Next Meeting of the
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Breaking NewsMeet Gretchen Whitmer
in the lobby of the Ramsdell Inn. Saturday, April 7 from 5:30 to 6:15 Click for full notice. Become a Precinct Delegate
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A precinct is the smallest political unit in the country. It is your neighbor-hood. You know the people and you know what issues are more important. The precinct is where politics most impacts you, and where you can make the biggest difference in your life and your community.
Ever Want to Run for Office? Want to be a leader within the Democratic Party and your community? Want powers that no other grassroots activist has? Then you should run to be a Democratic Precinct Delegate. Precinct Delegates serve as a bridge between their neighbors and the Democratic Party. They help educate people on our issues, get people interested in joining the Democratic Party, and help mobilize voters so we can take our State back in 2018. You must be 18 years old to run, and must be a registered voter as well as reside in the Precinct you want to run in. Tell Me More About this Precinct Delegate Role… According to the Michigan Democratic Party Precinct Delegate: Grassroots of the Democratic Party What is a Precinct Delegate? The role of a Precinct Delegate is one of the most important yet least understood of any elected office. It is the active Precinct Delegate who wins elections for the Democratic Party. Precinct Delegates are elected directly by the voters of each precinct to serve as a bridge between voters and the Democratic Party in your neighborhood and you represent your neighborhood at Democratic Party Meetings. What do Precinct Delegates Do?
How do Precinct Delegates get Elected? Precinct Delegates are elected in the Democratic primary every 2 years in August. Only Democratic voters choose Democratic Precinct Delegates. Each precinct is allotted a number Precinct Delegated based on past Democratic voting strength. Your district or county chair will be able to tell you how many delegate positions have been allocated to your precinct. Precinct Delegate candidates file an Affidavit of Identity, which must by notarized to get on the ballot. What are the Responsibilities of Precinct Delegates? They are campaign leaders for the Democratic Party in their precincts. After the primary, those elected will be officially notified by the county clerk by mail. The notification will include the time and place of the district or county Democratic convention, which will be held in August after the primary. Precinct Delegates should take their official notification to the district or county convention to register with the convention credentials committee. District or county conventions will elect delegates to the state convention held in August or September. These conventions may also debate or adopt resolutions for recommendation to the state convention’s platform committee. The state convention will debate and adopt a platform nominate candidate for Supreme Court Justices, State Board of Education and University Boards, and select presidential electors. What other functions do Precinct Delegates have? After Election Day, Precinct Delegates have another responsibility. Precinct Delegates will convene in district or county conventions to elect executive committees and officers to serve through the next general election. There they will also elect delegates to the February state convention where new state party officers and a new state central committee will be chosen to serve for the next 2 years. Checklist to Become a Precinct Delegate
The Democratic Party is here to help. Contact us if you need information or assistance. By working together, we can deliver Michigan for the Democratic ticket. Don’t sit on the sidelines – be part of the political solution. Run for Precinct Delegate! |
Contact:
Gary Madden, Chair
Manistee County DEMS
(313)478-6250
geniebr@gmail.com
or
Peggy Raddatz, Secretary
Manistee County DEMS
(231)510-3726
peg.raddatz@gmail.com
Gary Madden, Chair
Manistee County DEMS
(313)478-6250
geniebr@gmail.com
or
Peggy Raddatz, Secretary
Manistee County DEMS
(231)510-3726
peg.raddatz@gmail.com
Revision of
Local Party ByLaws
Click HERE to see Local Party Bylaws.
Kathy Wiejaczka
Candidate
101st District
My advocacy for people began 39 years ago. That’s when I became a registered nurse. My evolution as a professional nurse progressed through many specialty areas such as pediatrics, obstetrics, home care, hospital supervisor, mental health nurse, school nurse, and nursing instructor. The bottom line is I care about people. I care about our environment. I care about children and their education; our future lies in the well-rounded education of our youth. I know that I can offer much to the 101st constituency by way of transparent, honest, ethical problem solving. Throughout my entire career, my focus incorporates my energetic, passionate, commitment to people and their needs.
After attending the Women’s March in Washington, D.C. on January 21, 2017, my desire to run for the 101st seat solidified. Marching with my beautiful 33-year old daughter, Adele, surrounded by incredibly loving and diverse people brought such clarity to my next role. This role involves running for office, not waiting for someone else, but to gather my courage and strength and use it for a different kind of good for humanity, for the 101st District.
