John McKay’s recent letter, “Look Beyond Party Loyalty for Best Candidates,” raises several important points. We agree that ethical leadership, qualifications and a demonstrated commitment to our community should guide our choices, especially in local races.
We would like to introduce the South County Silver Democratic Club (Silver Dems), an unchartered Democratic organization that has been actively engaged in our community for the past two years. While not formally chartered by the county Democratic Party, we are firmly committed to Democratic principles and civic engagement. Our focus has been on issues that affect an aging population.
Our mission is to support the community through grassroots political engagement, community education and advocacy. We promote Democratic values, support ethical leadership and advance social and economic justice through civic action and informed voter participation.
Community education has been central to our work. During the past two years, we have hosted public presentations and discussions on important issues, including healthcare, fire safety, dementia and elder care and housing.
We have welcomed Democratic candidates for state and county offices, as well as local candidates for city council and school board, providing opportunities for residents to hear directly from those seeking to represent them.
We proudly embrace Democratic values, including strong public schools, equal opportunity, economic fairness, respect for individual rights and transparent, accountable government.
But the Democratic Party’s Central Committee endorsement alone does not determine our support for a candidate. We look for ethical leadership, demonstrated integrity, qualifications and a track record of advancing the values we believe strengthen our community.
We also value the perspectives of those who serve our community every day. Endorsements from teachers, firefighters, law enforcement, nurses and local trades unions carry particular weight because these organizations understand firsthand the impact of public policy and local leadership. Their perspectives help inform our evaluation of candidates.
We believe voters deserve opportunities to become informed, ask questions, evaluate candidates’ records and make their own decisions.
The Silver Dems remain committed to fostering civic engagement, supporting strong candidates and encouraging thoughtful participation in our democracy.
We invite South County residents who share our values and commitment to informed civic participation and ethical leadership to join us at a future event. An engaged and informed electorate benefits our entire community. All are welcome!
Kathy and Brian Sullivan
Morgan Hill, Silver Dems
