INDIVISIBLE Lambertville NJ / New Hope PA

Category: Candidates

  • Keystone State Politics and Government

    Contributed by Bonnie Chang.

    Bucks Voices Call to Action: Three Ballot Drop Boxes for Bucks is Not Enough!

    Last November, 42% of voters used vote-by-mail and already, mail-in ballot requests for the upcoming primary suggest that the percentage will be even higher. Estimates indicate that our postal service will need to handle 90,000 pieces of additional mail between late April and May 18. Given concerns about the reliability and timeliness of the mail, many voters will choose to put their ballots in a drop box to meet the deadline.  

    Bucks County had only three drop box locations last fall, worse than the widely-criticized, newly-enacted Georgia voter suppression bill that mandates one dropbox per 100,000 voters. It also pales in comparison with the four neighboring counties, many of which have 24/7 access. In Bucks, many voters had to drive a significant distance to get to one, and those going to Doylestown spent more time looking for parking.

    With all of the voter suppression efforts in Pennsylvania and around the country, it’s more important than ever to make it easy for everyone to vote. Bucks Voices has launched a petition-signing drive to urge County Commissioners to increase the number of drop boxes.  So far, they’ve agreed to add one location for the primary in Lower Makefield library. A lot more drop boxes are needed to support increased voter access going forward. 

    Join the cause: Dancing Drop Boxes to Deliver the Petitions – Bucks Voices are looking for volunteers to help construct large cardboard drop boxes and accompany the crew with a musical troupe to deliver the petitions to the county commissioners. The petition delivery date is tentatively set for June 2.  If you are interested in helping in any capacity, please email BucksVoicesPA@gmail.com. 

    CALL TO ACTION: Please sign the petition to demand a lot more drop boxes, and contact all three County Commissioners by phone or email to demand more drop boxes. 

    May Primary: Know Before You Vote

    For traditionally non-partisan roles, such as judge and school director, candidates can cross-file so their names appear under both parties on the primary ballot. In such primaries, it’s important to know which candidates are endorsed by which party so that you know you are voting for someone who aligns with your values. To find out who are the recommended school board candidates click here:  School Board candidates!

    • Bucks County Democratic Committee Endorses Mark Lomax for County Sheriff. 

    The primary race for county sheriff is contested this year. It’s remarkable that the Bucks County Democratic party has endorsed Mark Lomax and not the incumbent. Mark Lomax won 79% of the endorsement votes by the voting party members, reflecting that we the people demand leaders especially in law enforcement who has the vision and integrity to lead. Mark is recognized as an expert in community policing, a seasoned executive in Law enforcement organizations (e.g., Chief of Police Association), and with his work for the UN in Liberia, further reinforced in him the fragility and the importance of protecting a democracy. Mark Lomax will make a big difference in law enforcement in Bucks County.

    • May 18 Primary:  Need Your Vote on Three Critical Ballot Questions

    There are four ballot questions on the primary ballot in May.  Independent voters should vote on these questions as well.  Watch this Ballot Questions video that will address all the ballot questions. The first two amendments attempt to curtail the ability of the Governor to manage during an emergency. Read why this is a bad idea from the Director of the PA Emergency Management Agency.  VOTE NO.

    “Shall the Pennsylvania Constitution be amended to change existing law and increase the power of the General Assembly to unilaterally terminate or extend a disaster emergency declaration – and the powers of Commonwealth agencies to address the disaster regardless of its severity pursuant to that declaration

    through passing a concurrent resolution by simple majority, thereby removing the existing check and balance of presenting a resolution to the Governor for approval or disapproval?” VOTE NO.

    • CONSTITUTIONAL AMENDMENT #2 Addresses the governor’s emergency powers, including requiring legislative approval to continue beyond 21 days.

    “Shall the Pennsylvania Constitution be amended to change existing law so that: a disaster emergency declaration will expire automatically after 21 days, regardless of the severity of the emergency, unless the General Assembly takes action to extend the disaster emergency; the Governor may not declare a new disaster emergency to respond to the dangers facing the Commonwealth unless the General Assembly passes a concurrent resolution; the General Assembly enacts new laws for disaster management.” VOTE NO on both #1 and #2 so that the governor retains authority and the flexibility to implement emergency restrictions for as long as necessary.

    • CONSTITUTIONAL AMENDMENT #3 Prohibits denial or abridgement of rights on account of an individual’s race or ethnicity. VOTE YES to ensure that no one is denied equal rights based on Race or Ethnicity. 

    REMEMBER:  Vote NO, NO, YES for the 3 constitutional amendments.

