From the Chair - August 2023

Dog Days of Summer are here!

Our signature event, Century Club, is fast approaching. Our volunteers are hard at work finalizing arrangements for the evening. You can expect to hear from our municipal candidates and we’re delighted to bring Judge Allison Riggs from the NC Court of Appeals and Dr. Chris Cooper, Madison Distinguished Professor of Political Science; Director of the Public Policy Institute at Western Carolina University.

Tickets and sponsorships are still available. The funds raised will go towards supporting our Democratic candidates and our Get-Out-The-Vote efforts. It will be fantastic to have Hart Square full of Catawba County Democrats!

Doors open at 5:30 p.m. and dinner service will begin at 6:00 p.m. The address is: 5055 Hope Road, Vale, NC 28168

You can buy your tickets here.

Filing for the 2023 elections closed on July 21. Ten Democrats across Catawba County -

listed below – are running for office.

Brookford: Dallas McKinney

Catawba: Cynthia Evans

Long View: Genita Hill, Ward 1

Maiden: Holly Crafton-Lay (incumbent) and Deon Henry

Newton: Jody Dixon (incumbent), Beverly Danner (incumbent),

Hickory: Charlotte Williams (incumbent), Ward 1

Please check your garages for campaign signs – especially the frames – and bring them to HQ. We want to recycle them for our municipal candidates. If you have any, they can be left in the carport area between the garage and HQ building.

On July 25, Beverly Danner, Deon Henry, and Matt Farley came to HQ for a meeting with CCDP Officers, Lynn Dorfman and Michael Carreccia of Express Lane Strategies. Resources and advice was shared to help guide an effective campaign. We look forward to supporting all of our candidates this fall.

NC Senator and candidate for Lt. Governor, Rachel Hunt, visited our headquarters on July 15. Catawba County Democrats came en masse and delivered a rousing ovation at the conclusion of her remarks. Hunt said “We need to take our state back, we need to take our country back! We cannot be afraid.” Among the activities that elected her to office, Hunt described how critical canvassing was for her previous campaigns. Senator Hunt knocked on the doors of Democrats, Unaffiliated voters, and even Republicans. Her message left those in the crowd energized and with feelings of hope and optimism.

Mayor Pro Tem of Charlotte City Council, Braxton Winston visited Hickory on July 22 at Wine and Design for his campaign’s first official event. Winston is running for NC Commissioner of Labor and is campaigning to make North Carolina the #1 state for jobs and workers. Winston described how important the NC Department of Labor is – from regulations, safety and health to workplace rights.

Liberal Drinkers will be at 6 p.m. on Friday, August 4, Union Square in Downtown Hickory.

Stay tuned for events this fall with our candidates. It’s imperative we work to support them and Get-Out-The-Vote!

Vote Blue!

Michael McLamb