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How to Run for Local Office Guide

​So, you’re considering a run for local office? That’s so exciting. Local officials have the power to transform their communities for the better. In this guide, we’ll go over the basics that you need to know in order to field a successful campaign. When you’re ready to dive deeper on a topic, we’ve linked to resources that can give you a more robust understanding. We’ve also created a Campaign HQ page that has upto-date resources. We’re here for you. Let’s get started!
2019
It’s going to be a
​very big year!!

From Membership Chair

The Manistee County Democrats wish you a Happy, Healthy and Prosperous New Year. We are all looking forward to the year 2020 with a renewed belief that our country will return to democratic principles, will return to civility, will embrace the acceptance of diversity and cultural differences. Yes, 2020 is our year of HOPE.

In our country, we have a two-party political system. We need your support for the Democratic Party, which embraces:
​
  • Affordable Health Care
  • Women’s Rights
  • Climate Change – Clean and Healthy Environment
  • Worker’s Rights
  • Public Education
  • Civil Rights
  • Fair Economic Opportunities
  • Voter’s Rights
  • Living Wage
  • Equitable Taxation

The yearly membership in the Manistee County Democratic Party is from January 1, 2020 to December 31, 2020. Please join now and offer your support for the year 2020. (Reminder: Membership of $100 or more, we submit free membership in the State of Michigan Democratic Party –MDP.) The funds for membership (both locally and statewide) are used for: v
  • Speakers
  • Events
  • Campaign Support

The membership form is at the end of the newsletter. We look forward to compelling meetings, social events, and your input to make 2020 a dynamic election year.

Sincerely,

Shirley Madden, Membership Chair

Revision of
​Local Party ByLaws

Click HERE to see Local Party Bylaws.

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Election Reflections
By Rick Schrock

The 2018 election is over. Now it is time to reflect on our successes, our failures, our opportunities, and let those reflections shape our approach to 2020.
Our greatest success was restoring checks and balance to our political systems. We can now block the most damaging of the Republican policies. We can hope that political balance will lead to governance by finding common ground and working together. Time will tell if Republicans are
interested in working together. My hope is that Democrats will lead by example to cross the aisle for common sense policies.

The State of Michigan government will change significantly. Last month the GOP owned every branch of state government. The 2018 election changed everything. The Governor, Secretary of State, and Attorney General shifted to the Democrats. This team is all women and exceptional women. It is a spectacular team. From legislation to voting rights to consumer advocacy, we will see
a shift that will favor working people.

The state legislature is still controlled by the GOP in both houses even though Democrats received the most votes overall. The Gerrymandering by the Republicans was skillfully done and highly successful. The passage of Proposition 2 and a Democratic Governor should bring an bring an end
to this kind of election rigging.

The Michigan Supreme Court will shift more to the center. The 5-2 court was dominated by Republican supported Justices. That now shifts to 4-3. Two of the Republicans are willing to go against popular GOP thinking at times. I expect to see a more centrist court than we have seen in the past.

At the national level the Democrats gained control of the House. The Senate will be controlled by the Republicans but the margin is very small. Finally we will see some checks and balance in Washington DC.

We have a lot of good news. We need to celebrate. But we also need to step up to the bad news. Manistee County has traditionally reflected state and national trends. We supported Obama, Grandholm, Levin, Stabenow, and other in the past. This year was different. In 2018 the Democrats
carried the statewide offices, but without the majority of Manistee County voters. Our State Rep candidate and our US Rep candidates did not carry Manistee County. This year Manistee County shifted from leaning blue to being a solid red county.

It is easy to observe that all across the US rural areas are voting more and more with the GOP. Urban areas are voting more Democratic. We are rural. There is a temptation to think Manistee County voting more Republican is just inevitable. We are tempted to think we are helpless victims of a national trend. I believe that would be a mistake. Our challenge is to run the right candidates, promote key issues we have in common, and organize to get our voters to the polls.

