Thoughts from our Chair
April 14, 2026
Good morning, fellow Dems,
1. No Tyrants Tuesday: this gathering, an extension of the No Kings Protests, will take place at Liberty Square Courthouse from 4:30-5:30. Like the counter protesters assembling at the west end of the sidewalk, we are campaigning. In the event that any of them want to engage, remember...
- When confronted with a situation, first take a few deep breaths to regulate your own nervous system. If you are triggered, things will escalate quickly.
- Get grounded and come up with multiple options, not just one. Such as distract, delegate, delay taking action at present.
2. More on the Redistricting Referendum:
- According to a recent Washington Post and George Mason University Schar School poll, Republicans exhibited more motivation to vote, with 7 points more likely than Democrats. However, likely voters in the poll supported the amendment by a 5-point margin.
- We are in the final stretch with one week until Election Day. Mathews County continues to lead the State in early voting. 2,571 ballots have been cast, 34.2% of registered voters. We continue to reach out to strong Dems by calling and going door to door. Of the roughly 835 strong Dems in Mathews, there are 189 who have not yet voted that we hope to contact.
- Tune into 99.1 and listen to our radio ad running April 18-April 21.
- And if you have not yet voted, VOTE YES to protect our right to vote and preserve our democracy.
3. Ways to Get Involved:
- Virginians for Fair Elections Phone Bank- this is a great way to make a difference from the comfort of your home. Weekday phone banks take place Monday-Friday, 6:00 pm- 8:00 pm. You can sign up through the Virginians for Fair Elections website
- We will do door-to-door canvassing the weekend of April 18 from 1:30-4:30 for those strong Dems who our records indicate have not yet voted. Let me know if you are interested in knocking on a few doors.
- Visit the MCDC table located outside Storybound on Main Street this Saturday from 9:00-1:00. Thank you to those who have volunteered in organizing this effort.
4. Other News:
- Of the hundreds of bills Governor Spanberger has signed, she has also vetoed or amended dozens during the 30-day review process. She had until 11:59 yesterday to take final action. NPR's reporting includes final actions taken on 11 issues, including health care, education, immigration, housing, energy, criminal justice reform, cannabis, guns, labor, voting, and gaming and gambling.
Best to all,
Butler Knight, Chairperson
Mathews County Democratic Committee
Hope or Optimism?
"Optimism is the vague belief that things will probably work out. Hope is something more rigorous than that. Hope is the recognition that the future has not yet been finalized — and that we get a say in how the story ends. It is a claim about what is still possible, and it is a claim that American history validates again and again."
Sharon McMahon is an author, educator, and podcaster. She taught government and law in public schools in the Washington, D.C. area and wrote The Small and the Mighty. This book documents 12 little-known Americans who changed the world during the American Civil Rights movement.
Use the link below to read her full article, "The Case for Hope in an Exhausted America."Sh
Sharon McMahon is an author, educator, and podcaster. She taught government and law in public schools in the Washington, D.C. area and wrote The Small and the Mighty. This book documents 12 little-known Americans who changed the world during the American Civil Rights movement.
Use the link below to read her full article, "The Case for Hope in an Exhausted America."Sh
But What Can We DO?
Posted by Inequality Media, Robert Reich, professor, author, lawyer, and political commentator, tells us the 5 things we can do to protect our democracy.
Reich served in the Ford, Carter, Clinton, and Obama administrations.
Reich served in the Ford, Carter, Clinton, and Obama administrations.
Mourning in America
What you can do to Organize
This is copied from an essay from Robert Reich (who I follow on Substack) on January 26. I love that he frequently has a list of things to do... Diane
Today we mourn the death-by-execution of Alex Pretti and Renee Good. I use the term execution intentionally because they were murdered intentionally by Trump’s goons. (I’ve seen the videos; I’m sure you have as well.)
At times like this, Gandhi used to say, “The truth is revealing itself.”
To show our grief and solidarity, you might want to wear a black armband this week and light a candle in your window this evening and for the remainder of the week.
But there is much more to do than mourn. As the labor leader Joe Hill asked in 1915 just before he was executed: “Don’t mourn … Organize.” The best way to honor the memories of Alex Pretti and Renee Good is to take action against the forces that executed both of them.
Obviously, your energies are needed in organizing your congressional district and your state for the midterm elections, and getting out the vote. (I’ll be back in coming months with detailed suggestions for how.)
But the midterms are nine and a half months away. In the meantime, Trump and his thugs can do a great deal of damage if not stopped. What can you do now?
A few action items occur to me:
1. Tell your U.S. senators to vote NO on the Department of Homeland Security spending bill they’ll be considering this week — unless ICE is disarmed and prohibited from using racial or ethnic profiling and its agents are explicitly liable to criminal prosecution and civil lawsuits. At the very least, DHS’s funding should be slashed. If DHS is shut down after January 30 because no spending bill has been enacted, so be it. (The congressional switchboard is: (202) 224-3121.)
