2017 was an exciting year for BerniePDX. While politics at the national level leave much to be desired, we remain committed to continuing the Political Revolution locally. We began the year fresh off our wins helping elect Chloe Eudaly to City Council and passing campaign finance limits in Multnomah County with Honest Elections, and jumped straight into finding new ways to continue the Revolution. Together, we:
• Endorsed, volunteered for, and helped elect some amazing school board candidates — Rita Moore and Scott Bailey for Portland Public Schools, and Stephanie Stephens and Ana Del Rocio for David Douglas, and also Valdez Bravo to the PCC Board. Rita and Valdez were also endorsed by Our Revolution, and were included in a special email to members nationwide!
• And speaking of Our Revolution, we became an official affiliate group in October!
• Continued meeting almost every week for trainings, social events, and to hear speakers on dozens of topics, including healthcare, election and campaign finance reform, immigration and prison issues, and local air pollution problems, just to name a few. We’ve been a hub for organizations to share their causes and mobilize activists.
• Celebrated our second anniversary with a fantastic BBQ in September that featured some of our winning candidates and gave us a chance to celebrate and thank everyone, and acknowledge how far we’ve come since we helped organize Bernie’s first visit to the Moda Center.
And we’re on our way to even more great things – all thanks to you!
So what’s next for 2018?
We’re hard at work on the campaign for Measure 101 to save healthcare for Oregonians (join us this Tuesday 1/2 to phone/text bank for 101). And the May elections are just around the corner!
Beginning January 9, progressive candidates will be coming to our Tuesday meetings to meet BerniePDX members, answer your questions, and request an endorsement. You won’t want to miss it! If you can’t make the meetings, don’t worry, we still want your input! Keep an eye on your inbox for the BerniePDX endorsement polls.
Thank you for keeping the Political Revolution alive! We can’t wait to see what 2018 has in store!
In solidarity,
The BerniePDX Leadership Team