Cumberland County Dems Update

I am reaching out to share some of the recent changes in the CCDC Executive Team. Our Chair, and Second-Vice Chair, have recently resigned, and we thank them for their contributions. Normally, our First-Vice Chair would step into Acting Chair capacity, however Larry is taking a break from the Committee for now. This leaves me, the CCDC Secretary, to be Acting Chair in the interim.

Marcia Sullivan was recently elected as CCDC Treasurer, and Nancy Green and Angel Butts remain as Committee Chairs on our Executive Committee moving forward.

We hope this will be just a temporary period, and we will look to hold an election and fill these vacancies soon. As an all-volunteer organization, this work can be very time consuming, and we are so grateful for folks who dedicate their time and efforts to our small, but mighty committee.

While I only hold this role temporarily, I invite those with questions, comments, feedback, or concerns to reach out to me and the whole Executive Team at the CCDC Chair email address: chair@cumberlandcountydemocrats.org. Your contributions and your input are extremely important to us.

In addition, we will be setting up a CCDC Executive Team “Listening Session” in the coming weeks so that CCDC members can have a forum to speak to the Executive Committee directly about how our committee can be more effective and strategic, moving forward. The Listening Session is not meant to replace a General Meeting, or provide a forum for questions, debate, or answers, but simply a place for folks to express ideas, proposals, and suggestions for a bluer county.

A key thing to be aware of is that we will not be holding biennial municipal caucuses in March as we traditionally have. Given the uncertainty with the COVID pandemic, State Party leadership has suggested that it would be too risky to ask Democrats to gather indoors in March. But not to worry! We will be able to do all of the things we do at caucuses, and then some.

First, we will nominate and elect our State Delegates through an online process in late February and early March. Watch your email for an announcement from the State Party Thursday!

Second, we will plan on an in-person State Convention in Bangor in May, while developing plans for remote participation no matter what, and fully remote participation if need be.

Finally, we will gather locally at Local Organizing Meetings when the weather is warmer, probably springtime, when COVID is hopefully less severe, and when meetings can be held outdoors, to conduct the local business we usually do at caucuses, including elections.

We suggested at the last General Meeting that we would come back together on Sunday, February 13th. To prepare for multiple elections and the Caucus period, we will more likely meet towards the end of February. Thanks, and talk to you soon.

Joe Zamboni, CCDC Acting Chair

P.S. If you’re not currently volunteering with us, I encourage you to consider it, as we have quite a bit of work ahead of us this year.