The following is a press release written by MCDP Chair David Henry for Monroe County Democrats.
Happy Spring! The Chair’s Progress returns after a self-imposed primary season hiatus. I’d like to thank the party leadership - Efrat Rosser, Ashley Pirani, and Karen Wrenbeck. They navigated our public spaces and work over the past few months as I stepped away from the “above and beyond” activities a chair does for the party, as I contested the Monroe County Council at-Large primary.
Ashley has been party secretary since 2021, and the acting vice chair. She has my deepest thanks and we worked through a rolling caucus season not seen here since Rick Dietz’s time as chair a decade ago. We welcomed Efrat back into party leadership in March. Efrat was our party vice chair and secretary under Rick Dietz, and with her experience in presidential election cycles, we are ready to get ready for the General Election. Karen has in her time as treasurer assured clean and tidy campaign finance filings while reducing costs over time to assure the dollars we raise go right into campaign coordination for the fall. With the work of Ed Robertson and Catherine Stafford to build out our new HQ, and Pat Slabach working with staffing volunteers, we have an up and running HQ. Stop in most evenings between 4-6 or volunteer to help us get open more often! Thanks team!
Congrats to our nominees for office! Thank you to all those who threw their hat into a hard fought and seemingly short primary season.
It is no small thing to run for office, and you have the party’s gratitude. Thank you Penny Githens, Peter Iversen and Matt Caldie and your families for getting into that arena. I hope once the dust settles we hear from your again - you were all hard working candidates.
With the Primary over, we must hard pivot into the General Election. Here is the truth - 4000 of our neighbors pulled for Donald Trump this past week. Mike Braun is poised to assure the next IU Board of Trustees makes recent decisions look liberal by comparison. At the statehouse, the summer study session is busy finding the next pain points to attack our friends and neighbors in the next term. It is all on the line.
But we have green shoots in this seemingly red soil. Our party nominated a Black Woman, Dr. Valerie McCray, to take on Jim Banks. If you haven’t met her, she is great. I am so proud of the way her team has grown and got the job done to get on the ballot grow as a campaign.
We are sending Dr. Jennifer McCormick and the millions of parents that are Red for Ed to take back the governor’s mansion. She has done the work, has been mentored by Democratic governors who overcame similar odds in Wisconsin and Michigan, and say it with me : She can win.
Tim Peck has been campaigning with empathy and rebuilding with Baron Hill’s mentorship the last coalition that won the 9th for Democrats. Shelli Yoder and Matt Pierce will easily protect our seats in the Statehouse and will be our clarion call for the rights of all Hoosiers in our time.
And, proudly, we are the ONLY county democratic party in Indiana that is fielding a full slate to break the supermajority in the Indiana House - which means we have to get to work for Thomas Horrocks, Michelle Higgs, Matt Pierce, and Kurtis Cummings.
Folks, it is time to clear the bench. These campaigns need your help. Voting isn’t gonna be enough. We need to get to work on these campaigns, pack a lunch, get in the car and get out of our county. We need to ride with these campaigns and support them. I know we can do this.
Let’s get to work,
DGH
I hope you will join me, fellow party members, supporters, and convention delegates at this year's Monroe County Democratic Party "Roosevelt Reception," to be held NEXT Wednesday May 22, 2024 at Switchyard Pavilion in Bloomington.
Cocktail Hour begins at 6PM and Full Dinner/Program at 7PM.
MCDP will welcome Jennifer McCormick for Governor, Valerie McCray for US Senate, Beth White for Indiana Attorney General, Thomas Horrocks for Indiana House 62nd, Former US Representative Baron Hill with Tim Peck for Congress, and more.
In 1950, Eleanor Roosevelt spoke in Bloomington promoting the United Nations Universal Declaration of Human Rights. In 2022, the MCDP re-imagined our spring event to honor President and Mrs. Roosevelt, launching the annual Eleanor Roosevelt Keynote Address.
That speech has become an annual deep dive into contemporary issues we face as a community. Past speakers included 2022 Secretary of State Nominee Col. Destiny Wells on national security, and Wheeling, WV Councilperson and 2024 Wheeling Mayoral Candidate Rosemary Ketchum on Transgender rights. This year, Dr. Amrita Chakrabarti Myers, a professor and author, will deliver the keynote sharing insights from her book "The Vice President's Black Wife" and more.
Tickets start at 20$ for students/60$ for guests, and sponsorships begin at $250. Your support directly funds our party's coordinated campaign against the Republicans in the fall, and our field training and operations for this cycle. I hope you will join us!
Buy tickets here: https://givebutter.com/2024Roosy or email information@monroedems.org for checks and reservations.
Comings and Goings
Effective Immediately, I am pulling together some new and old names to get us to work for the general election:
• Sam Ujdak will return, as Deputy Chair for Party Infrastructure. A past MCDP treasurer, Sam is working with the Thomas Horrocks campaign, and will work on strategic party building activities and support Ed Robertson’s operations and event logistics.
• Shayla George as Political Outreach and Advocacy Director. Shay brings diverse experience working in regional non-governmental organizations, issue advocacy, lobbying, and commission work with the City of Bloomington Commission on the Status of Women. She is the 2024 City of Bloomington Outstanding Black Visionary of Tomorrow awardee. She was also my campaign’s social media director. Shay will work on outreach to our broader issue advocacy community.
• Damian Arambula as Communications Director. Damian is the College Democrats of IU Communications Director and recently worked on the Volan for Commissioner Campaign.
• Welcome back Ryan Still as Deputy Chair for Rural Engagement. Ryan returns to his role in developing rural engagement for the party, after a brief hiatus on the Maderia for Commissioner campaign. Ryan will focus on rural events engagement, targeting and VAN coordination for the party.
• Sydney Zulich as Coordinated Campaign Director. City Councilperson Zulich brings field campaign experience from the Isak for Congress and Githens for Indiana 62 campaigns, alongside her targeted voter outreach experience in her own City Council district. Sydney will also co-lead VAN coordination with Ryan.
WE NEED STATE DELEGATES!
We need 28 more delegates to join us for the Indiana Democratic Party State Convention in Indianapolis on July 13. We have a contested race for Attorney General and they need your votes.
Contact me at chair@monroedems.org for more information or call me direct at 812-727-7899.
Delegates are asked to make a $35 contribution to help defray costs of our county’s “assessment” by state party for our participation. Training and a meet-and-greet with the AG candidates is forthcoming!
Donate to MCDP! Now is the Time!
Blue Skies Ahead - Thank you to Larry and Cathy Smith, Chrissie Geels, and Peter Iversen for stepping up to contribute to $100/mo level. We have renamed our top tier in the “Four Freedoms” because we see Blue Skies Ahead. We need your help too. Your direct support pay fees for parades and festivals and booths, and assure we push forward our candidates with targeted mailers and candidate events.
Thank you for coming back, plussing up, and chipping in as we lean into 2024.
#ComeHomein24 - Upcoming Events
• 3rd Annual Roosevelt Reception
• Harrodsburg Heritage Days
• July 4th Parade
• State Convention 2024
• Monroe County Fair
• Democratic National Convention 2024 - Chicago
• IDEA
• Monroe County Fall Festival
• Pridefest
• Stinesville Quarry Festival
• 5th Annual Judge Viola Taliaferro Dinner
• 2025 Swearing In Ceremonies
