This past weekend, Delaware Democrats convened virtually for the 2021 State Party Convention. 

In addition to hearing from DNC Chair Jaime Harrison, which you can watch here.  Governor John Carney, Congresswoman Lisa Blunt Rochester, Senator Tom Carper, Senator Chris Coons, and Lt. Governor Bethany Hall-Long, our delegates conducted important party business, which included electing a new slate of leaders to our statewide executive committee, updating party rules, and adopting a bold new party platform and slate of resolutions.

Congratulations to our first woman Party Chair, Elizabeth D. Maron for winning her election after stepping into the role this past winter. 

We're also excited to welcome Coby Owens and Debbie Harrington, Community Leader to the roles of Vice Chair 1 and Vice Chair 2. 

AND, we congratulate Helene Keeley and Linda Cavanaugh on their reelections. 

On to 2022!

Click Here for our Updated Party Rules,  

And Click Here for our 2021 Resolutions Recommendations

Finally, you can also read more detailed coverage about the convention in this article published by Bay to Bay News. 

Our Party is stronger than ever. Unified behind a bold party platform and with the support of our officers and subdivision chairs, the Delaware Democratic Party is ready to hit the ground running as we head into redistricting and the midterm elections.

Sending our own Joe Biden to the White House was only the beginning — there’s still a great deal of work to do when it comes to reversing the damage done by the previous administration. And make no mistake — even in a blue state like Delaware, Trumpian politics and policies still linger and are being perpetuated by members of the Republican Party. 

This is why we can’t take our foot off of the gas. We must carry the momentum we saw in 2020 straight into this upcoming election season. 

So join us. Keep showing up to your committee meetings, volunteer for your local candidates, spread the word about what’s going on in the halls of government, and help us continue to grow the Delaware Democratic Party. 

Thank you for all that you do to make our state a better place for everyone to live. 

Sincerely, 

Betsy Maron

Chair of the Delaware Democratic Party

It Takes You, It Takes Me, It Takes ALL OF US . . .

Delaware Launches Vaccine Incentive Program

Governor Carney and the Division of Public Health announced DEWins!, an incentive and public education program  aimed at encouraging all eligible Delawareans to get the COVID-19 vaccine. 

Delawareans can get their vaccine and get a shot at great prizes!

CLICK ON LINK FOR DETAILS:

https://myemail.constantcontact.com/DEWins----Delaware-Launches-Vaccine-Incentive-Program.html?soid=1126915440294&aid=HDgr-Dm6mw0

It Takes You, It Takes Me, It Takes ALL OF US . . .

Here's a very important message from DE State Auditor Kathy McGuiness, who hails from the 14th RD. 

Celebrating and recognizing internal auditors during International Internal Auditor Awareness Month. 

It Takes You, It Takes Me, It Takes ALL OF US . . .

At least 45 states are considering restrictive laws to make it more difficult to vote. These voter suppression laws, most proposed by Republican-dominated state legislatures, could alter future elections, particularly in battleground states like Georgia, Pennsylvania and Arizona. 

But a growing grassroots movement is working to protect voting rights, in part by soliciting the aid of CEOs of corporations with significant operations in these states. If you want to join this effort, please start by sending an email message to business leaders in Georgia, encouraging them to repeal the recently passed S.B. 202. 

We’ve included their email addresses along with a sample message that you can use as to personalize your note. Let’s make our voices heard. Our democracy may depend on it. 

· The Home Depot – Craig Menear – craig_menear@homedepot.com

· United Parcel Service – Carol B. Tomé  carol@ups.com

· Delta Air Lines - Ed Bastian – ed.bastian@delta.com

· Arby’s - Paul Brown – pbrown@inspirebrands.com

· The Coca-Cola Company - James Quincey – asktheboard@coca-cola.com

· Cox Media Group - Daniel York – dan.york@cmg.com

· Genuine Parts Company - Paul D. Donahue – paul_donahue@genpt.com

· Georgia Pacific - Christian Fischer – cfischer@gapac.com

· Porsche - Oliver Blume – oliver.blume@porsche.de

Dear [Recipient]:

As a longtime customer and fan of your company, I am writing you to ask that you use your influence to correct the voter suppression effort in Georgia. Your influence can help repeal the new, restrictive voting rights law, S.B. 202. It’s bad for our democracy, bad for the reputation of your company and bad for Georgia. Action is needed throughout the business community to remedy the situation, and I ask that you take a leadership position to protect democracy for all Americans. 

