Dear Hastings Democrats, Heading into our Caucus is an exciting time to be a Hastings Democrat. We don’t always agree on every issue, but I am proud that we are a Village full of Democrats who are deeply engaged and thoughtful. So many of you on this list have spent years dedicated to committees, working on Village projects, and serving on the school board, PTSA, or in other roles that all enrich our community. Others of you are new to the Village, or just finding out about the work of the Democratic Committee. All of you are important to our Village’s democracy. This year, we have at least four candidates seeking the party nomination for two Trustee positions. More candidates may appear on the day of the Caucus, because our system of choosing the Democratic nominee means that, this year, as in the past, any Hastings Democrat can take the floor during the nomination period, raise his/her/their hand and make a case for a candidate. When the nomination period is over, we open up the ballot box and each registered Hastings Democrat makes his/her/their choice. For the more formal run-down of this process, please see our page on the caucus proceedings at hastingsdems.org/caucus-procedure. It may sound quaint, but as we come to the anniversary of the January 6th attack on our Capitol, I am deeply moved to see so much excitement about our Village caucus this year. When I ran to become Chair of this Committee, just six months ago, I promised our community of hard-working District Leaders and captains that I would fight for Hastings Democrats to be relevant and strategic in the defense of our national democracy, I would be utterly committed to making discussion with our representatives accessible, and I would keep building on this Committee’s years of good work to ensure that our nomination processes are open and fair. I’m grateful the members of the Hastings Democratic Committee put their trust in me and have all rolled up their sleeves to do that work together. Please see the details regarding the Caucus below. It is critical that all Democrats interested in attending the Caucus be on our mailing list to get information. We are not operating in normal times, and we may have to adjust our structure according to mandates from our Governor. Finally, please see my letter to the Editor of the Rivertowns Enterprise, which will be published later this week. If you have any questions regarding our Caucus, do make sure to reach out to me first, to ensure that any information you are sharing with the community about our process is accurate. I will send at least one more letter before the Caucus to keep you all updated and I look forward to seeing you in-person or online on January 23rd.
Onward,
Cassandra Sweet
Chair, Hastings-on-Hudson Democratic Committee Hastingsdems10706@gmail.com P.S. I promise to get to each and every email I receive regarding this Caucus and any other issue. However, do note that I am a working mom and I squeeze in my work for the Committee between endless Zoom meetings and my famously mediocre family meals. Please do not expect an instantaneous response; I aim working for a 48-hour response time.
