We’re down to the final three weeks of a campaign that began last November. How are you holding up? We know the news each day seems even more jarring than the last. We know these next 20+ days are going to be crazy. But if we pull together and get everyone out to vote, here’s what I promise you: Better days are ahead.
INDIGENOUS PEOPLES’ DAY
Monday is Indigenous Peoples’ Day, so we want to take a moment to honor the first people of Western North Carolina: the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians. The EBCI were and continue to be a strong, significant and vibrant community that has left an indelible footprint on our region’s history, heritage and culture. As your member in Congress, Moe Davis will continue to be an ally to the EBCI and all native Americans and fight against injustice, unfairness and inequality.
EARLY VOTING BEGINS THURSDAY
Early voting throughout North Carolina will start Thursday and run through Oct. 31. Please check with your county to find locations. If you did not register by the Oct. 9 deadline, you can still vote with one-stop voting and registration at early voting locations.
Remember, this is the most important election of our lifetimes. Our democracy is on the line. And understand that there are people who want to make it harder for your voice to count because they benefit when fewer people vote. Don’t let them win.
Make a plan to vote. You may have to wait in line, so bring a chair if you need it. Have some water, hand sanitizer and, of course, a mask. Be patient and kind to those in line around you and staff running the polling locations.
We are in this together.
WIN THE ERA WITH PETE BUTTIGIEG AND MOE DAVIS!
We are grateful to have received an invitation to participate in a fundraiser led by 2020 Presidential candidate Pete Buttigieg. Register here and join us on Tuesday
TOSSUP!
The ratings companies and election analysts are coming around to the same conclusion we realized months ago. This race is close. And it’s ours to win.
Decision Desk HQ has rated NC-11 a tossup, giving Col. Davis a 53 percent chance of winning. FiveThirtyEight.com also rates it a tossup under its “classic” analysis with emphasis on fundraising and polling to rate the race.
Also last week: The Cook Report gave its second upgrade to NC-11, once again moving the race closer and adding this district to the list of 50 that could flip in November.BUNCOMBE COUNTY SHERIFF QUENTIN MILLER ENDORSES MOE DAVIS
Buncombe County Sheriff Quentin Miller knows who he will vote for in the 2020 election: Moe Davis for Congress in North Carolina’s 11th District.
“Colonel Moe Davis will receive my vote this year when I go to the polls,’’ Sheriff Miller said. “In addition to his impressive resume, Moe brings 25 years of service in the military to the job and that really matters when the alternative choice has very little to no experience at all. I ask you to please join me in voting early and choosing Moe to represent WNC in Congress.”
Sheriff Miller served 11 years in the Army and was a 25-year veteran of the Asheville Police Department before being elected Buncombe County Sheriff in 2018. He has a lot in common with Col. Davis, who served in the Air Force for 25 years and has spent a lifetime in law enforcement as well.
“I’m deeply honored to receive the endorsement of Sheriff Quentin Miller,’’ Col. Davis said. “We have both devoted most of our adult lives to service in the military and in law enforcement and we understand that both institutions are vitally important, but they’re not perfect and it takes constant attention and effort to improve them. I really respect Sheriff Miller’s dedication to his team of law enforcement professionals and his commitment to serving the needs of the community. I look forward to his advice and counsel on issues related to law enforcement and the needs of Western North Carolina.”
VETERAN SUPPORT OVERWHELMING
“I want Colonel Davis to represent me in Congress. When have we ever had a candidate with such a combination of values, experience and above all personal integrity?”
Please take a moment to watch this video by Frank Goldsmith, former Captain in the U.S. Army and a civil rights attorney from Fletcher who served as co-chair of the North Carolina Commission of Inquiry on Torture, represented detainees at Guantanamo Bay and was named to the list of “Best Lawyers in America.”
We are grateful for all of the videos we have received from so many veterans who understand what is at stake in this election and are supporting Col. Davis. Our support from veterans will lift us over the top on Nov 3.
Thank you.
ENDORSEMENTS FROM PROGRESSIVE, RURAL DEMOCRATS
The Progressive Caucus of the Democratic Party of North Carolina and the United Rural Democrats have different constituencies and agendas. But these two groups have something in common.
They have both announced their endorsements of Colonel Moe Davis (USAF, Ret.) for Congress in North Carolina’s 11th Congressional District.
As the PCNCDP notes on its website, Progressive Democrats are fighting for economic, environmental, racial, and social justice and believe that everyone deserves food and shelter; health care; meaningful work that pays a living wage; a clean environment; equal protection under the law; and having their vote count.
“I’m grateful for the endorsement of the Progressive Caucus of the Democratic Party of North Carolina,’’ Col. Davis said. “We share a common vision of a North Carolina that doesn’t run from the future, but embraces it. We’re behind in Western North Carolina and progressive policies on issues from health care to the environment will benefit everyone — Democrats, Republicans and Unaffiliated voters alike.”
The United Rural Democrats is a group of many local organizations from across the nation working together to raise the banner on rural issues.
“I appreciate the United Rural Democrats endorsing my campaign to represent Western North Carolina in Congress,’’ Col. Davis said. “I spent a lot of my early years riding horses, bush hogging the pasture, frog gigging and dove hunting at my family’s farm in Rutherford County where we kept a herd of black angus cows. I understand that too often folks in rural areas feel like they’ve been forgotten. I won’t forget how I was raised and the lessons I learned from the friends and neighbors around our farm. I’ll work for everyone in Western North Carolina, rural and urban alike.”
EVERY VOTE COUNTS, AND MUST BE COUNTED
Everyone is eager for Nov. 3 to arrive, including the Moe Davis for Congress campaign. After all this time and effort, we want to know as much as anyone who wins the election.
But we can’t be so eager to declare a winner that we don’t have the patience to make sure all votes are counted. That’s a concern during this election – that some will want results right away and won’t wait for every ballot to be counted even if it takes a few days.
In North Carolina, absentee ballots must be postmarked by Nov. 3 to be counted. But they can arrive as late as Nov. 12 and still be added to the final tally. We can’t discount those votes in our rush to pick a winner on election night, particularly given potential slowdowns at the post office.
As we’ve said before, this is the most important election of our lives. We need to get this right, no matter how long it takes to count.
YOUTH AND EXUBERANCE
Young voters are our future. So it’s important that we connect with Gen-Z and Millennials to listen to their concerns and answer their questions.
That’s what Col. Davis will do on Tuesday when he sits down for a Youth and Exuberance conversation led by Jawbreaking.xyz moderator Jefferson Ellison. Join us as the conversation is live streamed on Jawbreaking YouTube, or on Twitter @ColMorrisDavis as well as and on our Facebook and YouTube channels.
$400K IN ATTACK ADS EACH WEEK
Our opponent is backed by dark money representing corporate interests like oil and fracking. As much as $400,000 is being poured into attack ads against Col. Davis each week. They desperately want to buy this seat for the least qualified candidate for Congress in the country.
Don’t let them. Please donate to help us counter those ads.
Joe Sam Queen Is Our Guest for the Last Meet the Candidates Session
Joe Sam Queen will be our guest for our last Meet the Candidate feature at our monthly meetings. He has served in both the NC Senate and House of Representatives and currently holds the seat to the 119th District of the House. The 119th encompasses all of Jackson and Swain Counties as well as part of Haywood.
The format will be as it has been for our previous candidate sessions: first part is a group of set questions, followed by questions from the floor, and ending with a lightning round of short answer simple queries. Our short business session will involve an update on the election, volunteer opportunities that are still open, and prospects for November. Traditionally, we do not meet in December.
Watch for the ZOOM invitation, which will go out the week of the meeting. There will also be an agenda and additional announcements in written format that goes out with that agenda. If you want to get the invitation, contact Cynthia Burke.
Joe Sam Queen Seeking Phone Bankers and Poll Greeters
Joe Sam Queen has a phone bank that is working out of the southern part of Jackson County. If you are interested in phone banking for him, contact Susan Bianchi. He’s also seeking poll greeters. The Jackson County Democratic Party will have poll greeters at all early voting sites handing out blue ballots and other candidate materials. Usually that means we have at least two people at those sites and sometimes candidates also have folks. If you aren’t working for the party and want to step up and work for Joe Sam Queen, let Penny Smith know.
Trump’s refusal Wednesday to commit to accepting a loss in the November election with a peaceful transfer of power continues to make waves. Today the New York Times reported that military officers are worried that Trump will try to drag them into a contested election. But while people are rightly frightened about Trump’s increasing authoritarianism, it’s important to understand that he is deploying these particular threats about the election to create an impression that he has the option to control the outcome in November. He does not have that option.
