This week: So many chances to meet & support our local candidates!
Welcome to August!
Post-IMV Picnic News
What a wonderful potluck picnic last week with beautiful weather, good food, and strong turnout from our members and friends and our candidates! We heard from
Rep. John Mannion, running for re-election in NY22
Matt Skinner for 5th district Supreme Court Justice
Mandi Drake for NYS Senate 53rd (challenging Joe Griffo)
Jon Lipe for NYS Assembly 119th (looking for take over for Marianne Buttenschon when she retires)
Ihor Semko for NYS Assembly 122nd (challenging Brian Miller)
Oneida County Sheriff Rob Maciol for re-election
Mike Brown for Oneida County Clerk, challenging Mary Finegan
Jacob Addington for Oneida County Legislator (District 2)
Dan Casler, Town Supervisor in Little Falls running for re-election. As a longtime IMV member, Dan also shared information and lawn signs for Blake Gendebien (NY21 congressional candidate) and Colleen Maxwell, who is running in the NYS 118th Assembly District)
THANK YOU! You contributed $330 when we took up a collection for a few families with children who had an emergency need for rent when breadwinners for the family were kidnapped by ICE in our local community.
Indivisible National is Matching Your Donation to IMV in August!
Indivisible’s matching fundraising campaign kicks off August 1 and goes through the end of the month. During the month of August, donations to IMV’s Act Blue account will be matched dollar to dollar up to $500. Go to our website donation button or click here to make a contribution. Thanks for all you do to support IMV!
Support Jon Lipe August Fundraiser
Tuesday, August 11th, 6:00 pm, Hart’s Hill Inn, 135 Clinton Street, Whitesboro. You’re invited to Hart's Hill Inn to support Jon Lipe for State Assembly. Enjoy dinner catered by Hart's Hill Inn and catch up with Jon as the summer winds down. Get your tickets here: https://secure.actblue.com/donate/jon-lipe-harts-hill-inn
Meet Colleen Maxwell for a Conversation with Neighbors and Dessert by the Garden.
Wednesday, August 12th, 6:30-8:00 pm, Hear Colleen’s Ideas for the 118th NYS Assembly District and share your questions and concerns! East Herkimer address provided after RSVP for the event on Mobliize
Madison County Democratic Committee invites you to "Celebrate Our Candidates"
Tuesday, August 25, 4:00-7:30ish - at Foothill Hops Farm & Brewery 5024 Bear Path Rd/Rt 46 in Munnsville. Meet with John Mannion, Mandi Drake, Vicki Davis, Ihor Semko, Al Stirpe, and Phillip Fleming. Live music, DNA Taco food truck, cash bar. Free admission, all welcome.
Jon Lipe Town Halls: Let’s Bring Some Friendly Faces
Jon Lipe, candidate for New York’s 119th Assembly District, announced will host a series of public town hall meetings in August to hear directly from his neighbors across the Mohawk Valley and discuss his plans to address rising energy costs, healthcare access, and economic development.
"The most important part of being in office is being honest and accessible," Lipe said. “That’s why I am committed to holding town hall meetings throughout the area every year I’m in office, and there’s no better time to start than right now. Everyone – Democrat, Republican, or Independent – is invited to attend and ask me any question they’d like and I’ll be there to listen to their concerns.”
Three town hall meetings have been scheduled:
Rome
Tuesday, August 18, 6:30pm
Copper City Community Connection
305 E Locust Street, Rome
Utica
Thursday, August 20, 6:30pm
The Other Side
2011 Genesee Street, Utica
Deerfield
Wednesday, August 26, 6:30pm
Deerfield Fire Dept. Banquet Hall
5476 Trenton Road, Deerfield
These meetings are free and open to the public. No pre-registration or RSVP is required. Questions will not be screened and attendees are asked to treat everyone with respect.
Canvassing Training and Campaign Catch-Up
Jon Lipe’s campaign is holding a canvass training and campaign catchup for anyone who would like a bit more canvassing training or a refresher. Connect up with other volunteers, enjoy some refreshments, and get updates on what’s going on with the campaign the rest of the summer.
The session will be Thursday, August 6th, 6 pm at the Utica campaign office, 1 Hopper Street, Utica.
IMV is planning to do a canvass launch in Rome and then spread out to Utica and the towns, as soon as our NY21 and NY22 slate cards (featuring candidates and voting information) are printed and ready. You’ll want to be prepared!
It’s Still Parade Season!
Please join Matt Skinner for Supreme Court for the Canal Days Parade in Little Falls. Meet at 5:15 PM on Gansevoort Street near William Street, in front of the Feldmeier contingent. We will decorate Dan Casler’s white truck and hay wagon before the parade begins at 6:00 PM. Please wear blue or patriotic clothing and bring non melting candy to hand out. Wagons, strollers, and children are welcome. You may also join us when the parade begins on Waverly Place near the library and Eastern Park.
It is probably the last big event before the nominating convention on Monday where Matt will find out if he’s the Democratic Party nominee in the Fifth Judicial District this year for State Supreme Court Justice, so we're trying to get as many people together as possible.
See what Jon has to say about what it means to care for our veterans — and why so many politicians fall short.
Calls to Action for Indivisible National
Join our Immigrant Justice Summer call happening THIS Thursday, August 6 to learn rapid response strategies for mobilizing when an ICE surge hits your community (8pm ET/5pm PT). After a surge of ICE brutality in July, now is the moment to learn how to create a safe, immigrant-aligned response plan. Join this week’s call to explore the components and roles of a rapid response activation. Hear from organizers building rapid response against a detention center in Hagerstown, MD, and the mutual aid network Rochester, MN, built in the wake of Operation Metro Surge. (If you missed the first two trainings, no worries -- you can watchboth on YouTube and download the Immigrant Justice Summer workbook to get a headstart.)
Call Senators Schumer and Gillibrand to demand they oppose the CLARITY Act, the toothless and inadequate “crypto regulation” bill that would continue to enable Trump to amass massive wealth from crypto corruption. It’s possible that the Senate will try to vote on the CLARITY Act before leaving for August recess on Friday -- faux crypto regulation legislation that would let Trump build on his $1.4 billion profit from the industry in 2025. This bill doesn’t protect consumers, doesn’t close money laundering loopholes, and doesn’t stop Trump’s crypto bribery machine. 78 House Dems voted to pass it last year -- we can’t let the Senate force it through before recess.
Sign up for Hands Off Our Vote, our national program to protect the midterm elections. Last week, the Senate confirmed election-denier Jay Clayton to serve as Director of National Intelligence. Trump has another lapdog to carry out the dirty work of election interference, but we’re countering their chaos with robust preparation to block election subversion in all 50 states. (If you’re ready to jump in headfirst, check out our Election Protection 101 and 201 trainings later this month and our toolkit to get involved no matter where you live right now.)
New to Canvassing? Start Here
Canvassing is one of the most effective ways to connect with voters because it creates a real, two-way conversation.
Watch From Outrage to Organizing to Power for a broader introduction to organizing and electoral work. The workshop covers campaign basics, voter psychology, and how activists build influence.
For a practical overview, watch Knocking on Doors: An Activist’s Guide to Canvassing. It explains what first-time canvassers can expect, the different roles volunteers can take, and basic canvassing best practices.
