President’s Message – December 2024

How Can Co-Op Members Become Politically Engaged?

The new year ushers in a new president, Congress, and state legislators and governors. It also provides electric cooperative members like you more opportunities to demonstrate our collective political strength.

Grassroots advocacy and political engagement are essential for a healthy democracy. From communicating directly with policymakers and signing petitions to posting on social media and attending town halls, there are many ways to ensure your voice is heard as lawmakers shape policies that affect your communities. When you are politically engaged, you are actively participating in the democratic process.

Political engagement starts with understanding which policies are important to your family, community, and co-op and how those policies can affect your way of life. As a member of Gulf Coast Electric Cooperative, you know your community best. This knowledge empowers you to make informed decisions—especially about candidates running for political office.

Elected officials work for us, and they want to hear from you. When you engage directly with a policymaker, you hold them accountable for their decisions. When you send emails and letters, attend town hall meetings, or meet with policymakers or their staff, you are sharing your co-op story and reinforcing what matters to you and your family. Your voice matters. The electric co-op voice matters.

Political engagement helps tell the co-op story and educates policymakers on the value co-ops bring to local communities. It reinforces your co-op’s commitment to providing safe, reliable, affordable power, and it helps create valuable relationships built on trust and understanding.

How Can You Tell Your Co-Op Story?

Voices for Cooperative Power can help you become more politically engaged. VCP is a national network of more than 1,000,000 Americans dedicated to transforming co-op communities like ours. VCP members communicate with policymakers on the localized, community-based approach electric co-ops take to keep the lights on.

We take a stand when policy decisions threaten our access to safe, reliable, affordable power. As job creators, economic drivers, and, most importantly, community members, co-ops play a key role in the future of rural and suburban America. More than 42 million Americans rely on electric co-ops to power their homes, farms, businesses, industries, and schools. VCP helps ensure these voices are heard.

By becoming a member of VCP, you will receive regular updates on key issues that affect your electric cooperative and your community. As a member, you will have opportunities to communicate with your policymakers on those key issues. VCP members also have access to voter resources, including guidance on how to be a co-op voter.

Are you a member of VCP? If not, now is the time to join. Tell your friends and family about VCP and encourage them to join. Share your co-op story. Be a co-op voter. Together, we can make a difference.