Trump and his cronies are trying to create their own reality. They are trying to make people believe that the coronavirus is not real, that it has not killed more than 200,000 of our neighbors, that the economy is fine, that our cities are in flames, that Black Lives Matter protesters are anarchists, and that putting Democrats in office will usher in radical socialism. None of these things is true. Similarly, Trump is trying to convince people that he can deploy the power of the government to remain in power even if we want him to leave, creating uncertainly and fear. By talking about it, he is willing that situation into existence. It is a lie, and we do not have to accept it.
For his part, Democratic presidential nominee Joe Biden recognizes that Trump’s repeated threats not to leave office are both letting him convince us that leaving is his choice, rather than ours, and keeping the media focused on him when we should, in fact, be talking about real issues. Biden is refusing to give the idea oxygen, reminding reporters that it is a “typical Trump distraction.” “I just think the people in the country are going to be heard on November 3,” he told them. “Every vote in this country is going to be heard and they will not be stopped. I’m confident that all of the irresponsible, outrageous attacks on voting, we’ll have an election in this country as we always have had, and he’ll leave.” He said: “I don’t think he’s going to get the FBI to follow him or get anybody else to enforce something that’s not real.”
While the Senate voted unanimously yesterday to commit to the peaceful transfer of power in January, it was actually Massachusetts Governor Charlie Baker, a Republican, who gave Trump’s refusal to commit to a peaceful transfer of power the dripping disdain it deserved. Speaking to reporters, Baker defended the mail-in ballots that Trump is saying will invalidate the election, and called Trump’s suggestion that he wouldn’t leave office peacefully “appalling and outrageous.” Baker said he would to do everything in his power to defend the results of the election.
“A huge part of this nation’s glory, to the extent it exists as a beacon to others, is the peaceful transfer of power based on the vote of the people of this country,” he said.
Trump responded with an insulting tweet, but one that suggested he was deliberately stoking the story to try to get free media coverage.
This makes sense, because there are signs that Trump and the Republicans have a real money problem. We know that the Trump campaign has run through close to a billion dollars, leaving him and other Republican candidates short of cash for the last weeks of the campaign. At the same time, Democratic fundraising in the wake of Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg’s death has been unprecedented. The squeeze showed clearly in three highly unusual appearances by Senator Lindsey Graham (R-SC) on the Fox News Channel begging for donations.
Two new ploys to advance Trump’s reelection, one claiming to address healthcare concerns and one claiming to address coronavirus concerns, reveal both the campaign’s attempts to construct their own reality and to do it on someone else’s dime.
The president has repeatedly promised his own healthcare bill to replace the Affordable Care Act that his administration is currently trying to kill. Under criticism for trying to end the law that protects people with preexisting health conditions from discrimination in buying insurance—the ACA will come before the Supreme Court a week after the November 3 election– Trump on Thursday abruptly signed an Executive Order affirming that “it is the official policy of the United States government to protect patients with preexisting conditions.” The Executive Order is toothless; if the Supreme Court overturns the ACA, the Executive Order will mean nothing.
But Trump also suggested that he might be willing simply to keep the law and call it his own. “Obamacare is no longer Obamacare, as we worked on it and managed it very well,” Trump said of the law that continues to provide coverage for more than 20 million Americans. “What we have now is a much better plan. It is no longer Obamacare because we got rid of the worse part of it — the individual mandate.” “We’ve really become the health-care party — the Republican Party,” he said.
Trump also announced he would give $200 toward the cost of their medicines to 33 million older Americans. That’s $6.6 billion dollars that he will be putting in the pockets of key voters just before the election. Apparently, his plan is to take money from Medicare under a rule that allows the Medicare to test out new programs. Authorization for such a shift in funding usually requires a lengthy approval process, and the new program needs to be cost neutral. Ameet Sarpatwari, assistant director of Harvard Medical School’s Program on Regulation, Therapeutics and Law told NPR’s Sydney Lupkin: I think the administration is pushing the envelope in terms of classifying this as a demonstration.”
The Trump campaign is also planning a taxpayer-funded advertising blitz, costing at least $300 million, to “defeat despair and inspire hope” about the coronavirus pandemic. According to Politico’s Dan Diamond, the ads will feature interviews between administration officials and celebrities. The ad campaign was conceived and begun by Michael Caputo, the top spokesperson for the Department of Health and Human Services before he stepped down last week for medical leave after an infamous Facebook rant.
Caputo claimed in his video that Trump has personally demanded the advertising campaign. “The Democrats — and, by the way, their conjugal media and the leftist scientists that are working for the government — are dead set against it,” Caputo said. “They cannot afford for us to have any good news before November because they’re already losing. … They’re going to come after me because I’m going to be putting $250 million worth of ads on the air.” The White House says it is not accurate that Trump “demanded” the campaign.
To pay for the ads, Caputo requisitioned $300 million from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and $15 million from the Food and Drug Administration (FDA). But he sidelined the Ad Council, which is a nonprofit consortium of advertising companies that since World War Two has worked on a nonpartisan basis with the government on public health or social issue campaigns. Instead, Caputo hired his own business partner to make the videos.
Josh Peck, the former HHS official who oversaw the Obama administration’s advertising campaign for HealthCare.gov, told Diamond that officials in the Obama administration were never featured in videos, and that the Trump administrations Covid videos sound like they are about more than Americans’ health. He said: “CDC hasn’t yet done an awareness campaign about Covid guidelines — but they are going to pay for a campaign about how to get rid of our despair? Run by political appointees in the press shop? Right before an election? It’s like every red flag I could dream of.”
Trump’s challenge to the outcome of the election is a sign of his desperation, but it is no less dangerous for all that: as they say, a cornered rat will bite the cat. While Democrats and a remarkable number of Republicans are speaking out against Trump, and while teams of lawyers are fighting his lawyers in court, ordinary Americans also have a crucial role to play in this moment. It is up to us to reject Trump’s fictions and reclaim the national conversation from the anger and hatred and fear Trump is stoking.
It is time to reassert our core American values so they dominate the public realm, demanding of our representatives a free and fair vote for everyone, a free and fair vote count, and a government of our own choosing.
The General Election is Tuesday, Nov. 3, and there are plenty of ways to vote early, or vote from the comfort of one’s own home, but there are a lot of deadlines and procedural steps that voters need to be aware of, to ensure their vote counts. Here’s a quick rundown on available options and processes for voting.
Registration
First, check to ensure your voter registration information is accurate and active by visiting https://vt.ncsbe.gov/RegLkup/. The deadline to register to vote in the 2020 General Election is Friday, Oct. 9. [BUT DO IT NOW]
Voting absentee by mail
Any registered voter within North Carolina can request a ballot by visiting https://votebymail.ncsbe.gov. Active duty military personnel and overseas voters have different rules and deadlines, and should visit www.ncsbe.gov/voting/vote-mail/military-and-overseas-voting.
Voters should allow at least 10 days after a ballot is requested to receive it by mail, but the deadline to request an absentee ballot is 5 p.m. Tuesday, Oct. 27. [BUT, DO IT NOW]
The United States Postal Service recommends that voters request ballots as soon as possible but no later than 15 days before Election Day (Tuesday, Nov. 3) to ensure sufficient time for delivery.
Complete the ballot according to the instructions and be sure to sign both the ballot, and the envelope in the spaces provided. A witness signature is also required.
Completed ballots must be postmarked on or before Election Day to count. The USPS recommends mailing the completed ballot back at least a week before the Nov. 3 deadline.
Alternately, completed ballots can be dropped off at your county board of elections office through 5 p.m. on Election Day. Days and office hours of county boards of elections can vary, so call before you go. Find yours at https://vt.ncsbe.gov/boeinfo. Only the voter or the voter’s legal guardian can deliver a ballot in person.
County board of elections office location in [Jackson County] is: 876 Skyland Dr., #1, Sylva • 828.586.7538, www.jcncelections.org/
Completed ballots can also be dropped off at voting sites during the early voting period, which runs from Thursday, Oct. 15, through Oct. 31. Again, days, hours and locations of early voting sites vary by county, so be sure to check yours at https://vt.ncsbe.gov/ossite/ before you go. Only the voter or the voter’s legal guardian can deliver a ballot in person. [Ballots can be dropped off at Jackson Board of Elections NOW.]
To ensure your completed mail-in absentee ballot was received and accepted, do not — as President Donald Trump suggested — show up at your polling place on Election Day and attempt to vote again. Voting twice incurs unnecessary risk of coronavirus exposure, makes more work for busy election officials and is a felony in North Carolina.
Early voting runs from Thursday, Oct. 15 through Oct. 31. Early voting sites in [Jackson County] will include:
• Cashiers Recreation Center, 355 Frank Allen Rd., Cashiers
• Cullowhee Recreation Center, 88 Cullowhee Mountain Rd., Cullowhee
• Jackson County Board of Elections, 876 Skyland Dr., Sylva
• Qualla Community Building, 181 Shoal Creek Church Loop, Whittier
• Western Carolina University, 245 Memorial Dr., Cullowhee
Voting in person [on Election Day]
Election Day is Tuesday, Nov. 3. Polls are open from 6:30 a.m. to 7:30 p.m. Voters who are in line at 7:30 p.m. will still be allowed to vote, no matter how long the line is. Voter identification is not required.
