FROM THE WYODEMS EMAIL LIST AND NEWS RELEASES
One of the ways the Wyoming Democratic Party stays in contact with the public is via an email list, news releases, and social media. To help spread the word, this page quotes some of the most recent communications from the state party. To sign up for the WYODEMS email list, visit https://www.wyodems.org/.
Posted 24 August 2024:
Happy Primary Voting!
Whether you’re headed to the polls today or you’ve already voted in the 2024 Wyoming Primary Election, I’d like to take a few moments to share a simple message: thank you for being a Wyoming Democrat. The work we’re doing is crucial to our state and wouldn’t be possible without your support.
While we may find ourselves in the political minority right now, there will come a day when the Equality State looks a little more purple and, eventually, a beautiful shade of blue on the election maps. Together, we can make that happen. And remember – we’re not doing this work just for our party – we’re striving to create a better existence for everyone in Wyoming, regardless of the letter behind their name. Democrats love and believe in the potential of our state and the people who live here.
Even if not everyone knows or admits it, Wyoming needs Democrats.
Joe M. Barbuto, Chair
Wyoming Democratic Party
Posted 22 July 2024:
From the Chair of the Wyoming Democratic Party
Dear Wyoming Democrats,
Like many of you, I am feeling a lot of emotions right now about President Biden’s decision to not seek reelection. First and foremost, however, I feel a great deal of respect and admiration for his ability to make such a difficult decision. It is yet another testament to his dedication towards always acting in the best interest of our party, nation, and world. As I wrote in the official statement, my respect for him as a leader has only grown.
As we prepare for and wonder about what happens next, let’s not lose focus on the fact that our duty to defend democracy at the ballot box remains a priority in 2024. There’s a lot at stake, and I’m confident that our party’s presidential nominee will be able to build on the foundation of success and achievement forged by Joe Biden’s Presidency to catapult towards success in November.
In the coming days, I expect to learn more about the process moving forward and how Democrats will be able to participate in selecting that nominee. Rest assured, we will do our best at the Wyoming Democratic Party to keep you informed about and engaged in that process.
Today, however, I hope you’ll take time to reflect on and support the good work of President Biden and his administration to strengthen our nation and improve the lives of those who live here. Without a doubt, he is one of the most successful and consequential people to ever hold the office and we are better for his service.
I often tell folks that Wyoming Democrats are the toughest and most resilient Democrats in the United States of America – let’s recommit ourselves to that identity today and lead by example as we prepare for this truly historic and unprecedented moment in our nation’s history.
Joe M. Barbuto, Chair
Wyoming Democratic Party
Posted 22 July 2024
WDP Media Release On President Biden’s Decision to Not Seek Reelection
Rock Springs, WY – Wyoming Democratic Party Chair Joe M Barbuto released the following statement regarding President Joe Biden’s decision not to seek reelection:
“Throughout the course of his Presidency, I’ve trusted Joe Biden to make decisions that were in the best interest of our party, and, more importantly, our nation and world. He has yet to let me down, and that remains true today. While this news is not what I was hoping for, I am in awe of the courage and patriotism it took for President Biden to reach this decision; my respect for him as a leader has only grown.”
“Though some uncertainty may exist about what happens next, our resolve to continue the good work of the Biden Administration and Democratic Party remains steadfast as ever. Our party’s presidential nominee in 2024 will stand on a foundation of success and achievement thanks to the dedicated public service of President Joe Biden.”
-WDP Chair Joe M Barbuto
Posted 18 June 2024:
Wyoming Democratic Women’s Caucus Criticizes Senators’ IVF Vote
Cheyenne – Yesterday, Senators Barrasso and Lummis joined their Republican colleagues in blocking a bill that would have protected women’s right to access in vitro fertilization and other fertility treatments. Wyoming Democratic Party’s Women’s Caucus has released the following statement.
“As women, we don’t want to live in the world Republicans are attempting to create for us. We don’t want the government to tell us we can’t prevent pregnancy, control our ability to have children through IVF, or dictate our choices about reproductive health.
Senators Barrasso and Lummis, along with their Republican colleagues, claim that women’s access to birth control and IVF treatments isn’t at risk, yet they vote against protecting those rights. Your votes speak louder than your words, Senators, and women in Wyoming and across America should believe them. As a direct result of Republicans’ actions, women today have fewer rights than their mothers and grandmothers, and we cannot continue electing them if we want to safeguard our freedoms and health.”
Posted 4 May 2024: Following are extracts from the newsletter released by the Wyoming Democratic Party on 2 May 2024. (This extract does not include all of the newsletter articles or images. Topics that have become obsolete as of 18 June 2024 have been removed.)
