Office Hours

Monday: 5:30 to 7:30 PM

Tuesday: 4 to 8 PM

Wednesday: 5 to 7 PM

Thursday: 3 to 6 PM

Friday: 5:30 to 7:30 PM

Saturday: 10 AM to 8 PM

 323 Quincy Street, Hancock 

Yard Signs

DO SOMETHING - Volunteer Opportunities

Thank you, thank you, thank you to all of you who’ve volunteered over the last weeks. Your contribution is so important - not only to the top of the ticket but to all of the Democratic candidates we are supporting here in Houghton County. It is truly inspiring to see everyone who has answered Michelle Obama’s call to DO SOMETHING!

Here are more ways to DO SOMETHING during the next seven days:

DOOR KNOCKING: Join us to support Democratic candidates by knocking on doors in Portage Township. Two opportunities this week: Thursday at 5:30 PM and Saturday at 4 PM. Volunteers will gather at the Houghton Dems office at 323 Quincy Street in Hancock to start door knocking. To RSVP email [email protected] or fill out the volunteer form on Mobilize.us - Thursday’s form here, or Saturday’s form here.

POSTCARDS and stamps are available, along with desired address lists - email [email protected] if you’d like to write and mail postcards. When you email we can arrange a time for you to pick up a target list and enough cards and stamps.

PHONE BANKING FROM HOME: We encourage you to join the Harris-Walz Voter Protection Phone Bank. This phone banking effort reaches out to Democratic voters in states like Georgia where Republicans are “cleaning” the voter rolls and thereby inactivating eligible voters. These inactivated voters are never informed they’ve been removed from the rolls. So, as part of this effort you’ll let them know they have been inactivated, and share with them how they can re-register so that they are once again eligible voters before they go to the polls. These Democratic voters will generally be very appreciative of your outreach. This phone banking effort is a great way to counter a sneaky but legal voter suppression tactic. Multiple opportunities are available daily through November. Click here to see the schedule and volunteer.

BE A NONPARTISAN ELECTION CHALLENGER OR POLL MONITOR WITH PTV: The group Promote the Vote (PTV) is offering training and credentialing for individuals interested in being a nonpartisan election challenger or poll monitor.

From their website: “As our eyes and ears on the ground, nonpartisan challengers and poll monitors are stationed at polling places, early voting sites, and absentee counting boards across Michigan to monitor the election process. Our pro-voter volunteers make sure eligible voters can cast their ballots, free from interference and voter intimidation. In the past, PTV’s volunteers have corrected improper election procedures at early voting sites and made sure polling places were accessible to voters of all mobilities.”

Learn more and sign up for one of the many available remote training sessions on the PTV event web page.

HOST YOUR OWN VP DEBATE WATCH PARTY: Can’t join our Debate Watch Party next Tuesday (see item under Upcoming Events below for details)? Join the One Campaign for Michigan’s Host Your Own Debate Watch Party effort and gather your community together to cheer on Tim Walz as he takes on JD Vance. Click here for more information and to register your watch party with the One Campaign.

Callie Barr In Town This Past Weekend!

Maybe you spotted Callie Barr this past weekend? She was in Houghton where she stopped by the Well Read Raccoon book store, took in the Parade of Nations, visited with the College Democrats at Michigan Tech, and later popped in to the Keweenaw Brewing Company for a beer and a chat with patrons.

On the Campaign Trail

UPDATES FOR THE PRESIDENTIAL CAMPAIGNS

ON THE ROAD WITH HARRIS WALZ

Last Tuesday VP Harris was interviewed by a panel of three journalists from the National Association of Black Journalists. You can find the full interview here. On Thursday she attended a virtual rally with Oprah Winfrey which highlighted the stories of a survivor of the Apalachee High School shooting, and of two women who had been impacted by Trump abortion bans. One of the women, from Georgia, was Amber Nicole Thurman, who tragically died after not receiving timely medical care due to the state's restrictive abortion law. Harris followed that rally with stops in Georgia and Wisconsin on Friday.

