Welcome to Louisiana Lefty, a podcast about politics and community in Louisiana, where we make the case that the health of the state requires a strong progressive movement fueled by the critical work of organizing on the ground. Our goal is to democratize information, demystify party politics, and empower you to join the mission because victory for Louisiana requires you. I'm your host, Lynda Woolard. Last season, our final, full, and proper season of the podcast, ended up seeing a lot of curveballs. So we didn't get to speak to all the folks we wanted to talk to, and we digressed in our purpose a couple of times. So with our work both in producing a progressive podcast, and in calling for change unfinished, I'm introducing an entire bonus season. We will continue to release episodes this year that will tie up some loose ends from season six. We will host some online events that will inform on how to hold our newly elected officials accountable, and we will continue to promote the mission of change at the Louisiana Democratic Party. Episodes will come out at a slower pace than in the past, but content will continue throughout the year. Additionally, we'll still be celebrating organizers through our 'Organizer Of The Month' recognitions on our social media. Now, before I sign off from this minny pod, I want to call your attention to a Louisiana Democratic Party reform movement that you can assist. All across our state, people who want to see a better Louisiana Democratic Party spent several months recruiting candidates to run for DSCC or Democratic State Central Committee seats. We've ended up with a group of committed and energized individuals who are interested in shifting the party from what it is today into a functioning opposition party that can help move the state away from its current Republican dominance. We're calling this effort to restart and rebuild the party, a Blue Reboot. As we've talked about many times on Louisiana Lefty, the DSCC is the governing body of the Louisiana Democratic Party. Most significantly, their very first act after they're elected is to vote for the next chair and executive committee of the state party. This is what will set the tone for the next four years in Louisiana. And you have one opportunity to have a say in what happens next. On March 23, 2024, on the presidential primary election ballot, you'll have the chance to vote for your local representatives to the Louisiana Democratic Party. In any House district where there's a contested race, you get a say on who you want to send to Baton Rouge to help select leadership to run the party for the next four years. I strongly encourage you to vote in this election, whether by mail during early voting from March 9th through 16th or on Election Day, March 23. And to make sure you're voting for someone who will usher in change at the Louisiana Democratic Party please look up and support these Blue Reboot candidates. You can find more information at Bluerebootla.org. I'll add that link as well as the Blue Reboot social media links to our Episode Notes. You can find out if you have contested races for DSCC or, for that matter, your local Democratic parish executive committee by looking up what's on your march 23rd ballot on the Secretary of State's website, or the Go Vote app. I'll link to those in the notes, too. Please seek out and reach out to your local Blue Reboot candidates. You can volunteer for them, share their social media posts, donate to them, tell your friends about them. And of course, vote for them. I want to underscore this again, as rank and file Democratic voters, this is our one opportunity to weigh in on the next four years of leadership at the state Democratic Party. Who we put in these seats will determine who runs the party and how it is run. Whether it's a neutered, do-nothing entity or a real force. A force for change and progress. A force for building infrastructure and building power. A force for support Democratic candidates and supporting Democratic values. A force for protecting our Louisiana coast and protecting our most vulnerable communities. Please support Blue Reboot candidates and make sure you're a registered Democrat. So you can go vote on Saturday, March 23rd, 2024, and be a part of our single best shot to begin the process of saving our state. Thank you for listening to Louisiana Lefty. Please follow us on your favorite podcast platform. Thank you to Ben Collinsworth for producing Louisiana Lefty, Jen Pack of Black Cat Studios for our Super Lefty artwork, and Thousand $ Car for allowing us to use their swamp pop classic "Security Guard" as our Louisiana Lefty theme song.
