1. United States
2. Colo.
3. Letter

Apologies, my last letter somehow got jumbled between writing and publishing I am hoping that, as a Democratic Representative, you realize that one of the most beneficial things that the party can do in congress is to support members of the caucus who know how to communicate and can garner attention. To that end, I am hopeful that your vote for the ranking member of the House Oversight Committee was cast for Rep. AOC. In order to hold the incoming administration accountable, we must stand together as a party to make sure that we continue to have access to free and fair elections into the future. I moved from Lincoln, NE, in May 2023 to take a job as a pastor in Evergreen, but I live in Denver. Nebraska governance is actively working to silence the voices of many of their constituents because of what the slap in the face that a single blue district means, when posturing is the lay of the land. As a queer pastor, I am terrified of what the silencing of progressive voices can mean. When the party leans into seniority over message and potential reach, I worry that the caucus is paying attention to and prioritizing the wrong things. Our voices must be loud: louder than the hateful rhetoric from the right. When they get loud, we get louder. Who can be a just and loud voice best?