Vote only at your precinct, which can be found by visiting https://vt.ncsbe.gov/reglkup. You can also find a sample ballot listing all of the races in which you’re eligible to vote.
Registering to vote on Election Day is not an option in North Carolina.
Significant measures will be taken to guard against the spread of COVID-19, including enforcement of social distancing. Masks will be provided for those who don’t bring their own.
Today I’m feeling many emotions as we mourn the death of a gentle, giant warrior, Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg. Although I’m very sad and my heart is heavy, I’m reminded that I am not powerless.
I’m sharing with you a message from Jeff Rose, President of the North Carolina County Chairs’ Association and Chair of the Buncombe County Democratic Party. Jeff’s words are just what I needed to lift my spirits this morning, and I hope you find they comfort you, as well.
Although some links are specific to Buncombe County, please reach out to your County Democratic Party to support your candidates and Party.
We’re Stronger Together and United We Win.
Warm Regards, Kathy Sinclair, Chair NC CD11 Democratic Party
Here’s Jeff’s Message.
Tonight, our nation is mourning the loss of Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg.
Justice Ginsburg was a legal pioneer for gender equality and a fierce ally of civil rights, equality, and justice during her entire career. She was an inspiration to women all across the country for decades, from her time working at the American Civil Liberties Union through her years on the Supreme Court.
As we grieve her loss, we also must work to honor and defend her legacy. North Carolina is the barrier standing between Trump and a second term. We can be the ones who elect Joe Biden, and we can be the state that flips the Senate by electing Cal Cunningham.
Tonight, Senator McConnell announced “Trump’s nominee will receive a vote on the floor of the Senate.” While we cannot stop him from holding a vote, we can put pressure on vulnerable senators and show the nation we’re all watching. And we must.
That starts with you. You can talk to your friends, neighbors, and family about voting this year, no matter where they live. Together, we can connect with as many left-leaning voters in Buncombe and share information about when, where, and how to vote.
Here are some concrete steps you can take this weekend to help Democrats win in North Carolina.
Join in the Vigil for RGB on Saturday at 6pm in Pack Square
All of us at the Buncombe Democrats are heartbroken and grieving with you. This year has been so difficult for our nation, and I know Justice Ginsburg’s passing has left many of you with less hope for the future.
I truly believe that working together, we can and will get through these next 45 days. Our work will send Joe Biden to the White House to begin to heal our nation.
Thank you all for your continued work and dedication to a better county, state, and nation. Jeff Rose BCDP Chair
Republican Mike Clampitt and Democrat Rep. Joe Sam Queen, candidates for the North Carolina House of Representative District 119, will appear at a virtual town hall hosted by The Smoky Mountain News and Blue Ridge Public Radio.
On the evening of Thursday, Sept. 24, candidates will join moderators Lilly Knoepp and Cory Vaillancourt for “NC 119: Virtual Town Hall” starting at 7 p.m. Both moderators will pose questions for these political veterans as well as ask questions sent in by the community and local leaders.
This will be the fifth time that these two candidates have gone head-to-head to represent the people of Haywood, Jackson and Swain counties.
Residents of the district are invited to submit questions about current issues like COVID-19, racial justice, employment in the mountains, or other relevant issues by visiting the Facebook event page, www.bit.ly/5NC119.
The virtual event will be hosted at Western Carolina University. Due to venue capacity limits currently in place, the event will not be open to the public, but will be livestreamed on Blue Ridge Public Radio’s Facebook page.
Share your input for next week’s NC 119: Virtual Town Hall Join Blue Ridge Public Radio and Smoky Mountain Newsnext Thursday, September 24, at 7 PM for a virtual town hall with Republican Mike Clampitt and Democrat Representative Joe Sam Queen, candidates running for the North Carolina House of Representatives District 119. This will be the fifth time that these two candidates have gone head-to-head to represent the people of Haywood, Jackson and Swain counties. A big part of this virtual town hall is YOU. If you live in Swain, Jackson or Haywood Counties, send us your questions and concerns for both candidates. Do you want to talk about COVID-19, employment in the mountains, racial justice or other topics? Submit your questions by recording a voice memo and emailing them to lknoepp@bpr.org, or post a comment to the event’s Facebook page. The virtual event will be hosted at Western Carolina University; however, due to venue capacity limits currently in place the event will not be open to the public. This town hall will be livestreamed on Blue Ridge Public Radio’s Facebook page.
The North Carolina Democratic Party will host 8 Virtual Town Halls during the months of September and October. This includes a Supreme Court Town Hall specific to District 11 on October 15th at 7pm. Please attend our district’s town hall by signing up HERE. Registration is required. There will be statewide Council of State Town Halls over the next two months:
If you would like to share any of these events on Facebook, you can see all of them here.
The NCDP is committed to supporting races up and down the ballot, and giving voters all the information they need to make informed decisions this November.
This is the most important election in modern history, and North Carolina voters are ready to put leaders on the Council of State and on the Supreme Court who will work for every day North Carolinians, not for special interests.
Thank you,
Kathy Sinclair, Chair
NC CD11 Democratic Party
The first two debates are in the books and we are already looking ahead to Wednesday, when the third debate will be held at Southwestern Community College in Sylva. I hope you share my view that this race is about who can best serve the needs of the people of Western North Carolina. Who offers the policies that will allow us to grow and prosper?
After two debates, I think the answer is clear.
JOINT STATEMENT WITH NC-13 NOMINEE SCOTT HUFFMANON PRESIDENT TRUMP’S DISPARAGING REMARKS ABOUT TROOPS
The President of the United States has gone too far.
According to an article in The Atlantic magazine that has been confirmed by multiple media outlets, President Trump has disparaged the troops who gave their lives for our country. As veterans and public servants, we cannot allow the words of our President to stand without forceful objection.
We served. We enlisted. We volunteered. We swore an oath to uphold the Constitution of the United States. Our military service is not beholden to a single man, woman, or public official. Our service is sworn to the people and the laws of the United States of America, as outlined in the Constitution.
Some of you may call us brave heroes. We wish that you would not. The heroes are the men and women who laid down their lives in the field of battle. We served to honor them. We continue to honor them, not as “losers” and “suckers,” as the President said, but as the solemn guardians of our shores and, more importantly, our freedoms.
Make no mistake, my fellow Americans and North Carolinians, when a Commander in Chief desecrates the memory of the men and women who died protecting his freedom, it diminishes the value of every member of the military who has stood a post, here and abroad.
We served so Donald Trump could play golf on his bone spurs.
As candidates for federal office, we now stand for North Carolina so that the vicious and vile disregard for our state’s brave servicemen and women doesn’t put them in danger. We are running for office because we cannot stand silently while threats to our nation go unchecked and our military brothers and sisters go unprotected.
This is the United States of America. We honor the legacies of the devil dogs, midshipmen, airmen and Rangers who came before us and we wish to serve to protect those who stand post for us now.
His enablers amplify his dishonor. We’re here to stop them.
VETS FOR MOE!
Are you a veteran supporting Col. Moe Davis for Congress? We want to hear from you! Send us a short selfie video to VetsForMoe@moedavis.com saying why you support Col. Davis and we might highlight it on our social media.
Col. Davis met with a group of veterans last Saturday in Burnsville and hopes to have more events with veterans throughout the 11th District. If you would like to host an event, or if you know of a good location to hold one, please let us know and we’ll try to arrange a meet-and-greet.
DON’T FORGET WEDNESDAY’S DEBATE
Want to watch Round 3, Moe vs. Madison? It will be live streamed here starting at 7 PM ET. It will also be available on Moe’s campaign Facebook and YouTube pages, and Moe’s personal Twitter fee
HIGHLIGHT OF THE DEBATES
There were plenty of key moments in the first two debates. We are particularly partial to this one, where Col. Davis talked about his military record and the pride he felt in receiving the Legion of Merit, one of many honors he earned during a 25-year career in the Air Force.
His career wasn’t without controversy. It included the decision to resign his post as Chief Prosecutor at Guantanamo Bay after he was ordered to use evidence obtained by torture.
Not surprisingly, there were those who criticized Col. Davis for taking that stand. But there is no doubt who is on the right side of history. Torture was wrong then and it is wrong today.
And that’s what true character and integrity are all about. Col. Davis knew that it would cost him to make that decision. He did it anyway.
Because it was the right thing to do.
ENDORSEMENT FROM THE COALITION TO STOP GUN VIOLENCE
Leaders from Illinois Sen. Tammy Duckworth to North Carolina Governor Roy Cooper have stepped forward to endorse Col. Davis. And more than a dozen organizations have also “signed up” to support our campaign, representing everyone from veterans to teachers to the LGBTQIA community.
