The 2022 midterms will not only decide control of both the US House and Senate, but the governorship of Illinois and no less than 35 other states. Locally Democrats and Republicans are battling it out for the Chairmanship and the majority of the DuPage County Board, as well as for County wide offices and control of the DuPage Forest Preserves.

Will DuPage County continue its recent trend of turning bluer with nearly every election, or will we be waking up to a new Red Dawn the morning after Election Day?

At a moment when every vote could and should count, hundreds of voter suppression bills and other anti-democracy legislation are making their way through state legislatures across the county. If enacted, these bills will not suppress the vote across the board. Perhaps without exception, they will disproportionately impact voters and communities of color.

What is a concerned voter to do? Hard to imagine anyone better placed to answer our questions and concerns about getting out the vote for the 2022 midterms than Progressives For Change’s March guest, Patrick Watson.

Currently serving as the elected State Central Committee Person for the Illinois 6th Congressional and the Political Action Chair for the DuPage NAACP serving not only DuPage but Kendall, Will and NW Suburban Cook County, Patrick has worked on countless political campaigns from the presidential level to congressional committees and myriad federal, state, county and municipal campaigns.

A native of DuPage County, Patrick has worked on campaigns not only in Illinois but in many other states across the Midwest and the South.

At the same time, Patrick has been a driving force for change not only as a grassroots organizer but as a seasoned and thoughtful voice helping draft legislation on immigration reform, methods to deter gun violence, extension of health care access, the sharing economy and ensuring workers’ rights in several states.

Join us as Patrick answers our questions about getting out the vote, voter suppression, his own journey as one of the only elected African American Democratic Party leaders in the collar counties, and his commitment to mentoring and training the next generation of political activists and leaders through year round internship programs and opportunities that have opened doors for over 100 Illinois high school and college students and counting.

Protecting Democracy / Voter Suppression with Patrick Watson