Primary Begins, Welcome Walz, Young Dem Event

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Hello Democrats,

The Primary Election is here! Early voting for the Primary Election officially begins tomorrow across Indian River County. The winners of over 5 local elections will be determined in the August Primary Election with Democratic voters voting for the Tax Collector, County Commissioners in Districts 1 and 3, and School Board Members in Districts 3 and 5. You will find slate card information below.

From August 10 to August 17, you can vote in person at the following locations from 8:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. These early voting locations will also have vote-by-mail ballot drop boxes.

Sebastian City Hall (1225 Main St, Sebastian, FL 32958)
Supervisor of Elections office (4375 43rd Ave, Vero Beach, FL 32967)
Main Library Vero Beach (1600 21st St, Vero Beach, FL 32960)

Mail-in-ballots can be returned by mail, in person at the Supervisor of Elections office, or at early voting sites.

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This week, Vice President Kamala Harris announced that Minnesota Governor Tim Walz would join the ticket as her running mate.

Governor Walz is a champion for America’s working families, with a background as a former football coach and Command Sergeant Major in the Army National Guard. He won his first race in a Republican district by advocating for farmers and rural communities.

In Congress, he took action for veterans and forged compromises to achieve results. As governor, he has implemented significant measures to help middle-class families, including the largest tax cut in state history, lowering insulin costs to $35 per month, eliminating junk fees, and enacting paid leave to support parents caring for sick family members.

A strong advocate for fundamental freedoms, Governor Walz made Minnesota the first state to codify abortion rights after the Supreme Court’s decision to overturn Roe. He has prioritized safe communities by funding police departments, hiring more officers, investing in body cameras, and banning chokeholds to foster trust between law enforcement and communities.

As a gun owner and avid hunter, Walz advocates for universal background checks and an assault weapons ban to combat gun violence. With a background as a union member and two decades of teaching experience, Governor Walz remains committed to fighting for working families, drawing on his own experiences and challenges, including his family's journey through reproductive health care.

Please join us in mobilizing voters to get out and vote for Harris-Walz and our entire Democratic ticket.
Thank you to our volunteers that have been busy all week reaching out new voters and assembling canvassing bags. We need your help too! Join our voter registration team, contribute to our editorial efforts, volunteer as a poll watcher, or join our texting team. Get involved with the Democrats of Indian River by signing up to volunteer here ([link removed]) . We also welcome donations ([link removed]) to support our initiatives. Together, let's create a brighter future for our community and our country.
Primary Election Slate Card
While the Democratic Executive Committee of Indian River cannot endorse Republicans or NPAs in any race, we wanted to let you know that William Evans, Chair of the Indian River DEC, cast his vote for Peggy Jones and David Dyer in the school board races and Brenda Bradley in the Tax Collector race. The Indian River DEC recommends Deborah Shellenberger, for Hospital Board, Randy Aldieri in Senate Race District 29 and Joseph Martinez in House Race 34 in the general election, November 5th.
Canvass in Fellsmere with Us
Join our canvassing team every Saturday to knock on doors. This Saturday, we will be reminding voters in Fellsmere about the changes in vote-by-mail and how their vote is their voice! Are you a Spanish speaker? We need your help too!
RSVP for 8/10 HERE ([link removed])
Our voter registration volunteers will be hosting a table to share vote-by-mail information and help community member register to vote during the Gifford Youth Orchestra Community BBQ.
ATTENTION Poll Watchers
Poll Watching schedules for 8/10 to 8/17 will be emailed to all trained poll watchers today. If you are a poll watcher and you did not get a schedule, please call Samantha at the office at (772) 226-5267.

We will need even more poll watcher volunteers for General Election early voting and Election Day. Stay tuned for more information on general election volunteering.
Young Dems Event

The Young Democrats of Indian River invite you to join us at The Kilted Mermaid on Saturday, August 10th. This casual get together will begin at 6:00 p.m. Please RSVP by emailing [email protected]. As always, we encourage anyone between the ages of 16-39 to join our cause using this link ([link removed]) .
Join Young Democrats of Indian River HERE ([link removed])
Thank You Joe Biden

Democrats feel a profound gratitude for President Joe Biden's lifelong commitment to public service. From his early days as a senator to his current leadership, Biden has championed significant legislation aimed at improving the lives of everyday Americans, including healthcare reform, climate action and gun violence prevention. His empathy, shaped by personal experiences, resonates deeply, fostering a sense of hope amid adversity. Under his administration, initiatives like the bipartisan infrastructure law moved America toward a more equitable future.

Stop by our office to pick up a yard sign and/or sticker to proudly express your support and gratitude.

Indian River Democrat, Ann Brakman, sent the following letter to President Biden to express her appreciation for his service to our country.

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Dear President Biden:

I thank you so much for what you have given this country, not just in your policies and bills passed, but also for showing to younger people that we can have a leader who is a real gentleman.

Although during your term you have been the most effective leader in my time (I’m 87), I have to admit I wished you hadn’t decided to run for a second term. My husband of 57 years, and friend since I was 13, died when we were 80 years old. I miss him every day—there are so many reminders and memories of him. We both worked into our sixties, so I know what it is to have a life together without worrying about work stresses. I wished for you and Jill to have your last years together enjoying life without the stresses of the presidency. And more, your children and grandchildren will get to know you even better. I am sure you will still be contributing in any way you can. My contribution has been to write letters to the editor. You might like them.

