SAN DIEGO COUNTY DEMOCRATS IN 2017 Planting the Seeds of Progress
WHERE WE ARE, AT A GLANCE National elections dealt a blow to Democrats, putting us in a role of blocking and blasting the Republican agenda while we plan for 2018 and 2020 The presidential race highlighted a need to redefine and realign the Party s platform & message Meanwhile after years of major progressive lawmaking in California, voters rewarded Democrats with supermajorities in the State Legislature And while we had some close and tough losses in San Diego County, the vast majority our local candidates won, and our Democratic registration has never been higher
WHAT WE DO, HOW WE DO IT Our Mission: The San Diego County Democratic Party engages voters and elects Democrats to advance equality, opportunity, sustainability, and prosperity for all. Our Tactics and Tools: Grassroots organizing and volunteer coordination Candidate recruiting, training, and support Communications Issue advocacy and community engagement Infrastructure and technology Organizational development (including Dem. Clubs) Sustainable funding to continue growth
SDCDP PROVIDED KEY SUPPORT More than 500 GO Team and other Party volunteers made 100,000 door-knocks and phone calls to inform and turn out our voters in the General Election Coordinated campaign offices supported candidates and volunteers in Escondido, Chula Vista, La Mesa, Kearny Mesa, and Solana Beach Official slate mailers were sent to 330,000 Democratic households, personalized to list just the endorsements in each voter s precinct
MORE CANDIDATE SUPPORT The new online Campaign Toolbox gave candidates round-the clock access to training, vendor contacts, templates, best practices, and other resources More than 100 candidates and campaign workers attended sessions in the County Party s training program, covering field, communications, technology, fundraising, and management 60 campaigns received direct help with voter data management, customized lists, and targeting strategy from two staff members and a data volunteer
AND MORE SUPPORT The County Party raised and spent more than $1.4 million on member communications to Democrats in support of local candidates in 2016, including direct mail and canvassers Most counties raise less than %80,000. Our list of endorsements was emailed to more than 100,000 Democrats, and get-out-the-vote robocalls (in English and Spanish) were sent to 70,000 new and infrequent voters Digital ads targeted to Democrats, in English and Spanish, helped drive more than 100,000 pageviews on the Party website in the final month.
LOOKING AHEAD: WHAT S NEXT? Outreach to newly elected officials through the Democratic Leadership Network: provide resources and tools for building constituencies, encouraging mentorship, advancing mutual policy goals Focus shifting to mid-term elections: statewide, congressional, and local races for 2018 New County Central Committee seated in January for year term. Emphasis in 2017 on strategic planning, candidate training, listening to Democrats and building grassroots resistance activism, etc. The work that never stops: recruiting, training, fundraising, communicating, organizing
SOME CHALLENGES WE FACE Immediate need to combat the worst actions of the new administration harming the most vulnerable including pushing back at the state and local levels Need to address grief, anger, blaming, mistrust, etc. among Democrats / progressives and channel energy into productive ways to work toward shared goals Spiral of reality-denial, lies, and fake news threatening the integrity and functioning of our democracy
BUT THERE S A PATH FORWARD Excesses of new administration may prompt electoral backlash and long-term damage to Republicans Nationally, lessons learned from 2016 may reenergize and reshape the Democratic Party in positive ways At the state and local levels, demographics and registration trends strongly favor Democrats and progressive policies California laws taking effect soon will substantially increase voter registration, turnout, and education For San Diego Democrats, the period of frustration during the last Republican presidency led to transformational growth and change
OUR BLUE NEW VOTERS San Diego County Registered Voters (Nov. 2016) All Voters MISC 5% New Voters* MISC 6% REP 30% DEM 36% REP 18% DEM 42% NPP 27% NPP 34% * Registered for the first time in 2016 10% of all voters in the county
SAN DIEGO COUNTY VOTER STATS 64% of all registered voters in the county are now Permanent Mail Voters 29% are 18-35 years of age (vs. 22% in 2014) 21% are Latino 32% registered or reregistered in 2016 77% turned out in 2016 about the same as in 2012 and 2004, down from the peak of 84% in 2008
NEW CA LAWS TO AID VOTERS These state laws will take effect between 2017 and 2020: Any person, not just household or family member, can drop off a voter s ballot (as long as not paid or coercive) Registration by default through DMV; those skipping party preference step will be flagged as Unknown, not NPP Automatic re-registration through DMV when voters move within the state Technology to help people with disabilities vote electronically, print, and return ballot Same-day registration on Election Day (only at county voting offices) All voters will be sent mail ballots, and more/earlier dropoff locations added (some counties by 2018, all by 2020)
INDIVISIBLE GRASSROOTS GUIDE San Diegans can join the Indivisible Movement. Developed by former Congressional Staffers Teaches effective tactics used by Tea Party Groups Sustained local action targeting Congress Reps. 1 How grassroots advocacy worked to stop President Obama. 2 How your MoC thinks and how to use that to save democracy. 3 Identify or organize your local group. 4 Advocacy tactics that actually work. 5.Town halls. 6. Non-town hall events. 7. District office sit-ins/meetings. 8. Coordinated calls. Contribute to advocacy organizations Make the most of every organizing opportunity
SAN DIEGO COUNTY DEMOCRATS IN 2017 Planting the Seeds of Progress