November Meeting with Senator Dembrow
A4D’s November meeting will take place on Tuesday, November 22, at 5:00pm. State Senator Michael Dembrow will be our guest. He will guide us in taking a deeper look at what happened during the election and will share his insights on what to expect in the coming 2023 legislative session. It will be a time to take stock of where we are and begin to look forward to what lies ahead for Act for Democracy. Please join us on Thursday! Register here and Zoom details will follow.
Georgia’s Senate Runoff
In a few short weeks, Georgia voters will be back at the polls deciding who represents them in Congress, Senator Raphael Warnock or former football running back Herschel Walker. Having Warnock in DC will ensure Democrats have a substantial majority in the Senate. Here are some ways you can help make that a reality:
Call Voters of Color with the Georgia Coalition for the Peoples Agenda or join a text bank. Phone banks are held daily from 2:00-7:00pm ET starting this Wednesday. Sign up here. If you can’t join a phone bank, help is also needed texting and begins on Thursday; follow this link to participate.
Write letters to Georgia voters with Vote Forward. Details here.
Join Swing Blue Alliance on Wednesday, November 16, at 7:00pm ET to learn about efforts to help re-elect Senator Warnock. Keynote speaker is Marth Shockey of the Indivisible Georgia Coalition. Register now.
The Atlanta and Georgia NAACP is running a statewide non-partisan GOTV campaign. The statewide organizer, Ray McClendon, can be reached at rmcclendon1@gmail.com. The project is best suited for people on the ground, but there are ways to participate remotely.
Post-Election Discussion
Tomorrow, Tuesday, November 15, at 7:00pm Consolidated Oregon Indivisible Network (COIN) meets. Expect a conversation about the elections, what happened and what it all means, along with ways of supporting Senator Warnock’s runoff election in Georgia. Register here. Also, please note that Indivisible Oregon is taking a break until the first of the year, so no Indivisible Tuesdays until then.
Portlanders Change City Government
Portland voters approved Ballot Measure 26-228, which means they authorized the implementation of a new City Charter with three major changes. First, voters can now rank candidates in order of preference thanks to ranked choice voting. Second, four new geographic districts will be defined, with three members elected to represent each district. And third, city council will focus on setting policy while the mayor will run day-to-day operations with the help of a city administrator. You can keep abreast of the transition at this website and to get involved in establishing the city’s four geographic districts on a 13-person Independent District Commission, go here. Phase Two of the Charter Commission’s review is ongoing and is focused on environmental justice, bureau and office proposals, and expansion of voting rights. Public hearings will take place via Zoom on Thursday, November 17, at 6:00pm and Saturday, November 19, at noon. Sign up here to provide testimony and read the Phase II Report at this link. You can also submit a comment via an online form, by sending an email to CharterReview@portlandoregon.gov, phoning 3-1-1, or by writing the Office of Management and Finance, Charter Review, 1120 SW 5th Avenue, Room 901, Portland 97204. The comment period for Phase II closes at 7:00am on Monday, November 28.
Results Still Trickling In
Though final results aren’t expected until this Wednesday, there are many clear outcomes for the candidates and ballot measures Act for Democracy endorsed: Federal Senator Ron Wyden won again even though Jo Rae Perkins, a QAnon adherent, received over 700,000 votes and counting, a worrisome outcome. Representative Suzanne Bonamici held onto her House District 1 seat in a blowout. Joe Yetter, despite mounting a plucky challenge to incumbent Cliff Bentz in House District 2, lost due in no small part to redistricting, which turned the district even redder. Representative Earl Blumenauer handily won in House District 3. Val Hoyle was victorious in House District 4 by 8 points. Jamie McLeod-Skinner conceded House District 5 on Sunday evening in an excruciatingly close race. Andrea Salinas is leading in House District 6 though it’s still too close to call.
State Tina Kotek is our new Governor, beating both of her opponents in a three-way race. Christina Stephenson is the state’s next Labor Commissioner, a race she comfortably won. Ballot Measure 113, which imposes consequences for unexcused legislator absences, passed. Ballot Measure 114 passed, which means gun permit loopholes are closed and large-capacity magazines are banned in Oregon. Local
Jo Ann Hardesty lost her seat on the Portland City Council. Catherine McMullen will take over as Clackamas County Clerk, having thrashed Sherry Hall, who is responsible for terrible mismanagement and ethical issues in Clackamas County’s elections office. Portland Measure 26-228, which revamps Portland’s governance structure, passed (see above).