Your legacy is a great one. Deciding that the good of the country comes first adds to it immensely. I believe you mentored Kamala very well for your common goals, and she will make you proud.

My best wishes to you and your family.

Sincerely,
Anne Brakman
Project 2025

Run by many who held high-level positions in the Trump Administration, Project 2025 remains a far-right, dark money-funded threat to our democracy, determined to limit individual freedoms by taking more control of Americans’ lives. Research ([link removed]) Shows Project 2025 seeks to exert more control over Americans’ lives by limiting freedoms.

The organization boasts ([link removed]) “a menu of solutions” for ways to “fix our schools, and support families,” when it is in fact seeking ways to take away freedoms and control people’s bodies, self-determination and pocketbooks.

Research shows Project 2025 aims to accomplish the following:
* Control people’s bodies by enforcing the Reconstruction-Era Comstock Act to restrict healthcare and stop the distribution of abortion medication. The plan recommends the CDC institute enact “mandatory data collection for all abortions nationwide — literally tracking and surveilling women who choose to get abortions ([link removed]) ” and threatens to cut funding to any state that does not submit abortion data to the CDC’s surveillance systems.
* Limit Title IX discrimination ([link removed]) protections for LGBTQ+ students and equates those who support the rights of transgender, non-binary, and gender nonconforming students to “child predators” who “should be imprisoned” and “classed as registered sex offenders.” It defines a “healthy society” as made up of families composed of a “married mother, father, and their children” while repealing policies focusing on LGBTQ+ equity and supporting single-mothers.

* Propose a lifetime cap on Medicaid, jeopardizing health care coverage for up to 18.5 million people.

* Control people’s self-determination by deploying the military domestically under the Insurrection Act to crack down on protesters.

* Control people’s wallets by taking away eligibility for overtime pay for millions of workers ([link removed]) , driving up drug costs and limiting insurance ([link removed]) options for people, and eliminating student debt forgiveness ([link removed]) for civil servants while dismantling protections for defrauded students.

Project 2025 remains the blueprint for a future conservative administration that is fiercely moving forward with a plan to trample American freedoms. Learn more at ExposeProject2025.org ([link removed]) .
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** Harvard and Yale Law School Graduate Explains Project 2025
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Follow Us on Facebook
We continue to share important election information, updates on Biden-Harris successes and Project 2025 information on our social media sites. Follow us HERE ([link removed]) .
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Postcarding
Sign up below to write postcards to rally Democrats in Florida to vote on Nov 5. Postcards to Swing States will mail you free postcards, voter lists and instructions with three message options. You'll provide the postcard stamps and mail the postcards in October on the instructed date.
Sign Up HERE ([link removed])
More Opportunities to Get Involved
DEMOCRATS OF INDIAN RIVER
Volunteer with Democrats of Indian River HERE ([link removed])

Steering Meeting
Wednesday, August 14, 2024 5:00 p.m.
ZOOM Meeting

Democratic Executive Committee (DEC) Meeting
Thursday, August 22, 2024 6:00 p.m.
Vero Beach Main Library Multi-Media Room

Voter Registration Team Meeting
This is the first step in participating in our monthly voter registration events.
Every Monday 11:30 a.m.
Democrats of Indian River Office
Editorial Team Meeting
TBD
Virtual ZOOM Meeting
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Board Meeting
Tuesday, August 13, 2024 6:00 p.m.
ZOOM
Democratic Club of Indian River Meeting
Wednesday, August 14, 2024 6:00 p.m.
BigShots Golf 3456 US-1, Vero Beach, FL
Join our club or pay dues HERE ([link removed]) .
Members, join our Dem Club Facebook group HERE ([link removed]) .
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Join our club HERE ([link removed]) .
DWC Book Group Meeting
Friday, August 23, 2024 2:00 - 4:00 p.m.
Bjorkman Room at the Brackett Library on the IRSC Mueller Campus

We will discuss “ The Deadly Rise of Anti-Science: A Scientist’s Warning”
Author: Peter J. Hoetz
Questions? Email [email protected] (mailto:[email protected])

Please note this is the correct book that will be discussed.
We apologize for sharing the wrong book information last week.
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GOVERNMENT MEETINGS
Monday, August 26, 2024 6 p.m. - 9 p.m.
School District of Indian River County
School Board Business Meeting. Details here ([link removed]) .
Tuesday, August 20, 2024 9 a.m.
Indian River County
Board of County Commission Meeting. Details here ([link removed]) .
Watch livehere ([link removed]) .
Tuesday, August 13, 2024 9:30 a.m.
City of Vero Beach
Regular City Council Meeting. Details here ([link removed]) .
Thursday, August 29, 2024
Town of Indian River Shores
Regular Town Council Meeting. Details here ([link removed]) .
Thursday, August 15, 2024
City of Fellsmere
Regular City Council Meeting details here ([link removed]) .
Wednesday August 28, 2024
City of Sebastian
Regular City Council Meeting at City Hall. Details here ([link removed]) .
Thursday, September 16, 2024
Town of Orchid
Regular Town Council Meeting. Details here ([link removed]) .

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Indian River Democrats Office Location
2345 14^th Ave. Suite 7
Vero Beach 32960

Office Hours
Monday to Thursday 10am-3pm
Friday Mornings

(772) 226-5267
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