How do we earn the votes of rural voters? That is the question we must ask over the next year. Can moderates win anymore? Can a candidate run on character rather than
policy? Do we need candidates who are bold leaders? We are not helpless. In a year of
many Democratic successes Manistee County fell short. This happened all across the
country in rural counties. Our challenge is for 2020 is for Democrats to reconnect with rural voters

Breaking News

Monthly Meeting

January 16, 2019
6:30 Social 7:00 meeting
Dial A Ride Building
180 Memorial Dive
Speaker - Kate Thompson
         Manistee Commitment
              Scholar Advisor
 Kate is celebrating her 20th year living and working in Manistee. She lives with her spouse, Kevin Postma, a Manistee High School science teacher, daughters, Solana and Ceci, and enjoys exploring and getting out in NW Michigan’s natural world with them. 

Kate currently works for the Manistee County Community Foundation, as the Manistee Commitment Scholar Advisor, overseeing and carrying out the advising, planning and programming for the nearly 100 high school students in Manistee County participating in the Manistee Commitment Scholarship Program.

Kate holds degrees in
- Botany (major), Women’s Studies and Religion (minors) from Miami University (Ohio);
- Curriculum and Instruction (MA) from the University of Mississippi;
- School Counseling (MA) from Grand Valley State University, where she was selected as their annual honor’s graduate of her major/field of study.

Kate served, with Kevin, as a Peace Corps volunteer for two and a half years in Honduras, and enjoyed working summers for the US Forest Service as an Interpretive Naturalist, prior to her nearly twenty years of teaching high school and middle school science.

Kate is glad to be able to continue to work with Manistee County youth as they navigate high school and their post-secondary and career plans.

​Ask Kate anytime about her not-so-straight path to her present career, which she enjoys! Kate thanks the Manistee Dems for their interest in the Manistee Community Foundation’s work with local youth and the MCSP (Manistee Commitment Scholarship Program.)
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​Comments from the Chair

I recently heard on the radio that the trade wars started by President Trump are costing the average American family $1,300.00 annually! At his rallies and on Twitter he likes to brag that these embargoes are bringing in trillions and trillions of dollars to the federal government.

In typical Trumpian fashion the numbers are greatly exaggerated, with serious facts omitted entirely, like the fact that most of that additional revenue is being paid by American consumers in the form of higher prices. Or the fact that his trade policies are doing serious damage to certain industries, like agriculture, and steel.

​All his trade wars have accomplished so far is to create an opportunity for importers and retailers to raise their prices. Given an opportunity like that, does anyone really think that they have passed on to consumers only the cost of the new tariffs and not yielded to temptation and added a little extra to fatten the coffers? With corporate accounts swollen with profits one has to wonder.

Trump also promised us great new trade deals when he revoked NAFTA and took the United States out of the Trans-Pacific Partnership Agreement. Now we have a new trade agreement with Mexico and Canada that offers some improvements over NAFTA but most experts agree that the new deal is not substantially better than what we had before. Ending NAFTA was unnecessary and seriously disruptive of trade with our neighbors, trade that we all depend upon.

For example: The new agreement does not go far enough in addressing the advantages that Canada enjoys in the dairy industry. Our neighbor Wisconsin has been hit very hard with many dairy operations going out of business. Just last week, Borden (think Elsie the Cow) company announced that it has filed for bankruptcy.

The damage done to the long-term health of our country has been even worse with our withdrawal from the Trans-Pacific Partnership Agreement negotiated by the Obama administration. This was an agreement that would have put the United States in a strong competitive economic position in Asia. Emerging economies like Cambodia, Laos, Vietnam, and others are now turning to China and forging new trade agreements that put the United States at a serious economic disadvantage for some time to come. China is filling a gap that was created by Trump.

​And so, on trade, as well many other issues, emperor Trump really doesn’t have on any clothes. Yikes, no there’s an image; Trump with no clothes! Finally, in this most important election year we need to educate ourselves about these and other issues so that we more effectively educate others and perhaps persuade them to not only get out and vote but to vote for more effective leaders of this great country.

​Gary Madden

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