Tim Walz wound up his week with a rally in Bethlehem, PA. Over the weekend a fantastic two minute video was released featuring Walz and called “The Manual”. In the video Walz combines working on his 1979 International Harvester Scout with discussion about Project 2025.

Also last week the Michigan Teamsters released a strong endorsement of the Harris Walz campaign. The endorsement came after the President of the International Teamsters stated there would not be an endorsement of any candidate this year, upending decades of precedent and leading to an internal revolt from Teamsters locals.

This week: Kamala Harris is expected to deliver a speech tomorrow outlining her economic vision. When discussing the upcoming speech she said that there is “more we can do to invest in the aspirations and ambitions of the American people while addressing the challenges they face.”

TRUMP CONTINUES BEING TRUMP

There was outrage and lots of media attention last week to the Trump Vance campaign’s doubling and tripling down on their crazy “eating the pets” lies. By mid-week officials in Springfield OH had reported over 30 bomb threats against schools, hospitals and city buildings. The city had to call off its annual Culture Fest due to the threats. By week’s end the Governor had asked more than once that the lies stop, and the local Springfield newspaper had issued an editorial calling on Senator Vance specifically to stop lying. Springfield’s mayor told CNN that handling the threats had already cost the city “hundreds of thousands of dollars in expense”.

Trump held a town hall in Flint last week where he predicted all sorts of doom and gloom for the auto industry and reiterated his lies about winning the 2020 election. Meanwhile moderator Sarah Huckabee Sanders insulted VP Harris, saying she is not humble because she has no biological children of her own. The Republicans sure seem to feel that the “childless cat lady” putdowns are working for them.

On Sunday an NBC News poll was released showing that the unpopularity of the Republicans’ Project 2025 plans continue to grow.

AND YET…

Somehow polls in battleground states like ours still show this race is neck and neck. “This election is going to be close,” Governor Whitmer said on CNN’s "State of the Union" on Sunday. “We have always known that. And in a state like Michigan or Pennsylvania, Wisconsin, we know that this is going to be a close race.”

But we cannot let the Trump team’s craziness or the tight polls distract us. We must keep our focus on electing Kamala Harris. She is keeping her focus on the things that matter to Americans. As Coach Walz says, WE HAVE TO LEAVE IT ALL ON THE FIELD. Let’s get back to work!

Kim Corcoran to Appear in Candidate Forum Here in Houghton County This Friday!

We have told you over the last couple of weeks that the League of Women Voters -Copper Country Gogebic Range Unit will host a Candidate Forum in Ironwood on the 30th for candidates running for 110th District State Representative. Democratic candidate Kim Corcoran and her opponent Greg Markkanen will attend.

Well, we’ve just learned there will also be a LWV-Copper Country sponsored Candidate Forum right here in Houghton County! 

The local Forum will take place on Friday, September 27, 2024, at Houghton Portage Township School Auditorium from 6:00 PM to 8:00 PM. Portage Township Supervisor and Trustee candidates will also take part in their own Q&A as part of this event. 

Details on the Candidate Forum, including the Zoom link to attend remotely, can be found here.

The LWV-Copper Country is looking for volunteers to help with timing, running questions, compiling questions, etc. at this Candidate Forum. See their event web page for information on how you can volunteer.

VP Debate Watch Party Next Tuesday!

Join us to watch the Vice Presidential Debate next Tuesday, October 1 at 8:30PM at our HCDP headquarters at 323 Quincy Street in Hancock. We’ll be taking donations to support our local candidates. Suggested donation - $10.

Coffee and snacks provided. BYOB. RSVP here. This is going to be a historic night and we can't wait to see you there!

Our Next Monthly Meeting

HCDP Monthly Meetings: Unless otherwise communicated our monthly meetings are held the first Wednesday of each month. Potluck at 6 PM, Meeting at 7 PM. In the conference room at the Houghton Super 8, and by Zoom (starting at 7 PM).

NEXT MEETING: October 2nd

Governmental & Community Meetings

WED SEP 18

The Houghton City Council meets at 5:30 p.m. on Wednesday. The Meeting Agenda can be found in the Searchable Document Center of the Council's website.