By Sheri Shannon — she is the founder and director of Shannon Strategies, a communications firm specializing in policy, advocacy and progressive politics.
This week, Susan Swecker, long-time chair of the Democratic Party of Virginia (DPVA), announced she is stepping down from her role in March. While there’s speculation on who’s running for the position, there’s no consensus on who will lead the next chapter of DPVA.
Right now, Democrats are floundering without a shared understanding of how to win in the future. Virginia cannot afford to get this wrong with statewide elections this fall. DPVA needs a chairperson who will rebuild an inclusive party that defines what it means to be a Democrat and build a path forward to combat right-wing extremism.
We need coherent messaging, new ideas, a stronger bench, and a game plan that puts us in the driver’s seat. Now is the time to clean the slate and start fresh.
When Democrats lost all statewide seats to Republicans in 2021, there was a lot of finger-pointing going around. Members looked to party leadership for answers but didn’t receive any. Democratic committees around Virginia, especially in rural areas, expressed years of frustrations with being overlooked and underresourced.
Maybe I missed it, but I didn’t see any accountability from party leadership. Nor did I observe a willingness to bring people together, listen, and learn how to change course. Any wins gained in Virginia in the last three years are from the true believers of Democratic principles, the people on the ground who put in sweat equity, fighting for their communities.
“Democrats believe that the economy should work for everyone, health care is a right, our diversity is our strength, and democracy is worth defending.” This is the party that strives to reach higher ground.
I want a party that has my back as a Black woman. I want a party that invests in rural districts and listens to its members. I want a party with the courage to stand on its values and not compromise to chase a dollar. I want a party that recruits new members, engages communities year-round, and knows that fundraising will not save us from our fundamental freedoms being stripped away.
Anyone who puts their name forward for the DPVA chair must stand up and fight. We’re watching this administration at the federal and state levels do everything in their power to dismantle the progress and civil rights we have in place with the courts’ support.
If you’re hoping to elevate your political profile without a plan to score strategic victories, step aside. This is not the job for you.