Massachusetts Democratic Women
Leaders
EVERY VOTE COUNTS
Send letter to DNC Chair
Howard Dean
May 8, 2008BY HAND
The Honorable Howard Dean
Chairman
Democratic National Committee
430 S. Capitol Street, SE
Washington,
DC 20003
Dear Governor Dean:
In Massachusetts, we have a long and proud history of leading
this great nation in working towards fairness, equality and the enfranchisement of all citizens. We have led the nation
many times before in calling for the right thing to be done, and, across our differences, we join in the same call now.
In the Democratic Party, we are in a primary election season like no other: passions are high and engagement is intense.
Both of the candidates vying for our Party’s nomination show the best of us and of this country, and both of their campaigns
have sparked something extraordinary. Both campaigns have raised historic amounts of financial support, and both
candidates have inspired record turn-out in every state where the primary contests have been waged thus far. Each candidate
has succeeded in engaging people at very core of our Democratic Party, while getting many who had checked out of politics
to check back in.
As committed Democrats, we are united in our desire for our eventual nominee to move into the
general election after a scrupulously fair process, in which all voters who had their voices heard. This is a basic
democratic principle. It is also a matter of practical politics. We can ill afford to leave Democratic voters
with the feeling that we did not want to count their votes or listen to their passionate feelings about this race and our
future.
We know and appreciate that rules cannot be flouted. We also know that failing to honor the voters in
Florida and Michigan could have serious consequences in November. Florida and Michigan -- two of the largest states
in this country -- are significant prizes in the general election and account for nearly 10% percent of the popular vote total
in this primary season. If we want to succeed in the general election, we should not disenfranchise those voters now.
As Democrats, we remember all too well the 2000 presidential election. We cannot let our Party do to the voters
of Michigan and Florida what we railed against the Republicans for doing. Ours has been – and must be today –
the Party of inclusion, the Party that demands that every vote be counted. Now is not the time to walk away from our
principles.
We know and trust that, if we are good stewards of our Party and conduct a fair process, we will have
a Party unified behind whichever candidate becomes the nominee. Working together, we will then usher in a new era of Democratic
leadership in January of 2009. Accordingly, we ask that the Democratic National Committee:
∑ Exercise its discretion
to reinstate the delegates from Michigan and Florida, according to the results of the popular vote as certified by the Secretaries
of State in Florida and Michigan, respectively.
∑ Issue immediately a public statement clarifying that the
primary votes in Michigan and in Florida have been certified by the Secretary of State in those states, and are not affected
by any determinations by the DNC with respect to the seating of delegates from those states.
∑ For 2012, reconsider
the process by which delegates are awarded in those states conducting party caucuses rather than primary elections, in order
to ensure maximum voter participation and enfranchisement in the primary process.
With regards,
Massachusetts Democratic Women Leaders
“Every Vote Counts”
www.countthevotes.net,
(See
attached partial list of members)
Massachusetts Democratic Women Leaders
EVERY VOTE COUNTS
Partial Listing of Members:
Senate President Therese Murray
Senator Cynthia Creem
Senator Harriette Chambers
Senator Joan Menard
Representative
Marie St. Fleur
Representative Alice Wolf
Representative Kay Khan
Representative Lida Harkins
Representative Ruth Balser
Representative Anne Paulsen
Representative Katherine Clark
Boston City Council President Maureen Feeney
Sheriff Andrea Cabral
Brookline Selectman Jesse
Mermell
Former Lieutenant Governor Evelyn Murphy
Former State Treasurer Shannon O’Brien
Former Senator Lois Pines
Former Representative Carol Donovan
Former Representative Susan Tracy
Barbara Lee
Angela Menino
Dr. Paula Johnson
Katherine Hesse
Marie Turley
Elaine Schuster
Beth Boland
Shanti Fry
Ellen J. Zucker
Elyse Cherry
Sheila Capone-Wulsin
Michal Regunberg
Cynthia Fisher
Donna Good
Andrea
Kramer
Deb Goldberg
Deborah Peckham
Martina Jackson
Neerja Sharma
Renee
Inomata
A/72529142.2
