and groups collaborate on initiatives and the whole of HRI comes together to participate in marches, letter writing, postcards, voter registrations, canvassing, phone banking, lobbying, and meeting with representatives. The HRI Issue groups partner with other local groups working on the same initiative to enhance their effectiveness. Our strongest groups are led by activists who care deeply about their issue.

Read the rest at The Blue View.

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.

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 . 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!

A winning economic message for Democrats: Government works

By William Berkson

Republican “trickle down” policies have failed spectacularly. But their anti-government economic narrative retains a hold on the electorate. In 2016, despite the long Obama era economic recovery, 3% more voters thought Trump would handle the economy best.

What Americans want is inclusive economic growth, and without a rival narrative to achieve it, Democrats will continue to fail at the ballot box.

This counter narrative exists, founded on indisputable evidence: not less, but more government intervention, of the right kind, is critical to growing the economy.

Read the rest at the Blue View