Organizing for Democratic Values in 2025 and beyond
The Ann Arbor Democratic Party is dedicated to promoting Democratic values in the greater Ann Arbor area. We engage residents of the Ann Arbor area on issues that matter to our city, mobilize voters to elect Democratic candidates, discuss ballot issues, and work with our colleagues at the local, county, state, and national levels to advance a progressive and inclusive Democratic agenda.
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Meeting Information
The Ann Arbor Democrats meet monthly on the second Saturday from 9:30 am to noon. During the summer we do not meet during the months of July and August. We also reserve the option to modify the date based on holidays or other Democratic business. Below are the expected meeting dates for 2025.
2025 Meeting Dates: Jan 11, Feb 8, March 8, April 19th (moved due to Passover), May 10, June 14, July and August no meeting, Sept 13, Oct 11, Nov 8, and Dec 13.
Meeting location: Washtenaw County Administration Building - 200 N Main Street in downtown Ann Arbor. (On the corner of N. Main St. and E. Ann St. in the basement.)
Time: 9:30 to 12:00 pm
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SAVE THE DATE! Our annual Labor Day Picnic is on Sunday August 31, 2025! As usual we will at Burns Park at the corner of Wells and Baldwin Ave from 4 pm to 7 pm. Look for signage to guide you to the location and updates in our coming newsletters! We look forward to seeing you there!
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Join us for our April meeting this Saturday April 19th!
Our spirited congresswoman Debbie Dingell will be joining us to share an insider view of what is happening in Washington. You'll hear her candid take on how we can support the Democrats at this moment in time. Absorb, listen and ask questions. You'll leave with a few ideas about how to take action in coming days!
Fear is a useful way to capture our minds. Trump is a master at this technique. What can we do when faced with the chaotic, hourly, onslaughts by our own government? This is precisely what we intend to discuss at our meeting on Saturday.
Five days after the November election we gathered to begin the process of trying to make sense of what had happened. We emerged with a list of ways to move forward:
Improve Messaging
How to Combat Fear
Taking Advantage of Midterms
Denialism
Not becoming the “I told you so Party”
Reactions to Day 1 policies
Create Connections
Practice Self Care
Develop Programs for Marginalized Populations
We Are the Can Do Party and We are Not Going Back
Controlling Distractions/noise
Concrete Values
Breaking the Divide
Whether you were at our November or not, your thoughts are welcome! We will continue this conversation with the goal of discussing plans for our remaining 2025 meetings. Using the above list as a launching place, we will develop strategies for moving forward. Please join us!
Meeting information
Saturday April 19, 2024 from 9:30 am to 12 pm
Coffee, tea and snacks provided!
Agenda
9:30 am - 10 am - Meet and Mingle
10 am - 10:30 am - Update from Congresswoman Dingell and other elected officials
10:30 am -10:35 am - Party Business
10:35 am - 11 am - Guest Speakers: Charlie Cavell of Fund MI Future will share their platform of equitable taxes through a graduated income tax and Aghogho Edevbie Democratic candidate for Secretary of State general election 2026 will join us.
11 am - 12 pm - Community Workshop: Identifying a Path for the Future
12 pm - Adjourn
Location
200 N Main St at E Ann St
(Washtenaw County Administration Building)
Link to location
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Executive Committee Elections schedule for Saturday March 8, 2025. To learn more about the current board click here. To read about each role, visit our bylaws at this link.
If you’re interested in running for an office you can nominate yourself by forwarding which seat you want to run for, along with your name to annarbordemocrats@gmail.com, or come to the March meeting and nominate yourself when nominations are taken from the floor.
We currently have one vacant seat as Alyshia Dyer has resigned as our Secretary (see below) but all seats are up for election at our Annual Meeting. See you there!
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DEI, Traffic Enforcement and Innovation at our Feb 8th meeting!
As chaos has become the normal in politics, reaction has derailed our best intentions to share thoughts about UM changes to DEI. Please welcome Andre’ Watson, President of the Ann Arbor Branch NAACP. He will provide insights about the University of Michigan’s decision to no longer solicit diversity statements as part of faculty hiring, promotion and tenure.
Mr. Watson will provide an update as what this means to the University community and what to expect next.
Cynthia Harrison, Ann Arbor City Council Ward one will share information about City Council's action on traffic enforcement. She will also provide an update about her recent appointment as the Director of Innovation at the Washtenaw County Sheriff's Office.
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A New Sheriff Is in Town! Meet Alyshia Sat Jan 11th!
Alyshia Dyer made history in Washtenaw County!
A BIG welcome to our first woman Sheriff!