Thank you to the Coalition to Stop Gun Violence for joining VoteVets, the Sierra Club, North Carolina Association of Educators, National Organization of Women PAC, Equality NC, AFL-CIO Western North Carolina Central Labor Council, Common Defense, Moms Demand Action, Planned Parenthood Action Fund, Progressive Turnout Project, Patriotic Millionaires and Serve America PAC in supporting Moe Davis for Congress.
OUR RESTAURANTS NEED HELP. NOW.
LIVE IN POLK COUNTY? MAKE A VIDEO!
Every Democrat (and independent and Republican) should go to the Polk County Democratic Party website and sign up for its newsletter. It’s packed with information on absentee ballots, signs, when and how to vote and more.
This month’s newsletter features a request for selfie videos on why you are a Democrat or what candidates you are supporting (like Col. Davis!) to be used in their virtual Fall Rally on Sept. 27. Submit videos to their dropbox by Sept. 19 and don’t forget to include your pet in the video if you can!
SIGNS AVAILABLE!
We are seeing Moe Davis signs go up all over Western North Carolina! Thanks to everyone who has ordered a yard sign or a 4 x 6 banner – we’ve had to place a double-order for new ones because we’ve had so many requests.
If you would like a sign, please check at your local county Democratic Party HQ. Signs should be available at Buncombe, Cherokee, Clay, Haywood, Henderson, Jackson, Macon, McDowell, Mitchell, Polk, Rutherford, and Transylvania HQs. We also have signs available for pick-up in Avery, Black Mountain, Graham, Mars Hill, Swain, and Yancey. (Send an email to yardsign@moedavis.com for info on those non-HQ pick-up locations.) And if you want to give another one to your friend, family member or neighbor, please consider a donation to help us defray the costs. We would really appreciate it!
Remember, you can place signs on your private property now, but you have to wait until Sept. 15 to put a sign on public property. (We wish our opponent would follow the law).
APPLYING FOR AN ABSENTEE BALLOT IS EASY
We have been urging voters to consider voting by absentee ballot this election cycle given the current COVID-19 pandemic. Now, North Carolina has made it even easier to apply. All you have to do to apply for an absentee ballot is go here to apply online. It takes just a minute or two to fill out the application.
Given delays at the post office, we would also urge you to do this sooner rather than later to get your ballot in on time. Remember, too, you can drop your ballot off at the Board of Elections rather than mail it.
WHEN THE SHOUTING ENDS
Our opponent is good at yelling – my goodness, we all heard it on both nights of the debate. If volume was all that mattered …
But this race isn’t about who can shout. It’s about who can lead.
If you want a leader in Congress, help us get there. Please donate.
Voting begins today, September 4th. The election is underway and starting today the first ballots are being mailed to those who have already submitted their ballot requests.
In this election you have three distinct ways to vote. First, by Absentee ballot beginning today. Second, during one stop Early Voting or third by voting on Election Day, Tuesday, November 3rd.
How to Register
Requirements to Register:
Be a US Citizen.
Live in the county where you wish to register to vote for at least 30 days.
Be 18 years old by Election Day, November 3rd, 2020.
Not be serving a sentence for a felony conviction, including probation, parole or post-release supervision. Once all sentence conditions are served you may vote again.
Citizens registering to vote must offer proof of their identity and residence by showing any of the following documents with their name and address:
NC Driver’s License
Other photo identification issued by a government agency. Any government-issued photo ID is acceptable, provided that the card includes the voter’s name and address.
A copy of a utility bill, bank statement, government check, paycheck or other government document showing the voter’s name and address.
A college/university photo ID card paired with proof of campus habitation.
How To Register:
You may register by any of the following ways anytime between now and October 9th*:
Stopping by your Board of Elections Office and registering in person.
Youmay vote by Absentee ballot any time from now until Election Day, November 3rd. You must be registered to vote in order to vote by Absentee. The deadline for requesting an Absentee ballot is 5 PM on Tuesday, October 27, 2020. Absentee ballots have to either be received by your Board of Elections or postmarked by Election Day to be counted. (Voting by Mail in NC is Safe.)
Here are the steps to vote Absentee:
Early One-Stop Voting
(Vote & Register at Same Time)
In 2020, the in-person Early Voting period begins Thursday, October 15, and ends Saturday, October 31,
During Early Voting between Oct. 15 – Oct. 31*individuals who are not registered but are otherwise qualified to vote in a county may register in person at any of their counties’ Early Voting sites during the voting period. After registering, the newly registered voter can immediately vote at the same site on the same day.
including two Sunday opportunities.
During Early Voting, you may cast a ballot at any Early One-Stop Voting site in your county. If you are not registered or you need to modify your registration you can do it at that time. (During the General Election on November 3, you must vote at your assigned precinct.)
Election Day: Tuesday, November 3rd
Know Your Polling Place:
To find your polling place, use the link here. Once you’ve found your polling place, all you have left to do is be sure you’re registered and to vote.
Polling places are open from 6:30 a.m. to 7:30 p.m. on Election Day. Any voter in line at 7:30 p.m. will be able to vote. The busiest times tend to be early in the morning and just before the polls close. Avoid longer lines by voting at off-peak times, or plan ahead and vote absentee or during the Early Voting period.
Polling Places Will Be Safe:
Significant precautions will be made to protect voters and election workers against the transmission of COVID-19. These include:
Enforcing social distancing at polling places and Early Voting sites
Providing hand sanitizer and masks for voters and election workers who do not bring their own.
Providing gloves and face shields for election workers.
Erecting barriers between election workers and voters at check-in tables.
Providing single-use pens in counties that use hand-marked paper ballots and Q-tips for voters who use ballot-marking devices.
Frequently cleaning surfaces and equipment in polling places and Early Voting sites.
Recruiting poll workers who are less vulnerable to the virus.
For more information on how COVID-19 may impact your voting experience, visit the NC Voting and Coronavirus page.
Make yourself a plan to vote. And help your friends and family.
Don’t leave anyone behind. We’re all in this together.
Until we speak again, stay safe. If you or a loved one is concerned about your health, the numbers for each of District 119’s Health Departments are listed below:
This Thursday, join Col. Moe Davis, Congressman Seth Moulton, and hosts Ken Brame, Bob Deutsch, Rick Devereaux, Doreen Carroll, Arch Ramos, Don Swaby and Rich Wasch for a VIP virtual reception.
This virtual event will take place at 5:30 p.m. ET on Thursday, September 3rd. Congressman and retired USMC Capt. Seth Moulton and Col. Moe Davis will discuss our strategy to return leadership and a spirit of service to Washington. This is a can’t miss event! Get your tickets here!
Congressman and retired USMC Capt. Seth Moulton and Col. Moe Davis will discuss our strategy to return leadership and a spirit of service to Washington. This is a can’t miss event!
Over the past three campaign cycles, students in Dr. Bucky Dann’s Social Problems class at Southwestern Community College have questioned candidates vying for varying levels of state and local office.
At 7 p.m. on Sept. 9, Dr. Dann’s current students get to step on the national stage as they will guide the conversation in a debate featuring the two men contending for a seat in the U.S. House of Representatives: Republican Madison Cawthorn and Democrat Moe Davis.
“I’m kind of mixed with emotions right now,” said Courtney Thomas, an SCC student who resides in Sylva. “I feel excited because I get to ask questions about topics I think are super-important right now. I’m also super-nervous about public speaking. But I’m mostly excited.”
SCC students spend the first few weeks of their class meetings researching and discussing issues of relevance in the race, and they develop their own questions on a variety of topics with the goal of illustrating the differences in the candidates’ points of view.
The congressional event will be the first of four debates hosted at Southwestern this fall. Following is a list of the other debates, dates and candidates who’ve been invited to appear:
Jackson County Board of Commissioners (Sept. 24) – Democrats Susan Bogardus (Dist. 3) and Mark Jones (Dist. 4); and Republicans Tom Stribling (Dist. 3) and Mark Letson (Dist. 4).
N.C. House of Representatives, Dist. 119 (Oct. 8) – Republican Mike Clampitt and Democrat Joe Sam Queen.
N.C. Senate, District 50 (Oct. 22) – Republican Kevin Corbin and Democrat Victoria Fox.
All debates start at 7 p.m.
Because the state remains in Phase 2 of Gov. Roy Cooper’s reopening plan, members of the public will not be able to physically attend the Sept. 9 debate that will be held on SCC’s Jackson Campus. Instead, SCC will provide live streaming video at https://livestream.com/southwesterncc/congress2020.
