ACDP Newsletter
 August 28, 2022

FROM OUR CHAIR

Athens Democratic Party Chair Sean Parsons

Hi everybody! It’s been a whirlwind of a month and I’m so thankful for all of the kindness and patience folks have shown as I’ve being on-boarded as the new chair. John has been a tremendous leader and continues to be so generous with his time and knowledge.

We’re gearing up for November with a lot of great candidates that need our support. Ric Wasserman is working hard to earn the Auditor’s seat and Lenny Eliason is back on the ballot for County Commissioner. You may have heard that Tanya Conrath has jumped in to make a run against Jay Edwards. The Republicans at the Board of Elections have been doing their best to deny her the chance to be on the ballot. There are a number of replacement candidates across the state – Republican and Democrat alike – who will be on their respective ballots and it seems the arguments our local BoE seats are making are outliers. The matter is on its way to the Secretary of State. Tanya’s going to be our candidate, even if we need to take it to the Supreme Court of Ohio.

It’s truly an honor to serve with all of you!

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CANDIDATE CORNER

Tanya Conrath – Marching Forward!

I went to my first ERA march in 1978 when I was 8. With my mom and two sisters, we boarded a bus at midnight at the old Athens Greyhound station and drove through the night to Chicago. Later that year we bussed to D.C. to stand with a sea of people, more than my little eyes had ever seen before, to demand equal rights. Since then, I’ve been to dozens of marches to stand up for freedom, justice, and Democracy, including the Columbus rally in May for abortion rights (that’s me and mom, Shelley Conrath).

And now I’m marching forward to represent OH-94 at the Statehouse to fight for our freedoms and pull Ohio out of the grips of the radical right-wing. I’m undeterred by the Republican shenanigans to keep me off the ballot so that Jay Edwards can slide into his last term unopposed. When we marched in his hometown for the Parade of the Hills, we were blown away by the cheers/go get ‘ems from the Nelsonville residents. I’m energized by the enthusiasm of supporters standing with me, who know that Democracy in Ohio is on life-support and we must act now to save it.

Many of you know me, but for those who don’t, I’m an attorney and fifth-generation Appalachian from Athens County. I’ve spent my life working on workforce and economic development initiatives to bring money, resources, and support to the people and businesses in our area. Good jobs, prospering schools, thriving small businesses, living wages, safe communities, clean air, reliable bridges, Wi-Fi access – that’s my focus. I’ve been an advocated for our region at the state level and will be a strong voice for Southeast Ohio.

With help from many of you, we’ve ramped this campaign up in record time. Now we need to raise money FAST to get the word out to voters.

Here’s how you can help the most today:

• Donate – Give online (click “Contribute Now” below) or send a check to: Friends of Tanya Conrath, 545 East Town St., Columbus, OH 43215 (thanks to Michelle Greenfield for being our Treasurer!). ANY amount will help us win!
• Ask – Invite 2 friends to join you in donating
• Follow – Find us on Facebook and Instagram and help amplify our message by sharing our posts with your followers

I’m honored to march beside you to turn the 94th District blue once again!

Tanya

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MARK YOUR CALENDARS!

Volunteer Opportunities

If you enjoy team work and volunteering in projects that help our neighbors in Athens County please send your interests to Janalee Stock. Some of our previous and ongoing activities include: keeping our Little Free Library supplied, working at food pantries, writing cards to residents at nursing homes, cleaning up litter, and sewing reusable bags. Notice the action verbs – we love putting our care into DOING.

VOTER REGISTRATION – Contact Andrea Reik  to volunteer. You can volunteer to help for two hours or four hours.

• Saturday, September 17 – 10:00 am – 2:00 pm – Donkey Coffee
• Sunday, September 18 – 10 am – 2:00 pm – Donkey coffee
• Saturday, September 24 – 10 am – 2:00 pm -Donkey Coffee
• Sunday, September 25 10 am – 2:00 pm – Donkey coffee
• Nelsonville Music Festival – September 2, 3 & 4. Contact Andrea for more information.

CANVAS WITH ODP – Monday – 3:30-5:30 pm, Saturday – 10 am-12 pm and 1-3 pm and Sunday, – 1-3 pm at the Athens Dems Office, or on your preferred schedule. Please sign up for a shift here, or email Nat Flanagan your preferred date and time so we can have candidate literature and addresses reserved for you.

PANCAKE BREAKFASTS – We will hold several pancake breakfasts between now and the election across Athens County. Any contribution of maple syrup, fruit, pancake batter, juice, coffee and sausages will be much appreciated! Please contact Janalee Stock for more information.

Events

TIM RYAN FOR US SENATE FUNDRAISER – Sept. 20 at the Zenner House in Athens. Check your inbox soon for an email with more information on how to register.

FALL ACDP DINNER – Wednesday, Oct 12 at the American Legion, 520 W. Union St., at 5:00. Dinner will be catered by The Pigskin. To help with setting up, serving or cleaning up, please call or email Lisa Eliason. Sponsors should contact Kate McGuckin.

