By Mark Peterson

During our May meeting at Crawford County Park, we discussed the issue of how to identify our party for this year’s election.  I counted more than a half dozen suggestions in terms of policies, all of which I agreed with, but there were so many issues that it was hard to discern a specific focus. Indeed, the Republicans under Trump have violated so many of my basic values that it is hard to keep track of them from day to day.

Jack Bertoncino and I were discussing this after the meeting when one of us noted that some of the most effective campaign slogans for Democrats have been more general than specific. Think back on FDR and “The New Deal,” Truman and “A Fair Deal,” and Lyndon Johnson’s “Great Society.” Those less familiar with elections from more than 60 years ago may have found inspiration with Barack Obama’s appeals, such as: “Change We Can Believe In,” “Yes We Can,” or the simple word associated with one of Obama’s famous poster,: “Hope.”

I’m not suggesting that we borrow any of these specific slogans, but we shouldn’t ignore the fact that some of the most important appeals of these successful campaigns were aspirational, rather than specific policies. Of course, it is vital to discuss issues and policy in other ways, but it doesn’t need to be “here are our six or twenty most important issues and solutions.”

I want to thank Jack for helping to bring me to this epiphany. My own (borrowed) suggestion for a slogan (No Kings) violates the lessons of FDR, Truman, LBJ, and Obama, despite the fact that I believe the root cause of the horrors of the past 16 months is based on the Trump’s violations of the founding principles of our country in this year as we celebrate 250 years since our divorce from a Kingdom. In terms of policy, I agree with every suggestion people made during our May meeting, but in terms of a campaign strategy, we could also learn from the lessons of FDR, Truman, LBJ, and Obama.

I do not offer specific suggestions for what our aspirational appeals should be, but I do offer a different way to think about the campaign, and also the lesson that teachers can learn from their students (or former students). Once again, thank you, Jack!

School funding, tax levy and selecting judges community meeting

On Tuesday, April 29, a dinner meeting was held at the Homer Cole Center sponsored by Local Impact: Get the Facts. The topics included how Kansas schools are funded, including Special Education and how budget challenges impact our schools. The mill levy was explained on a series of posters displayed on a wall.

J. B. Elliott, Superintendent of USD 250 spoke first. He said that the district lost 130 students during the 25-26 school year, resulting in a loss of funding as districts are paid a specific amount per pupil enrolled.  As positions open, they will be filled from within by moving current staff.  This may cause increased class sizes. Some positions will not be filled.

SEK Interlocal 637, which serves 13 school districts in Southeast Kansas is also facing budgetary problems.  Greg Kubler explained that special education is to be funded 92% by the state. This level of funding has never been the case. Currently the state is only funding 65% of special education.  Because these services are mandated, this means that each of the 13 districts will have to provide the difference, cutting even more into their budgets.

Mike Bruner from Champions for Schools spoke briefly. His most important message was about the amendment that will be on the August primary ballot regarding the appointment of state Supreme judges. Currently a committee of practicing attorneys comes up with three candidates they have vetted based on qualifications and merit and submits those names to the governor who then appoints one of the three to the court. The amendment would change this process to a popular vote, possibly leading to campaign funds and partisan politics playing a role in selecting judges who are not vetted and selected on qualifications and merit. Mr. Bruner encouraged us to vote no on the amendment.

As a retired elementary and special education teacher of 29 years in Pittsburg, it breaks my heart to learn of these budget and personnel concerns.  We need qualified staff to teach all students.  Without appropriate funding it is difficult to attract and retain such individuals.

— Nancy Tomassi

By Mike Sand

The purpose of our Headquarters is to provide a safe, centralized meeting location, comfortable and efficient workspaces for party officers and volunteers, social support to our members, and reliable information to the community.

As Headquarters Manager, I don’t consider myself a communications director. Posting on social media for others is not exactly my cup of tea, but after numerous conversations about events not being advertised, I’m working on improving our Facebook posting.. For this to work, though, I need everyone to keep me informed. I can be reached by email at sally@crawfordcountyksdems.org or by phone at 620-670-6867 — please leave a message and I will get back to you.