2. If you’re represented by Republicans, call them and demand they rein in ICE. They need to hear from you. Some Republicans are beginning to come around. (Remember: They now have a margin of only 3 votes in the House.)
3. Urge your state attorneys general to join with other state AGs and to investigate ICE, the Border Patrol, and their leadership (Noem, Miller, Trump), with a view toward possible criminal prosecution. Trump cannot pardon them or protect them from state-level prosecutions. (You can locate the office of your state attorney general through the National Association of Attorneys General website or the USAGov directory. Most offices have official websites with online complaint forms, phone numbers, and mailing addresses for submitting consumer inquiries, complaints, or reports.)
4.. If ICE is coming to your city or is already there, call on your mayor and your state police to protect those protesting ICE.
5. Circulate a pledge in your community to oppose ICE if and when it arrives there. Aim for signatures from 10 percent of the adults residing there.
6. If you are a member of your local Indivisible group (or if you’re not a member, join one; or if there’s none in your community, start one), suggest a general strike. What might this entail? I can imagine three elements: (1) no one goes to work (call in sick), (2) no one buys anything (stock up beforehand), and (3) no one uses social media (except Substack). In coordination with other Indivisible groups and other resistance groups across America, decide what date and for how long. (Then let me know!)
7. Isolate the United States economically, even more than Trump is doing. If you live in an EU country, urge your government to activate the Anti-Coercion Instrument. The Trump regime represents a clear and present danger to the world, including the sovereignty of European nations. The Anti-Coercion Instrument in the EU would allow the sanctioning of Trump regime officials, freezing of assets of corporations benefiting from the theft of Venezuelan oil, and expulsion of U.S. forces from European bases.
8. Allow the U.S. dollar to fall. Under the Trump regime — which is actively trying to take over the Fed, America’s central bank, and is dissolving ties with the rest of the free world — the dollar is becoming a highly risky currency. It’s already falling. Allow it to fall further. If you work in a large global corporation, urge your top executives to do the firm’s international transactions in currencies other than dollars. If you are in a large financial institution, urge traders to dump dollars.
Clearly, this is an incomplete list of the peaceful “good trouble” we could make. If other actions occur to you, please share them with the rest of us in the comments.
Friends, have courage. Be strong. Hug your loved ones. Remember Alex Pretti and Renee Good. Please do not succumb to fear or despair. We will be victorious.
Today we mourn the death-by-execution of Alex Pretti and Renee Good. I use the term execution intentionally because they were murdered intentionally by Trump’s goons. (I’ve seen the videos; I’m sure you have as well.)
At times like this, Gandhi used to say, “The truth is revealing itself.”
To show our grief and solidarity, you might want to wear a black armband this week and light a candle in your window this evening and for the remainder of the week.
But there is much more to do than mourn. As the labor leader Joe Hill asked in 1915 just before he was executed: “Don’t mourn … Organize.” The best way to honor the memories of Alex Pretti and Renee Good is to take action against the forces that executed both of them.
Obviously, your energies are needed in organizing your congressional district and your state for the midterm elections, and getting out the vote. (I’ll be back in coming months with detailed suggestions for how.)
But the midterms are nine and a half months away. In the meantime, Trump and his thugs can do a great deal of damage if not stopped. What can you do now?
A few action items occur to me:
1. Tell your U.S. senators to vote NO on the Department of Homeland Security spending bill they’ll be considering this week — unless ICE is disarmed and prohibited from using racial or ethnic profiling and its agents are explicitly liable to criminal prosecution and civil lawsuits. At the very least, DHS’s funding should be slashed. If DHS is shut down after January 30 because no spending bill has been enacted, so be it. (The congressional switchboard is: (202) 224-3121.)
2. If you’re represented by Republicans, call them and demand they rein in ICE. They need to hear from you. Some Republicans are beginning to come around. (Remember: They now have a margin of only 3 votes in the House.)
3. Urge your state attorneys general to join with other state AGs and to investigate ICE, the Border Patrol, and their leadership (Noem, Miller, Trump), with a view toward possible criminal prosecution. Trump cannot pardon them or protect them from state-level prosecutions. (You can locate the office of your state attorney general through the National Association of Attorneys General website or the USAGov directory. Most offices have official websites with online complaint forms, phone numbers, and mailing addresses for submitting consumer inquiries, complaints, or reports.)
4.. If ICE is coming to your city or is already there, call on your mayor and your state police to protect those protesting ICE.
5. Circulate a pledge in your community to oppose ICE if and when it arrives there. Aim for signatures from 10 percent of the adults residing there.
6. If you are a member of your local Indivisible group (or if you’re not a member, join one; or if there’s none in your community, start one), suggest a general strike. What might this entail? I can imagine three elements: (1) no one goes to work (call in sick), (2) no one buys anything (stock up beforehand), and (3) no one uses social media (except Substack). In coordination with other Indivisible groups and other resistance groups across America, decide what date and for how long. (Then let me know!)
