Photos, Ballots, Candidates, and Healthcare. Plus - Are You a Member?

UPCOMING EVENTS COVERED IN THIS WEEK’S NEWSLETTER

IT’S BEEN A BUSY OCTOBER SO FAR...

We’ve had our normal monthly meeting of course. That was followed by opportunities to canvass for ballot petition signatures with Keweenaw Against the Oligarchy at local farmer’s markets. Then we co-sponsored the Healthcare for All Town Hall, where Michigan Rep. Rheingans took us all through the legislative proposal for healthcare for all Michiganders. Then, this past weekend we joined over 800 folks at the No Kings! 2.0 day, sponsored by Keweenaw Indivisible and the League of Women Voters of the Copper Country.

Whew!

We’ve got photos from the last two events on our website - you’ll need to click this link to get to the webpage, as it’s not featured in our website menu - it’s an “exclusive” to say thank you to all of you who subscribe to this newsletter.

Speaking of the website, we’ve had a few changes lately. There’s a new calendar of events at the bottom of the main page, and a brand-new page featuring all the Democratic candidates campaigning in the 2026 primary (along with links to their websites). Check it out, and please reply to this newsletter if you have suggestions for changes or additions to our website. We do have at least one more addition up our sleeves.

We also want to say a big Thank You! to everyone who responded to our last minute appeal just before the weekend, for comments on the insidious proposal by the America First Legal Foundation to add “SAVE Act” like provisions to to federal voter registration applications. Several of you responded back to our appeals to say you had left a comment. As of Sunday evening almost 110,000 of your fellow Americans did so too.

AND THERE’S MORE TO COME…

There’s a few more events on the calendar for this month (see the list above and the items below), and we hope to see many of you at one or more of them!

WHAT’S IN YOUR BALLOT?

ELECTION DAY IS FAST APPROACHING...

Election Day 2025 is November 4th, just three weeks from now. Please be aware that there will be NO Early Voting Center for this election, so all in-person voting will take place Election Day.

Voters in the village of Copper City, the townships of Franklin, Hancock, Portage, and Quincy, and the Cities of Hancock and Houghton have ballot proposals to consider and vote on.

If you’re a voter in one of these areas, you can find the specifics of the ballot proposals you’ll be voting on in this Notice of Election from the County Clerk’s Office.

The HCDP urges everyone in these areas of our county to get out and vote on Election Day.

Click the image to see the full Notice of Election provided by the County Clerk’s Office.

MEET & GREET WITH US SENATE CANDIDATE ABDUL EL-SAYED

Abdul El-Sayed (https://abdulforsenate.com/), Democratic candidate for the US Senate, will be on the campus of Michigan Tech tomorrow, Wednesday, October 22nd for a student-led Meet & Greet. The public is invited. The event will take place in the Memorial Union Building, Ballroom A2.

This event is sponsored by the MTU Democrats.

WHEN: 2 PM tomorrow, Wednesday, October 22nd

WHERE: Memorial Union Building, Ballroom A2, on the campus of Michigan Tech.

IF YOU PLAN TO COME BY CAR: If you plan to park off campus please observe local parking restrictions. On campus parking is available but limited. Metered parking spots are located on campus alongside the Union Building and the Library. These spots can be accessed from the entrance at the corner of MacInnes Drive and US 41. Metered parking is payable through either the ParkMobile app or through purchase of a permit from Michigan Tech’s Transportation Department. More information on Michigan Tech visitor parking is available here.

OPEN UP OUR CARE TOWN HALL TOMORROW

We are all aware of the fact that the Republicans Big Bad Billionaire Bill, now law, poses threats to US health care. In fact, it’s created an almost perfect storm of rising prices for everyone.

Millions of Americans who’ve gotten healthcare through the ACA marketplace will find that the removal of subsidies means they’ll be priced out of health insurance for next year, while cuts to Medicaid mean hospitals in rural areas like ours will be facing financial shortfalls and forced to cut service or maybe even close. Healthcare costs at our rural facilities will rise for those of us left who can pay.

