Reflections on the Past, Hopes for the Future

I'm particularly excited about returning to the WSDCC following the adoption of a new format for state central committee meetings -- the first major such change to these meetings in decades, not counting the temporary switch an electronic-only format.

When I stepped into this role ten years ago, meeting weekends were somewhat draining and hectic, with back-to-back activities scheduled almost on top of each other.

Constituency caucus meetings, committee meetings, offsite functions, hospitality suites, and more directly preceded general sessions, and there wasn't much break time. It resulted in a lot of us feeling rather fatigued and drained by the end of the weekend.

But those days are over.

State party officers and staff have listened to WSDCC members like me who have long lobbied for schedules that better account for our collective physical, mental, and emotional health. In Wenatchee, for our first in-person meeting since the pandemic began, we had just two functions: a welcome reception on Friday and a general session on Saturday with a generous lunch break. Committees and caucuses met in advance electronically with plenty of lead time before the in-person gathering.

The result was a meeting weekend that was not only productive but extremely enjoyable. Having time to actually go get a proper lunch that I could safely eat outside -- and walk around Fiestas Mexicanas -- was particularly great. I left Wenatchee feeling very good about our prospects in the midterms and very happy to have had the opportunity to work cooperatively with fellow Democrats for the better part of two days in the heart of our state.

Staff are planning to retain this meeting format going forward and I feel confident it will yield great results, though I support adding a remote access option. I'm a big believer in hybrid events and utilizing technology to help bring people together: all of the seasonal events my nonprofit holds have been in hybrid mode for a year now. (It takes a lot of work to hold a hybrid event, but I think it's worth it.)

I mention all this because I want you to know the reasons why I'm so excited about the WSDCC's future. I have always passionately about this work, but I believe this next two-year term might well be more fun and rewarding than any that have come before.

With our party having performed spectacularly in a midterm cycle despite holding the White House for the first time in a very long time, we are well poised to move our state's political frontier to places that it has not been in generations. We have an opportunity to become a party that is competitive not only in urban and suburban districts, but rural ones too. I would love to contribute my experience as young, yet veteran Democratic Party leader to these efforts.

We in the 45th now border a new mostly rural cross-Cascades legislative district numbered the 12th, for instance. The traditional Eastside legislative districts -- the 1st, 41st, 45th, 48th, and 5th -- have all-Democratic delegations in Olympia now and are well positioned for a great 2024.

But our neighbors in the 12th lack Democratic representation.

That's something we can change.

We demonstrated this year that a solidly Republican district like WA-03 can be won by a Democrat. There's no reason for our party to forfeit elections in districts like the 12th to the Republicans. We need to be recruiting candidates, organizing neighborhoods, and articulating a compelling vision for rural Washington in districts like the 12th. If you elect me, I will be a champion for expanding our party's presence and operations in Central, Eastern, and Southwest Washington on the WSDCC.