Winter is creeping into Southern Oregon . . Our mountains are dusted with snow and darkness comes earlier and earlier each evening. With the tragic news of terrorism and new war in the Middle East, Russia’s ongoing assault on Ukraine, and the continuing gun violence epidemic here at home, many are feeling heavy with the darkness. And yet, there are sparks of hope. Now is a good time to reflect on the poet Amanda’s Gorman’s words:
“For there is always light, if only we’re brave enough to see it. If only we’re brave enough to be it.”
- Amanda Gorman, “The Hill We Climb” Inaugural Poem for President Joe Biden’s First Term
As you and your friends or family members gather for the winter holidays, we wish for you to find your light and share it with others as we work together to lift up our communities here in Jackson County.
In just a few months, spring will be descending on the Rogue Valley and our Neighborhood Leaders will be getting active in neighborhoods across Jackson County–knocking on doors, making phone calls and writing postcards – all in an effort to get out the BLUE vote in Jackson County.
If you’re not yet a Neighborhood Leader with the Jackson County Democratic Party, please consider getting involved!
As a new Neighborhood Leader, you’ll be given a list of Democratic and progressive voters in your neighborhood or a nearby neighborhood. With support and training, you learn how to “canvas” your neighborhood by knocking on doors and asking voters to vote, calling voters to remind them to vote and sometimes sending personal postcards with a personal message of encouragement to vote. Jackson County’s strong Neighborhood Leader Program (NLP) has played a key role in winning elections for Democrats here in our valley, so please seriously consider joining the program for upcoming elections. We need more Neighborhood Leaders in every city and town and in all areas of the county.
You can learn more about the Neighborhood Leader Program on our website:
https://www.jcdemocrats.org/nlp-menu
You can volunteer to become a Neighborhood Leader by emailing:
If you’re already a Neighborhood Leader – THANK YOU!
Please help us recruit more Neighborhood Leaders. Perhaps you know of a neighbor, friend or family member who cares about the future of your community and would be willing to get involved. Or, perhaps your significant other or another adult in your household would be willing to work with you as a partner with the Neighborhood Leader Program. Please ask these folks to join our team!
As we enter 2024, we find our country at a crossroads and once again our democracy is on the line. By becoming a Neighborhood Leader with the Jackson County Democrats you can make a real difference in the upcoming primary and general elections.
You can have a voice in your local Democratic Party as a Precinct Committee Person (PCP). Our Precinct Committee Persons are the backbone of our county party. They serve on various committees such as the Neighborhood Leader Program (our Get Out the Vote program), Fundraising, Campaign, Budget and Finance, Platform and Resolutions and more. All PCPs are a part of the Central Committee of the Jackson County Democrats which is our governing body. Your viewpoint, wisdom, ideas and energy are needed to make our local party stronger and more successful.
Learn more and how to apply to be appointed by visiting our website: https://www.jcdemocrats.org/precinct-committee-person
All current PCPs need to re-file to become an elected PCP with the Jackson County Democratic Party before the upcoming deadline on March 12, 2024. New PCP candidates can also file for election to become a PCP now! PCPs are elected by registered Democrats during the Oregon Primary in May 2024.
You can file for election to be PCP online with the Oregon Secretary of State: https://sos.oregon.gov/elections/Pages/candidate-filing-precinct-committeeperson-sel-105.aspx
Jackson County needs your leadership! Will 2024 be the year you step up to the plate and run for office or take on a position of leadership with a local campaign? Your local Democratic party is here to help. We will be hosting workshops beginning in early 2024 on running for local office. At these workshops, you can learn more about what it takes to run for office and how to run a successful campaign. Dates and times for the workshops will be announced at a later date. Stay tuned!
Whether you are thinking about running for office or you want to help on a local campaign, please fill out this form to get started:
https://forms.gle/LEbxFVg5SHuHszWf6
Mark your calendar for the evening of Thursday, March 14, 2024 for the 2024 Roosevelt-Kennedy Dinner at Ashland Hills Hotel and Convention Center. This will be a major fundraiser for the 2024 election season!
This year’s program will feature female leaders and musicians as we celebrate Women’s History Month. You won’t want to miss this wonderful evening of fellowship with Democrats from across Jackson County. Candidates for many state and local offices will be on hand and special keynote speakers will be announced in the coming months.