The lack of the ACA subsidies that will force people off of health insurance also means insurance companies will have fewer customers next year. Fewer customers for the insurers and higher costs from healthcare providers means insurers will have fewer dollars to pay for claims, unless those insurers do something. So they are doing something - they are raising insurance premiums for 2026 for the rest of us. As open enrollment for next year starts at many employers, folks are likely to find their own health care premiums are rising. And we are all likely to find higher costs from our doctors and clinics.

If you’re concerned about the state of health care in our county join us tomorrow evening for the Open Up Our Care Town Hall. The Houghton County Dems, along with AWAVE, are sponsoring this event — a panel discussion featuring US Senate candidate Dr. Abdul El-Sayed along with local health care providers and others to talk about the coming threats to our care and what can be done to address them.

WHEN: 6:30 PM tomorrow, Wednesday, October 22nd

WHERE: Keweenaw Unitarian Universalist Fellowship, 604 Bridge Street, Houghton MI

ARE YOU?

a note from our Comms Chair

In our last monthly meeting, our Membership Chair let us know that we have seen a good increase in membership this year. But, as Communications Chair I know that we have many more readers of this newsletter than we have members of our County Party.

If you are a reader of the newsletter, but not a member of the county party, please know that you are welcome to read. The Democratic Party is an inclusive party, and we value your readership and support. I also know that a fair number of our readers are in adjacent counties, or are located outside the immediate area but are campaign associates of candidates for offices that include our county, and so in either case you are not eligible to be county party members here.

But for you - the newsletter reader and resident of Houghton County who is not yet a member of the HCDP - for you I offer this invitation to join us. This isn’t a pitch for a donation - you can join at no cost. 

You’re likely a reader because you value democracy and equality. I’ll bet you believe in an economy where everyone has a fair shot at getting ahead, not an economy where all but a wealthy few are being left behind. You believe that injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere. You believe that people are deserving of dignity and respect, no matter their gender or where they come from, or the color of their skin, or who they love. You believe that something must be done about gun violence, but that something doesn’t need to involve taking guns away from hunters. You believe that the climate crisis is real and obvious. You believe that we all should be working toward making ours a better, freer, and safer country for the generations that will follow us.

Well, those things you believe are big “D” Democratic values. So please consider joining us today.

We run the “ad” below every week. Today, please click the image and join us. 

I’d love to see you at our next monthly meeting,

Steve Blackburn

Communications Chair

MARQUETTE COUNTY RUSH HOUR RESISTANCE

The group Lake Superior Region Indivisible (https://lsrindivisible.org/) is sponsoring another of its “visibility events”. They are calling this one “Rush Hour Resistance”.

The event will take place across three locations: in Marquette at the Iron Ore Heritage Trail Overpass; in Negaunee at Miner's Park; and in Ishpeming on the US41/Lakeshore Drive Roundabout.

If you’re willing to travel, or know someone in the greater Marquette area who’d like to participate, you can get more information and RSVP by clicking the button below.

WHEN: Tuesday October 21st, 4 PM

WHERE: Across three different locations in Marquette, Negaunee and Ishpeming

Governmental & Community Meetings

TUE OCT 21

The Laurium Village Council meets tonight at 6 PM in the Council Chambers of the Town Hall. More info can be found on the Village Council's web page.

The Village of Calumet has given notice that it will hold a public hearing on October 21, 2025, at 6:00 p.m. to receive public input regarding a proposal to abandon a portion of 9th Street adjacent to the Calumet Train Depot. This hearing is exploratory in nature, intended to gather initial feedback from residents, property owners, and other interested parties. More information may be found on the Village’s News & Events web page.

WED OCT 22

The Houghton City Council meets at 5:30 PM on Wednesday. Agendas and agenda packets for Council meetings are typically placed in the City’s Searchable Document Center on the Monday before the meeting by 5:00 p.m.

SUBMIT A RESOLUTION

This newsletter is paid for with regulated funds by the Houghton County Democratic Party, and is not authorized by any candidate or candidate committee.

Contact us by email at [email protected] or by text or voicemail at 906-523-1233