NTD NEWS
November 1, 2017
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Sunday,
the Democratic Party of Evanston held their Annual Dinner. And speaking as a member of the New Trier Democrats, I must say it was an inspiring evening. But I guess that's always the case when North Shore liberals, their office holders and candidates all get together with the common goals of protecting and furthering progressive values. Good people. Good goals.
 As you'd expect, there were plenty of candidates mingling with the crowd. To me, two were particularly memorable. One was our former Governor, Pat Quinn, who had just announced his candidacy for Illinois Attorney General. That surprised a lot of people. He seemed rested and ready to enter a Primary race that features several formidable Democratic candidates.
The other person who especially caught my attention was Kelly  Mazeski, one of ten (at this point) Democrats who have declared their candidacy for the 6th Congressional District. Why was a 6th District candidate schmoozing with a roomful of 9th District voters? Well, the 6th's seat is presently held by Republican  Peter Roskam -- and wherever we Democrats might live in Illinois, we all want to see Roskam gone from Congress.
It was also interesting to me that the candidacies of Kelly Mazeski, and all of her 6th District Democratic opponents, did relate directly to the message presented by the Dinner's featured speaker, Dr. Austan Goolsbee.
Goolsbee is presently a professor of economics at the University of  Chicago's Booth School of Business. When Barack Obama was our President he served Obama as Chairman of the Council of Economic Advisers. And before the President's election, Goolsbee played a role in advising candidate Obama. So, Austan is a veteran of the consequential world of political campaigns.
Dr. Goolsbee's presentation was witty and entertaining. But the key message he communicated to the audience was quite serious. Although his experience in the Obama Administration held many high points, it also held one harsh lesson. After Presidential Election victories in 2008 and 2012, the losses of Congressional seats in 2010 and 2014 crippled an agenda that could have achieved so  much more. In fact, the obstructionism of the Paul Ryan and Mitch McConnell controlled Congress encouraged a divisiveness and a loss of faith in government that paved the way for the successful campaign strategy of Donald Trump. In that light, the Congressional losses in 2010 and 2012 were truly tragic.
And here's what Goolsbee identified as the primary reason for those election losses: complacency. He spoke of how little attention was paid by the national Democratic Party over the years to state and local elections. Republicans paid attention to fielding and supporting strong candidates at every level.
Democrats didn't.
This led to weaker and under-supported Democratic candidates and campaigns. "Smaller" Republican victories off the national stage added up, leading to gerrymandered congressional boundaries and disproportionate power for congressional Republicans. - You know where that has led us.
Goolsbee urged his audience of North Shore Democrats to never let this happen again. And now as we watch the disaster that is the Trump Administration, it is possible to believe that millions of Americans will become more vigilant concerning who they elect in future elections. (I hope I'm not being completely naïve.)
To some small extent, the turnaround is already happening. Attention is being paid to off-year elections, and has been since Donald Trump's unexpected victory. If you recall, last spring there were "Resistance" Meetings and marches across America.
 DPOE leader, Committeeman Eamon Kelly, reminded the Dinner audience that the DPOE has been taking such action all this year. Every Monday evening, from 5:00pm to 7:00pm at the DPOE office, 747 Custer Custer Avenue, they conduct phone banking to help a Democratic candidate or slate in a contest somewhere in the United States. -- Last Monday night, they phoned Virginia voters for the Virginia gubernatorial election to be held next Tuesday, November 7.
Committeeman Kelly said the DPOE will be continuing their Monday evening phone banking and everyone is welcome to bring their cell phone and join them. This is the kind of activity Dr. Goolsbee encouraged in his remarks.
Another encouraging sign that complacency has ended is the number of Democratic candidates who have stepped forward to run for an office (witness the 6th District) - not just at higher government levels but at the township and community level too. Getting good people engaged in public service, whatever the office, is the best defense against right-wing ideologues and closeted bigots.
