The Jefferson County Democrats’ March 24 convention has successfully nominated a delegation for the Democratic Party’s state convention this summer, and has approved three of the five resolutions that had been submitted beforehand.

A proposed resolution opposing anti-free-speech bills was withdrawn, as its author was unable to attend the convention, and a resolution on gun violence was deemed in need of revisions to clarify its language, according to Linda Sutton, Cape George Precinct Committee officer.

However, the Jefferson County Democrats did approve resolutions to connect the West End of the county to East Jefferson, as well as to oppose military training in state parks, and to commit to a constitutional amendment clarifying the rights of corporations.

The three delegates chosen to attend the June 15-17 state convention in Wenatchee were David Griffith with 60 votes, Linda Brewster with 58 votes, and Alise Moss Vetica with 53 votes.

George Yount was chosen as an alternate delegate with 35 votes, even though Sutton received 49 votes and Chris Llewelyn received 46 votes, because Yount was the next closest vote-getter of the opposite gender, to ensure gender equity within the delegation.

Marty Gilmore, chair of the Jefferson County Democrats, expressed the hope that Yount, Sutton and Llewelyn might be able to serve as the delegates for the Clallam County Democrats at the state convention, since the Clallam County Democrats have experienced procedural difficulties nominating their own delegation without organizing a county convention of their own.

Griffith, who uses a wheelchair due to a disability, quoted the disability activism slogan “Nothing about us without us” to advocate in favor of broader representation within the delegation.

“My perspective is very different from yours, but I’m still part of your ‘us,’” Griffith said. “I’m just a different part of that ‘us,’ that can make your ‘us’ bigger. Because you deserve a bigger, better, stronger, more inclusive ‘us.’”

Brewster described herself as a “crusader” against corporate personhood, and a “trade warrior” who wants to “get big money out of elections.” She also has expressed serious misgivings about the military-industrial complex.

Vetica, a precinct committee officer for the state Democrats in Kala Point, touted her philosophy of building relationships and “dealing with people as people,” as well as her commitment to training others to be able to replace herself.

“I don’t need to be the big dog,” said Vetica, whose political activism extended back to campaigning for Jimmy Carter when she was 17 and too young to vote. “I don’t do labels. I just look for opportunities for improvement.”

A debate broke out when the time came for the Jefferson County Democrats to vote on a new platform, as the initial vote to approve the draft platform’s two-page executive summary was expanded to a vote on whether to approve all 27 pages of the draft platform.

Although Democrats such as Port Ludlow’s Dave Woodruff deemed a vote on the summary of the platform to be sufficient, calling the platform as a whole “repetitive” and potentially controversial, acting precinct commission officer Trish Walat warned against “watering down our beliefs,” especially in regard to issues such as single-payer health care.

“We need to say what we believe, in front of everyone, so that our legislators can say whether or not they agree,” Walat said.

Although the full 27-page platform was approved, it was also amended to include Vetica’s suggestions of support for mental health parity and research into Alzheimer’s and similar disorders.

The platform’s section on civil and human rights was likewise amended to include calls to address structural sexism and ableism, in addition to the structural racism that was already called out in the draft platform.

The platform and all the proposed resolutions can be read, in their initial draft versions, online at:

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