Monthly Meeting Tomorrow

Potluck and Monthly Meeting Tomorrow

Our next Monthly Meeting will be tomorrow at 7 PM.

The potluck dinner begins at 6 PM.

POTLUCK AT 6PM

Bring a dish to share - whether homemade or store bought - and enjoy some quality time with your fellow Dems before we settle down to business at 7. And don’t worry, if you’re not a good cook and don’t have time to shop, we’d still love for you to stop in and enjoy some food and conversation.

MONTHLY MEETING AT 7PM

You do not need to be a member to attend our monthly meetings, and we would welcome your attendance. Monthly meetings are held on the first Wednesday of each month unless otherwise communicated.

IN PERSON: The meeting will be held in-person at the Super 8 Motel in Houghton.

REMOTE ATTENDANCE: Remote attendance is via Zoom. Email readers can click the button below at 7 PM on Wednesday to be connected to the Zoom session.

One Week Left to File for Precinct Delegate

If you are interested in becoming a precinct delegate the filing deadline is 4 PM Next Tuesday May 7th. Filing for precinct delegate requires the submission of the Precinct Delegate Affidavit of Identity and Receipt of Filing form, which is available from the Houghton County Clerk. Click here to be taken to the Clerk’s web page to download the form and instructions.

WHAT IS A PRECINCT DELEGATE?

The role of a precinct delegate is one of the most important, yet least understood, of any elected office. Precinct delegates serve as a bridge between Democrats in their neighborhoods and the Democratic Party. Active precinct delegates can help win elections. Additionally, each precinct delegate represents their neighborhood at Democratic Party meetings.

Learn more about what it means to become a Precinct Delegate on this informative webpage from our friends the Clinton County Democrats.

(NOTE: THE FILING DEADLINE FOR SCHOOL BOARD AND CITY COUNCIL ELECTIONS IS JULY 23RD.)

Election Inspectors Needed - Training on Friday May 10th

ELECTION WORKERS ARE NEEDED FOR THE AUGUST PRIMARY AND NOVEMBER GENERAL ELECTIONS.

Becoming an election worker is a great way to support the democratic process in your local community.

Election workers are hired, paid, and trained local government workers who assist with running local elections.

During an election, Houghton County needs a staff of paid and skilled election workers, called election inspectors, to assist voters and help process ballots. Anyone in Houghton County can be trained to serve as an Election Inspector in Houghton County. Houghton County Clerk Jennifer Kelly will provide training in May. The training takes about an hour. Training info below -

ELECTION INSPECTOR TRAINING

Friday, May 10th at 1:00 p.m.

Franklin Township Hall

An Election Inspector Application form is available here. To apply for the training, download, complete and submit this form to your local City/Township Clerk (use this search tool if you need help to find your local clerk). NOTE: You must declare a party on this form because State Law requires a balance of party affiliation among the Election Inspectors at each poll. It doesn't mean that you must be a member of a party, just that you identify with one of the parties.

If you’d like to learn more about what it means to be an election worker, view these Frequently Asked Questions from the Michigan Department of State.

Mark Your Calendars (and Volunteer!)

We’ve got a number of activities and events coming up and we’d love to have you join us. Below is the list of our annual summer activities. Mark your calendars and volunteer:

• May TBD - ANNUAL ADOPT-A-HIGHWAY: Each year a group of volunteers takes part in the cleanup of our adopted section of M-26. This is a great way to show your support for our environment and to meet and mingle. Highway cleanups are usually scheduled two to three times over the warmer months. We’ll post the May date next week.

• June 1 - KEWEENAW PRIDEFEST: The second annual Keweenaw Pridefest will be held at Hancock Beach this year. The Houghton County Democrats are a proud sponsor of the Fest this year. We will have a table from which to distribute literature and engage with the Fest-goers.

• June 13 thru 16 - BRIDGEFEST: Just as we’ve done in previous years we will again be staffing a booth at the Festival and walking in the Parade. This is a great opportunity to interact with the public and share our message of freedom and democracy.

• July 4 - INDEPENDENCE DAY PARADES: We’re still finalizing which parade(s) we’ll be marching in this year. If you have a particular parade you’d like to join in and march with us, let us know.

• July 12 and 13 - STRAWBERRY FESTIVAL: Strawberry Fest is a favorite every year. We’ll be marching in the Festival Parade - come join us!

