Concord, N.H. - Today the New Hampshire Democratic Party announced the adoption of its 2020 party platform, which expands Democrats’ commitment to protecting the rights of vulnerable communities. The New Hampshire Democratic Party platform is a document that showcases the priorities and values of the Democratic Party. You can read the 2020 New Hampshire Democratic Party Platform here. It is adopted by a vote of the majority of state convention delegates. In total, a record 916 state convention delegates out of 1571 cast their ballots by mail or online over the past three weeks. This balloting is typically held in person at the state party convention but was adapted to a virtual process given the safety challenges posed by the COVID-19 pandemic. The platform reads in part, "New Hampshire Democrats envision a state where individuals, families and businesses can thrive. Our beliefs, commitment and policies are grounded in our democratic values of fairness, justice, integrity, freedom, dignity and compassion. We advocate for policies that support strong, healthy and resilient communities and families, and a strong economy with opportunities for all." While much of the platform remains similar to the one adopted in 2018, this year's platform expanded on its long-held assertion that Democrats "believe in basic protections and security for all people in our state, and that everyone should be free from discrimination in all areas of our society including in employment, housing, education, health care, our justice system, and in accessing all areas of public accommodations" by specifically acknowledging vulnerable groups whose rights are being threatened by Republican politicians. The new sections include:
“We believe people who identify as LGBTQ+ deserve equal rights and opportunities in all aspects of life and society, including but not limited to participation in sports, career opportunities, health care and insurance coverage.”
“We believe women deserve equal pay, easy access to reproductive health care and protection from sexual violence and harassment.”
“We believe people who experience disabilities deserve access to equal treatment and opportunities.”
“We believe immigration is an opportunity for growth. We welcome immigrants from all countries and backgrounds.”
The New Hampshire Democratic Party’s 2020 platform shows how the values of New Hampshire Democrats starkly differ from our NH GOP counterparts. In contrast, the New Hampshire Republican Party’s platform opposes marriage equality for LGBTQ+ individuals, opposes women's rights to make their own health care decisions, and demagogues against immigrants, while omitting any mention of diversity. "Republicans like Donald Trump, Chris Sununu, and the NH GOP pay lip service and pretend to support individual rights, but that only applies if they like your gender and the color of your skin," said Ray Buckley, chair of the New Hampshire Democratic Party. "Democrats believe that diversity makes us stronger and more welcoming to newcomers and business, and we believe in basic protections and security for all people - regardless of race, religious beliefs, disability, immigration status, national origin, age, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression." The Platform Committee was chaired by Cinde Warmington, Senator Cindy Rosenwald, and Representative Denny Ruprecht. You can find the full committee membership here.
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