7. Isolate the United States economically, even more than Trump is doing. If you live in an EU country, urge your government to activate the Anti-Coercion Instrument. The Trump regime represents a clear and present danger to the world, including the sovereignty of European nations. The Anti-Coercion Instrument in the EU would allow the sanctioning of Trump regime officials, freezing of assets of corporations benefiting from the theft of Venezuelan oil, and expulsion of U.S. forces from European bases.
8. Allow the U.S. dollar to fall. Under the Trump regime — which is actively trying to take over the Fed, America’s central bank, and is dissolving ties with the rest of the free world — the dollar is becoming a highly risky currency. It’s already falling. Allow it to fall further. If you work in a large global corporation, urge your top executives to do the firm’s international transactions in currencies other than dollars. If you are in a large financial institution, urge traders to dump dollars.
Clearly, this is an incomplete list of the peaceful “good trouble” we could make. If other actions occur to you, please share them with the rest of us in the comments.
Friends, have courage. Be strong. Hug your loved ones. Remember Alex Pretti and Renee Good. Please do not succumb to fear or despair. We will be victorious.
Axioms for Interpreting Trump
The following is copied from an email sent to subscribers of Robert Reich, January 22, 2026. I found him on Substack and subscribed. He is quite progressive in his positions, but this is just plain common sense.
Thought you might be interested. Diane
Thought you might be interested. Diane
As Trump’s dementia worsens, several axioms are useful for interpreting his increasingly incoherent bloviation.
Axiom #1: Whatever he asserts to be a fact is either a wild exaggeration or a bald-faced lie. Always disregard.
Axiom #2: Whatever he blames on anyone else is something he’s done. He projects like mad, so his accusations are always windows into what he’s worried that others will discover about himself.
Axiom #3: Whatever he criticizes as being fake news is a fact he doesn’t want you to know. So pay special attention to it.
Axiom #4: Whenever he attacks some source of information — a survey, poll, or report — it’s come up with some truth he fears. So look at it and share it.
Bud Ward with President Obama
Bud Ward worked at Anheuser Busch in Williamsburg starting in 1982. He was a proud member of the International Brotherhood of Teamsters.
Bud was active in the Mathews Democratic Committee for many years and became chair in 2012. He also became vice chair for the Southeast Region of the Virginia Democratic Party in 2012.
Under Bud’s leadership, our annual Crab Steam grew to be one of the most successful fundraisers of rural Democratic Committees in the state. He was well known among Democratic leaders across the state and was close friends with former Governor Ralph Northam. He completed his tenure as chair of the Mathews committee in 2020, but continued to be active in local and state Democratic affairs.
In recent years, Bud became an integral part of the effort to tell the story of the Black Exodus from Gwynn’s Island. He helped form the association of the descendants of Black people who were enslaved by Gwynn’s Island white families and who lived and worked on Gwynn’s Island after emancipation. The first reunions of the descendants were held on Bud’s property on the Piankatank River. He was so determined that the historic marker commemorating the Black Exodus from Gwynn’s Island be located on the island that he offered his property as the place for it to be installed. It is a fitting tribute to Bud that this historic marker will be erected in front of his house on Old Ferry Road.
Bud was an unapologetic champion of all principles and priorities of the Democratic Party in a place where not too many people agreed with him. He loved Mathews County nonetheless.
Bud was active in the Mathews Democratic Committee for many years and became chair in 2012. He also became vice chair for the Southeast Region of the Virginia Democratic Party in 2012.
Under Bud’s leadership, our annual Crab Steam grew to be one of the most successful fundraisers of rural Democratic Committees in the state. He was well known among Democratic leaders across the state and was close friends with former Governor Ralph Northam. He completed his tenure as chair of the Mathews committee in 2020, but continued to be active in local and state Democratic affairs.
In recent years, Bud became an integral part of the effort to tell the story of the Black Exodus from Gwynn’s Island. He helped form the association of the descendants of Black people who were enslaved by Gwynn’s Island white families and who lived and worked on Gwynn’s Island after emancipation. The first reunions of the descendants were held on Bud’s property on the Piankatank River. He was so determined that the historic marker commemorating the Black Exodus from Gwynn’s Island be located on the island that he offered his property as the place for it to be installed. It is a fitting tribute to Bud that this historic marker will be erected in front of his house on Old Ferry Road.
Bud was an unapologetic champion of all principles and priorities of the Democratic Party in a place where not too many people agreed with him. He loved Mathews County nonetheless.
But What Can We DO?
Posted by Inequality Media, Robert Reich, professor, author, lawyer, and political commentator, tells us the 5 things we can do to protect our democracy.
Reich served in the Ford, Carter, Clinton, and Obama administrations.
Reich served in the Ford, Carter, Clinton, and Obama administrations.