My Dad, as a WWII veteran on the front lines in Germany and France, infused in me the importance of faith, family, country, and our fellow human beings. He was a union steward, and strong Catholic, and many times while growing up I heard his words, “If someone needs your help, you help them”. Paramount to my work as a nurse involves patient/family advocacy. Always putting their needs before my own, tirelessly under stressful times, helping them to achieve independence or health. This is what I do. So, now I look forward to advocating on a different level, on a legislative level for this district in Lansing.
Whatever the challenges, I am ready to meet them head on with total commitment. It is with love for my fellow man, woman, and child that I go forth. A quote by Representative Cummings exemplifies my focus: “I have my own definition of successful and that is lifting up the lives of ALL American people. In other words making their lives better.”
Thank you.
Kathy Wiejaczka RN, MSN
Buy Don Jennings Tickets
Words from the County Chair
The recent mass shootings in Las Vegas, NV, Parkland, FL and, closer to home, at CMU, continue to remind us of how dangerous our country is becoming. In today’s America we are increasingly afraid to go to any outdoor or indoor activity where large numbers of people gather while many of our children are afraid to attend school. Today, in addition to children practicing fire drills, they also train for lockdown and active shooter situations. Yet we are told that the solution to all this is to arm everyone. Really! Will we really be safer with more guns on the streets?
Recently, I heard some statistics on TV that got me thinking a lot about gun control and safety. The reporter said that a recent survey found that only about 37% of Americans own a gun. He went on to say the only 3% of the 37% or just over 1% of our entire population, actually own more than 14 guns. This means that nearly two thirds of Americans don’t even own a gun let alone possess an arsenal of weapons. Most gun owners own just a few guns that they use for hunting or personal protections in their homes! So why have we adults allowed a very small minority of our citizenry to dictate government policy?
On the bright side of this national disgrace, young people who attend the high school involved in this latest mass shooting, have declared that they have had enough of this tragic failure of our political system to respond to a clear need for reform. They know what it feels like to cower in fear while their classmates and teachers are callously murdered. Many of them have met with local, state and national officials and appeared on TV to demand change. They have held vigils, staged demonstrations and vowed to continue to challenge the adult community in this county to do what most of us know is the right thing. Personally, I have been deeply moved and inspired by these young people. I can only pray that their inspiring behavior moves enough concerned citizens to accomplish real and substantial reform so that we can all live in a safer community and country.
I urge all adults who feel as I do to find ways to support these inspiring young people, not just in Florida, but also right here in Manistee. There has been a call for demonstrations on this critical issue across the country on March 24th. If joining our demonstration and waiving a sign is not for you, then write some letters or call your representatives and let them know how you feel. Talk to friends and neighbors, and especially young people, about this issue. Contact local merchants who sell guns and urge them to stop selling assault weapons and the ammunition they use. In other words –“make some waves” – and pay close attention to the positions politicians take this year and hold them accountable when you vote. If enough of us do these things we will be heard.
Gary Madden
Recently, I heard some statistics on TV that got me thinking a lot about gun control and safety. The reporter said that a recent survey found that only about 37% of Americans own a gun. He went on to say the only 3% of the 37% or just over 1% of our entire population, actually own more than 14 guns. This means that nearly two thirds of Americans don’t even own a gun let alone possess an arsenal of weapons. Most gun owners own just a few guns that they use for hunting or personal protections in their homes! So why have we adults allowed a very small minority of our citizenry to dictate government policy?
On the bright side of this national disgrace, young people who attend the high school involved in this latest mass shooting, have declared that they have had enough of this tragic failure of our political system to respond to a clear need for reform. They know what it feels like to cower in fear while their classmates and teachers are callously murdered. Many of them have met with local, state and national officials and appeared on TV to demand change. They have held vigils, staged demonstrations and vowed to continue to challenge the adult community in this county to do what most of us know is the right thing. Personally, I have been deeply moved and inspired by these young people. I can only pray that their inspiring behavior moves enough concerned citizens to accomplish real and substantial reform so that we can all live in a safer community and country.
I urge all adults who feel as I do to find ways to support these inspiring young people, not just in Florida, but also right here in Manistee. There has been a call for demonstrations on this critical issue across the country on March 24th. If joining our demonstration and waiving a sign is not for you, then write some letters or call your representatives and let them know how you feel. Talk to friends and neighbors, and especially young people, about this issue. Contact local merchants who sell guns and urge them to stop selling assault weapons and the ammunition they use. In other words –“make some waves” – and pay close attention to the positions politicians take this year and hold them accountable when you vote. If enough of us do these things we will be heard.
Gary Madden
