John -

It's that time of year again. Campaigns are ramping up and the clock is ticking down until election day. With just 54 days until November 8, now is the time to get involved. After all, one of the primary focuses of our organization is electing Democrats so no time like the present. 

We have seen the media coverage. We know what people are saying and what the historical references are. But even though the trend is that the President's opposing party is more likely to gain control of Congress in the midterms, this year has definitely been different. 

Democrats are delivering. President Biden and Congressional Democrats have made legislative and executive actions that so many were telling us that would never happen. Democrats passed massive legislation focusing on jobs and the environment. Biden turned around the gas prices that were being scrutinized by Republicans everyday. Biden even cancelled $10K of student loan debt for millions of Americans. Democrats did that. 

But of course, there are still threats out there. This year in particular, abortion rights will be the spark that we need to ignite the fire for this campaign season . Since Roe was overturned, millions of young Democrats and women have gone out and registered to vote. This was particularly prevalent in the wins in Kansas for Reproductive Rights, the election of Pat Ryan in a purple district in New York, and of course flipping Alaska Blue by electing the first Native Alaskan to Congress: Mary Peltola. 

In addition, we have seen a huge uptick in election deniers being nominated to the Republican ticket in their states. We cannot allow for these candidates to continue to spread misinformation and attack our democracy from elected office. Too much is at stake. 

We have the momentum right now and it's time for us to use it. We must make every day from now until November 8th count.

Abortion is on the ballot. Our Democracy is on the ballot. Our future is on the ballot. 

Upcoming Events: 

• September 15 - October 15 - Hispanic Heritage Month
• September 16 - September 27 - Bisexual Visibility Week
• September 28 - National Voter Registration Day
• October 10 - Indigenous People's Day
• October 11 - National Coming Out Day
• November 8 - Election Day 
• November 13 - November 19 - Trans Awareness Week 
• November 20 - Trans Day of Remembrance 
• December - YDA Buffalo - Details Coming Soon 

Updates:

Help Young Democrats of Mississippi Deliver Water! 

As you've probably seen on the national news, Jackson, MS experienced one of the worst crises with over 150 thousand families with little to no running water due to failures at our water treatment plant. This tragedy has caused many disruptions in simple day-to-day living conditions. Ensuring that people have access to clean water shouldn't be about political parties or ideologies but human decency, which causes us to activate and get it done as a people.

MS Young Democrats request the assistance of our national office and other state chapters in our efforts to give away 1000 or more cases of water to families across our capital city. Families are struggling and need clean water. As president, LJ Brooks is prepared to do as much as possible but would greatly appreciate the help of all Young Democrats around the country as well as our allies.

Everything is in place to collect and drop off water for the families in Jackson, Mississippi. Your support in this endeavor would be greatly appreciated.

Physical Address of Housing/Drop Off Location:
Mississippi Democratic Headquarters
811 E River Place
Jackson, MS 39215

From Harmony Soto, Idaho Young Democrats President:

We are deeply disappointed at watching several local businesses fold under pressure and pull their support from the Boise Pride Festival as a result of blatant misinformation and fear-mongering put forth by the Idaho GOP.

Being an ally means being there when things get tough. It does not end when things are no longer convenient or profitable to take a stand. The fact that these sponsors immediately walked away from supporting the festival out of fear that they would lose business, over ridiculously outdated and harmful stereotypes being perpetuated by Idaho Republican leadership, shows where their true priorities lay. We urge voters and consumers to pay attention to who shows up, and who decides to stick around. Integrity matters.

Pride has always been inclusive of everyone, including children. The Idaho Young Democrats will always be an outspoken supporter of the LGBT+ community, as we were in supporting this event this past weekend. 

YDA Southeast "Good Trouble" Retreat in Nashville, Tennessee

The YDA Southeast Region had an incredibly successful "Good Trouble Retreat" in Nashville, TN this past month thanks to the incredible work of the Southeast Region Chair, Breanna Spaulding. Speakers included Councilperson Sandra Sepulveda and Morgan Woodberry, and programming included trainings at the Tennessee State Library and Archives. 

Congratulations to Breanna and the rest of the Southeast Region on putting on a great program for all of your fellow YD's and setting the bar high for our other regions! 

YDA 90 at the DNC

YDA had an incredibly successful weekend at the DNC Meetings at the National Harbor in Maryland. We want to thank everyone who helped us celebrate the 90th Anniversary of the Young Democrats of America at our DNC Youth Reception on September 8th! 

