We, the undersigned, are registered Montana voters, and are adding our names in solidarity with this message.
In the last four years, the Montana Democratic party has remained stagnant and is no longer the progressive party we have donated to and campaigned for. We have dedicated hours to getting out the vote, by knocking on doors, working on phone banks, attending rallies, throwing fundraisers, and speaking to our neighbors. We have been loyal soldiers.
However, after the last two election cycles, it has become clear that something must change. The defeat of Quist, followed by the defeat of Williams, has only proved that point. Many of us have offered fresh ideas to recalibrate and re-focus the direction of the party, but have been ignored by campaign staff, and the establishment Democrats at both the county and state levels.
The seat that Senator Steve Daines currently holds is up for re-election in 2020, and we no longer have the patience for the Montana Democratic Party to muster up the energy, bold ideas, and enthusiasm necessary to win the race. We also do not have the time to wait.
We, the undersigned, no longer agree with the vague language of the Montana Democratic Party platform. We desire specifics. We desire progress and change. We are now the adults in the room, and will not allow politics as usual—we do not want to explain to our children that we stood idly by as our beloved state imploded.
We want the Montana Democratic Party platform to be expanded to include three specific issues: We want you to endorse Medicare For All, support the Green New Deal, and fight for legislation to provide a livable wage for all Montanans.
We ask for these changes to be made by May 1, 2019.
If these three planks are not adopted by the Montana Democrats, and are not added in specific language to the official party platform, we have the infrastructure in place to run an Independent Candidate. We will run our candidate in the general election for the senate seat, and our campaign will center on our three major issues. As you know, these issues are embraced by both Democrats and Republicans. An Independent candidate traditionally siphons votes away from the Democratic candidate. This is not a ransom—we are progressive voters who will campaign for a candidate with a clear, strong, important message, and we will not allow our movement to be focus-grouped and moderated in order to be “electable.”
At this point, we are ready and willing, and will begin in earnest on May 2, 2019 to launch our party platform. Our progressive members have the talent, energy, skill, creativity and fearlessness to mount a viable campaign. Not only do we have the money, we have the youth vote. We have nothing to lose. Informing our fellow Montanans about these life-or-death issues would be a win in itself.
We ask you to consider adopting our three planks into the official platform of the Montana Democratic Party. We ask with respect, and we also offer our gratitude to those in the party that have pushed forth legislation and done the work to make our state a place worth saving.
Thank you for your time