So, with 2018 almost here, I predict that the grassroots activity we will be witnessing, and sharing, next year will not look quite like anything we've seen in the past. Sure, we'll be working to elect our local candidates to county, state and federal offices. And most of the tools will be the same, with person-to-person contact still being the strongest tactic. But I think we're all going to be surprised at the amount of interaction we're going to have with other campaigns, both nearby and across state lines. It could be the unifying, uplifting experience people across this country so desperately need. A movement to get America back on track.
-- Sunday night I realized that movement has already begun.
Nels Howard
NTDO member since 1973
Are your NTD annual dues up to date? You can only vote at endorsement meetings if you're paid up.
Check with the NTD office if you're not sure when your "annual dues date" is.
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To renew your NTD membership or to become an official member of the New Trier Dems for the first time,
visit our
NTDO website. You'll see information on all your membership options.
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Other events of interest:
Tomorrow night, November 2 in Chicago - A Personal PAC Reception for Pro-choice Leaders.
When: Thursday, November 2, from 6:00 - 7:30pm
Where: Weinberg/Newton Gallery, Suite 203, 300 W. Superior St.
What: Personal PAC hosts a reception for State Representatives Michelle Mussman (D-56), Sam Yingling (D-62), Deb Conroy (D-46), John Connor (D-85), Marty Moylan (D-55), and Jonathan Carroll (D-57).
This Saturday, November 4 in Glenview -
A Petition Gathering Party for Congressman Brad Schneider and State Senator Julie Morrison
  When: Saturday, November 4, from 1:30 - 4:30pm
Where: Democrats of Northfield Township,
1926 Waukegan Rd., Suite 310, Glenview
Join the Brad Schneider for Congress campaign meeting to hand in completed petition sheets and sign if you haven't already done so. A notary will be available to notarize forms.
Monday, November 6 in Chicago -
The EMILY'S List Ignite Change Chicago Luncheon
When: Monday, November 6,
10:00am Political Briefing;
11:00am Host & Sponsor Reception;
12:00pm Luncheon & Panel Discussion
Where
: JW Marriott Chicago, 151 W. Adams St., Chicago
What
: EMILY's List, the nation's largest resource for women in politics, holds its Chicago luncheon, Incite Change. Featured guests include President Stephanie Schriock; Congresswoman Jacky Rosen (D-NV), candidate for U.S. Senate; Georgia gubernatorial candidate Stacey Abrams; Cook County State's Attorney Kim Foxx; Philadelphia City Councilwoman Helen Gym, and Colorado gubernatorial candidate Cary Kennedy.
Carpools may be available from the North Shore - call Lauren Beth Gash at 847-266-VOTE (8683).
Sunday, November 12 in Chicago -
A Reception for U.S. Senator Dick Durbin.
 When: Sunday, November 12, from 5:00 - 7:00pm
Where: The Gage, 24 S. Michigan Ave., Chicago
You're invited to a
n evening with U.S. Senator Dick Durbin benefitting the Durbin Victory Fund.
Tuesday, November 14 in Evanston -- Rep. Robyn Gabel's Annual Fall Recption.
 When: Tuesday, November 14, from 5:30 - 7:00pm
Where: Curt's Café, 1813 Dempster St., Evanston
What: A fundraiser supporting State Representative Robyn Gabel (D-18).
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Here is a list of the local and statewide Democratic candidates seeking your vote in the 2018 Primary Election. You have several months to get acquainted with the positions and qualifications before the Democratic Primary this spring and the NTDO Endorsement Meeting in January.
Because some web browsers will not accept e-mailings with a large number of Internet links, they have been erased from this candidate list.
To see all the available links, visit our NTDO website at ntdo.org. (If it isn't posted tonight, it should be soon.)
