The following letter is to be delivered tomorrow morning by Newark City Councilmen Ezra J. Temko in regards to student voting rights for University of Delaware students on behalf of the College Democrats. We join numerous other young democratic organizations in our advocacy for student voting rights.
The College Democrats at the University of Delaware are proud to endorse Senator Joseph R. Biden in his reelection campaign for the United States Senate.
Senator Biden graduated from the University of Delaware (UD) in 1965. Less than a decade after graduating from UD he was elected the Junior Senator of the First State. In his six terms as U.S. Senator, Biden has been a consistent voice of reason and moderation in Washington. His expertise in foreign policy and the judiciary has earned him the respect and admiration of his Senate colleagues and brought prominence through his distinguished reputation to the state of Delaware.
This Saturday Senator Hillary Clinton is expected to show her support for Senator Barack Obama, officially bringing her bid for the presidency to an end. Over the past year we have watched history unfold before our eyes as over 36 million voters cast their ballots for the two potential nominees in one of the closest primary races in decades.
After Obama’s victory in Montana on June 4th, the 2118 delegates needed to secure the Democratic Nomination were reached and the Democratic Party can now fully focus on taking back the Oval Office in November. A recent USA Today-Gallup poll released on Wednesday showed that voters favor Senator Barack Obama (49%) over Senator John McCain (44%) if the election were today. As voters have gone out to the polls in record numbers, they have demonstrated the common concern that this Country is in dire need of change.
As the party focuses on bolstering unity around the now official nominee, Americans will be given the awesome choice of selecting our nation’s 44th president. The University of Delaware College Democrats are proud to be a part of this process and proud to endorse Senator Barack Obama, the Democratic Nominee for the President of the United States.
At the last meeting of the semester, the University of Delaware College Democrats voted on endorsements for Governor and Lt. Governor of Delaware. In order to receive an endorsement, a candidate has to receive a 2/3 majority of the votes. We are pleased to announce our endorsements of Jack Markell and Matt Denn.
Jack Markell, who is the current State Treasurer and a candidate for Governor, overwhelmingly received our endorsement. Students at UD and especially in the College Democrats can attest to Jack’s strong support among young people. He has impressed us with his continued involvement in the Newark and University of Delaware community along with his outstanding record as State Treasurer. His executive experience combined with his progressive ideals will lead Delaware on a road to prominence and success in the years to come.
After 30 years on the UD campus, the College Democrats have finally gained full funding from the University. This is huge! Until last week, the allotment of funds to partisan groups was half that of other groups in an attempt to keep the University from favoritism. However, in a joint effort with the College Republicans and College Libertarians over the past semester, we have finally proven our case. This is a huge step forward for UD, as it now recognizes the great potential for a more civic-minded student body. What does this mean for the future of the Dems? Better programming, more trips and programs, bigger name speakers, and free food!
Members of the Newark community:
Thank you for your support of the College Democrats in the fall. When we first set out on our main goals for the fall semester many of our ideas sounded great only in principle. It always seemed as if we would never be able to accomplish everything that we had planned and felt as though we were limited by our own financial constraints. We knew that to truly mobilize University of Delaware students we would need the support of a strong community.
Our community partnership has quadrupled the size of the College Democrats membership from the start of the year and has allowed us to have a greater presence on campus. We now have more resources, stronger relationships with other campus organizations and greater credibility with the administration. As College Democrats, our continually strong financial position will ensure that our Democratic Party has a voice at UD.
It was an honor for us to work with the community throughout the campaign and we thank the many generous donors who responded to our call for action.
Paul Ruiz, President