“From the time we started hosting these debates in 2014, our goal has been to provide an unbiased platform for candidates to express themselves to the public,” said Dr. Dann, a member of SCC’s faculty since 2006. “Every time we’ve gone through this process, our students have impressed me with how thoroughly they’ve researched the issues. Their questions generate thoughtful – if passionate – dialogue among the candidates, and I can already tell this year’s students will uphold that tradition.”
Considering the effect of COVID-19 on today’s political climate, student Donald Norton of Sylva said he’s looking forward to hearing how the candidates respond to questions posed by himself and his classmates.
“2020 has shown a lot of things about America and its underlying infrastructure, and there are a lot of weaknesses that got highlighted: How fragile the economy is sitting versus the unemployment rate,” Norton said. “(COVID) has played a pretty major impact on this year, so candidates need to find a way to step up to the problems that have arisen.”
For updates about SCC’s debates, check SCC‘s website, official social media pages (Facebook, Instagram and Twitter) regularly.
North Carolina law allows any individual or state-registered political action committee (PAC) to contribute up to $5,400 per election. Contributions from business entities and corporations are prohibited. Cash contributions in excess of $50 are prohibited. Anonymous contributions are prohibited. Contributions from registered lobbyists are prohibited. Contributions from PACs are prohibited when the General Assembly is in Regular Session. State law requires us to use our best efforts to collect and report the name, mailing address, occupation, and name of employer of individuals whose contributions aggregate in excess of $50 per election. Please provide this information if required.
Paid for by Cooper for North Carolina
Roy Cooper for North Carolina
PO Box 1190
Raleigh, NC 27602 United States
Join Our Debate Watch Party Hosted By:
NC CD11 Democratic Party and the Coordinated Campaign
Friday, September 4 and Saturday, September 5 – Starting at 7:15PM NC 11 Congressional District Debates Starts at 7:30 PM Come join the District 11 Democratic Party and the Coordinated Campaign to watch Democratic Nominee Moe Davis take on Republican Madison Cawthorn in the first forums of the 11th Congressional District U.S. House Race.
Moe Davis is a retired Air Force Colonel, Director of the Air Force Judiciary and former Chief Prosecutor at Guantanamo Bay. He has been a law professor, judge, speaker, writer and national security expert for Congress. He is the best candidate to represent Western North Carolina and is the fighter we need in Congress! There are 2 forums hosted back to back – one Friday evening, and one Saturday. Join us!
The forums are sponsored by Blue Ridge Public Radio, Mountain Xpress and Smoky Mountain news.
Here’s what Moe’s campaign has to say: Colonel Moe Davis (USAF, Ret.) will face off against Republican opponent Madison Cawthorn in a pair of debates to be hosted by Blue Ridge Public Radio, Mountain Xpress and Smoky Mountain News. The “Best in the West: North Carolina’s 11th Congressional District forum,” on Sept. 4 and Sept. 5 will be moderated by reporter Cory Vaillancourt with a diverse panel of guests who will question the candidates. “I’m pleased we finally got an agreement from the other side to do debates,’’ Col. Davis said. “There are sharp contrasts — personally, professionally and politically — between me and Madison Cawthorn and debates will give voters an opportunity to learn more about us so they can make informed decisions. The debates are going to underscore the obvious … education, training and experience matters.” The Sept. 4 debate will take place at Western Carolina University’s Biltmore Park campus and include questions from Lenoir-Rhyne University Equity and Diversity Institute developer Aisha Adams, former Asheville Citizen Times political reporter and current Mountain Xpress contributor Mark Barrett and Pete Kaliner, longtime N.C. political reporter, radio host and podcaster. The debate will focus on international, national, state and urban issues. On Sept. 5, the candidates will be at Western Carolina University in Cullowhee and questions on rural issues, native issues and education will come from WCU political science and public affairs department chair Chris Cooper, WCU professor of economics and director of WCU’s Center for the Study of Free Enterprise Edward Lopez and Principal Chief Richard G. Sneed, Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians. Other options to watch: Moe Davis Facebook Page Starting at 6:30pm: https://moedavisforcongress.com/event/best-of-the-west-debate-part-i/ Blue Ridge Public Radio’s facebook page. https://www.facebook.com/blueridgepublic/
Vote the Entire Ballot, Stay Safe and Make Sure Your Vote Counts
VOTE THE ENTIRE BALLOT!
Did you know that North Carolina has the 3rd longest ballot in the entire country? That means you will need to be well informed about the candidates, will need extra time to vote for every race, and even more time to double-check your work. Every race on the ballot matters, whether it’s the President of the United States, or Commissioner of Soil & Water. These elected positions affect our everyday life, so please be sure to VOTE THE ENTIRE BALLOT.
In 2016, 800,000 voters in North Carolina voted for the President at the top of the ballot but DID NOT vote for the judges. We cannot let that happen again, so please help spread the word to your friends and family members. For the sake of the election and your peace of mind, allow yourself sufficient time to VOTE THE ENTIRE BALLOT.
3 WAYS TO VOTE – IT’S UP TO YOU. WHAT’S YOUR PLAN?
Absentee Ballot by Mail
Early voting: October 15 – October 31
Election Day: November 3
With all the news regarding COVID-19 and the U.S. Postal Service, many voters are justifiably concerned about choosing a method to vote and making sure their vote will count. The Board of Elections (BOE) is offering three safe options, and the choice is up to you.
Absentee Ballot by Mail. This method is completely safe and reliable, as long as your official ballot is returned to your local BOE in plenty of time to avoid any post office delays*. In fact, don’t use the post office at all. You can HAND DELIVER YOUR BALLOT to your local BOE or an Early Voting location. * From the NCSBE FAQ: “For civilian absentee voters, the container-return envelope with the voted ballot enclosed must be returned to the county board of elections no later than 5 p.m. on Election Day. Absentee ballots received after 5 p.m. on Election Day will be counted only if they are postmarked on or before Election Day and received by mail no later than 5 p.m. November 6. Ballots without a postmark must be received by Election Day.”
The last day to request an Absentee Ballot is October 27th, however we strongly encourage you to request yours NOW. The sooner your ballot is received, completed, and returned to the BOE – the sooner IT WILL BE COUNTED. The great thing about choosing to vote Absentee Ballot by Mail is YOU CAN CHANGE YOUR MIND. If you receive you Absentee Ballot but then choose to vote in person instead, you can do so as long as your absentee ballot has not yet been returned.
Another advantage to this method is if your ballot is rejected by the BOE due to deficiencies, you’ll be notified and given the opportunity to make a correction. View these helpful links for more information:
I want to know more about my options: CLICK HERE to watch a very helpful video from Andy Millard, Chair of the Polk County Democratic Party. I still have questions?CLICK HERE for a 6-page FAQ from the N.C. State Board of Elections. I need an Absentee Ballot Request Form: CLICK HERE to download a form.
Early Voting Early Voting takes place between October 15 and October 31, so check your local BOE for locations and times for your county. Due to COVID-19, many older workers are choosing not to work the polls this year, however the BOE is already working to make sure there are sufficient workers to staff all sites.
Although voters cannot be required to wear masks at polling locations, for your safety all poll workers will be required to wear them, and masks will be available to anyone who requests one to wear. Reasons to consider safely voting at an Early Voting site include*:
You can vote at any Early Voting Site in Your County
Register and Vote the Same Day
Change Your Address if You’ve Moved
Submit Your Absentee Ballot
*Source: Buncombe County Democratic Party The Board of Elections wants you to know all three options are safe.
Lorna Barnett, “I had a wonderful experience being a Delegate for Joe Biden during the Democratic National Convention. We may not have had all the partying in Milwaukee but I think we got to know Joe Biden and Kamala Harris better by watching the virtual convention on TV and in Zoom and Caucus events. It was a privilege to represent North Carolina and to cast my vote to nominate the next President of the United States. Please text VOTE to 30330 and continue to be inspired daily and get a reminder when it’s time to cast your ballot.”
Andy Millard said, “It was not the convention we were hoping for, but I think the committee did a great job. I loved the hopeful message delivered by so many everyday Americans. My main delegate duty was to cast my vote for Joe, which I did via email a couple weeks prior to the convention. I did attend a few pre-gavel events. They were mostly social and/or focused on hearing from regional candidates. I enjoyed getting to know some of the delegates from neighboring states; it gave me just a taste of what a “real” convention experience might have been.”
Kathie Kline described her experience, “As a delegate, I really appreciated our North Carolina Democrat’s efficient process for casting our votes virtually. They also worked hard to include us despite these unusual circumstances, inviting us to attend virtual events, record our comments, and share our experiences. The North Carolina and Southern delegation meetings included lots of laughter and camaraderie, and of course, plenty of inspiration to keep us all working hard through November. I am so proud and grateful to be a Democrat in this great state of North Carolina!”
WLOS did a news story with our delegates shortly before the convention.
