ISLAND COUNTY: August 2024 ICD Newsletter
The Island County Democrats publish a monthly newsletter, which we are posting here. We believe that the statements made by the leadership of each party is of general public interest.
Message from ICD Chair, Jennifer Haase Morris
I was enjoying the process of baking one of my go-to recipes for the Summerfest dessert auction. It was a deep, rich chocolate cake that I was sure someone would want to bid on. I can always count on this formula to deliver a delicious chocolate experience. And, indeed, it was delicious! Even the piece of cake that landed on my shoe as the entire cake fell apart when I loosened it from the pan.
I’ll come back to that in a moment
So much has changed in our Democratic world over the last month. There is renewed energy and excitement after the Democratic National Convention and seeing the real possibility of putting Kamala Harris and Tim Walz in the White House. All our Democratic candidates at the local and state level had strong showings in the Primary Election earlier this month.
Though many of you doubted it could happen, the voters in District 1 of Island County moved two Democratic candidates for County commissioner to the general election. We are guaranteed to retain a Democrat in that important office – – something that is quite remarkable.
We can all feel the momentum in the Democratic Party and are allowing ourselves to feel truly hopeful for November. It’s hard to even imagine how we might all be feeling now if there hadn’t been such a significant shift in our Party. That’s great, because the really hard work begins now. And we have a tight timeframe as ballots drop in mid-October.
With so much work and so little time to do that work well, I am aware of how easily I could burn out. Or let many of you down if my time and energy are spread too thin.
Most of you know that I have been working on Marie Shimada’s campaign for County Commissioner and declared that conflict of interest with the Executive Board and the Membership earlier this year. We took specific steps to ensure that I would not have influence on any decisions coming before the E-Board or the Body that impacted that race.
At its recent meeting, the E-Board expressed their full confidence that I had been fair and impartial in any ICD business related to that race while also acknowledging what an unusual situation we are in with two Democratic candidates running in this local race.
To ensure both that I don’t burn out and that we continue to be sensitive to any perceptions of bias, I have worked on a plan with members of the E-Board to allow me to step back from most of the daily functions of the Chair position and devote more time to finish out the campaign in a positive way for all involved. I am grateful to the E-Board members who will take on tasks like responding to emails, working with the coordinated campaign, organizing election observers, and directing communications. In mid-November, we can all assess what we’ve learned in the process and what we can do differently to serve the Party well in the future.
So what about that chocolate cake!? Are you fearful that someone purchased a cake that had been cleaned up off my kitchen floor? Paul and I did salvage a bit of very ugly but delicious cake that stayed on the counter, but it was absolutely unfit for the auction. My tried-and-true recipe just didn’t work this time. I looked at the resources in the pantry that could be used to quickly bake another dessert. As luck would have it, I had the right ingredients to make another tried-and-true recipe for lemon poundcake. Equally rich and delicious (I hope) and just what one of you lemon lovers out there was hoping for.
I’m not heading here toward some metaphor about Biden and Harris. The lesson for me was in the experience. A process that had worked for me dozens of times before fell apart in my hands. The clock was ticking. I had the stress of Summerfest and my own expectations for having a great event resting heavily on my shoulders. There wasn’t time to panic or get distracted or do a long debrief about what went wrong. (There was time for a few really good swear words though.) I needed to regroup and get back to baking.
These are not normal times, and I think that we may find more often that things that have worked well for us before might not work this time. We might need to try a new recipe. We will need to be open to novel approaches. Deal with conflict in a swift and action-oriented way. We have an abundance of resources that we can draw on if we stay positive and moving forward.
Looking forward to a delicious piece of cake on November 5! What flavor shall we make?
Note from ICD
For Harris/Walz yard signs, go to their website https://kamalaharris.com
Message from Island County Commissioner, Janet St Clair
We couldn’t be more excited to share these preliminary results with you. A combined Democratic vote share of 52% puts this campaign in a great position to win in November. Our opponent spent half a million dollars so far, $300,000 on paid canvassers alone, and garnered only 48% of the vote. This race is winnable but it won’t be easy. Please make a donation [Ed. Note: donation link omitted] or sign up to volunteer today. The only way to win against their money is with our grassroots support.
We’d also like to invite all of your members to the 10th L.D. Canvassing Launch at 2:00pm on September 14th at the Rotary Park next to the Oak Harbor Chamber of Commerce (898 NE 4th Ave, Oak Harbor, WA 98277). We’ll have Janet, Dave and Clyde there to speak and take questions, as well as the coordinated campaign and all of their volunteers. This is a great place for existing volunteers to get back on the campaign trail leading up to the general election, as well as for new volunteers to get involved for the first time. Training and materials are provided by the campaigns. We hope to see many of you there! RSVP here!
Message from Island County Commissioner, Melanie Bacon
Hello, Island County Democrats! These are some highlights from my work this month as your District 1 County Commissioner.
- August was all about the 2025 Budget: we held nine budget meetings this month. Because of disappointing sales taxes this year, we’re looking at a static budget in 2025. Our challenge: to provide a reasonable wage adjustment to employees while continuing to maintain an excellent level of service to the public, with only a very small increase in our funds. We’re confident we will succeed in our goal.
- The Lodging Tax Advisory Committee (LTAC) began review of the 2025 LTAC applications. The LTAC received over 30 applications and expects to recommend disbursement of $805,000 to applicants.
