100 Days to Defeat MAGA Mayhem Weekend of Action

Matt Castelli is the #NY21 Dem candidate ready to defeat #ExtremistElise Stefanik this fall.  As part of Indivisible's 100 Days to Defeat MAGA Mayhem Weekend of Action, IMV is gathering in Frankfort, just over the Oneida County border, to knock doors for Matt. The meet up includes a meet & greet & brief training with Matt at 2 pm, and knocking from 2:30-5:00. then, everyone is welcome to head to the Heelpath Brewery Beer for burgers and brews. 
 
This event is great practice for our get out the vote efforts in NY22, and we guarantee that it makes politics local, bite-sized, and fun.  Direct voter contact is how we win! 
 

Postcard Party at Cherrywood Monday @ 5:30-7:00 pm

Over the years IMV has held countless meetings and events at Cherrywood on Route 5 in Clinton, in the town of New Hartford, both indoors and in the outdoor pavilion.  That was all thanks to Joelle Taylor, a founding member (and former member of the steering committee) of IMV who also worked as a staffer in Rep. Brindisi's Utica office.  Joelle is now moving to the Boston area to be near family, and she's hosting one last political activism event in the Pavilion.  

Please join IMV (and give your best wishes to Joelle) on Monday evening, 5:30-7:00 pm at 1 Cherrywood Circle, Clinton, as we write postcards asking voters in NY21 to go to the polls this midterm election to defeat Elise Stefanik!  Matt Castelli is a terrific Democratic candidate with excellent messaging who is challenging Stefanik in a red district that includes Herkimer county, and he's gaining a lot of momentum as she veers even further into #MAGA extremism, and anti-democracy insurrectionist lies.  We will write thousands of postcards over the next couple months, and mail them before voting starts in October. See you Monday! 
 

All Our Wins Last Week!  

Last Saturday, more than 20 of you showed up on short notice for a counter protest as Lee Zeldin brought his MAGA bus tour to Utica.  The goal of the action was twofold: 1) Get local media to report that Zeldin was met with protesters when he came to Utica and 2) get them to use the words MAGA or radical extremist in relation to Zeldin and the Republicans in New York.  You did it!   WKTV covered our protest and used language from our media advisory and press release in their coverage.  Indivisible National saw our press coverage and gave IMV the "WINdivisible for the Week" for our successful action against MAGA Mayhem!  Great job to Sarah Reeske, and everyone who showed up for the event!

That was just the beginning for our activism this past week.  IMV, along with our co-sponsors, the Oneida Couty Democratic Women's Club, Oneida County Democratic Committee, Cornhill Democratic Club, and Citizen Action of CNY, brought together more than 120 Oneida County voters to meet all four Democratic candidates for Congress in NY22 at their first in person candidate forum of this race.  The event was energizing and exciting and we thank all four candidates: Francis Conole, Sarah Klee Hood, Chol Majok, and Sam Roberts, for coming out to Utica and joining us at MVCC for the night.  

Celeste Friend, Utica 3rd Ward Councilperson revved up the crowd with her "Why I'm a Democrat" talk, and former NY State Dem organizer and Brinidisi congressional staffer Jon Lipe made us all laugh with his update on the bizarre shenanigans of Claudia Tenney as she searched for a district where she could win somewhere in the state.  Oneida County Democratic Election Commissioner Sarah Bormann educated us on election law changes and how we can volunteer at the polls.

Our four candidates were fantastic!  Oneida County Legislator Caroline Reale moderated the forum with quick paced Q&A, and then Cornhill Democratic Club leader Sparkle Anthony picked up the pace even more with the lightning rounds.  Sarah Reeske reminded everyone that our job is to pick a candidate now, help them win the primary, and then after August 23rd, get behind whichever candidate wins, and make sure that that candidate WINS in November! Thanks to all who helped organize this event and everyone who showed up and made it a huge success!
 

Help Sarah Klee Hood Win NY22

Anyone interested in phone banking for a progressive candidate running to flip New York’s 22nd district can volunteer for Sarah Klee Hood’s phone banking team. Our campaign is running phone banks seven days a week in every county, town, and ward across the district. It takes less than five minutes to sign up to phone bank for Sarah and help Sarah win this primary in August and turn New York-22 blue!

Phone banking is fun, easy, and can fit around your schedule. Our campaign will provide you with all the details you need to feel confident to successfully reach out to voters. You’ll receive an easy-to read- list of contactable Democratic NY-22 voters that Sarah needs to win this election. We also have a strong voter-tested script, and a Google Voice option if you prefer.

If you believe in Sarah and her vision for NY-22, and you can carve out any amount of time in your schedule to help us phone bank, it would be a tremendous help in Sarah’s get-out-the-vote efforts. Talking to voters on the phone is critical to Sarah’s chances to win this primary. By taking this action, you’ll be making a difference for democracy.

To Sign up to Phone Bank Email Matt Brush: matt@sarahkleehood.com
OR Submit this form: https://forms.gle/eeJrMA6rH4jKPA5j8

Retired Teachers: Please Help

If you are a retired teacher, and a member of the New York State Teachers Retirement System, you can sign a petition to help a member of Divest NY get on the election ballot for a seat on the NYSTRS Board of Trustees. IMV is a member of Divest NY, a grassroots group that has been working to have the three large public pension funds (Common Retirement Fund for NY employees, the NYC Teachers Retirement Fund, and NYSTRS) divest their investments from fossil fuels. NYSTRS is the only fund that has not moved to do that in any meaningful way.

If you would like to sign the petition, please contact Mona Perrotti, IMV’s representative on Divest NY. Mona will arrange to get the petition to you for your signature. The deadline for Mona’s collection of signatures is August 7. Contact her at monap414@yahoo.com or text 315-223-1761. Thank you!
 

In Memorium

Denise Timpano, a member of IMV, as well as a longtime Democratic party leader, passed away last weekend. Her daughter Katy, is also an active IMV member.  IMV will honor Denise's legacy this fall by holding a voter registration drive in her memory.  Details forthcoming.  Rest in power, Denise.  
 

Fundraisers this Week for Fran Conole and Celeste Friend

Please check out the fundraisers in the calendar for Fran Conole for Congress on Thursday, August 4th and also Celeste Friend's annual ice cream social fundraiser on Saturday, Aug. 6th. There is no substitute for small donor donations from supports in the community, and building a real community of supporters, not just donors.  When you register for local candidate fundraising events and show up, you'll meet like-minded people, see old friends, and make new ones.  

Democracy is Not a Spectator Sport

If there's one thing that our many rallies and marches for gun safety legislation and abortion rights over the past few months have reminded us, and our NY22 candidate form in Utica reinforced, it's that democracy happens when we come together in our community.  When we show up, change can happen.  The 2022 election is going to ask a lot of us.  Our democracy is under threat, perhaps even more than at any time in the past six years.  And there are now just 100 days left until the 2022 midterm elections. 

Please consider now what you are prepared to do to stop the radical MAGA extremist Republicans who are trying to destroy the normal functions of government, spread the Big Lie, glorify violent insurrection, and spread division and distrust of institutions, the rule of law, and democratic systems.  Will you knock doors? Phone bank?  Register voters?  Write letters to the editor?  Talk to your friends and family about candidates?  Host postcard parties or young campaign staffers in your home?  Every action matters.  Thank you for all the ways you show up as a political activist for your community, for social justice, and for democracy itself.  

Democracy is NOT a spectator sport. 
Fired Up Ready to Go.
Breathe, then PUSH!
 
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