  • ILNH FYI

    ILNH FYI

    Lambertville Candidates Corner Replay – Over 80 people attended the Indivisible Lambertville/New Hope Candidates’ Corner for Lambertville Town Council. The virtual event hosted all five candidates running for council during three 20-minute sessions. Candidates fielded a series of questions that had been submitted in advance by registered attendees.  Participation was limited to Lambertville residents who are on the ILNH email list. If you missed the event, see the replay on YouTube from the homepage of our website.  Stay tuned for more Candidates’ Corners in upcoming months. 

    The ILNH Environmental Action Group joined 128 other organizations in opposition of the Gibbstown Liquid Natural Gas (LNG) Terminal in a letter to the DRBC. You can view the letter here.

  • Payback Project Targets Republicans in Ten States – Join the Effort

    Contributed by Amara Willey.

    Rising out of frustration over the impeachment process, Indivisible began a campaign, Project Payback, in February to oust the Republicans who are the staunchest supporters of Donald Trump. Indivisible has identified these senators as the biggest threats to our democracy. Payback means rallying supporters in every state to elect Democratic candidates.

    In order to gain a majority in the Senate, Democrats need to pick up four seats in the Senate (three if a Democrat is elected president and the vice president takes his or her place in the Senate). Since two Democrats (in Michigan and Alabama) are also defending their seats in states Trump won, Democrats need to target a larger area in case those two aren’t re-elected.

    The eleven targeted GOP Senators are Martha McSally, Arizona; Cory Gardner, Colorado; David Perdue and Kelly Loeffler of Georgia; Joni Ernst, Iowa; Mitch McConnell, Kentucky (also Senate Majority Leader); Susan Collins, Maine; Steve Daines, Montana; Thom Tillis, North Carolina; Lindsey Graham, South Carolina; and John Cornyn, Texas. 

    Arizona – Sen. McSally actually lost her bid for senator in this state, but then was appointed by the governor to fill Sen. John McCain’s seat after he passed. Arizona’s support of Trump was narrow, and Dems are feeling pretty good about some of the contenders for this seat. 

    Colorado – Things aren’t looking too good for Sen. Gardner at the moment, and his support of Trump will only hurt him in a state where Trump is not too popular. Hillary Clinton won Colorado by 5 percent of the vote in 2016, and Dems have 50,000 more registered voters than Republicans do. 

    Georgia – Stacy Abrams in her unsuccessful gubernatorial race gave some hope to flipping this state. She had wide support from younger and non-white voters, as well as women. A number of Democrats are running for this seat currently, but none are raising the kind of money that the incumbent Republican is. Abrams declined to run in this race.

    Iowa – Dems have cause to be optimistic here. Trump’s tariff threats in Mexico and Canada have affected farmers in this state. Dems flipped two house seats in 2018 and gained two statewide offices, demonstrating that this state seems to be swinging back after the 2016 election.

    Kentucky – For anyone to beat incumbent Sen. McConnell would take a miracle, but a number of Democratic candidates are giving it a go. Perhaps the mishandling of the coronavirus situation could help here, but it’s still unlikely that a Democrat will overturn this seat.

    Maine – Despite Sen. Susan Collins’ high popularity in this state, Dems are optimistic about their chances to defeat her. Whoever wins the primary will have access to $4 million of crowd-funded money raised to unseat Collins after she voted to confirm Kavanaugh.

    Montana – Democratic Sen. John Tester won reelection in 2018, but it will be more difficult for a Dem to win a Senate spot with Trump on the ballot. On March 9, Montana’s Democratic governor Steve Bullock entered the race, giving some hope to flipping this seat. Bullock, who ran for president and dropped out in December, easily won his second term as governor in 2016, even when the state overwhelmingly voted for Trump.

    North Carolina – Sen. Thom Tillis narrowly won with less than 50 percent of the vote in 2014, and in 2016 a Democrat became governor of the state. Tillis has been trying to appeal to both Dems and Republicans, but he has waffled on several issues and appears to be weak. This race may come down to who rides the coattails of the next president.

    South Carolina – This is another state where flipping the seat seems like a long shot. Although Sen. Graham has revised his original views of Trump from calling him a “race baiting, xenophobic and religious bigot” to full support, there is some hope that African Americans will help to turn this overwhelmingly red state as part of a Democratic renaissance happening in the South.

