Democrats held their monthly breakfast meeting last Saturday at party headquarters following the Nov. 8 elections, focusing on reflections, gratitude to candidates and volunteers, and an eye on the future.

Guest speaker Anthony Smith, local pastor and Salisbury City Council member, engaged listeners with presentations of strategies to consider as Democrats move forward. Smith challenged party members to “understand what is actually happening,” encouraged all to
consider the importance of choosing hope over fear, and ended with a call for “deeper cultural organizing,” describing key tools for successfully engaging voters in Rowan County. He urged those in attendance to be daring, to think outside the box, to imagine the impossible, and to work together across differences.

RCDP Chair Geoffrey Hoy reiterated that Smith “sets in context what we’re up against in Rowan County” and urged all to “keep going!” Hoy described the local 2022 Democratic candidates as examples of “courage and strength in leading us” as he recognized those candidates in attendance — Tangela H. Morgan, Carlton Killian, Ruth Marohn, Ebony Rivers Boyd, Jean Kennedy, and Sabrina Harris — and thanked all local candidates who stepped forward in 2022 to run.

Candidates and individuals added additional words of thanks and feedback for improvements for the next election.

Sabrina Harris, elected to Seat 6 on the Rowan-Salisbury Board of Education, offered positive words to the group as a newly-elected official, emphasizing her commitment to education and her sincere appreciation to Jean Kennedy, who currently holds the seat, and her years of service.

Mackenzie Reedybacon, campaign manager for the successful election of Diamond Staton-Williams, Piedmont regional director for the Young Dems of North Carolina, and secretary of the Young Democrats of Rowan-Cabarrus, urged Democrats to keep the
momentum going that elected Staton-Williams to the N.C. House and protected Gov. Cooper’s veto power. Reedybacon emphasized the importance of rural organizing, talking to all people, and meeting them where they are and where there are aligned values.

Gratitude came with the recognition of the many volunteers who worked tirelessly to make Election 2022 a Democratic reality in Rowan County as well as recognition of other organizations and activists in the community who work diligently and independently of the RCDP, educating and informing current and future voters with their shared belief in small “d” democratic values.

Those in attendance were reminded of upcoming events regarding the ERA, Salisbury-NC AAUW, local holiday events, and in particular the RCDP Holiday Christmas Party at Rowan Helping Ministries.

The meeting concluded with applause for Chair Hoy’s eight years of leadership. Hoy noted that the attending crowd represented a diversity of people in many different ways and that RCDP is representative of what Rowan County elected officials could become
as Democrats continue to make inroads in Rowan.