Democrats must turn away from fear and misinformation

For the first time, the Boulder County Democratic Party has multiple Black and Latina women running for elected office.

This ought to be a cause for celebration, but instead, it seems to be cause for concern.

As a Democrat, I am celebrating.

Based on my experience collecting signatures for Jovita Schiffer (state Senate District 18 candidate), Rep. Junie Joseph (state House District 10 candidate) and Commissioner Marta Loachamin (Boulder County Commission District 2 candidate), these three candidates are motivating unaffiliated voters to register as Democrats and inspiring young people and first-time voters of all ages to get involved in electoral politics.

This is good news for the Democratic Party. These candidates are showing that fresh perspectives can overcome voter apathy, exactly the skillset we need in November to avoid Trump 2.0.

Unfortunately, we seem to be getting in our own way.

This weekend is the Boulder County Democratic Party Assembly, where a couple hundred delegates will decide which Democrats appear on the June 25 primary.

Delegates were selected in the March 9 caucus from among Democratic voters who could arrange to give up three to four hours on a Saturday afternoon, and then also commit to giving up a whole Saturday on March 23, the first day of the Boulder Valley School District’s and the University of Colorado’s spring break.

With time requirements like this to have your voice heard, it’s no surprise that of the 500 possible delegates in Boulder County, only about 380 were selected.

To add insult to injury, some Democrats appear to be spreading misinformation and using fear tactics to try to keep these three Black and Latina women off the June 25 primary ballot.

Delegates in one precinct — one that includes a lot of renters, workers, families with children, low-income residents and BIPOC voters — were told the wrong time for the assembly.

Last week, delegates were reporting that they can’t vote for the candidates they think their precincts would support (they can). Instead, they reported being told that delegates have to follow straw polls.

And now, some of my fellow Democrats are telling delegates that some of these strong Democratic candidates are lackeys for the Democratic Socialists of America, a statement that is as incoherent as it is incorrect.

None of these candidates is a member of the DSA, despite the fact that Boulder County voters overwhelmingly have voted for Dsa-backed candidates such as Bernie Sanders in recent presidential primaries.

The implication that women of color who have overcome so many obstacles in their lives to become small-business owners, community leaders and candidates for elected office are lackeys for any political group is deeply racist and misogynistic.

In the past decade, we’ve lost many things our Democratic predecessors fought for: women’s right to control their own bodies, affirmative action and the Voting Rights Act, just to name a few devastating losses. We shouldn’t be fighting so hard and so dirty to keep Democrats off the ballot, especially when those Democrats are women of color who are attracting new voters.

It’s unbecoming for members of a party that purports to care about democracy and racial equity, especially given the threat we are facing in November from another Trump presidency.