Athens County Democratic Party

ACDP Newsletter
 September 25, 2022

FROM OUR CHAIR

Our Chair

Athens Democratic Party Chair Sean Parsons

Hello fellow Democrats!

It’s hard to believe we’re officially under 50 days until the November 8 election. We’re 3 weeks away from the start of early voting. Campaigns are kicking in to full gear. For those who have campaigned, you know exactly how intense the next month is going to be for our candidates!

While state and federal races often get most people’s attention, races that happen at the local level have an immediate and very real impact on our local communities. With Lenny working hard towards another term as commissioner, Tanya meeting challenges head on as our candidate for State Rep., and Ric vying for County Auditor, there is a lot we can do right here in Athens County to support our candidates.

From the time he announced his race in late winter Ric and his campaign team haven’t stopped working, both on the campaign trail and in public service. Outside the work he does as the County Treasurer, we’re seeing his efforts with the land bank take real steps in revitalizing our community. He’s earned the endorsement of AFSCME and Senator Sherrod Brown.

If the highway road signs alone are any indication, it seems the full force of the Republican party is behind the County Auditor’s race. Ric needs our help. Visit his campaign page to sign up as a volunteer, show financial support, or both! Talk to your friends and spread the word about this important race. You can attend the auditor candidate forum on 9/27 at 7 PM in show of support.

Let’s help get Ric and ALL of our local candidates in to the places they can make an impact on the lives of those who call Athens County home!

CANDIDATE CORNER

Tanya Conrath – Marching Forward!

First, THANK YOU for rallying behind me to unseat Jay Edwards and reclaim OH-94! We launched this campaign on August 15 and have been running at full speed since. Here are some recent updates:

  • Sept. 16 – we sued Frank LaRose in the Ohio Supreme Court. The pleadings will all be filed by mid-week this week and then the case will be in the court’s hands. We do not have a timeline for when they will render a decision. Given that Chief Justice O’Connor has sided with the three Democratic justices on two cases this past week to put candidates on the ballot that LaRose had tried to keep off, we are feeling good about our chances.
  • Sept. 19 – friends threw a “see you in court” fundraiser for me at Little Fish and we were blown away by the outpouring of support. Thank you for showing up in force!
  • Sept. 21 – spoke at the Nan Whaley Abortion Town Hall at OU
  • Sept. 22 – yard signs arrived!
  • Sept. 23 – rallied with OU AFSCME local 1699

You’ve generously asked how you can help and here’s what we need:

  • Road signs – we need a small crew to help with the physical labor of putting these large signs up as well as help identifying high-visibility locations.
  • Yard signs – pick one up for you and your neighbors at the Athens Dems office during office hours.
  • Fundraiser October 10 at Athens Uncorked – Susan Quinn & Cita Strauss are hosting a fundraiser on Monday, October 10 from 5:30 – 7:00 p.m. RSVP here. It is expensive to run a 4-county campaign and every dollar helps!
  • Parades – march with us in the OU Homecoming Parade (Oct. 8) or The Plains Indian Mound parade (Oct. 9) and get a t-shirt!
  • Knocking on Doors – we are building a canvassing crew for October and would love to have your help.

Email Haley Janoski, my campaign manager, and let her know how you want to help! I am grateful for the Athens Dems.

Contribute Now

MARK YOUR CALENDARS!


ATHENS COUNTY CANDIDATE FORUMS -Sponsored by the League of Women Voters of Athens County, both will take place at 7 PM at the Athens Community Center, 701 East State Street, Athens. Candidates will answer questions from the public and the press.

  • Sept. 27 – County Auditor candidates Ric Wasserman and Jill Thompson
  • October 6 – County Commissioner candidates Lenny Eliason, Bill Hayes & Alex Burcher.


BREAKFAST SOCIALS IN CHAUNCEY AND NELSONVILLE – We are using these events to reach out to our neighbors in Chauncey and Nelsonville. If you live in Dover or York Township, or have a connection to these areas via work or family, please attend and invite other locals to join you for a free meal and fellowship with neighbors. Several of our candidates will be there to serve you, and listen to your concerns.

HOMECOMING OPEN HOUSE – After the Homecoming Parade – Come to the Dems Office for cider, donuts and the opportunity to meet the local and state-level candidates marched in the parade, and have them meet local Dems! See the Volunteer section of this newsletter for more information on the parade and what candidates have committed to participating.

