Sumayya Lane has been involved in District politics for a number of years, primarily as a volunteer and supporter of the local Democratic Party and its political candidates.
As she sat in a suite at Nationals Park for the DC Democratic Party Kennedys-King Dinner, she smiled as she watched her party members mix and mingle but was not naïve to the real reason for the gathering.
“We’re here trying to put forth unity,” Lane, 69, said. “We are focusing on the accomplishments of the Biden-Harris administration. We are moving forward with re-electing President Biden.”
Ward 4 resident Neena Murphy Martin agreed with Lane on the need for unity in November.
“We need to come together as a party,” Martin, 50, said. “There is no big D or little D but one D. All the infighting, the disrespect has got to go.”
There’s not a concern about Biden winning the District. D.C. Board of Elections data reveals that nearly 77% of all registered voters in the District are Democrats. The District is the only Electoral College jurisdiction to never have voted for a Republican president.
Nevertheless, many District Democrats have voiced concerns about the upcoming November general election in which Biden will face off with Republican former President Donald Trump and whether the party will keep control of the U.S. Senate and recapture the U.S. House of Representatives.
A recently released New York Times poll reports Trump leading Biden in five out of six swing states, such as Michigan, Pennsylvania, and Georgia. Plus, the poll found Biden losing support among young, Black and Brown voters, all of whom were critical to his 2020 election.
When Lane, a resident of the Deanwood neighborhood in Ward 7, was asked what might happen if Trump were to regain the White House, a sullen expression came over her face.
“He will assume a dictatorship and destroy the American Dream,” she said.
She told The Informer Democrats must tap into the needs of voters in order to win in November.
“The Democrats need to listen to the people,” she said. “They need to listen to their ideas. They need to incorporate the younger generation.”
Calling on District Dems to Take Vigor Nationwide
Martin, a resident of Shepherd Park, said District Democrats must look at the “big picture,” and support party members in red states like Mississippi, Florida, and Texas.
U.S. Rep. Jasmine Crockett (D-Texas), who recently defended herself recently from an insult by Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-Georgia), served as one of the speakers for the event.
“D.C. plays in the greater game,” Crockett told the crowd. “You’re in the thick of it… You’re in the bubble. [In D.C.], the only team in town is the blue team.”
Crockett, 43, who represents the Dallas area in Congress, encouraged District Democrats to go into battleground states during this campaign season to help the party win in November.
Ryan Jones, a candidate for the District attorney general position in 2022, said the Democrats will win if they interact with voters.
“Getting people out is important,” Jones, 39, said. “We need to knock on doors and get people excited about the election. Not only should we support Joe Biden but local candidates as well.”