Come learn about her policies when she takes center stage at our meeting Saturday.
Also on the agenda is UM's DEI Policy change. Due to illness in December, we are hosting Margaret Peterman in January and William Hampton in February. See below for more information about each.
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Debbie Dingell Is in the House this Saturday Dec 14th!
Congresswoman Debbie Dingell, Michigan’s 6th Congressional District in the U.S. House of Representatives will provide insights into where we are now and what can be done.
The University of Michigan takes center stage at our December meeting! Learn what their changes to their DEI policies will mean in the coming months and what the Central Student Government has been working on.
Margaret Peterman will share what the University of Michigan Central Student Government has been working on over the last several months. Examples are celebrating the largest voter turnout on campus this past November, share ongoing initiatives and a resolution that commend the football team. She is an LSA sophomore, the Resolutions Chair of the Central Student Government, and Michigan Daily contributor. Fourteen new representatives were appointed at the Dec 1, 2024, meeting of CSG. Tyler Hart the Assembly Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion coordinator outlined his plans as the newly elected DEI coordinator for more inclusivity in CSG and beyond.
William Hampton President of the Ann Arbor Branch NAACP since 2005 will follow with a discussion about the University of Michigan’s decision to no longer solicit diversity statements as part of faculty hiring, promotion and tenure.
The decision by Provost Laurie McCauley followed an Oct. 31 recommendation by an eight-member faculty working group to end the use of the statements, which have been criticized for their potential to limit freedom of expression and diversity of thought on campus. More at this link. Mr. Hampton will provide an update as what this means to the University community and what to expect next.
At our November meeting (four days after the election) we debriefed and shared our thoughts and fears for the coming years.
Our turnout was on the smaller side but that led to a productive conversation. During our meeting we started a list of strategies to employ moving forward. For our December meeting we plan to expand on this work to develop objectives to meet the strategies.
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Feeling blue…Come to our Saturday meeting Nov 9th and join others who feel the same
We've invited our local elected officials to share their take on what happened and how we can move forward together. Knowing we are not alone helps to sooth* the soul.
Share your thoughts
Take time to hear others thoughts
Help build a plan for how to move forward
Or just to get through the day
We're here to listen
Coffee, tea and snacks provided.
*Sooth - noun - An old fashioned word that means “truth”, “reality”, or “fact”.
Meeting information:
Saturday November 9, 2024 from 9:30 am to 12 pm
9:30 am - Meet and greet
10 am - Elected Thoughts and community conversation
Noon - Adjourn
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A2 Proposals A-D Discussion Sat Oct 19th
Don't forget the back of the ballot!
Ann Arbor voters will asked to vote on four proposals this Nov 5th.
All proposals will amend the City Charter. Each proposal with title is listed below.
Proposal A: Creation of a Sustainable Energy Utility
Proposal B: Authoring a Tax for Park Maintenance and Capital Improvements:
Proposal C: Non-partisan Elections
Proposal D:Fair Elections Fund
Our speakers will share their reasons for supporting or for not supporting these proposals.
John Godfrey, lead organizer and spokesperson for Coalition for Ann Arbor’s Future sponsors of Proposal C and D
Travis Radina, Ann Arbor Mayor Pro-tem and Ward 3 City Council
Christopher Taylor, Ann Arbor Mayor
If you have questions, we have answers! Come learn about each proposal and ask your questions at this forum.
Meeting location: Washtenaw County Administration Building - 200 N Main Street in downtown Ann Arbor. (On the corner of N. Main St. and E. Ann St. in the basement.)
Time: Saturday October 19th from 9:30 to Noon
Snacks Provided!
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Annual 2024 Labor Day Picnic was a success!
In Honor of Walter Jackson, Grill Master for past Labor Day Events
We hosted elected officials, candidates running for office, and Dem supporters at Burns Park on Sunday September 1st!**
Much gratitude to our Sponsors and volunteers! Your support makes our work possible including this successful gathering!
Advocate, $500
Michigan Laborers’ Political League
Felicia Brabec, State Rep 33rd District
Supporter, $250
Carrie Rheingans, State Rep 47th District
Friend, $100
Lisa Disch, City Council 1st Ward
Travis Radina, City Council 3rd Ward
Jen Eyer, City Council 4th Ward
Sue Shink, State Rep District 14
Jason Morgan, State Rep District 23
Andy LaBarre, County Commissioner District 7
Alyshia Dyer, Candidate County Sheriff
Tamara Garwood, Candidate 15th District Court
Latetia Lamelle Sharp, Candidate County Treasurer
Leslie Wilkins, Candidate for Board of Education
Lauretta Flowers and Doug Scott, Community Supporters