Wyoming Democrats Held Conventions in EVERY County! It was incredible to see Democrats in every corner of the state come together to craft their platforms and make their choice in the Presidential Primary (overwhelmingly Biden)! We held conventions in every. single. county., even dark counties where there is no organized party. Our staff and executive officers traveled a collective 1300 miles, helping to run conventions in Sublette, Goshen, Campbell, and Lincoln counties to make sure that EVERY Democrat in Wyoming had the opportunity to voice their opinion.
On behalf of the Wyoming Democratic Party, I’d like to congratulate President Biden on today’s victory. Wyoming is a state that values hard work, integrity, and honesty; Joe Biden is the candidate in this race that clearly reflects those values. We look forward to doing everything we can to ensure that the Biden-Harris ticket is successful in November, and that we elect Democrats up and down the ballot.”
-Chair Joe M. Barbuto
You Should Register as a Democrat Thanks to changes in the voting rules made by Secretary of State Chuck Gray and his Conservative pals in the legislature, voting in Wyoming is harder than ever.
One of the most irritating of these changes is that the deadline for registered voters to change their party affiliation is now May 15th, a day before the candidate filing period even starts. It forces you to choose party over people.
It stinks. It makes some folks think that the best thing they can do is register as a Republican and pick the “lesser of two evils” in the primary.
Here’s why you shouldn’t.
Registering as a Republican transfers money from more moderate Republican county parties to the more radical GOP State Party to fund their dystopian agenda. Their county party dues are calculated based on the percentage of registered Republicans in each county- the more registered Republicans, the more money the state party gets. (See Sec. 12.2 of WYGOP bylaws)
Wyoming needs more Democrats, not less. How can we build a strong Democratic Party and elect more Democrats if all the Democrats are registered as Republicans? The best way to change this state for the better is to have a vibrant two-party system. We need to invest in and focus on demonstrating that our party is the voice of reason and effective government.
It’s difficult to recruit candidates when they see the imbalance of party registration numbers in their district. Currently, about 1 in 10 voters is registered as a Democrat. We know there are more people who are Democrats at heart, but it is increasingly difficult to find our supporters.
It’s important to be visible and proud of being Wyoming Democrats. And why wouldn’t we be? We’re on the right side of the issues and history. We stand with our neighbors to protect their fundamental rights, to make this state a place our children can call home, to preserve our public lands for future generations, and to ensure top-quality public education for everyone. Our elected Democrats may be few in number, but they are intelligent and compassionate fighters who get things done. We have a lot to be proud of, and the more of us that are willing to stand up and speak out about who we are, the safer it makes others feel to do the same.
The “lesser of two evils” is still…evil. Every bit of the energy we spend on Republican candidates is a bit of energy we aren’t spending on supporting or recruiting our own good candidates. I can’t tell you how disheartening it is for the amazing folks who bravely step forward and run as Democrats in the reddest state in the nation to feel like they end up fighting not only their opponent but for the attention of folks in their own party as well.
If there’s one thing the new voter restrictions should tell you, it’s that free and fair elections are in jeopardy. In counties across Wyoming, there are efforts, supported by Republican legislators, to return to hand-counting ballots. Our Secretary of State is seemingly on a neverending quest to restrict voting down to only the landed gentry. We cannot protect and ensure our free and fair elections without real Democrats as election judges and we cannot find those folks if they aren’t registered as Democrats. It is becoming alarmingly common for Republicans to register as Democrats so that they can serve as election judges.
Switching parties to change the outcome of a Republican primary is a strategy that has been tried many times in Wyoming politics, most notably and recently in support of Liz Cheney, and… It just doesn’t work. The numbers have been thoroughly crunched, crossover voting didn’t impact either the Governor Gordon’s race or Liz Cheney’s. The bottom line is- switching parties doesn’t help them but it absolutely does hurt us. We are already outnumbered, and losing an estimated 20% of Democrats makes a devastating impact.
Wyoming Democrats are some of the bravest, most badass people on the planet. You should be one.
We want to staff up for the election cycle, but we need your help. Don’t let them fool you- Democrats have a real chance at flipping legislative seats this election. We have targeted races in winnable districts and we have a plan to win them. We can and will do it, but we need to get all of the pieces in place to accomplish it. Namely- we need full-time staff and we need to hire field organizers in key areas across the state.
Increasing the amount of recurring monthly donations is the best way to help us accomplish this goal, because it’s money we can count on and budget for. Even if it’s only $5/month, your recurring donation gets us closer to filling Wyoming’s legislature with intelligent and compassionate leaders who will make this state a better place. Can you help?
Note that this not an archive page. Messages with limited time frames will be removed when they are no longer applicable, as will very old messages.