Thank you for your action on this matter,

[Your Name]

_________________________________

SUPPORT THOSE FIGHTING VOTER SUPPRESSION EFFORTS

Fortunately, hundreds of major companies and corporate leaders have also taken a stand against new restrictions on voting. They should be recognized for their efforts as well. Among the major corporate names: Target, Netflix, Bank of America, Facebook, Cisco, Microsoft, Starbucks, Amazon, Dell Technologies, HP and American Airlines. Please take a moment to write their CEOs expressing your appreciation for their efforts as well. A sample message:

Dear [Recipient]:

As a longtime customer and fan of your company, I am writing to thank you for taking a stand against voter suppression legislation across the country. Your influence is helping to ensure the right to vote is protected for all Americans. And I hope that you’ll continue to oppose these anti-democratic laws whenever they are proposed. 

Thank you for your action on this matter,

[Your Name]

It Takes You, It Takes Me, It Takes ALL OF US . . .

Click Link Below for Details:

https://news.delaware.gov/2021/03/16/governor-carney-announces-updates-to-covid-19-vaccination-program-2/?fbclid=IwAR0Ah_XwK9dvLKgvPa-Z94fI6VslMqm5bIZRKktLCJTtlxmrWuGfXveW0d8   

It Takes You, It Takes Me, It Takes ALL OF US . . .

President Biden’s American Rescue Plan will provide Delaware with: 

• $1.46 billion in state fiscal relief 

• $300 million in local fiscal relief 

• More than $420 million in relief for K-12 schools 

• Economic impact payments of up to $1,400 per person (above the $600 per person provided in December) for more than 623,000 adults and 224,000 children. This is 87% of all adults in the state and 87% of all children in the state. 

• Additional relief of up to $1,600 per child through the Child Tax Credit to the families of 183,000 children, lifting 10,000 children out of poverty 

• Additional relief of up to nearly $1,000 through the Earned Income Tax Credit to 49,000 childless workers, including many in frontline jobs 

• Marketplace health insurance premiums that are $1,760 lower per month for a 60-year old couple earning $75,000 per year.

The Need for Action in Delaware

The pandemic and the associated economic crisis have had a severe impact on Delaware. The need for action is clear:

• Since the pandemic began, more than 88,000 people have been infected with COVID-19 and more than 1,000 people have died.

• The unemployment rate is 5.9%, up from 4.5% before the pandemic.

• Since February 2020, more than 18,000 fewer people are employed.

• 69,000 adults – 10% of all adults in the state – report not having enough food to eat. This includes 27,000 adults living with children, or 11% of all adults living with children, who report that the children in their household do not have enough to eat.

• An estimated 51,000 renters or 27% of renters are not caught up on rent.

• An estimated 236,000 adults or 33% of all adults statewide report having difficulty covering normal household expenses.

It Takes You, It Takes Me, It Takes ALL OF US . . .

State Party Rules require that in every year following a presidential election, the entirety of the Delaware Democratic Party Reorganizes.  

At its most basic level, the Delaware Democratic Party is made up of a series of local committees. Every year following a presidential election the seats on each of those committees are opened up for re-election. This process is known as Reorganization and is a prime opportunity for new Democrats to engage with the Party infrastructure.

Throughout the first 4 months of 2021, each Representative District and Wilmington City Ward Committee must hold a public meeting to elect their membership. Any resident who is registered as a Democrat and has not been a registered member of another political party for at least 1 year is eligible to serve on their district's committee. A full list of the scheduled reorganization events can be found on our Upcoming Events page.  
 

It Takes You, It Takes Me, It Takes ALL OF US . . .

Delaware's 14th Representative District Democratic Committee joins millions of Americans celebrating and "learning" during Black History Month.  

