Tired of talking and want to do something meaningful as a Jefferson County Democrat? Here are several ways to take action with links to other helpful resources.
If you’ve decided to take action and run for office, the WV State Democrats have created a guide to help you get started. Click on this link to read the document and start organizing your campaign.
WRITE AN EMAIL OR LETTER TO YOUR
There is no better way to let your Delegate or Senator know how you feel than writing to them, either in an email or letter. The contact information for all legislators, as well as their committee assignments and biographical information can be found at the West Virginia Legislature website. An alphabetical list of Delegates can be found here and one for Senators here.
In your email or letter, state your name and where you live, briefly state your concern (such as I am very concerned about what HR 2510 will do to our water quality), briefly state your reasons (water quality is important for public health and the prosperity of our communities), and the action you would like to see taken (please vote against HR 2510). Be polite and respectful and provide return contact information. It is always useful to remind the legislator of any connection you have with them, such as when you met, or maybe your membership in the same organization (Rotary Club).
There are five County Commissioners. Each one comes from a separate Magisterial District, but every County voter can vote for every Commissioner. Contact and other information on each Commissioner can be found here.
A Commissioner’s Dashboard showing information about each Magisterial District, such as what schools and public buildings are located there, can be found here.
The guidelines for writing to County Commissioners are the same as those for writing to West Virginia Delegates and Senators set out above.
WRITE AN EMAIL OR LETTER TO THE
Newspapers reach an important segment of our community, and your Delegates, Senators and County Commissioners read them. Each newspaper handles written submissions differently. Letters to the Editor are usually shorter pieces devoted to something that has appeared earlier in the newspaper. Op/Ed pieces can be longer and are usually more developed arguments around some public issue. When you submit a piece, you can say which you’d like it published as.
You can get advice on how to write effective letters and opinion pieces here:
Here are the newspapers that generally circulate in Jefferson County and their contact information. You should ask for publishing guidelines and schedules.
HOST A CANDIDATE
Meet and Greets are valuable opportunities for candidates to get to know communities of neighbors in their districts. They are informal and inexpensive to host. They work best when there are 10 to 20 people in attendance and the candidate has a chance to speak informally to everyone and then make short general remarks.
The host usually decides who will be invited, what refreshments there will be, and so on. Guests are often encouraged to make a contribution to the candidate, although this is not required. You should coordinate with the candidate and their treasurer on the money issues.
If you are interested in hosting a Meet and Greet, contact the candidate as soon as possible. Scheduling around other events during campaign season can be tricky.
You can find advice on hosting a Meet and Greet at the following links: