Dear Democratic Party Leader:
Like most of you, I have been so busy with the November election and, then, the Georgia runoff and, then, the apparent coup attempt that I haven’t had a chance to write. In addition, I was hoping to have news about the DNC election on 1/21 to share, but, as we approach the ADEM election registration cutoff on January 11, 2021, and the special Executive Board meeting on January 16, 2021, it seemed time to share some important information despite everything else going on.
So, first, I wish you all a happy and healthy 2021. And I wish us all a new beginning on January 20, 2021, when Joe Biden and Kamala Harris take the reins of the Executive Branch of the federal government. We should all be prepared for a potential repeat of the coup attempt on January 20, but I am hopeful that preparation will be unnecessary.
Second, I wanted to share the link for registering to vote, and getting your ballot, in the election of State Party Convention and State Party Assembly District representatives to the CDP Executive Board: https://ademelections.com If you want to register, please do so by January 11.
Third, the purpose of the special executive board meeting next weekend is to adopt rules for a virtual officer election at the Convention this spring. Here’s a link to the floor report from the November 2020 Executive Board meeting. The bylaws and other rules, which I support, are part of the Rules Committee report. Floor Report 111520pdf (cadem.org)
Fourth, there must be accountability for the months of lies and incitement that led up to 1/6/21’s tragic attack on our democratic institutions and the outcome of a free and fair election. Share the image at the top of this email and, if you live in one of their districts, contact the California GOP legislators who were complicit (or worse) in this chain of events. Here is a link to a chart of their contact information. https://actionnetwork.org/user_files/user_files/000/052/589/original/CA_GOP_Congressmen_Contact_Info.pdf?emci=2cdd6a57-2a51-eb11-a607-00155d43c992&emdi=c88b5cea-3751-eb11-a607-00155d43c992&ceid=5654
Finally, I know so many of you went all out to help us win the White House and the special elections in Georgia. While we might have hoped for a stronger repudiation of the Trump Administration and the GOP, what we accomplished (flipping the White House and the Senate and keeping our majority in the House) is a testament to your hard work and dedication. I would like to call out a few of my colleagues whose exceptional work I got to see firsthand. These include LACDP Chair Mark Gonzales and LACDP Executive Director Drexel Heard, CDP Parliamentarian Coby King, CDP LGBT Caucus Co-Chairs Tiffany Woods & Lester Aponte, LACDP Pat Eastman Honoree Jane Wishon, my DNC colleague Derek Devermont, LACDP Credentials Committee Co-Chair Paul Seo, Pinole Councilmember Devin Murphy, LACDP & CDP leader Clark Lee, Stonewall Democratic Club VP and Out for Biden Advisor Ryan Bashem and West Hollywood Democratic Club/Beverly Hills Democratic Club President Lillian Raffel.
Thanks to you and all those not named here for your exemplary efforts.
Here’s to a very BLUE 2021. I hope to write again when we know more about what will happen at the 1/21/21 DNC meeting.
Democratically yours,
Laurence Zakson
Member, Democratic National Committee (CA
Secretary, DNC LGBT Caucus
Co-Chair, California Democratic Party Rules Committee
Co-Chair, LACDP Rules & Legal Committee
President Emeritus, West Hollywood Democratic Club/Beverly Hills Democratic Club
Member, College of Labor & Employment Lawyers
titles for identification purposes only