- We finally passed the Shoreline Master Program update (SMP)! The Department of Ecology will let us know if they object to anything we approved, a step we have to go through before the new codes go into effect. Another long-standing policy issue we resolved this month: resolution of the Marshall Drainage District assessment plan (Clinton).
- Island County and the Whidbey Veterans Resource Center sponsored two commemoration events for Vietnam Veterans on Whidbey and Camano in August, presenting over 60 lapel pins to these former service members in recognition of the 50th anniversary of that war. Thank you, Rep. Shavers, for joining me for the event on Camano.
Several members of the Camano Island Democrats stepped up to help arrange the Vietnam War commemoration function at the Camano Library. I am very grateful to them.
I enjoyed speaking with many of you at Summerfest (thanks again, Grethe, Diane, WIDC and ICD for sponsoring this great event).
To support my reelection campaign, contact me at [Ed. Note: email link omitted] or visit my webpage www.electmelbacon.com.
It is an honor to serve you as your District 1 County Commissioner.
Message from Island County Commissioner Candidate, Marie Shimada
An update from the Friends of Marie Shimada:
We will again be knocking on doors and talking to voters, but this time, we will be ALL over Island County. We are quickly growing Team Marie across Oak Harbor and Camano, and we need your help! To continue reaching voters all over the County, our team needs to raise another $15,000 this month. We believe every voter should learn about their choice for a better future here in Island County, and we know you agree. That’s why I am humbly asking you to now help me reach my goal for the November election. [Ed. Note: donation link omitted.]
Team Marie will be holding two exciting listening sessions in the beginning of September. We will be meeting in Oak Harbor with young professionals on September 6 to discuss the unique needs of our local workforce and economy, and we will be meeting in Freeland with food industry folks on September 9 to hear about impacts and interactions with the local health department. If you are a member of either of these groups and want to participate, please be sure to email [Ed. Note: email link omitted].
Message from State Representative, Dave Paul
Friends,
Election results have been certified, and I’m excited to report that we won the primary election with 55% of the vote! I’m thankful for each vote, and we couldn’t have done it without your support. We are just 10 weeks away from the general election and have lots of work to do. We need to build on this momentum and make sure people vote in the general election—and vote down the ballot. The best way to do this is by focusing on the great work we’ve accomplished as Democrats, such as lowering the cost of prescription drugs and protecting access to reproductive care in Washington state.
If you are able to donate a couple hours of your time to help us Get Out The Vote (GOTV) for the general election, please contact me at [Ed. Note: email link omitted]. We’ve seen how elections are won and lost by a few votes, and talking to your friends and neighbors will ensure we can return to Olympia in January. Stay tuned for GOTV events and fundraisers–I hope to see you at an event soon.
As always, it’s an honor to serve.
Message from State Representative, Clyde Shavers
Dear Friends,
As we move forward into the General Election, we carry with us the momentum of a campaign rooted in courage and conviction. Like the mighty buffalo that runs toward the storm, we face adversity head-on. While others may retreat, we charge forward.
To charge forward is to embrace the full weight of our responsibility – to recognize that we are fighting for a future, not just for us, but for generations to come. We do not cower in the face of adversity; we rise to meet it. It is this relentless drive, this refusal to be paralyzed by fear, that gives us strength.
Our very strength invites challenge. And we welcome those challenges with open arms, because our campaign is about embracing the winds of change and harnessing them to propel us forward.
Together, we will rise to every occasion, proving that our hope, our joy, and our unwavering belief in a better tomorrow are more powerful than any storm that comes our way. This is our commitment: to forge ahead with purpose, to confront every challenge with resolve, and to lead with the confidence that our journey, no matter how difficult, will pave the way for the brighter we all deserve.
We are strong together.
Always at Your Service,
Clyde
Message from US Representative, Rick Larsen
Grateful, humbled, eager
I am humbled and energized by the results of the primary election. Tens of thousands of voters have made their voices heard in the 2nd District, and regardless of who they voted for, they have participated in and strengthened our democracy. For that, they have my thanks.
I am proud to see the show of support my campaign has received. It is the honor of a lifetime to represent Northwest Washington in Congress – one that I will never take for granted. I am grateful to every person who has attended one of my events, taken a few minutes to talk with me at their door, donated to help my team communicate with voters, and cast a ballot to support my work. My friends and neighbors organizing at the grassroots level is the foundation of my campaign. Everything that we accomplish in Washington D.C., we accomplish together.
Our work is not slowing down. This fall, our community’s shared values – working hard, caring for each other, and serving the community – are on the ballot. The stakes could not be higher. I am running for re-election so I can continue to work to protect reproductive freedom, combat fentanyl in our communities, build an economy that works for everyone, increase access to health care, and support our veterans. I am proud of the progress we have made on these issues – but I know there is more work to be done. Over the next few months, I will work every day to communicate with voters about the urgency of this moment and Democrats’ vision for the future. Thank you to everyone who has made these results possible, and I look forward to building on our momentum as November approaches.
Rick
Email: [Ed. Note: email link omitted]
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- Host local community education and information events
- Coordinate local Democratic Party volunteers activities
- Train and inspire PCOs to action
- Provide tools, materials and space for local Democratic Party planning and organizing
For the biggest bang for your buck, mail your checks to:
[Ed. Note: donation information omitted]
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