From the Chair

Hello, Democrats and other people of goodwill.

Happy New Year! Despite the pandemic, we’ve got a lot to be happy about – notably the incoming Biden/Harris administration, re-election of Gov. Roy Cooper and Attorney General Josh Stein, Secretary of State Elaine Marshall, Treasurer Beth Wood and Gov. Cooper’s and Dr. Mandy Cohen’s leadership of our state’s response to COVID-19.

It won’t be Chinese New Year until February, but I am happy to report that 2020, the Year of the Rat, is being followed by 2021, the Year of the Ox. Oxen are work animals. That’s our plan for 2021: Work together to build a stronger and more effective Catawba County Democratic Party. We made a lot of progress over the past year -- below you’ll see a recap of our work in 2020 and a shout-out about the priorities for 2021.

Here are three key dates coming up soon.

One, January 18, as you may know, is MLK Day. That day is also a national day of service. For this year’s MLK Day, the Catawba County Democratic Party and the Democratic Women of Catawba County are planning two service projects — one in Hickory and one in Newton. We’re working with a group associated with the Presidential Inaugural Committee that is leading efforts to create / execute service events across the nation on Jan. 18.

The coordinating committee has strict COVID-cautious guidance and is recommending planning either a virtual event or an outdoor / drive-by event. We are finalizing the specifics for the events and will be communicating soon with the details for how you can help.

Two, January 20 is Inauguration Day. We are planning a virtual Zoom event for 11 a.m. on January 20 so – together – we can watch President-Elect Joe Biden assume the presidency. We’re working out the details and will get that information out – we’d love to have you join us as we turn the page and say farewell to the Trump Administration. Please pre-register by clicking here.

We’ll also celebrate the incoming Biden/Harris administration with drive-bys at Headquarters. We’ve ordered a life-size cardboard cutout of President-Elect Biden and you can come by Headquarters during our Thursday office hours (10 am to 1 pm) on Jan. 7, 14, and 21 and get a photo with the incoming President. We ask that you bring canned goods to contribute to the community outreach efforts the Democratic Women are coordinating.

Three, January 26 is our next monthly meeting – Zoom at 7 pm. We’ll get an agenda and information out to you closer to that date. We’ll have some important business, but we’ll open the meeting hearing from a special guest – State Senator Jeff Jackson.

We’re going to hit the ground running in 2021. I look forward to “seeing” you soon.

Go Blue!

Lynn