Lunch & Learn

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

  • Oct 28 – David Pepper, former Ohio Democratic Party chair and author of Laboratories of Autocracy: A Wake-up Call From Behind the Lines, is coming to Athens to be the speaker for this hybrid Lunch & Learn. To watch via Zoom, register here; bring a chair to the office if you plan , if you are attending in person, bring a chair to the office. We expect to run out of our supply! And come early-we will provide free pizza from 11:30 to noon.
  • October 5 – Jeff Crossman, candidate for Ohio Attorney General. Register in advance for this meeting.
  • October 12 & 19 – TBA
  • November 2 – Debbie Phillips, Rural Action. Register in advance for this meeting
  • November 9 – Election Wrap Up. Register in advance for this meeting

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

VOLUNTEER OPPORTUNITIES

FINAL PARADES OF THE SEASON – Last opportunities to join the fun! Dress code is blue or white or any candidate’s t-shirt. We provide water, flags and candy. For more information and to volunteer, email Patrice Beard.

  • OU Homecoming Parade: Saturday October 8. March with Ohio Supreme Court candidates Judge Terri Jamison and Judge Marylyn Zayas, State Treasurer candidate Scott Schertzer, and State Auditor candidate Taylor Sappington as well as our local candidates Lenny Eliason, Ric Wasserman and Tanya Conrath in Athens largest parade of the season. Meet up location is 169 West Union St (former OU Human Resources building) at 8:45 AM with march beginning at 10:00 AM. Then come for cider and donuts at the Dems office following the parade!
  • Plains Indians Mound Festival Parade – Sunday October 9. This is a much shorter parade than OU Homecoming. Meet in the second level of the Athens High School parking lot in the Plains at 1:00 PM, march begins at 2 PM.

GET OUT THE VOTE – Lots of options for helping with voter registration and canvassing!

  • Voter Registration at the Athens Farmers Market on October 1 and October 8. Come volunteer and register new voters or update voter registrations.
  • Canvassing is the most impactful way to promote voting. Talking one on one with others changes people’s minds and gets them to the polls. Join us as we meet county democrats to get out the vote. To participate, reach out to;
    • ODP – Canvass Mondays, Saturdays and Sundays or on your preferred schedule. Sign up here, or email Nat Flanagan Athens County organizer.
    • Ric Wasserman campaign – Max Skove
    • Tanya Conrath campaign – tanyaconrath.com
  • Distribute Campaign Literature at polling locations on Election Day. We will be looking for volunteers to stand at key polling locations to distribute campaign literature on election day, Tuesday November 8th. Watch for details soon!

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

RECENT EVENTS

Whaley held Abortion Access and Women’s Rights Townhall at OU

Gubernatorial candidate Nan Whaley spoke at Walter Hall on September 20 about the need to protect access to abortion. Our very own Tanya Conrath also spoke at this event.

US Senator Tim Ryan Update

After testing positive for Covid on Sept. 20, Tim Ryan was forced to cancel his OU voter registration rally as well as his evening fundraiser. Plans to reschedule are being discussed. We will keep you posted!

OU Dems March in the Jacksonville Old Settlers and Albany Independent Fair Parades!

A big shout-out to all our marchers and candidates who participated in these two parades. Parade season is almost over, with our largest, OU Homecoming being the last.

We Got a Workout Filling Food Boxes!

On Aug. 27 a large cadre of Athens Dems went to Southeastern Ohio Foodbank in Logan to help pack food boxes for distribution to food insecure seniors. In all, 850 boxes will filled in 3 hours, with about half the work completed by Athens Dems. Thanks to all the Dems who helped represent us.

And Last, but Definitely Not Least, on September 14 Athens Uncorked was the Site of a Great Fundraiser for County Auditor Candidate Ric Wasserman.

FOR THE GOOD OF THE ORDER

Office Updates

Hours – Athens Dem Office is open Mondays, Tuesdays and Thursday 3-6 PM and Wednesdays 1-6 PM. The ODP field organizer will cover on Saturday and Sunday when available. If you see the American flying out front, our doors are open. The number of people stopping into the office is increasing and more people are excited to volunteer to get out the vote for the November election. Thanks to all our volunteers who are staffing the office: Suzanne Perry, Deb Meyer, Ann Brown, Nancy Walker and Solveig Spejldnes. Thanks to ODP staff Max Skove, Lizzie Bjork and Nat Flanagan for filling in, too!

Yards Signs – We have them! Tim Ryan, Nan Whaley, Jennifer Brunner, Jeff Crossman as well as our local candidates Ric Wasserman, Lenny Eliason and Tanya Conrath. All available at no cost. We have the Protect Women’s Rights, Vote Democratic yards signs available for a $3 donation! Come get them while they last.

ACDP Website Refresh – We have updated the ACDP website with new pictures and new content, including information on voter registration and voting in the Nov. 8th general election. If you have not been there recently, please check it out! https://athensdems.org

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.

DONATE

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