    Texas – Beto O’Rourke’s bid against Ted Cruz in the 2018 election demonstrated that Texas wasn’t as red as everyone first believed. Dems are trying to rebuild the coalition against Sen. John Cornyn. Former Congressional candidate MJ Heger is currently in that race, but there has been speculation that now that O’Rourke is out of the presidential race, he may also try for that seat. After Biden indicated that he would put O’Rourke in charge of gun control issues if he becomes president, that, however, may be a bigger carrot for O’Rourke.

    Action: This campaign is ambitious and will require a lot of grassroots activism. If you are interested in getting involved with this project, go to https://www.paybackproject.org to sign up or join the Indivisible Payback Project texting team. Donations are also being accepted. 

    Resources:

    https://onethingyoucando.com/2020/02/07/join-indivisibles-payback-project-and-target-nine-gop-senators-for-defeat-in-november-2020/
    https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2020/feb/01/donald-trump-impeachment-republican-senate-coverup
    http://occasionalplanet.org/2020/02/03/indivisible-launches-the-payback-project/
    https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/2019/07/12/senate-seats-most-likely-flip/
    https://fivethirtyeight.com/features/the-democrats-have-a-candidate-in-kentucky-but-can-she-beat-mitch-mcconnell/
    https://www.cnbc.com/2020/03/09/steve-bullock-will-run-for-senate-in-montana-in-2020-election.html
    https://www.cbsnews.com/news/lindsey-graham-2020-election-gets-2020-challenger-in-former-south-carolina-dnc-chair-jaime-harrison/

  • In Pennsylvania: Ann Marie Mitchell becomes official Democratic Candidate for State Representative

    In Pennsylvania: Ann Marie Mitchell becomes official Democratic Candidate for State Representative

    Contributed by Lisa Bergson.

    On Tuesday night, February 3rd, Ann Marie Mitchell became the official Democratic candidate for state representative of PA’s 178th District.  She is challenging Trump supporter, Wendi Thomas, a Republican known for her conservative positions, who issued nasty attacks in her campaign to defeat ILNH constituent Helen Tai in 2018. 

    Ann Marie has lived in Northampton Township for 20 years, with her husband and children, who were educated in the Council Rock School District.  With degrees from the Wharton School and Penn Law, where she studied bankruptcy with then-professor Elizabeth Warren, Ann Marie stands as an experienced, grounded, and ethical candidate, very much worth our full support.

  • Pennsylvania’s Democratic Voters Step Up – Results of May 21st Primaries

    Contributed by Lisa Bergson.

    When it comes to the election of critical judgeships in our recent primaries, Party-endorsed candidates – both Democrat and Republican — dominated.  In what is colloquially known as a “jungle primary”, they and four other candidates all cross-filed (running on both Democratic and Republican ballots), potentially confusing uninformed voters. In the end tally, Democratic voters contributed 37% of the ballots for Republican judges, with Republican voters accounting for 32% of the Democratic total. Overall, however, Democrats did substantially better than Republicans, with 60% of the vote, improving on 2017’s primary.   To see the individual candidate vote tallies, go here.

    Noting that overall Democratic turnout was higher than in 2017’s primary, Carol Spievak, the Chair of the Solebury Democrats and the Deputy Chair of the Bucks County Democratic Committee, credits a combination of intensive canvassing and growing awareness: “There is a direct correlation between speaking directly with a Democratic voter and that voter actually going to the polls on election day.” She remains concerned, however, since the results varied widely, with communities, such as Wrightstown, Quakertown, and Bensalem, leaning heavily Republican.  Thus, there is much work still to be done to flip Bucks!

    Given the harshly oppressive policies emanating from the Republican party, shifting the composition of our local judiciary has never been more critical. As it stands, civil court cases affecting Family Court issues, like child custody and divorce court; Orphan’s Court; mental health-related rulings, and criminal cases, are presided over by the 13 judges on the Bucks County Court of Common Pleas.  Of these, 11 are Republicans and 11, men, some with little to no background in family law, making decisions that can literally be a matter of life and death.

    “They view it as a kind of purgatory,” says Democratic candidate Charissa Liller, noting that new judges are “very likely” to start in the Family Court division, which some see mainly as a path to higher court positions.  With a three-month backlog in family court, we as citizens must show up and vote for judges with the knowledge, experience, and compassion to work hard and make wise choices for our families and, most especially, our children in need of legal care and protection. As Charissa puts it, “Democrats care about issues, even when it doesn’t directly affect them.  They care about people.”

    More, because judges do move up through the system, assuring that there is a wider bench of judges who share our values is vital to preserving the integrity of our democracy.  As it stands, we can clearly see the power of the courts when it comes to curbing some of the most draconian policies unleashed by the current federal administration. We are fortunate in PA to have the opportunity to directly vote for our judgeships, compared to many other states where they are a matter of political appointment.  As State Senator Steve Santarsiero aptly states, “Voting is a habit we need to develop, a muscle we must exercise, along with our brains and our hearts.”

