Action Profile: Socorroans for Democracy

I had an excellent conversation with Mary McMullin of Socorroans for Democracy recently. An offshoot of the Dean campaign, Socorroans for Democracy were very active during the November election season and are moving ahead with a variety of new political projects.

SFD meets every two weeks and they're a big reason why Socorro County went to Kerry in November. SFD worked very hard and successfully brought hundreds of new voters into the Democratic Party. They have been getting state level recognition for their efforts, and have met with both the number two staffer in Gov. Richardson's office and Lt. Governor Diane Denish.

SFD members are an eclectic and proactive bunch -- from NM Tech students and professors to workers at the astronomy observatory, retirees and stay-at-home moms. Their letters to the editor and guest editorials have been appearing regularly in their local paper on a variety of subjects.

Election reform, preserving Social Security and working to increase green energy sources are top priorities of the group, and they are planning a number of actions on these fronts. With many at NM Tech knowledgeable in the energy field, they have a lot of talent to draw from in creating persuasive arguments for increasing green energy technology.

The Socorroans are already working on winning the Second Congressional District  in 2006. Right now, efforts are underway to reach out to people in other areas of the District, like Roswell and Las Cruces. SFD hope to create a network of folks ready to start working now to defeat Rep. Steve Pearce, a conservative Republican who currently holds the job.

If you live in the Socorro area and are interested in joining or learning more about the Socorroans for Democracy, email Mary McMullin at sfd_socorro@sdc.org.

And if any of you in parts of New Mexico without a DFA Meetup would be interested in forming one, email dfnm_albq@comcast.net and we'll do what we can to help. We need activists coming together for progressive projects in all areas of the state. As Howard Dean has said many times, YOU have the power! But only if you step up to the plate, join forces with like-minded friends and neighbors and get involved in the kinds of activities Socorroans for Democracy are tackling.

(Click for information on Socorro and Socorro County.)