County Chairs Association
The County Chairs Association is working towards November successes in all 100 counties across our state. We know that every vote for our statewide candidates from each of our counties makes a huge difference, which is why we’re not leaving any counties behind. At our last August meeting, we were joined by North Carolina’s Secretary of State, Elaine Marshall, who gave us an update on her office and her campaign. We’re excited to re-elect Elaine and put more Democrats on the Council of State in November.
I hope you’ll join us at our next County Chairs Association Monthly Call on Tuesday, September 8th. Zoom information and an agenda will be sent to your county chairs closer to the meeting, so reach out to them if you’d like to attend.
Jeffrey Rose
Chair, Buncombe County Democratic Party
he/him/his
(828) 333-2595
Boards of Election Absentee Ballot Processing Meetings
The county Boards of Election will be unusually busy this year with processing so many absentee ballots and meeting times for this purpose are being scheduled now. These meetings are open to the public. We hope this process will be free of controversy, but we are encouraging Democratic Party volunteers to be present and to record proceedings if any questions arise regarding irregularities or procedures. Some of the meetings will allow in-person observers, others will only allow a virtual presence. We have asked all county BOE’s to provide their meeting schedule to us, and we will have that available soon on a Google Sheet if you’d like it. Just let Kathie Kline know and she’ll email that to you. She can be reached at: kathiebkline@gmail.com
Texting Campaign a Success!
Twenty texters across the district successfully encouraged over 57,000 Democrats and mostly left-leaning Unaffiliated voters to request absentee ballots as soon as possible. They provided the state Board of Elections website and county BOE phone numbers to voters who wanted to request ballots, and urged them to mail or hand-deliver their ballots shortly after receiving them in September. For those choosing to vote in person, texters recommended Early Voting. Most of the texters enjoyed working fairly long hours and conversing with voters in a meaningful way. We hope this effort will make a tangible difference when election results roll in!
Visit the District 11 Facebook page for the most recent events, informative posts, and more
Moe Davis DEBATES Info!!
Moe Davis Debates Madison Cawthorne
Friday, September 4, 2020
7:30 PM – 8:30 PM Moe Davis Debates Madison Cawthorne
Saturday, September 5, 2020
7:30 PM 8:30 PM
September speakers scheduled for Moe Talks will be posted on FB and the District 11 Website when announced.
Please join Col. Moe Davis for Moe Talks Live Virtual Town Hall on Zoom, Twitter, Facebook, YouTube and Twitch.
Republican Madison Cawthorn and Democrat Moe Davis, candidates for the North Carolina congressional seat left vacant by White House Chief of Staff Mark Meadows, have both agreed to appear at a two-day joint forum hosted by three of the district’s largest media outlets.
On the evenings of Friday Sept. 4, and Saturday, Sept. 5, candidates will join moderator Cory Vaillancourt and a diverse panel of guests for “Best in the West: North Carolina’s 11th Congressional District forum.”
The first event, to be held at Western Carolina University’s Biltmore Park instructional site, will feature questions by Lenoir-Rhyne University Equity and Diversity Institute program developer Aisha Adams, former Asheville Citizen Times political reporter and current Mountain Xpress contributor Mark Barrett and Pete Kaliner, longtime N.C. political reporter, radio host and podcaster. Topics will include international, national, state and urban issues.
The second event, to be held at Western Carolina University in Cullowhee, will include WCU political science and public affairs department chair Chris Cooper, WCU professor of economics and director of WCU’s Center for the Study of Free Enterprise Edward Lopez and Principal Chief Richard G. Sneed, Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians. Topics will include rural issues, native issues and education.
Due to venue capacity limits currently in place, events will not be open to the public, but will be livestreamed. Specific times and instructions on how to watch will be published in the coming days.
I recently moved into a new house in Asheville and have been opening old boxes of memorabilia long stored away. I discovered this picture from my 25-year career in the Air Force, when I served in Saudi Arabia during Operation Southern Watch.There are those who talk about how they’d defend America and then there are those of us who did.
Experience matters.
HOW DO THEY COMPARE?
Moe Davis doesn’t have a lot in common with Madison Cawthorn when it comes to policy proposals for Western North Carolina. Here’s a quick glance at what each candidate has said about key issues:
HEALTHCARE
Moe Davis: Supports a public option to ensure that everyone has healthcare coverage, but allows those who prefer to procure their own insurance at their own expense to do so.
Madison Cawthorn: Seeks to allow more insurance companies to compete with Blue Cross and Blue Shield to lower costs. Of course, that will do nothing for those who lost employer-based health insurance. And allowing out-of-state insurance companies would strip away the state’s authority to regulate them, meaning fewer consumer protections.
COVID-19
Moe Davis: Believes it is a global pandemic that threatens our health and our economy, and follows state guidelines on masks and social distancing to protect others.
Madison Cawthorn: Says it’s no different than the flu, that we shouldn’t shut down our economy, and rarely wears a mask or practices social distancing.
BROADBAND
Moe Davis: Supports Jim Clyburn’s HR 7302 Accessible, Affordable Internet for All Act, an $80 billion investment in expanding broadband to rural areas.
Madison Cawthorn: Supports tax incentives for ISPs to get them to expand their networks. (This has been tried for nearly 20 years and has ultimately failed because ISPs won’t invest in expansion to rural areas where they can’t make a profit, even if they are given incentives to do so.)
EDUCATION
Moe Davis: Supports greater investment in Title I spending to improve rural education, supports tuition assistance for technical schools and state public universities and zero-interest loan programs.
Madison Cawthorn: Seeks to eliminate the Department of Education and end government student loan programs; believes colleges and universities are “indoctrination camps.”
VETERANS
Moe Davis: Will fight to protect the VA from privatization.
Madison Cawthorn: Supports a president who is seeking to privatize VA healthcare.
JOBS AND A LIVING WAGE
Moe Davis: Attracting jobs to Western North Carolina depends on expanding access to healthcare, adding broadband capability and training students for high tech jobs in green energy and green technology that pay well and will protect our environment. We also must raise the minimum wage to $15 an hour.
Madison Cawthorn: No mention of jobs or wages on his website.
ENVIRONMENT
Moe Davis: Believes in science and the need for policies to reverse climate change because it is our moral obligation to preserve and protect our land, air and water for our children and future generations. Will work to extend and expand federal support for commercial and consumer alternative energy programs including wind, solar, geothermal heating and cooling. Supports a return to the Paris Agreement.
Madison Cawthorn: Crickets.
RACIAL INEQUALITY
Moe Davis: Supports ending qualified immunity so that police officers can be held liable for violating the rights of people they serve. He would push to establish a federal model policing program that creates standards of conduct including de-escalation and the use of non-lethal force. He supports efforts to give back to the Black community to compensate for decades of racist economic policies.
Madison Cawthorn: Called Democrats racists and said reparations are not needed because 600,000 died to free slaves in the Civil War. Offered hydration packs to Asheville police a day after police made international news by destroying a medic station and slashing bottles of water meant for protestors.
WOMEN
Moe Davis: Supports North Carolina’s bid to approve the Equal Rights Amendment.
ENDORSEMENT FROM REP. SETH MOULTON’S SERVE AMERICA PAC
Congressman Seth Moulton’s Serve America PAC, which recruits and supports veterans and service-oriented candidates including political newcomers, has announced it is endorsing Moe Davis for Congress in North Carolina’s 11th District.
“Retired Col. Moe Davis has repeatedly demonstrated that he is unafraid to stand up for what’s right, even when it comes at his own personal and professional expense,’’ Rep. Moulton said. “Over the course of his career in the Air Force and in government service, Davis consistently challenged the status quo and stood up for his principles, and our country is better for it. I look forward to seeing him bring that sense of integrity and moral authority to Washington.’’
Serve America PAC joins veterans groups VoteVets.org and Common Defense along with the Sierra Club, North Carolina Association of Educators, AFL-CIO Western North Carolina Central Labor Council, Equality NC, Planned Parenthood Action Fund, Patriotic Millionaires, Progressive Turnout Project and Moms Demand Action in supporting Davis.
“I’m grateful to Representative Seth Moulton and Serve America for their support of my campaign to represent Western North Carolina in Congress,’’ Davis said. “Like Representative Moulton, I’m proud to be a Veteran and I share his commitment to put service before self and stand up for what’s right even when doing so comes at a cost. I look forward to serving with him in the 117th Congress and working with him to get our country back on the right track. We can and will do better.”
150,000 … AND COUNTING
The death toll from COVID-19 continues to rise unabated as our country fails to take the necessary steps that other nations have committed to in order to control the spread of this deadly global pandemic.
Moe posted this video on reaching yet another grim milestone.
STATEMENT ON TROOP WITHDRAWAL IN GERMANY
Donald Trump said, “We don’t want to be responsible anymore” to explain why he’s pulling one-third of U.S. troops — about 12,000 of roughly 36,000 troops — out of Germany. He said Germany hasn’t lived up to its financial commitment to NATO; therefore, he’s cutting our troop presence.