Lunch & Learn

Join us for Lunch & Learn every other Wednesday from 12 – 1 pm via Zoom.

• August 31 – Ric Wasserman, Athens County Treasurer and candidate for Athens County Auditor. Register in advance for this meeting.
• September 7 – Lenny Eliason – Athens County Commissioner running for re-election. Register in advance for this meeting.
• September 14 – Tanya Conrath – candidate for Ohio House, 94th District. Register in advance for this meeting.
• October 5 – Jeff Crossman, candidate for Ohio Attorney General. Register in advance for this meeting.

Not receiving emails about upcoming Lunch & Learns? Let Andrea Reik know to get on the email list.

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RECENT EVENTS

Governor Candidate Nan Whaley Tells It Like It Is!

Democrat Candidate for Governor Nan Whaley “wants Ohioans pay to go up, bills to go down and government to work for them.” Mayor Steve Patterson and former Governor Ted Strickland jointly introduced Nan Whaley at a fundraiser held at Zenner House in Athens on Aug 23, and talked about what an excellent mayor she is. In their remarks they said Nan navigated Dayton past a horrific mass shooting and damaging tornadoes with strength and courage. Nan has the character, honesty and skills to take Ohio to the next level and away from extremist policies and corruption that plague the state today. For more information about Nan Whaley’s policies, click here.

2022 Athens County Fair in the Books!

A huge thanks to Athens City Law Director Lisa Eliason for organizing our booth at the Athens County Fair. Her cadre of volunteers handed out candy and small flags to the kids. A big shout-out to volunteers Candy Russell, Dottie Adkins, Patrice Beard, Cathie Chapman, Rodney and Brenda Smith, Ric Wasserman, Lenny Eliason, Amy Farnsworth, Solveig Spjeldnes, Max Skove, Charlie Adkins and Hannah Hartman for all their help at the fair, despite the sweltering temperatures.

Nelsonville Throws a Parade!

Patrice Beard says that the Parade of the Hills hosts the second largest parade in the county each year and we believe it! And this year’s celebration served as the first campaign event for Ohio House of Representatives candidate Tanya Conrath. Of course, our other candidates were there as well, including County Auditor candidate Ric Wasserman, County Commissioner Lenny Eliason and current Nelsonville City Auditor and State Auditor candidate Taylor Sappington. Three cheers to Patrice Beard for her leadership and all the volunteers that turned out to march!

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FOR THE GOOD OF THE ORDER

Office Updates

Hours – Athens Dem Office is now open Mondays, Tuesdays and Thursday 3-6 pm and Wednesdays 1-6 pm. The ODP field organizer will help cover on Saturday and Sunday when available. And other days when you see the American flying out front. the number of people stopping into the office is increasing as people are excited to volunteer for the November election.

Yard Signs – “Protect Women’s Rights Vote Democratic” These yard signs have arrived in the Athens office. This is a project funded by Ann Moneypenny and Mike Chapman and sponsored by a local political book club in partnership with Upper Arlington Progressive Action. This is similar to our yard sign project in 2022 that focused on issues. This election cycle the signs are focused on Women’s Rights. They are available at the Athens Dems office for a suggested donation of $3.00 per sign. We are on a larger mission this year to get these yards signs out all over Ohio! With the Upper Arlington Progressive Action group we are hoping to distribute these to other county Dem offices and progressive groups.

Individual Politician Yard Signs Currently there are a few Tim Ryan yard signs to distribute for high visibility locations. The Athens Dems have purchased yard signs for Nan Whaley that should be arriving in a few weeks. We are expecting Lenny Eliason, Ric Wasserman and Tanya Conrath signs after Labor Day.

Reserve the Office – If you would like to reserve the office space for a meeting, please email Andrea Reik.

Meeting Update

The Central and Executive Committee meetings are now on the third Wednesday of each month at 5:30 PM.

Join a Committee!

Candidate Recruitment Committee offers advice, support training and opportunities to help candidates and potential candidates take their campaign to the next level. To find out more, email Chair Roxanne Groff.

Communication Committee advances our Party’s message and principles through various communication channels and strategies. To find out more or to volunteer, email Chair Lauren Dikis.

Community Engagement Committee organizes our participation in community events, parades and festivals. To find out more or volunteer at one or more of the many upcoming events, email Chair Patrice Beard.

Community Service Committee supports our communities through volunteer projects. To find out more or to volunteer, email Chair Janalee Stock.

Fundraising & Finance Committee ensures that the party has resources to maintain a strong political infrastructure in the county and to support Democratic candidates. Interested in creative ways to fund the important work of electing Democrats? Call Chair Kate McGuckin.

Neighborhood Campaign Committee organizes activities that develop connections, inform residents about democratic values, and help elect Democrats. Get involved by emailing Chair Andrea Reik or ODP Field Organizer Nat Flanagan.

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DONATE TO THE ACDP

We thank everyone who has financially supported the ACDP in the past. The fight to defend democracy and turn Ohio blue is far from over. If you have not donated recently to the ACDP, and have the means to do so, please donate today.