Over the past couple of months, our goal has been to keep the office open Monday through Friday from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. There are still plenty of volunteer shifts that need to be filled. If you stop by Headquarters and find the office closed, I encourage you to see that as an opportunity to volunteer for a couple of hours. Even a small amount of time helps, and it’s a great way to stay informed and share information with others who may need it. Headquarters also sees a lot of use outside regular operating hours through meetings and community groups. If the CCD want the office open to the public every day, then the party needs volunteers willing to help make that happen.

Campaign cards, signs, and supplies for the 2026 election campaigns are arriving daily for distribution. Please respect the staff’s efforts to keep materials organized and accessible by returning items where you found them. As always, the bulletin board is available for announcements, sign-up sheets, and other community information.

We’re always grateful to accept any monetary donations. Although our rent is reasonably inexpensive, ink and paper add up, as does advertising. 

— Sally Harryman

Liberal Ladies met on May 6th at noon, at Dem HQ.  We celebrated the May birthdays of Nancy Tomassi, Rexine, and Betty. Sally will gather our names and info for a directory that Nancy Tomassi can use for cards for various occasions.

We discussed the upcoming Ice Cream Social for Don Coover and Dinah Sykes, a campaign fundraiser sponsored by Liberal Ladies.  We thank all the bakers and scoopers and donators of delicious toppings.

Questions about how to deal with the expenses that LL incur on the sponsored events.  Some suggestions included:

Sally will ask Don Pyle about having a carve out from our County funds.

Emily says save our receipts and turn them into Don.  We'll discuss this more after hearing from Don.

We discussed ways to continue to recycle with the new restrictions of the recycling center. One option is that we could all check the trash and take out recyclables when we work a shift at the headquarters.

Harriet shared a deep canvassing example with a registered voter who stated that she was conservative.

There was discussion about Adam Hamilton, a Methodist minister in KC who is running for office.  He is admired by many.

Janice reminded us about taking stretchy plastic bags to leave in a bin inside the door to Lori's Celebration. These can be used to make benches. Lillian said Wesley House and The Lord's Diner take plastic bags to use for grocery distribution.

______________________

Liberal Ladies met on 5/20, at noon, at Dem HQ. Harriet gave a Deep Canvassing moment. She and Jim are at it again.

Our candidate for state representative second district, Avery Rowland attended. We were interested if she had info to share.  She exudes confidence. She can take donations by check and through ActBlue.  No cash. She is running against Ken Collins.

Emily has suggested we turn in receipts for expenditure on sponsored activities for CCD to Don Pyle when we overspend at Dem events.

Emily is working on getting Adam Hamilton to visit Pittsburg.  Avery wants to know his position on gay rights and abortion.

Jean told about an alternative to Round Up: 1 gallon of vinegar. 1 cup salt, 1 T detergent.

Janice went to meet Jason Hart and she was the only attendee.  He talked with her for over an hour.  She was very impressed and would like to invite him to speak.

Shirley reminded us of the Dem Picnic in Lincoln Park on June 28th. Harriet told of Jim' involvement with Progressive Democrats Zoom for candidates the 2nd Wednesday of the month.  Ethan Corsin will be in Europe Park on Thursday night.

Isaiah and Avery are interested in fundraising ideas. Harriet has postcards to write for Kansas. We will meet on our off Wednesday, the 27th, at 1:00, to work on both those things.

We'll meet on June 3rd for our regular meeting at 12:00, at Dem HQ.

— Susy Hammons, LL Facilitator

‍ ‍Crawford County Democratic Party

‍ ‍Monthly Meeting — May 17, 2026   

‍ ‍Crawford State Lake / Aggie’s Dream‍ ‍

Secretary’s Report

‍ Note: This meeting was held in a modified format. Chair Emily Walters opened with announcements and introduced special guest, Matthew Brown. Following the presentation and Q&A, the group enjoyed annual potluck lunch. Vice Chair Jack Bertoncino then resumed the regular meeting agenda.

‍PART I — Opening & Special Guest Presentation

Welcome & Chair’s Remarks — Emily Walters               Chair Emily Walters opened the meeting with announcements.

June 28 — Annual Picnic, 1:00 PM: Featured speaker will be Scott Kleeb, Nebraska State Chair (married to Jane Kleeb), speaking on rural party building and veterans’ outreach.

