By Brandon Moseley
Alabama Political Reporter
Friday, June 2, 2017, Today, the Alabama Democratic Party announced a major statewide Summer of Revival program designed to bolster local party organizations in order to win down-ballot races.
The Party will partner with county parties and external allies to invest in local organizing projects over the summer, which will increase the Party’s capacity to elect Democrats up-and-down the ballot in 2017, 2018, and beyond.
Alabama Democratic Party Chair Nancy Worley said, “The best way for Democrats to revive the Party and win at the ballot box is by doing one thing: organizing/”
Chairwoman Worley said, “The Summer of Revival is the starting point and will take our message of higher paying jobs, quality public education and affordable healthcare to activists on the front lines and to all Alabamians looking to get engaged.”
The stated. “Mission of the Summer of Revival is to educate, organize, and mobilize grassroots energy from Democrats in all 67 counties to help build the Party’s base of political power and resist Donald Trump’s attacks on hardworking families.”
The program is partly funded with a grant from the Democratic National Committee.
New DNC Chairman Tom Perez said, “There has been an explosion of activism and energy after the election of Donald Trump, and we need to turn this moment into a movement. As the Democratic Party, it is our role to support this activism and energy, and convert it into electoral wins up-and-down the ballot by making sure state parties have the tools and resources they need to succeed.”
The Alabama Democrats announced that they were holding Key Summer of Revival events across the State on Saturday, June 3 to kick off the Summer of Revival.
More events are planned for Monday, September 4, to conclude the Summer of Revival. Other events are in the planning stages and will be released at a later date.
The Alabama Democratic Party has not won a statewide race since 2008 when Lucy Baxley and Sue Bell Cobb were elected Public Service Commission President and Chief Justice of the Alabama Supreme Court. The Democratic Party lost control of both Houses of the Alabama Legislature in the election of 2010 after 135 years of Democratic Party control. Republicans have nearly 60 percent of the elected offices in the State, every statewide elected office, and six of the seven members of the Alabama congressional delegation. Donald Trump won more votes than any Republican Presidential candidate in Alabama history.
Worley however hopes that is all about to change. Worley said, “We have a chance to win up-and-down the ballot, but showing up is not enough. We have to organize, knock on doors, and motivate voters to the polls. Only then can we deliver what hardworking Alabama families need.”
