Women are the heart of the resistance against Donald Trump
Editor’s note: Ahead of the final DNC vote in Atlanta, four chairs of DNC caucuses and councils today announced their support for Tom Perez. Tom has long been a fighter for progressive causes and has a track record of building diverse teams where everyone is invited to the table.
Over the past nine weeks, I’ve been listening to Democrats across the country, from California and New York to Michigan and Florida. What I’ve heard far and wide is that we need to change the culture of the Democratic National Committee, rebuild our party from the ground up, and fight Donald Trump at every turn. But we can’t do any of that without building on the powerful movement women across the country have created.
Women are the heart of the resistance against Donald Trump and the radical Republican agenda. You’ve mobilized the largest single demonstration in U.S. history, bringing together millions of Americans across the country to make sure that women’s voices will be heard. And our party must stand up with you and fight back against Donald Trump and the Republicans’ all-out assault on women’s rights.
We’ve got to start organizing all year, every year, and communicate our message of opportunity and inclusion in every single zip code. We need to empower and protect every voter. We need to invest in and support the state parties from the ground up, from starting a Best Practices Institute to share solutions to common challenges and increase intra-party communications to building training and support for neighbor-to-neighbor outreach.
We need to aggressively recruit, mentor, and support women candidates to compete in races from school board to Senate in all 57 states and territories.
The Trump administration has sent a clear message that they will work hard to roll back the hard-earned rights of women. But in the past month, we have seen the power of what happens when we unify and work together. When we stand up to Trump and his policies, when we speak up against the Republican-lead Congress’ plans to roll back our progress and rights, when we organize and fight, we can impact change. Now, our challenge is to take this moment and turn it into a movement, and that movement begins with you and the members of the DNC Women’s Caucus.
These fights will not be easy. But advancing and protecting women’s rights has never been more important. At the Civil Rights division at the Department of Justice, I stood up for medical professionals and the women they served by increasing enforcement of the Freedom of Access to Clinic Entrances Act. At Labor, we raised the minimum wage and extended overtime protections for home health workers, eighty percent of whom are women. We expanded paid sick leave so workers don’t have to choose between the jobs they need and the families they love and supported states developing paid family and medical leave programs. And over the next four years, we will fight every day to keep the progress we made on those issues from being rolled back.
We’re at a turning point in our country and party, and it’s time to be ready to fight the big fights. And I know we will do that with the women that I’ve met across the country these past 9 weeks. This includes Bel Leong-Hong, Iris Martinez, Lottie Shackelford, and, Betty Richie, four women who have been leaders in their caucuses and state parties. With only a few days until the final vote in Atlanta, I’m honored to have their endorsement. If I’m lucky enough to become DNC chair, I will work to ensure we’re building a more inclusive, transparent organization to support Democrats everywhere in the fights ahead.
Bel Leong-Hong, Chair of the DNC’s Asian American and Pacific Islanders Caucus
“I have spent the past few months listening closely to candidates to find the leader of the DNC who can lead us to victory this entire cycle, one who has the strongest vision to build a diverse, inclusive DNC in the years to come. I believe I found that leader in Tom Perez. I believe that Tom Perez is the best, most qualified candidate to do just that. Tom is committed to ensuring the DNC not only listens to diverse voices from all states and territories, but will include the diverse members of the DNC in rebuilding the organization and elect Democrats everywhere.”
Iris Martinez, Chair of the DNC’s Hispanic Caucus
“Tom’s story is the American Dream, and he knows that the American Dream for so many is at stake with Donald Trump as our president. That is why he is running for chair. He knows that in order to fight back against Trump and Republicans, we must unite as Democrats. He knows that we can’t just organize at a church every 4th October, we must organize 12 months a year. And he understands that diversity is our strength and that Latinos must have a seat at the table. Tom knows how to take on the big fights and win, and he’s taken on these fights on behalf of progressives his entire life. These are all the reasons why I’m supporting him. Tom has what it takes to be our next chair and I’m proud to support him as the first Latino chair to lead the DNC.”
Lottie Shackelford, Chair of the DNC’s Women’s Caucus
“Women are the heart and soul of the resistance against Donald Trump and his anti-woman administration, and we need a partner at the DNC. We need a partner who will ensure we have a strong voice within the party and the resources necessary to mobilize, organize, and win elections — from school boards to U.S. Senate. Tom Perez is that partner and I am proud to endorse his candidacy for DNC Chair.”
Betty Richie, Chair of the DNC Rural Council and Secretary of the Women’s Caucus
“I’ve spent time with Tom Perez and what I’ve seen is that he is a man of integrity and someone who is truly committed to giving 100% to turning our party around. Our party has abandoned rural areas for far too long and that was in part what cost us the elections. We need a DNC chair who is committed to listening to voters and communicating our message to both urban and rural areas, and Tom is committed to doing that. I support Tom because his every zip code strategy is exactly what we need right now.”
We’re in the home stretch before the final vote for DNC chair in Atlanta on 2/25. Say you’re with Tom Perez before it’s too late: tomperez.org/join
