Election 2008
This
November’s election will be the most historic and exciting
contest this nation has seen in generations. It marks the first
time since 1952 that neither party’s ticket will feature
an incumbent President or Vice President. After a hard-fought
primary contest, the Democratic Party is poised to be the first
major American political party to nominate an African American
as President of the United States! We are also very proud of the
campaign ran by Senator Hillary Clinton and the historic nature
of her race, which has proven that a woman can, indeed, be Commander-in-Chief.
We as Democrats have a lot to be proud of and enthusiastic about!
Our primary season has been exciting and energizing for our
party. In every state that held a primary or caucus, Democratic
turnout greatly exceeded that of the other party’s. Nearly
twice as many Democrats participated in the February 5 Kansas
Caucuses as did Republicans in their caucus a few days later.
In the traditionally red state of Virginia, Democratic voters
outnumbered the GOP 2:1! In addition to the Presidential race,
control of Congress is at stake, with Democrats defending our
new majorities in the U.S. House and Senate. In Kansas, every
State House and State Senate seat will be up for election, as
will many county-level offices.
For Democrats, 2008 holds a great promise to expand on our 2006
victories. Sedgwick County Democrats are urged to get engaged
and involved with their local county party now, so that they can
learn the latest about our candidates and how to help get them
elected. There’s no question that this is going to be a
historic campaign year. The only question is if you will be part
of making history. Call Democratic HQ at 262-7534 today and you
will be!!
The Presidential
Race
As Democrats, we have been very fortunate to have a talented
and diverse field of candidates running for our nation’s
highest office. Throughout the primary season, political commentators
frequently remarked that our field of eight candidates has been
the most impressive Democratic slate in decades. Opinions polls
have shown over and over that Democrats have been more satisfied
with our field of candidates and are more excited about supporting
them than the other party. Additionally, crowds in all primary
states for Democratic Presidential contenders have been much larger
than crowds for the GOP, and turnout everywhere has been higher
than ever. Voters want change, and John McCain promises to deliver
only more of the same! Now that the nomination is settled, we
encourage you to support Senator Obama and his vision for moving
America forward! Don’t let Bush have a third term!!
Want to Show off Your
Support?
The Sedgwick County Democratic Headquarters now has buttons,
bumper stickers, and Rally signs for Barack Obama. We also have
left over campaign material from the Clinton campaign. We are
selling the buttons and stickers for $2 each and the rally signs
for $5 each so that we can replenish our supplies of these coveted
campaign items. Our office is located at 1064 N. Waco, on the
corner of 10th & Waco and is open Monday-Friday from 9:00
a.m.-5:00 p.m. If you are looking for t-shirts, yard signs, or
other campaign items, a great place to get these is at The DemStore.
Their web address is www.demstore.com.
The Democratic National
Convention and Delegate Selection
Every four years, the national parties gather to officially
choose their nominees for President and Vice President. In 2008,
Democrats will converge upon the city of Denver, Colorado this
August for this occasion. The convention promises to be a grand
event and a chance for Democrats to show America our vision for
the future.
Now that we have a nominee, all eyes are on Denver! The convention
will take place from August 25-28, with non-stop coverage on C-SPAN
and many of the national cable networks. Although only delegates
will be allowed in the convention center, anyone can travel to
Denver to take part in the other convention activities. There
are caucuses, meetings, rallies, campaign trainings, and lots
of fun events for Democrats to be part of as we seize this moment
in history. You can find out more about travel and hotel accommodations
as well as related Democratic Party events by visiting www.denverdnc2008.com.
The 2008 DNC promises to be an exciting occasion!
What’s a Stake
Locally in 2008?
The Sedgwick County Democratic Party has recruited over 50 Democrats
to run for office this year! A strong party fields candidates
to run up and down the ballot, and we have worked hard to find
Democrats to run in nearly every position this year.
Getting candidates elected is a team effort! We must start now
if we are to win in November 2008. Candidates who start fundraising
and organizing early have a much greater chance of winning. Our
candidates need help walking door-to-door, making phone calls,
and doing mailings. We encourage you to get involved with a campaign
and help turn Sedgwick County blue! The following positions will
be on the 2008 ballot:
• The U.S. Senate seat held by Sen. Pat Roberts
• The U.S. House seat held by Rep. Todd Tiahrt
• 8 State Senate Seats, Districts 25-32
• 22 State Representative Seats, Districts 81-100 &
103 and 105
• 18 18th Judicial District Judges, Divisions 1, 2, 3,
6, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 16, & 20-28
• 18th Judicial District Attorney
• 2 State Board of Education seats, Districts 8 and 10
• 2 Sedgwick County Commission Seats, Districts 2 and
3
• Sedgwick County Clerk
• Sedgwick County Register of Deeds
• Sedgwick County Treasurer
• Sedgwick County Sheriff
A complete list of all candidates running for both parties
can be found at http://www.sedgwickcounty.org/elections/Election/CandidateListing.cfm.
The Election Process:
Important Dates in 2008
This year’s elections are essentially take place in three
separate phases: the Presidential Primary Caucus, which were held
on February 5, the statewide Primary Election in August, and the
statewide General Election in November. It is extremely important
for Democrats participate in each of these elections.
The Statewide Primary Election will be held on Tuesday,
August 5, 2008. The nominee for both parties of all offices on
the ballot other than President will be chosen that day.
In Kansas, registered Democrats and voters who are unaffiliated
may vote in the Democratic Primary. These elections are usually
low turnout, but it’s vital for Democrats to show up and
vote. There will be several contested primaries in
the Sedgwick County area this year—8 to be exact! We
can’t win in November if we don’t have strong candidates
to face off against the GOP. Also, the more Democrats who show
up to vote in the primary, the more representation local Democrats
get on the state party’s committees.
The Statewide General Election will be held on Tuesday,
November 4, 2008. Voters across Kansas and the nation
will select a new President, vote for who they want their U.S.
Congressperson and U.S. Senator to be, as well as elect state
legislators and county officials. This will be a very important
day in our nation’s history, and we hope you will join us
on the journey to get to this date!
