The current pandemic the world is experiencing has affected everyone and everything, including the Gloucester Democratic City Committee. Last month, we held our first-ever virtual reorganization meeting, electing new GDCC officers and members. Both our annual brunch and our state convention have been cancelled – more on that below. Most seriously of all, our friends, neighbors, and countrymen are hurting physically, mentally, and economically.
It is this last reason that we must not let our work fall by the wayside during these unusual and difficult times. We are now painfully confronted with the real cost of having almost unthinkably poor leadership in the White House. The last four years have not been without their own litany of horrors, but now we are confronted with globally prescient reasons for why it is so important to evict this administration as soundly as possible this November. These aren’t the circumstances in which we anticipated doing the work of democracy, but the work of democracy must nonetheless go on. Now, more than ever, we must speak to our values, organize for positive change, and stand against injustice – whatever its form.
I know that most among us greatly enjoy seeing each other every month at the Gloucester House. I look forward to being able to interact with everyone in person once again when the current crisis passes. Until then, the GDCC will be meeting virtually in order to keep in touch and stay organized. The first virtual monthly meeting will take place Thurdsay, May 14th, at 7:30pm.
I was humbled and excited to have been elected to serve as the next chair of the Gloucester Democratic City Committee. I want to thank Karen Bell for her service as chair these past four years. Her leadership and guidance have helped build and sustain a strong committee. I have been proud to serve with her and look forward to her continued participation on our current executive committee.
Let us continue our work together. See you (virtually) on May 14th!
Democratically yours,
Matthew C. Murray
Virtual Monthly Meeting, May 2020
The Gloucester Democratic City Committee will be holding a virtual meeting on Thursday, May 14th, at 7:30pm. Members and friends may participate with video using Zoom on a computer or mobile device or may call in using a traditional phone.
Gus Bickford, Chair of the Massachusetts Democratic Party, will be our featured speaker. Prior to being elected as party chair in 2016, Bickford had a long history of working in Democratic politics in Massachusetts and around the country, including presidential and congressional campaigns. He also worked on the team that created the National Voter File for the Democratic National Committee and served as the Executive Director of the Massachusetts Democratic Party.
For information on how to attend the virtual meeting, please email GDCC Chair Matthew Murray at chair@gloucesterdemocrats.org.
2020 Democratic State Convention Cancelled
Due to the ongoing situation surrounding COVID-19, the Massachusetts Democratic Party has cancelled the 2020 Massachusetts Democratic State Convention originally planned to be held on May 30. With no convention this year, the GDCC will not be holding caucuses to elect delegates.
The convention’s “main event” this year would have been the contested Democratic primary for U.S. Senate between Senator Ed Markey and Congressman Joseph Kennedy III. Candidates for U.S. Senate must receive at least 15 percent of votes cast by delegates at the convention to appear on the Democratic primary ballot, with the candidate who receives a majority of delegate votes being endorsed by the convention.
In lieu of a vote of delegates at the convention, the party has requested that Secretary Galvin place both Senator Markey and Congressman Kennedy on the Democratic primary ballot for U.S. Senate this September. This decision was publicly supported by Senator Markey and Congressman Kennedy and was made in the best interest of the health and well being of participants.