U.S. troops are stationed in Germany and other NATO countries as a forward presence to deter Russian aggression, which is a key strategic interest of the United States … or at least it was until January 20, 2017. Trump acts like our troops are mall cops, and if store owners aren’t ponying up enough to suit him, he’ll pull his rent-a-guards out of the mall and put it at risk in order to shake down the store owners. Whether it’s through ignorance, indifference or to appease his pal Putin, Trump’s actions are feckless and reckless.
At any given point in time, about 1 in 15 of America’s 1.3 million active duty troops are overseas. We have troops in about 150 countries. There are just a few troops in many countries, often at our embassies, and tens of thousands in others where a large forward presence supports our strategic interests. Moe is a firm believer in fiscal responsibility and hasspent most of his adult life involved in military and national security matters. He understands the importance of striking a reasonable balance between spending and security. We need to continually assess where we deploy our military assets and increase or decrease them as appropriate at the time and consistent with our strategic interests. But arbitrarily yanking troops out of Germany to poke them for not paying what Trump believes they owe isn’t just foolish, it’s dangerous.
Our troops deserve a Commander-in-Chief they can trust. America deserves a President who puts America’s national security first. The world deserves an America that is responsible.
We all deserve better than Donald Trump.
SUPPORTING NURSES
Mission Hospital Nurses — Moe Davis stands with you. The decision to unionize is your decision to make. Thank you for all you do for Western North Carolina.
APPLY FOR AN ABSENTEE BALLOT
Concerned about voting in the age of the coronavirus? You can protect yourself and still exercise your right to vote using an absentee ballot, a method we are urging voters to choose this election cycle. You can go to this link for an application. Bear in mind there could be changes to the absentee ballot application. We’ll keep you updated.
Voters have until Oct. 27 to request an absentee ballot, but we would recommend you apply now and vote early so that the State Board of Elections isn’t inundated at the last minute and there isn’t any delay in getting the ballot back in time.
Reminder, you don’t have to vote by absentee ballot if you apply. But it is a great back-up if there are any disruptions and a reduction in polling locations due to the pandemic. Keep in mind that even if you apply now, you won’t actually receive an absentee ballot until September.
EXPERIENCE ISN’T ALL THAT MATTERS
We’ve said it before: Experience matters. But unfortunately, money matters, too. We need to increase our fundraising so that we can get the message out about Moe Davis’s experience.
This was an important week for the Moe Davis for Congress Campaign. Col. Davis made a national TV appearance on MSNBC’s Morning Joe and received an endorsement from North Carolina Gov. Roy Cooper. (click on picture to see entire interview)
Col. Davis is vying with Madison Cawthorn for the seat previously occupied by Mark Meadows, now the White House Chief of Staff. That means North Carolina’s 11th District is now on President Trump’s radar as well. Moving forward, this race is likely to continue receiving national attention.
That’s good for us. The more attention this race receives, the more obvious it becomes that Col. Davis is the only candidate with the experience, knowledge and leadership ability to make a difference for Western North Carolina. With about 100 days to go, it is now a sprint to the finish line!
Thanks so much for your support, and keep spreading the word!
If you haven’t seen the interview yet, here is the videoof Moe’s appearance on MSNBC’s Morning Joe last Thursday.
It’s all there. Knowledge. Leadership. A focus on issues that affect Western North Carolina. This is what a real representative looks like.
GOVERNOR COOPER ENDORSES MOE DAVIS!
We received notice last Monday that Gov. Cooper had endorsed Col. Davis. Just as important as national attention, state-wide recognition can only help our campaign moving forward.
Thank you, Gov. Cooper!
SHARE ME
Want to help elect Moe Davis to Congress? Here’s how you can do it without spending money. And you don’t even need to live in Western North Carolina.
All you have to do is help us spread the word on social media. Interactions with our @MoeDavisforCongress Facebook and Instagram accounts impact their algorithms and ultimately affect how many people see our posts.
So here’s how we can push Facebook and Instagram to promote Moe Davis:
1. React to a post with a like or a heart.
2. Click on all links within a post.
3. Leave a positive comment, “Go Moe!” or a hand clap emoji, etc.
4. Share the post.
5. If there is a video, click on the link and watch at least ten seconds.
6. Click on all photos in a post.
7. Invite friends to “like” the Moe Davis for Congress Facebook page.
8. Go back to old posts and like them as well.
Special thanks to Nate Worley for these tips that we hope will help spread the word about Moe Davis and help him win in November.
DEFENDING OUR ENVIRONMENT
Kudos to MountainTrue for joining with the Southern Environmental Law Center and 15 other conservation organizations to defend the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA).
For 50 years, NEPA has required federal agencies to assess the potential environmental impact of proposed major actions before deciding whether to proceed. The Trump administration’s recent overhaul of NEPA regulations reduces the types and number of federal infrastructure projects and land management actions subject to environmental review.
Even more alarming, it revokes a requirement that climate change and other “cumulative environmental effects” be considered and limits opportunities for affected populations, such as communities of color, to challenge proposed projects.
Deregulation like this puts our environment — the economic engine of our economy in Western North Carolina — at risk. We need leaders in Washington who will fight to protect our environment.
Period.
YARD SIGNS
Do you have a yard that faces a major road, highway or interstate? Do you want a large — 4′ X 6′ — Moe Davis for Congress sign to display? Email us at yardsign@moedavis.com and we will get a large display sign to you as soon as we can. (Use the same address for the regular sized signs and magnetic bumper stickers.)
Thank you!
VOLUNTEERS NEEDED
COVID-19 restrictions got you locked down and bored at home? Want to talk?
How about chatting with voters in North Carolina’s 11th Congressional District about Moe Davis?
We are asking for volunteers nationwide to phone bank for us, calling voters to get our message out. Calls can be made from anywhere in the country.
The more people know about Moe, his background, experience, knowledge and policy positions, the more likely they will support him. So please go to moedavisforcongress.com/get-involved/ to add your name if you can help.
Join us. Be a part of a team that flips Mark Meadows’s seat blue in November. It will feel soooo good.
MADISON’S WASHINGTON ADVENTURE
Madison Cawthorn recently attended a Trump fundraiser in Washington where he showed a video and had the opportunity to get in front of the GOP donor class. He’s already selling us out.
Those donors are going to pour millions into buying this seat. And Cawthorn’s vote.
Don’t let them get away with it.
Donate. If you can, and as much as you can. We can’t let Cawthorn anywhere near Washington.
Join Indivisible CommonGround WNC and Swing Left Asheville to make calls on Wed. 7/29 at 6-9 pm for 6th Generation Jackson County rep, Joe Sam Queen (HD-119). Make sure he is re-elected and stop GOP Gerrymandering! Register at this link: https://www.mobilize.us/swingleft/event/289640/
The COVID-19 pandemic continues to persist and North Carolina’s trends have continued to be worrisome. We need to keep in mind the health of all North Carolinians. We are all in this together.
The key to successfully containing this virus is building our citizen’s participation in proven preventative measures and by increasing our testing and tracing capabilities.
The key to restoring our economy is containing the virus.
Leadership Matters
Our Governor is working hard to move North Carolina forward with common sense steps. We are staying behind him and Secretary Cohen because they are leading us through this pandemic carefully and thoughtfully. Their leadership during this pandemic has provided North Carolina a stable platform to cope with the spread of COVID-19 all across our state.
We have sustained the Governor’s authority by sustaining his vetoes and we continue to support his data driven approach. We are all in this together.
Don’t Forget…
Doing your census is vitally important to our state’s function. Data collected from the census allows for us to appropriately allocate grants and funding to all of North Carolina. Please fill out your census, and spread the word to family and friends to do likewise. Being counted is key to us getting our fair share of future resources.
The Challenges of Education
The next big thing across the state is how are we going to get our schools and colleges up and running safely. And it’s complicated.
All hands on are deck. Except the legislature, which has adjourned until September, with no budget and lots of loose ends. Imagine that.
Even before the pandemic, the past decade of education policy has been dominated by a series of not just bad policies, but bad policies that are incredibly poorly crafted. Over the past 10 years the Republican Leadership has defunded North Carolina’s School system through budget cuts, reduced the number of teachers and increased the size of each class.
North Carolina should commit to the following list to account for past failures:
Revising the state funding model to provide adequate, efficient, and equitable resources.
Providing a qualified, well-prepared, and diverse teaching staff in every school.
Providing a qualified and well-prepared principal in every school.
Providing all at-risk students with the opportunity to attend high-quality early childhood programs.
Directing resources, opportunities, and initiatives to disadvantaged students.
Revising the student assessment system and school accountability system.
Building an effective regional and statewide system of support for the improvement of low-performing and high-poverty schools.
