I’ll begin today’s missive by congratulating the people of Harford County (and some from surrounding counties) for bringing more than 1500 people to Bel Air on April 5 to rally against current policies of the Trump administration, and for core democratic principles. As I was returning from my son’s band trip to Nashville, when the pictures streamed in from social media and fellow organizers, I found myself wishing I could have been be in two places at once. It was one for the record books in Harford County.
When we gather in large groups to protest actions or to advocate loudly for a cause, it is great to be in community with other like-minded people, to chant slogans, and to wave brightly colored (sometimes in more ways than one) signs. It is an exhilarating feeling to engage in community, to meet new people, to recognize friends in a crowd, and to show to the world publicly our values. Rallies tend to get good press, and can do wonders to publicize a worthy yet neglected cause.
Public demonstrations like yesterday’s are necessary, but they are not sufficient.
We must now translate our energy and commitment into votes, for that is the only way to enact legislation that makes lasting change. Even in degraded democracies, it is necessary to build strong civic organizations that can ultimately influence the elected officials we have, cause their replacement with those who align more closely with our priorities.
The organizers of the Civil Rights Movement, of South Africa’s struggle against Apartheid, and the more recent European Color Revolutions knew this. For every March on Washington, there were dozens of voter registration drives. For every sit-in, there were thousands of community organizing meetings in hundreds of neighborhoods. Volunteers spent hundreds of thousands of hours over decades knocking doors, convening neighbors, making phone calls, writing letters, attending public meetings, and doing all of the thankless, grinding, yet critical tasks that ultimately win hearts and minds and translate into the ultimate instrument of political power in a democracy - votes, and the offices they win for us.
With many elections now decided along extremely narrow margins, including some in Harford County - witness our 2022 victories in Senate District 34 and in Councilmannic District F - we have our work cut out for us. We intend to hold those seats in 2026, add at least one more County Council. Join us now as we lay the groundwork for upcoming election cycles. Our efforts this year will include:
Deep canvassing efforts during the summer of 2025 to gather information to support campaigns and GOTV efforts in 2026
Phonebanking to recruit volunteers to support races in 2026
Voter registration drives throughout the county
Community events (parades, festivals, food/clothing drives, and yes, rallies!) to help increase our visibility in the county
Analyze election data to help target recruitment and GOTV efforts
Connect with other Democrats in your neighborhood by organizing house parties and meetups
So to steal a phrase from John Pavlovitz, great work with #HandsOff; now let’s get hands-on. Come volunteer with us at www.harforddemocrats.org/volunteer to get started.