Lou

Today, Minnesota Democratic-Farmer-Labor (DFL) Chair and Association of State Democratic Chairs (ASDC) President Ken Martin was elected as the new Chair of the Democratic National Committee (DNC) with overwhelming support from DNC members on the first ballot. In his acceptance speech, newly-elected Chair Martin committed to holding the Trump administration accountable, uniting and charting a new path for the Democratic Party, and fighting for working families. 

“The Democratic Party is the party of working people, and it’s time to roll up our sleeves and outcompete everywhere, in every election, and at every level of government — and I look forward to working with this next generation of leadership to build a Party to unite America,” said DNC Chair Ken Martin. “Today’s elections mark a new chapter in DNC leadership, and Donald Trump and his billionaire allies are put on notice: we will hold them accountable for ripping off working families, and we will beat them at the ballot box.” 

New DNC Chair Martin campaigned on a promise to implement a new framework at the DNC: Build to Win, Build to Expand, Build to Last. Here’s what that looks like:

• Build to win by expanding our vision and infrastructure. This means funding parties in all 57 states and territories, meaningfully investing in youth empowerment and mobilization, ensuring there is Democratic infrastructure in every ZIP code, and organizing year-round.
• Build to expand by going on offense everywhere, contesting every race, and embracing our responsibility to support Democrats running at every level.
• Build to last by planning, organizing, and implementing a 10-year strategy to align the infrastructure, partnerships, and people we need to win. We must listen to voters and be willing to dig deep and recenter the Democratic agenda to reestablish who we are in the eyes of American voters.

Background on DNC Chair Ken Martin

Ken Martin has served as the Chairman of the Minnesota Democratic-Farmer-Labor (DFL) Party since 2011 — making him the longest serving Chair in the 75-year history of the DFL. 

Ken made the DFL what it is today — an all-day, year-round party dedicated to organizing communities, empowering the grassroots, electing progressive candidates, and improving the lives of Minnesotans.

Given his success as the DFL Party Chairman, Ken was elected by his peers across the country to serve as the President of the Association of State Democratic Chairs in 2017, where he works with state and local party committees to build permanent, long-lasting political infrastructure so they can elect candidates from the school board to the Oval Office.

Before his election as Chairman, Ken spent two decades working for progressive candidates and causes. He played key leadership roles on various campaigns, including Dayton for Governor in 2010, Hatch for Governor in 2006, Kerry for President in 2004, Humphrey for Secretary of State in 2002, and Gore for President in 2000. Ken led the Clean Water, Land and Legacy Amendment campaign in 2008, which dedicated funding to the arts, environment, conservation, and parks and trails in Minnesota. It is the largest conservation finance measure in the nation to ever become law.

DanversDem and State Committee member Julie Curtis featured on page one of The Salem News on Monday. Julie attended the exhibit “Social Fabric” a textile work engaging with the migration stories of 80 local residents.

The DanversDems hosted our annual MLK Jr. Day of Service.  This year we held a food drive for our Danvers People to People Food Pantry. We had a very significant amount of donations of food, diapers, personal items and cash.

Thank you to Paul from the Food Pantry for meeting us in the early morning to clear and salt the stairs and for letting us stay inside the pantry on this very cold day.

Thanks to everyone who donated. As always, Dems show up and are very generous.

Thanks to Liz Brennan for running this event.

The Human Rights and Inclusion Committee and the Danvers Public Schools is hosting a Martin Luther King Jr Day of Celebration on January 20 from 4 PM – 6 PM at the Danvers High School Atrium.

Highlights from th eJanuary 8 Meeting

MLK Jr Food drive will be on January 20 from 10 AM to 2:30 PM at the Danvers Food Pantry. 

Presented the new DDTC logo 

Meetings will be moved to the Library Classroom Conference Room.  Going forward meetings will be on the 4th Thursday of the month.  

The scholarship amount will be increased from $500 to $1,000 with an annual amount review

 Jillian and Joe Durand will host a Find Your Community Cocktail Party at their home on Saturday, January 25 @ 7 PM 

Jimmy Carter, the 39th President of the United States and a tireless advocate for peace, human rights, and humanitarian causes, passed away at the age of 100.

Born on October 1, 1924, in Plains, Georgia, Carter rose from a humble farming background to attend the U.S. Naval Academy and later serve as a naval officer. After returning to Georgia, he entered politics, eventually winning the presidency in 1976 as a Washington outsider, promising honesty and integrity in government following the Watergate scandal.

During his presidency from 1977 to 1981, Carter achieved notable successes, including brokering the landmark Camp David Accords between Egypt and Israel, which led to a historic peace treaty. He also oversaw the Panama Canal Treaty, returning control of the canal to Panama, and emphasized environmental conservation and energy independence, creating the Department of Energy.

However, Carter’s presidency also faced significant challenges and setbacks. High inflation, an energy crisis, and rising unemployment created domestic unrest. His handling of the Iran Hostage Crisis, in which 52 Americans were held captive for 444 days, overshadowed his final year in office and contributed to his defeat in the 1980 election to Ronald Reagan.

Undeterred by political loss, Carter embarked on an extraordinary post-presidency, dedicating himself to humanitarian efforts through the Carter Center, which he founded with his wife, Rosalynn. He worked to advance democracy, monitor elections, fight disease, and build affordable housing with Habitat for Humanity. In recognition of his lifelong dedication to peace and human rights, he was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize in 2002.

Carter’s legacy is one of perseverance, humility, and service. It is fitting that he has passed during the Biden Presidency and will receive the full honor that he deserves. The contrast between Jimmy Carter, a very decent and deeply religious man versus Donald Trump, the most indecent and fake religious man to ever hold the office will be stark.