    Here’s what you need to know to promote voter turnout:

    What’s at stake?*

    • Two new seats on the Judiciary, plus one resignation.  In hopes of addressing our overburdened court system, in 2017, the legislature created two new openings in Bucks County, plus a slot made available by one Republican woman’s resignation.
    • Significant backlog of family and criminal cases. The Bucks County Court of Common Pleas hears Civil Cases.  As examples, based on the latest comprehensive data from 2017, of the 1,896 cases involving child Custody/Partial Custody/Visitation, only 727 or 42.1% were handled by a judge, and of the 416 cases of child abuse or neglect, just over half or a total of 262 were so adjudicated, with 57 still pending at year end.
    • Judges serve for ten years. These lengthy terms give the Court stability and allow judges to fully develop.  But, this also represents a significant commitment to a set of values that may or may not reflect our communities.  It’s vital that we show up and vote for those judges who best uphold the values we embrace.

    In the Running in Bucks

    Democrats running for the Bucks County Court of Common Pleas include:

    • Charissa Liller. Passionate and determined, Charissa brings her early years as a social worker in the poorest neighborhoods of Pittsburgh to her legal work, combating abuse and supporting women’s rights. With over 15 years in family law, she has also proven herself to be an able litigator, successfully trying over 40 jury trials during her years as an assistant district attorney. Among the initiatives she plans to pursue are a child advocate program, such as was established in Montgomery County; a mental health court “to get people who need it into treatment, rather than just punishing them”; and better “calendaring” for judges: “With our backlog, they still come in at 10:00, take one-and-a-half-hour lunches, and leave at 4:00!”
    • Jessica VanderKam. Having spent her career as a lawyer in Bucks County, Jessica is well-versed in all six divisions of our County Courts.  But, her focus has been in Family Court and Orphan’s Court, where she has handled some 1,000 cases before the Court of Common Pleas.  Her commitment is to fairness, and she is known for her compassionate treatment of our most vulnerable citizens. More, Jessica has served as a Law Clerk for three Bucks County judges, giving her first-hand experience of what it takes.
    • Jordan Yeager. Jordan has devoted his career to progressive issues, particularly civil rights – racial, sexual, and employment discrimination — as well as workers’ rights, including the City of Pittsburgh’s authority to impose paid sick leave upon employers.  He is best known for winning the first case in history to declare a state law that authorized fracking unconstitutional in 2013 because it violated the environmental rights of Pennsylvanians. His efforts on behalf of our environment are on-going, particularly through his work as lead outside counsel for the Delaware Riverkeeper Network.
    • Bucks County Commissioner and a Full Slate of Great Candidates.  Diane Marseglia and Bob Harvie are running for County Commissioner.  Bob aims to take a “more unified approach to development, infrastructure, and issues like the pollution at the old Navy Base” that is threatening the health of communities, such as Warminster. “He will do a lot for us,” Santarsiero predicts, citing more support for health and human services, as well as affordable community college, “a path to a better career.”  
    • Also, be sure and check out Meredith Buck, an impressive local hero, who has devoted her life as a nurse and a lawyer to helping others and  is now running for Coroner: “Meredith is a single mother of one and has been a resident of Chalfont Borough since 1998. She received the 2009/2010 Florence Nightingale Medal, the highest international honor that a nurse can receive, awarded by the International Committee of the Red Cross which ‘honors exceptional courage and devotion to caring for the victims of armed conflict or other disasters, or exemplary services and a creative and pioneering spirit in the areas of public health or nursing education.’”

    To learn more about the Democratic team running in Bucks www.bucksvictory.com. We are counting on you to Join the Resistance and Turn PA Blue!

    For more information, additional resources, and ways to get involved*:

    • Bucks County Blue: Great source for info on all races and candidates in Bucks, including upcoming events and voter registration.
    • Solebury Democrats: Lively, up-to-date site, with excellent content.
    • Indivisible: Provides a wealth of information and ready-made materials, ranging from Elections 101, Voting Rights, and Voting Suppression, Voter Registration, Endorsement Guides, and more.
    • SwingLeft: Nationwide organization dedicated to flipping Congressional districts like ours.
    • Flippable: Mounting a Blue Wave Tsunami across the states.

    *Special thanks to Charissa Liller and her able and responsive team for their time and carefully researched materials.

    Sources: