Hello, I hope that your summer is going great!  I'm writing this from Ohio after celebrating Independence Day at a barbecue upstate.  

Here in Ohio I met with Forward leaders and volunteers and got to introduce Dave Chappelle at his comedy show in Yellow Springs. It was a blast complete with epic fireworks.  
 

I’ve gotten great feedback on my talk at Aspen Ideas Festival on why we need a new party – so much so that we turned it into the podcast episode this week.  You can listen to it here or watch it on YouTube here.  
 
While I was in Colorado, the mayor of Fort Collins, Jeni Arndt, joined the Forward Party!  It was a massive win, as Jeni is a former state legislator who just wants to deliver for her constituents without having to play the partisan games.  That brings the number of elected officials who are affiliated with Forward to 15 – and there are more on the way.  Stay tuned. 
 
It’s been an exciting time for Forward, as we welcomed new Board members Krist Novoselic, co-founder of the rock band Nirvana, and Kerry Healey, former Lt. Governor of Massachusetts and President of Babson College among others.  These are serious, amazing people and leaders who are committed to making politics work for the people of this country.  Our CEO Lindsey Williams-Drath is continuing to put us on a path to success with the help of Matt Shinners, Joel Searby and many others. 
 
I saw a couple Forward team members, Kait Saier and Ali Backsheider, when I was in Ohio this weekend.  We met with local activists and leaders and had a lot of fun.  
 
This week I’m in New York for a few meetings before heading out West for a month or so.  I’ll also be pre-signing copies of my new book, “The Last Election,” a political thriller that I co-wrote with novelist Stephen Marche that comes out on September 12^th.  It’s hard to believe that’s in two months. It’s about the campaign manager of a third party presidential candidate, a journalist who gets ahold of some juicy info, and what could happen in a system that doesn’t evolve with the times.  Could our next election be our last?  The book is already receiving positive reviews and I hope people enjoy it!  You can pre-order a signed copy today from the publisher here with the discount code LASTELECTION.  
 
The summer has been busy, but we are getting in our fair share of family time.  I hope that you are too.  Enjoy yourself – these are the times that we should relish and take advantage of!  There’s much to be grateful for and a lot to do.

To check out Forward in your area click here.  To check out summer movie times near you click here.  And wear sunscreen!