![Eleanor Roosevelt and John F. Kennedy talking before taping telecast, Brandeis University, Waltham, Massachusetts] | International Center of Photography](https://s3.amazonaws.com/icptmsdata/2/0/1/2/2012_91_17_417787_displaysize.jpg)
We’ve been challenged to raise $40,000 for the upcoming 2024 campaigns! Can you chip in and make a contribution today? All funds raised by the Jackson County Democrats are spent right here in Jackson County to help elect Democrats in the county.
You can easily make a donation online through our Act Blue page here: https://secure.actblue.com/contribute/page/jackson-county-democratic-party--or--1
This month is your last chance to make a contribution to the Jackson County Democrats this year. While contributions to political parties are not tax deductible as charitable contributions, you can claim an Oregon Income Tax Credit of up to $50 for individual filers and $100 for joint filers on your Oregon Income tax filing when you donate to the Jackson County Democrats in 2023. (Check with your tax preparer or the Oregon Department of Revenue for more information.)
You are also welcome to donate by sending in a check. Please make sure that you include your name, address, and employer or state “retired” for campaign reporting Information.
Mail your check and donation information to:
Jackson County Democrats
PO BOX 4474
Medford, OR 97501-0175
"I took a somewhat unusual path to the position of Party Chair. I joined the local Democrats “Get out the Vote” team known as the Neighborhood Leader Program (NLP) in 2017 – while I was a non-affiliated voter. I was seeking some way to respond to the chaos and trauma of Donald Trump. The idea of adopting my neighborhood and having conversations with like-minded voters had tremendous appeal. I began to do behind-the-scenes tasks for the local NLP Organizing Committee, and when the chair of Neighborhood Leader Committee was diagnosed with cancer in 2020, I decided it was time to step up. So, I rejoined the Democratic Party after having left it eight years earlier. I became a PCP (precinct committee person) so that I could become an officer of the NLP Committee, and before long I was the NLP Committee Chair. I felt compelled to help his local party become more competitive in a mostly red county, and this past January was elected Party Chair. Please contact me to discuss how you can help in this effort, at Chair@jcdemocrats.org."
-Davis Sours, Party Chair
"I live on occupied Shasta and Takelma lands in White City with my husband, my two little boys and the family puppy. I am indigenous Quechua and was adopted from Ecuador, South America at 13 months old and raised here in the Rogue Valley. I became involved with the party in 2019 when I realized I needed to do something to protect our democracy for our future generations. I am a storyteller, community organizer and activist for climate and social justice causes not just locally but have also had the chance to participate on the international level at COP25 in Madrid Spain in 2019. I love to travel, do all mediums of art, spend time with my boys and pup and spend time in nature. For the last year I have held the title of Development Associate for a local non profit working to educate on climate change, this is meaningful work as it gives me a different view of community organizing and on the importance of working to protect our communities and future."
-Isabella Lee Tibbetts, Party Vice-Chair
Look for more profiles of our other party officers and active Democrats in upcoming newsletters. If you have an idea of local Democrat we can profile in the newsletter, please email the Communications Team at communicationschair@jcdemocrats.org
We want to know when you have a question or concern, or are seeking to find out about volunteer opportunities. Right now, especially, as we gear up for the 2024 primary election (May 21, 2024) and general election (November 5, 2024), we want to be certain that you hear back from us!
Whether you leave a message in the party’s voice mail (541-858-1050), send us an email to mail@jcdemocrats.org, or send an inquiry via our party website (jcdemocrats.org), we’ll make every effort to respond to you in a timely manner.
The City of Ashland has openings on the Housing and Human Services Commission, the Wildfire Safety Commission, the Climate Policy Commission and more! More information on the City of Ashland Commission Vacancies.
The City of Medford has openings on the Commission on Access, Diversity, Equity and Inclusion, the Housing Advisory Commission, the Planning Commission, the Police Advisory Committee and more! More information on the City of Medford Committee and Commission Vacancies!
PO BOX 4474, Medford, OR 97501 | 541-858-1050 | jcdemocrats.org
Jackson County Democrats
PO BOX 4474
Medford, OR 97501
United States
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