The link below will take you to various Black History Month events throughout Delaware:

https://history.delaware.gov/2020/01/21/african-american-history-month-programs-among-14-events-sponsored-by-the-division-during-february-2020/

This link will take  you to the State Blog wherein it Spotlights Louis L. Redding, Fred T. Johnson, Samuel D. Burris, and Pauline A. Young. 

https://firststate.blogs.delaware.gov/black-history-month-spotlight-louis-l-redding-fred-t-johnson-samuel-d-burris-pauline-young/

It Takes You, It Takes Me, It Takes ALL OF US . . .

Delaware House Democrats 

House Democrats filed measures Friday as part of an ongoing effort to remove barriers and increase participation in Delaware elections.

The bills, filed by Rep. David Bentz, Rep. Stephanie T. Bolden, and Rep. Sherry Dorsey Walker, would establish no-excuse absentee voting, consolidate Delaware's presidential and state primaries, and allow same-day (Election Day) voter registration in Delaware. Taken together, these proposals are part of an ongoing effort to move Delaware’s elections into the 21st century and provide residents with increased access to the polls.

Rep. Dorsey Walker talks about the significance of ensuring that all people have the right and ability to safely vote.

Read more about these proposals here: https://bit.ly/33KA7vK

Dear Delaware Democrats,

As you may have heard, today is my final day as Chair of the State Party. Tomorrow I will begin a new role with New Castle County Executive Matt Meyer as his Deputy Chief Administrative Officer. 

While I'm excited about this new opportunity, I have to admit that leaving the helm of the Party I love is bittersweet. 

I'm so proud of all we've accomplished together, and I know that it would not have been possible without all the tireless grassroots organizing work of so many of you. 

I've always said that power in our Party flows from the bottom up, and you're all proof that's the case. You've empowered us to do extraordinary things over the last two cycles, culminating with electing our own Joe Biden and Kamala Harris to the White House.

Locally, Democrats won and now hold all nine statewide elected offices for the first time, while three State Senate seats, one State House seat, and one New Castle County Council seat flipped from red to blue.

Winning elections is obviously the goal of a political party, but it's how we did it that I'm proud of most. We worked hard to open up our Party to hundreds of new activists, donors, campaign staff, and candidates, who now feel at home under the Delaware Democratic Party banner. 

For me, it's not just about the number of seats we hold, it's the fact that the people who hold them reflect Delaware's diversity more than ever before. It's the fact that from D.C. to Dover, our leaders are doing the hard work the makes our state a healthier, more prosperous, and more equitable place for everyone who calls it home. 

While my decision to move on was a difficult one, it was made easier knowing my friend and Vice Chair Betsy Maron would finish out my term.

Betsy has been by my side every step of the way. She's a friend and confidant, but more than that she's someone who is deeply committed to our Party and its progress. 

Prior to being elected Vice Chair and selected as a member of the DNC's Executive Committee, Betsy served as Chair of the New Castle County Democratic Committee. She's also been a longtime member of the 12th Representative District's Democratic Committee. 

In 2020, Betsy helped lead the Party's Coordinated Campaign effort - the Party's voter turnout entity that helped our state shatter previous voter participation records. She is poised to become the first woman to lead 

the Delaware Democratic Party in its history, and I hope you'll join me in welcoming her as our new Chair. 

With gratitude,

Erik Raser-Schramm

Chair, Delaware Democratic Party

I am honored and humbled by the trust the American people have placed in me and in Vice President-elect Harris.

In the face of unprecedented obstacles, a record number of Americans voted. Proving once again, that democracy beats deep in the heart of America.

With the campaign over, it’s time to put the anger and the harsh rhetoric behind us and come together as a nation.

It’s time for America to unite. And to heal.

We are the United States of America. And there’s nothing we can’t do, if we do it together.

I’m going to speak to the nation tonight and I’d love for you to watch.

You can watch my remarks by tuning in to this link when we go live tonight, just click here.

https://live.joebiden.com/c/victory

Joe Biden

DelDems call on DEGOP to renounce Lauren Witzke

Delaware Democratic Party Chairman Erik Raser-Schramm has issued the following statement on the Delaware Republican Party and their U.S. Senate nominee Lauren Witzke:

For years, the Delaware GOP has feigned deafness at the shrill dog whistles of racism and bigotry of President Trump and his enablers. That silence has bred more than complicity; it’s bred copycat behavior from its Party leaders, candidates, and elected officials here in the First State.  Read More . . .