Governor:
Chris Kennedy
JB Pritzger representative-Andrew Pryzbylo, Mayor of Niles
Bob Daiber
Teo Hardiman
Robert Marshal
Alex Paterakis
Daniel Biss, State Senator 9th District
Illinois Attorney General:
Jesse Ruiz, Board of Commisioners, Park District
Kwame Raoul, IL State Senator13th District
Nancy Rotering, Mayor of Highland Park
Aaron Goldstein, 33rd Ward Committeeman
Scott Drury, IL State Rep, 58th District
Renato Mariotti
Illinois State Representative -
17th District:
Candace Chow
Alexandra Eidenberg
Mary Rita Luecke
Jennifer Gong-Gershowitz
58th District:
Bob Morgan
6th District:
Carol Cheney
Cook County Assessor:
Frederick (Fritz) Kaegi
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Your Legislators:
 Democratic Legislators
who represent New Trier Township in
Washington, Springfield and Cook County
You'll be hearing a lot from these exceptional public servants. --
And they want to be hearing a lot from you.
The fact is, they need to hear from you and want to hear from you in order to represent you most effectively. So, the first thing you can do is get to know who these people are. The links below to their campaign websites are a good place to start.
Jan Schakowsky
, 9th U.S. Congressional District Representative
and Chief Deputy House Democratic Whip. The new Ninth District boundaries include all of New Trier except for Glencoe.
Brad Schneider
, 10th U.S. Congressional District Representative which includes a number of precincts in Glencoe.
Daniel Biss,
State Senator for Illinois' 9th State Senate District.The Ninth District includes all of New Trier Township.
Julie Morrison, State Senator for Illinois' 29th State Senate District. The district includes New Trier's northernmost precincts.
Robyn Gabel,
IL 18th District State Representative. The 18th District includes much of New Trier up to Hazel Avenue and Dundee Road.
Laura Fine
, IL 17th District State Representative.
The 17th District includes the East Glenview and West Wilmette areas of New Trier Township.
Scott Drury
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IL 58th District State Representative.
The 58th District includes the northernmost precincts in Glencoe.
Larry Suffredin, Cook County 13th District Commissioner. The 13th District includes all of New Trier, Evanston and Niles Townships.
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Have you visited Senator Biss' website "The Road Back" --
click on the link to his video -- then, throughout the year follow his plan's development on the website.
Daniel explains a lot about how Illinois got where it is today and how we can begin the journey on the road back toward achieving our state's tremendous economic potential.
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| Dear Fellow Democrats, If you are not already an NTDO member, and enjoy our Newsletter, we hope you consider joining us as a dues-paying member. NTDO is a not-for-profit political action organization. We depend on our membership dues to support our Democratic causes and candidates. There are two options for dues payments: by check or credit card. By Check: Make check payable to NTDO and mail to our office: NTDO 800 Oak St., Suite 112 Winnetka, IL 60093 OR By Credit Card: visit our website by clicking here Click on the "Join/Contribute" button
Find the link for "contribute with ActBlue"
or go directly to ActBlue by clicking here.
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Still not a member of the New Trier Dems? Your participation in grassroots political action will make a difference. -- Come join us.
 When you're a member of the New Trier Democratic Organization, you have an active role in affecting the political process; participating in grassroots campaigns, staying in touch with elected officials, playing a role in deciding which candidates are endorsed. You'll also gain free admission to select forums and events throughout the year.
Come be a part of New Trier's grassroots political community.
About Us:
The New Trier Democratic Organization is made up of hundreds of grassroots volunteers dedicated to advancing progressive ideals through the political process. We welcome your participation.
Sincerely,
Dean T. Maragos, Committeeman New Trier Township
We are located at 800 Oak Street, Suite 112, in Winnetka, IL. Ph: 847-446-8030
Contact: newtrierdemocrats@gmail.com.
*This Internet communication paid for by the New Trier Democratic Organization and not authorized by any federal or state candidate or campaign committee. A copy of our report filed with the State Board of Elections is available for purchase from the State Board of Elections in Springfield, Illinois.
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