The year 2023 has been one of many challenges and some successes. So, too, was 1968.

Fifty-five years ago, the Vietnam War was in full swing, as was increasing opposition to it. The Tet Offensive was a profound shock. Martin Luther King and Robert Kennedy were assassinated. Rioting occurred in Washington, DC. The passage of the 1968 Civil Rights Act was a rare victory. Richard Nixon’s election as president was not. The nation was deeply divided over Vietnam, race, and values.

On August 10, 2023, a federal judge struck down Washington State’s legislative map for violating Section 2 of the Voting Rights Act (VRA).

Legislative District 15 (mainly Yakima County) was the focus of this ruling, but all of the surrounding districts must be changed due to the concentration of our region’s Latino population. This ruling will require changing LDs 8, 9, 12, 13, 14, 15, and 16 to create a majority Latino “opportunity district.”

Carmela Conroy, chair of the Spokane County Democratic Central Committee, will present the program at the Central Committee’s December meeting.

Carmela is a former Spokane County deputy prosecutor and a long-serving United States Foreign Service diplomat. She has been the chair of the Spokane Democrats since 2022 and has led the local party's resurgence.

John B. Judis is a co-author of “Where Have All the Democrats Gone? The Soul of the Party in the Age of Extremes”, a new book released on November 7. John is an accomplished and prolific political author with a distinguished career, as detailed below. See the video of his presentation to the Central Committee here.

Explore this data collection about the demographics, economy, education, politics, and more in Walla Walla County.

A forum on October 12 at DeSales High School presented the six Walla Walla School Board candidates. This is the only forum attended by all of the candidates. It was an eye-opening discussion.

A coalition of Democrats, Republicans and independents stopped the the Columbia County Conservatives from shuttering the Columbia County Rural Library .

If you didn’t attend the Walla Walla Democrats September meeting, here’s what you missed.