Special thanks to our gracious host committee: House Majority Leader Steny Hoyer (MD-5), Congressman Don Beyer (VA-08), Congressman Lloyd Doggett (TX-35), Congresswoman Veronica Escobar (TX-16), DNC Climate Council Chair Michelle Regalado Deatrick, DNC Member Celina Vasquez (TX), DNC Member Pommella Wegmann (MN), DNC Member and Former Delegate Joshua Cole (VA), RWDSU President Stuart Applebaum, DNC Member and Chair of Texas Democratic Party Gilberto Hinojosa, and YDA Alumn Emily Beer

The YDA Rebrand!

Last week, we rolled out the new brand for the Young Democrats of America. Thanks to our talented Creative Director, J.J. Martinez, we have a new watermark logo and a new slogan! 

Check out our internal Brand Guide for more information on how to use this. 

If you need access to the new logo for YDA use, please email [email protected] to request. 

YDA Design Request Form

With our new branding, there are obviously going to be needs for new graphics. Our Comms Team is willing and able to help with the majority of requests coming from YDA. These are for official YDA use by YDA Officers, YDA Regions, or YDA Caucuses. The team urges you to have all information in this form completed before you request a design. 

Please allow 3-5 working days for a request to be fulfilled. If a request is urgent, please email Matt Royer at [email protected]. Requests may be edited for grammar and tone, brevity, or brand consistency. 

Don't Forget Your YDA Merch! 

Now's your chance to get your piece of the YDA Rebrand. We have shirts, totes, buttons, and can coolers. Get yours now! 

Go to store.yda.org now! 

Join the YDA Discord!

We're still on Discord! Make sure to join to communicate with fellow YD's across the country! 

Currently, the server will be available for National Committee Members, Appointed Officers, Regional/Caucus Officers, and active members of YDA Constituency Caucuses.

The invite for the YDA Discord Server can be found here.*

Please note that this link may expire in the near future, and subsequent server invites will be emailed out or can be requested to one of the server moderators.

Please note that participation in our Discord server is entirely optional, and no official communication from YDA will occur on this server.

We also recognize that many individuals may be unfamiliar with Discord, which is entirely okay. With that in mind, we encourage you to review this beginner guide to answer many of your questions - many of our moderators on our server are also available to answer questions.

In the News: 

Houston Chronicle - September 8 - Young Democrats are flocking to register to vote in Texas after abortion ruling, data shows 

• The state’s young voters — defined as those under age 25 — are also leaning more blue, the analysis found. Democrats now make up 47 percent of young Texas voters, up from 34 percent. The Republican share has remained the same at just under 30 percent.

WTFTV9 - August 29 - Student loan forgiveness: Borrowers push Congress for regulation of private loan industry next

• “We are in an uphill battle there for sure,” Matt Royer of the Young Democrats of America said. “It’s a lot of hoops to jump through when it comes to the private industry. Royer says President Biden’s plan is a good first step to help borrowers struggling to pay off their debt. He thinks the government should do more to crack down on the skyrocketing cost that colleges charge, and the interest rates and fees from private student loan lenders.

Washington Post - July 16 - Many young Democrats are furious at Democrats. But they’re pushing through.

• Members of the Young Democrats of North Carolina voiced frustrations with the Party, but tell why it's necessary to keep working and organizing as Democrats.

Politico - July 10 - How Abortion Is Sundering Amy Coney Barrett’s Hometown

• “It’s disappointing to see a woman not wanting to stand up for women,” said Arielle Brandy, 32, a mother of two daughters and a board member of the local Planned Parenthood chapter. “I understand that her job as a justice is to kind of separate personal feelings from obviously law and legislation, but a lot of the things that she has given opinions on or overruled are not reflective of our city.”

Fox News - July 8 - Young Dems dismiss likely GOP midterms victory, won't express support for Pelosi, Schumer to keep roles 

• The Young Democrats of America (YDA) are standing defiant against analysts' predictions that Republicans are all but certain to win control of the House of Representatives, and potentially the Senate, in the November midterm elections, but appear unsure who should lead the party should Democrats pull off a surprising victory. In an exclusive interview with Fox News Digital, YDA communications director Matt Royer claimed Democrats still had time to "ensure" a victory and laid out what issues he saw as the ones most likely to drive young supporters of the party to turn out to vote in the fall.