Greetings and salutations fellow Democrats!  We are fired up and ready to go and hope you are too!  On May 9, The Democratic Party of Valencia County (DPVC) held its first general meeting, where we introduced party leaders and had a question and answer session with the attendees. 

Our DPVC Chair, Summer Ludwig, had a full agenda all set, but unfortunately was down for the count with a double whammy of Covid and Influenza.  Vice Chair (VC) George Colombo conducted the meeting, with the assistance of Bill Ludwig running Zoom for attendees at home.   

George ran a well-received, professional meeting that included the vision of the DPVC.  He gave an overview of where we want to go in the next two years, and made warm introductions of each Ward Chair. 

 After the meeting, George shared his thoughts:  

“Three things happened that were encouraging… or even downright exciting”, he said.  

“First,  our Ward Chairs had a chance to introduce themselves and to talk about their plans. In addition to myself  in Ward D, the other Ward Chairs who spoke were: Marcos Balido (Ward B and also our secretary), Michelle Tafoya (Ward C), Jeff Anderson (Ward F), Torres Leyba (Ward J), Michael Melendez (Ward L), and Linda Guenley (Ward M).  (If you know your precinct number (check your voter registration card), then e-mail us and we will connect you with your Ward Chair).

“Ward Chairs are where the real energy is in Valencia County and we have a really capable and professional group.” He went on to say:  “The second thing that was noteworthy was an extended discussion in which almost everyone in attendance shared their aspirations for the party and their ideas about what will make the party successful in 2024 and beyond.”  

Climate change, women’s issues, and mentoring young people were some of the ideas discussed.  Several attendees were concerned about water issues in Valencia county, both as farmers and environmentalists. Discussion was had about attendance and visibility at community events and community outreach in general.  Involving young people in the democratic process is vital to our future, and voter registration and mentorship were discussed as ways to achieve that goal.       

George went on to state “Part of Summer’s vision for the party is to make sure that a wide range of voices get heard. This discussion highlighted the value of that approach.”  “So third, this meeting attracted several attendees who (1) had never been to a DPVC event before and (2) expressed an interest in rolling up their sleeves and helping out.”  We will keep listening to new ideas and incorporating them in upcoming DPVC actions because we are the Big Tent Party.

“I hope I’ve managed to convey some of the enthusiasm and determination that was floating around all the attendees, both veterans and newcomers. 

And if you weren’t able to attend, I hope you’ll consider joining us next time. And bring a friend. We’ve all got a lot of work to do over the next two years. It’s not too early to get the team in shape!”

That sums up our hopes and needs nicely, George! 

Co-authored by Linda Guenley and Michelle Tafoya