• August 22 thru 25 - HOUGHTON COUNTY FAIR: We staff a table every year to engage with the public and distribute literature. We’ll have our button maker and materials ready for the kids to create their own button designs, while we chat with the adults.

• Labor Day Weekend - LABOR DAY PICNIC: Each year we gather over Labor Day Weekend to picnic and connect as we get ready for the fall campaign season.

If you’d like to volunteer for any of these activities let us know. Just leave a message at (906) 523-1233 or email us at [email protected]

At the Capital and On the Campaign Trail

A SMALL SAMPLING OF WHAT’S HAPPENING IN MICHIGAN AND ON THE CAMPAIGN TRAIL.

• Michigan Candidates Have Filed for the Fall Ballot: Last Tuesday’s filing deadline for partisan offices has yielded the following slate of Democratic candidates for our state and Federal Senate & Congressional offices:

  • For the US Senate seat currently held by Debbie Stabenow: Detroit businessman Nasser Beydoun, actor Hill Harper and current U.S. Rep. Elissa Slotkin have all filed.

  • Two familiar candidates will square off to face Jack Bergman in the 1st Congressional District (assuming he gets past his two Republican challengers): Callie Barr and Dr. Bob Lorinser will both appear on the Democratic primary ballot.

  • Facing Greg Markkanen for the 110th District state House seat is Ironwood Democrat Kim Corcoran, who many of us had a chance to get to know a bit better at our Spring Fling.

• Bergman Voted NO On Ukraine Aid: Jack Bergman was one of five Michigan Republican Representatives to vote NO when aid for Ukraine passed the US House on April 20th. MORE: Washington Post

• Michigan House Democrats Fundraising Record: The MI House Democrats Fundraising Committee has had a record breaking first quarter, raising $2.2 million, almost a million dollars more than the Republican committee raised. Speaker Joe Tate is hoping the November election will expand the Democratic majority in the House. MORE: Detroit News

• Governor Whitmer Announces Solar for All Program: The $156 million dollar investment in the MI Solar for All program announced by the Governor last Monday is funded through the Inflation Reduction Act. The program aims to help low-income households across Michigan access renewable energy and lower their energy bills by 20%. It’s part of the overall Solar for All program announced by President Biden for Earth Day. MORE: Mother Jones

• Trump To Hold Michigan Rally Tomorrow Night: Donald Trump’s campaign announced last week that he will return to Michigan for a rally tomorrow night. The rally will take place on a Wednesday because that is the one day of the week when Trump’s 2016 election interference criminal trial is not in session. Trump is on trial for paying hush money to a porn star in the run up to the 2016 election in order to keep an alleged affair with her out of the headlines for fear it could damage his chances to win the Presidency. MORE: Michigan Advance 

• More States In the Fight to Put Abortion Rights On the Ballot in November: Missouri is one of 8 states where abortion rights proponents are still working to put proposals on the November ballot. There is also an opposing proposal in the works in Missouri to amend the state constitution to make the state’s near total abortion ban permanent. Two other states also have abortion restriction proposals in the works. Three states do currently have abortion rights proposals on the ballot - Florida, New York and Maryland. CNN has a summary of the current status of potential fall abortion measures across the states.

• More Fake Electors Charged: Arizona last week joined Nevada, Michigan and Georgia in bringing charges in the 2020 “fake electors” scheme. As in Georgia, the charged individuals reach all the way into the Trump White House. Trump himself is referred to in the charging documents as “unindicted co-conspirator #1”. Forbes has a summary of the current state of charges in the various fake elector cases. Six fake electors in Michigan are currently on trial.

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: May 1ST

Governmental Meetings

THUR MAY 2

The South Range Village Council meets Thursday at 6 PM in the South Range Community Building. For more information contact the Village at [email protected] or (906) 482-8833

Governmental meetings are scheduled throughout the month by bodies from the County Commission to City, Village and Township boards, committees and commissions; as well as local School Boards and the Copper Country Intermediate School District.

Check by phone or on the particular governmental website for meeting notices in your community. Your participation in local government meetings lets your elected and appointed officials know you are interested in their work, and can provide you with the opportunity to speak about your concerns during public comment periods

Houghton County Democratic Party © 2024