Convening an expert panel to assist the Court in monitoring state policies, plans, programs, and progress.
Admittedly, there are a lot of unknowns. We will not have our state revenue numbers until July 15th, the extended tax filing deadline. We don’t know the full extent of our shortfall until we get those numbers.
We don’t know what the much anticipated and much needed next round of Federal Stimulus will be. We are hoping Congress will see fit to help the States and Local Governments to cover lost revenue and continue to meet public needs.
But we could Expand Medicaidright now, stopping the waste of $4 Billion of our tax dollars and bringing them back. We need the $4 Billion in North Carolina now. It’s an $8 Billion dollar difference to our state this year. We desperately need it now!
We could put a $4 Billion Dollar Bond on the ballot this November to help fund schools, universities, broadband, water and transportation projects all across our state. We desperately need it now!
We could pass HB1122and advance broadband across our state. We desperately need to do this now!
We could Restore our Unemployment System. Presently the Great State of North Carolina has the nation’s worst unemployment benefits. During Governor McCrory’s Administration, with Tillis as Speaker of the House and Dale Folwell as Head of the Department of Employment Security, our state’s unemployment benefits were slashed from 26 weeks to 12 weeks and financial benefits were cut by over half. Tens of thousands of former recipients were just thrown off as ineligible. Now, in the midst of this unprecedented unemployment crisis we desperately need to restore North Carolina’s unemployment benefits!
We could Pass a Budget that… solves a lot of things. We desperately need to do this!
Joe Sam’s Notes
When we started this short session, we were working together. Similarly, Congress and the President were as well. But since then, things have gone south. We need to get back on track. This is not the time to be acting cavalier and irresponsible.
We have good options and we need to get on with them, let’s be part of the solution, not part of the problem.
Stay tuned.
Until we speak again, stay safe. If you or a loved one is concerned about your health, the numbers for each of District 119’s Health Departments are listed below:
Hey everyone, I hope you are wearing masks, social distancing and being safe as we continue to protect ourselves from COVID-19. The good news is that it’s a beautiful summer in Western North Carolina and there are so many ways to enjoy the outdoors. Ride a bike, take a hike, kayak on a river and know we will get through this. Together.
We have some updates from the campaign: I am scheduled to be on Rising with Krystal Ball and Saagar Enjeti on Hill.tv on Thursday, July 16 at 9:15 a.m. As with all interviews, this is subject to change at the last minute.
We have an impressive guest for Moe Talks! this week, with North Carolina Attorney General Josh Stein joining Moe on Tuesday at 7 p.m. I will also join U.S. Senate Democratic nominee Cal Cunningham on Zoom for his Carolina Conversations series on Saturday at 2 p.m. See moedavisforcongress.com/events for links.
Don’t forget to follow us on Facebook and Instagram at @MoeDavisforCongress and on Twitter at @ColMorrisDavis and @MoeNc11 and please share our posts with your followers. And get your voting age kids/grandkids to follow me on Snapchat at @moedavis4nc11. We can build a community and create a blue wave if we can bring others onboard.
There are better days ahead. I believe in the future.
MAJOR GENERAL DEVEREAUX ENDORSES MOE DAVIS
Major General Rick Devereaux (USAF, Ret.), a 34-year veteran who worked at the Pentagon before moving to Asheville, has endorsed Colonel Davis (USAF, Ret.) for Congress in North Carolina’s 11th District.
General Devereaux served as a pilot, commander of a squadron, operations group, two wings, two installations and the U.S. Air Force Expeditionary Center in New Jersey. He was Air Force Director of Operational Planning, Policy and Strategy at the Pentagon before retiring in 2012.
“Moe Davis has a deep well of experience and farsighted vision to superbly represent us in Washington,’’ General Devereaux said. “His track record is impressive. Moe demonstrated exceptional leadership as an Air Force Colonel, capping an impressive 25-year military career. He mastered the law as a military attorney and judge, U.S. Department of Labor Judge, and assistant director for the Library of Congress.
“Finally, he showed uncompromising moral courage as the lead prosecutor at Guantanamo Bay who held the line against torture-obtained evidence. Moe has the maturity, breadth of experience, and acumen to represent ALL the citizens of Western North Carolina and be a powerful voice in the U.S. House of Representatives. I strongly endorse Moe Davis for Congress, North Carolina District 11.”
Since retiring, General Devereaux has worked as a strategic consultant for numerous defense firms, think tanks, and technology companies, and is a member of the American College of National Security Leaders. He lectures and writes on security and military topics and continues to serve the Air Force as an adjunct professor.
General Devereaux has served on the Boards of several civic and veterans organizations, including the National D-Day Memorial in Bedford, VA (Past Chairman), the Blue Ridge Honor Flight, Salvation Army of Buncombe County (Chairman), the City of Asheville Civil Service Board, the Rotary Club of Asheville (Foundation Chair), the World Affairs Council of Western NC, the Advisory Group of the Center for Climate and National Security, and the Consensus Group of the American Security Project in Washington, DC.
IT’S NOT A CULTURE WAR
Madison Cawthorn, our opponent in the 11th Congressional District race, says he wants a culture war, not a debate on policy. Maybe that’s because his policies will do nothing to help Western North Carolina.
Let’s be clear. This is what the 2020 election is really about:
It’s about healthcare.
It’s about education.
It’s about creating an economy with good jobs that pay well.
It’s about expanding broadband internet capability to rural areas to attract business, improve education and access to healthcare.
It’s about protecting our precious environment.
It’s about us.
Those who want a culture war seek only to divide us. Don’t let them.
PROTECTING OUR PARKS
Not all of the news is bad. Not all of government is hopelessly divided.
Let’s take a moment to celebrate a bipartisan effort to invest in our national parks, including the Great Smoky Mountains National Park and Blue Ridge Parkway. The Senate recently passed the Great American Outdoors Act, which will provide $9.5 billion over the next five years to the national parks and other public lands. The money will help cover the backlog of desperately needed maintenance projects so we can repair and upgrade our parks, from buildings to roads and trails.
The bill was overwhelmingly approved, 73-25, and now goes to the House. The President has indicated he will sign it.
We can be cynical and point out that it’s a way to buy votes and help struggling candidates like Colorado Republican Senator Cory Gardner in a key election year. So be it. Whenever there’s an opportunity to do good, we should embrace it.
SUPPORT FOR A 51ST STATE
The House of Representatives recently passed a bill to make Washington D.C. the 51st state. Finally.
It’s long past time to grant statehood to the 700,000 United States citizens – a larger population than Wyoming or Vermont – who have been denied representation in Congress historically because of race, as Indivisible’s Ezra Levin and Leah Greenberg point out. They posted this excerpt of a speech by a southern Senator from the 1890 congressional record:
“Now, the historical fact is simply this, that the negroes came into this District from Virginia and Maryland and from other places…they came in here and they took possession of a certain part of the political power of this District…and there was but one way to get out…and that was to deny the right of suffrage entirely to every human being in the District and have every office here controlled by appointment instead of by election…in order to get rid of this load of negro suffrage that was flooded in upon them. This is the true statement. History cannot be reversed. No man can misunderstand it.”
It’s time to end this racist denial of statehood.
VOLUNTEER TO HELP VOTERS
The League of Women Voters of Asheville-Buncombe County is recruiting members for a Voter Services Action Group. The group educates voters on registering and voting, provides information on candidates and tracks voting locations and districts.
The LWVAB also needs volunteers to fill leadership roles and help with special skills including graphic design, videography, social media, public speaking, writing, research and outreach.
If you are interested in volunteering, please fill out this form.
Thank you!
PUBLIC SERVICE ANNOUNCEMENT
Those TV viewers who receive free, over-the-air local television in the Western North Carolina may need to re-scan their televisions to continue receiving those channels. An alert was issued to viewers on July 3.
Re-scans are free and can be done using the remote. Select Scan or Autotune from the TV or converter box control menu. Go to TVAnswers.org for more information.
The scan is necessary because the FCC is changing frequencies to provide more channels for wireless broadband services.
SIGNS AND BUMPER STICKERS AVAILABLE
Do you want a Moe Davis for Congress yard sign or magnetic bumper sticker? Just email your request to YardSign@moedavis.com with your address and we’ll get them to you.
REFORM OR RAGE — IT’S YOUR CHOICE
As you read above, Moe’s opponent’s campaign can be boiled down to one word: Rage. He wants voters angry. And he wants voters to blame Democrats for causing their problems.
We are not their enemies. And this is not a war. We are their neighbors and the 2020 election is to decide the policies we support.
We need to reach voters with that message, because we believe they’re tired of the division, too. But we can’t do it only online – not enough folks in Western North Carolina have broadband access to hear us.
So it takes dollars. As much as we can raise. We’ll need all that and more to flip the 11th District blue and bring much needed change to Western North Carolina.
Recent Comments