Follow this newsletter to keep current on the events shaping our state and the work our party is doing to win in 2020 and beyond.
Dear Fellow Wisconsin Democrats,
Over the weekend of November 2 – 3, one year out from the 2020 election, DPW volunteers and organizers are going to do something we’ve never done before in an off-year.
We’re going to knock 50,000 doors in a single weekend.
That’s over twice Trump’s 2016 margin of victory in Wisconsin.
Pundits and political analysts all agree — the 2020 election is going to come down to Wisconsin. Whoever wins Wisconsin wins the presidency. The stakes couldn’t be higher.
We know the most effective form of voter persuasion is face-to-face conversations. That’s why we’re talking to voters earlier than ever before, in all parts of the state. Because we can’t take any vote for granted.
Help us start off 2020 on the right foot.Find a canvass near you and commit to knocking doors over the weekend of November 2 – 3.
Thanks for being in this fight,
Ben
FIGHT on the Issues:
Attacks on our Farmers
On Tuesday, Trump’s Agriculture Secretary Sonny Perdue visited the Wisconsin Dairy Expo and told struggling farmers that they just needed to get bigger if they wanted to survive. Here’s what Purdue literally said: “In America, the big get bigger and the small go out…I don’t think in America we […] have a guaranteed income or guaranteed profitability.”
Behind the scenes at DPW’s press conference on Tuesday
Fortunately, the Demcratic Party of Wisconsin held a press conference to respond.”What I heard today from the secretary of agriculture was there’s no place for me,” a 5th generation dairy farmer from Grant County said in response.
Secretary’s Perdue’s comments were a clear embodiment of what we already knew: that Trump administration’s agriculture policies favor Big Ag corporations and leave small farmers behind. And they’re not even willing to give them a shot.
Thanks in part to our amplification of this issue, Republicans are fighting with each other over Perdue’s comments. Several Wisconsin Republicans, including Glenn Grothman and Ron Johnson, have come out against Perdue’s tone deaf comments.
On Tuesday, we held a press conference with DPW Rural Caucus Chair Nate Timm and Wisconsin Farmers’ Union President Darin VonRuden who joined farmers Paul Adams and Jerry Volenec to call out the Trump administration’s complete abandonment of Wisconsin farmers.
Our press conference was carried in national outlets & on TV across Wisconsin!
Wisconsin Democrats are fighting everyday to ensure that farmers’ livelihoods are supported and our rural communities are strong. We know that family farmers are the backbone of Wisconsin’s economy and the heart of their communities. Right now, farmers are struggling and that means Wisconsin is struggling, too.
“We’re seeing more and more rural communities that are disappearing. They’re losing their banks, they’re losing their post offices, they’re even losing their grocery stores…When there’s no money in the farming community it doesn’t stay in that local community. And so it [money] disappears and the local community disappears,” a third generation dairy farmer said.
INCLUDE & RESPECT
To take back the White House in 2020, we will need to run a strong ground game that maximizes volunteer enthusiasm and voter engagement. And to do this, we need a cadre of well-trained, local, and diverse organizers that are ready to be activated in battleground states as soon we have a nominee.
That’s why the DNC’s Organizing Corps 2020 is recruiting and training 1,000 young people in key battleground states to work on the 2020 general election, starting this fall. They’re looking for young people living or going to school in Wisconsin who will graduate by May 2020 and are committed to working on the general election from June through November 3rd, 2020.
Our OC2020 cohort from this summer knocked thousands of doors and learned valuable campaign skills to use next summer on the future presidential campaign!
Students will participate in trainings and simulations on the fundamentals of organizing — voter registration, volunteer recruitment, voter contact, digital tools, data analytics, and field strategy — led by campaign veterans.
The application for the 7-day winter bootcamp just launched and the deadline is November 12. It’ll take place in Madison on January 13-19, 2020. A $500 travel and living stipend will be included.
To our friends and families who celebrated Rosh Hashanah earlier this week, we wish you a joyful, sweet, and prosperous New Year!
2019 Dane County NAACP Freedom Fund Dinner
Ben was delighted to be able to celebrate the NAACP of Dane County’s 2019 Freedom Fund dinner with President Greg Jones last weekend! Below is a photo of the Democratic Party of Wisconsin’s table.
EMPOWER the Grassroots
Ways to Get Involved
Democrats win through people power, so we wanted to update you on a few exciting opportunities to get involved:
If you’re interested in running for local office, you can fill out this Google form and someone from our team will be in touch.
If you’re interested in being a poll worker in the upcoming 2020 elections, please express your interest here.
If you’re interested in having early access to our exciting new texting tool, express your interest here.
And finally, a reminder to sign up for a canvass for #1Year2Win. Find an event near you here!
If you need a refresher on organizing, join our team at our final regional organizing training for the year in Elkhorn — October 6th from 12:00 pm to 3:00 pm at Walworth Dems Office, 15 E Walworth St, Elkhorn, WI 53121 (Sign up link)
Last Weekend’s Stevens Point Training
This past weekend, the National Democratic Training Committee came to town and held a training for future campaign managers, staff and volunteers in Stevens Point. There was a great turnout and we’re more confident than ever that we have the talent necessary to ensure Democratic victories in 2020 and beyond! Thanks to those who showed up and everyone who continues to volunteer their time to their communities and the party.
Follow DPW on Facebook, Twitter & Instagram
