PCDC Bulletin and Monthly Meeting
was held on Wednesday, Feb.4th, 6:30pm at the Rec Center 630 W. Main Street, Luray
Agenda
- Approval of Minutes and Treasurer’s report
- Strategic Planning update for 2026 Election year
- Presentation of Strategic Alliance Group
Redistricting – Review, Impacts and initiatives - Fundraising ideas
- Sub-Committee Chair Reports
We are living through a moment of extraordinary danger for our democracy. What we are witnessing is not a series of isolated events, but the visible symptoms of democratic decline-driven by a president who has demonstrated, repeatedly, that he will do whatever it takes to retain power and avoid accountability.
Donald Trump has shown a willingness to ignore laws, court orders, and long-standing democratic norms. From credible allegations surrounding corruption and abuse of power, to actions that undermine the rule of law at home and abroad, the pattern is clear: there are fewer and fewer guardrails restraining his behavior. Federal agencies intended to protect the public have increasingly been turned inward-used for surveillance, intimidation, and enforcement strategies that test or exceed legal boundaries.
We have seen Immigration and Customs Enforcement operate with expanding authority and diminishing accountability, setting dangerous precedents that could be replicated nationally. At the same time, the Department of Justice has failed to hold bad actors accountable in cases involving serious abuses, while labeling those who document misconduct as ‘Terrorists’. This erosion of accountability has created a growing sense that no one can-or will-stop Trump and those aligned with him, even as court orders are ignored and ethical norms abandoned.
Most alarming is the escalating assault on the electoral system itself. Trump has now openly urged Republicans to seize control of election administration and nationalize voting-framing the act of voting as corrupt and continuing to push false claims about the 2020 election. These statements, amplified by right-wing media, were preceded by an unprecedented FBI raid on the Fulton County elections office in Georgia, where secure election materials were seized despite the absence of evidence of wrongdoing. Voting rights advocates and local officials have rightly warned that such actions legitimize conspiracy theories and undermine public trust in elections.
Taken together, these developments point to a sustained effort to weaken democratic institutions and normalize authoritarian control.
Moving Forward: PCDC’s Strategy
Given the state of the country, our responsibility is clear. We must focus relentlessly on winning the 2026 midterm elections and changing the composition of Congress. Restoring democratic accountability requires breaking the Republican stranglehold on the House-starting with stopping Speaker Mike Johnson, whose leadership has enabled Trump’s worst excesses rather than holding him accountable.
Our new 2026 PCDC strategy and budget reflects these priorities:
- Electing Democrats at every level, so long as free and fair elections remain possible
- Growing and strengthening our organization
- Increasing our effectiveness and impact in Page County
- Making meaningful, tangible change for our community
- Supporting the Virginia 10-1 Redistricting
- Plan to counter Trump’s order for Republican states to gerrymander their states.
- Building deeper connections with allied organizations to leverage our work locally, regionally, and statewide
- Actively resisting efforts to convert our democracy into a fascist system of governance
- This is not abstract work. It is essential, urgent, and local.
Announcements and Updates
Our Annual PCDC Fundraiser will take place on May 23rd at the Stanley Fire Hall, featuring speakers Glenn Kirschner, Former Federal Prosecutor & YouTube podcaster and
Dr. Jeffery Feit, Sr. VP Valley Health.
We are launching two new internal groups to provide resources towards our initiatives:
Strategic Alliance Group, chaired by Colton Wolf
District Chairs Group, chaired by Pat Petralia
Due to a court-ordered suspension of redistricting, we remain in a temporary status quo. It is anticipated that the redistricting plan will move forward soon based on the Appeals Court review. The PCDC will campaign heavily for the Redistricting Plan to pass at the April 21st Referendum once it clears the appeals court.
A new Democratic candidate has announced for Virginia’s 6th Congressional District: Wendy Gooditis of Clarke County. We now have a total of four Congressional candidates running for CD6.
Candidates and local Democratic committees remain in a holding pattern as we await clarity on district lines and where candidates will ultimately land.
This is a moment that demands clarity, resolve, and collective action. What we do now-how we organize, how we communicate, and how we support one another-will matter far beyond Page County. Democracy does not defend itself. We do.