Upcoming Candidate Visit:Adam Hamilton, Senate candidate, June 1, 2026

‍Canvassing: The canvassing launch last Saturday had low turnout, but there is still time to get trained. There is still an urgent need for a candidate to run against Carl Wood.

Precinct Captains: Filing deadline is June 1. Contact Sally Harryman for Notary services.

New Project — Paid Volunteer Coordinator: The party is launching a fundraising effort for a paid Volunteer Coordinator position through November. Approximately $20,000 is needed.

Special Guest — Matthew Brown, KDC Campaign Director

Note: The following is a summary of remarks as recorded by the secretary and does not represent a verbatim transcript.

Matthew Brown, Kansas Democratic Coordinated (KDC) Campaign Director, was introduced by Chair Walters and addressed the group.

Matthew noted that Kansas has moved farther toward the center since George W. Bush, driven by the enormous grassroots campaigning done by Kansans at the county party level.

Key Points:

• Kansas is receiving significant national attention — the attorney general’s race and others are on the national radar.

• ‍ KDC is working on adding a new Coordinating Director position to help reorganize county parties.

• ‍ Democracy Fest Tour: June 20 — Liberal; July 11 — Salina; July 25 — Cowley County.

‍ Q&A:

• ‍Q: What is the Democratic message? A: Focus on affordability and living lives with dignity. The working-class people are struggling to achieve the American Dream. We don’t have that right now. We need to support small business owners more. Get those identified as being on our side involved and visible. Essentially, we need to reframe it as a brand, there isn’t one tag line that encompasses what we are about. We are still working on that cohesive message.

• ‍Q: On Breaking the supermajority in Kansas, are the most flippable seats identified, and are they the only ones being supported by the KDP? A: There are 12 main House Seats to focus on. Of those, 5 districts are identified and classified as being on our side, broken into three tiers: (1) filing for covered for those 12 candidates, (2) mid tier support for next strongest candidates, (3) higher support for the top candidates. (those candidates were not named at this meeting)

• ‍Q: What is the plan to get the unaffiliated vote? A: Many independent voters do vote. Having a large primary against Roger Marshall may drive people to change their registration. We need to be more involved in voter registration.

• ‍Q: How do counties get national DNC money? A: Mostly through grants to county programs.

The meeting recessed for the annual potluck. Vice Chair Jack Bertoncino resumed the meeting following lunch‍ ‍

PART II — Regular Meeting (Resumed — Jack Bertoncino, Vice Chair)

Treasurer’s Report — Don Pyle Treasurer’s Report was provided. Nancy Tomassi moved to accept; Marcia Weeks seconded. Motion passed.

‍Secretary’s Report — Dionne Blakemore  Secretary’s Report was provided. Lynette Wescott moved to accept; Jack Bertoncino seconded. Motion passed.

‍Elected Officials’ Report      Sandy Casey was present but had nothing to report.

‍Local Candidate Updates

‍Don Coover — U.S. Congressional Race

‍Don Coover has raised more money than any other Democrat in Kansas except Davie. He out raised Schmidt in the first quarter. He is traveling to Washington, D.C. in June to meet with PACs and is continuing his education as a candidate. Visit www.doncooverforcongress.com to learn more.

‍Ave ry Rowland — Kansas House District 2        

Avery Rowland has gone full time as a candidate and is talking to everyone who receives a W-2 as the emphasis of the campaign. Members were encouraged to share her name with friends and neighbors and to visit www.averyforkansas.com

Headquarters Update — Sally Harryman Headquarters is open Monday through Friday, 10:00 AM–4:00 PM most weekdays. Sally will begin posting schedule signups starting June 1. Action Committee meetings continue every Thursday at 4:00 PM. Watch Facebook for updates.

‍Coover Campaign Petition Drive — Don Coover

‍The Coover petition drive has closed. Don expressed appreciation for everyone’s efforts in gathering signatures.

‍Newsletter Update — Harriet Bachner      Harriet noted that the newsletter gets done even though it’s a mad dash at the end of the month. The newsletter continues to receive wonderful compliments. Submissions for the next edition are due on May 25th. Harriet would like a report on the ice cream social. The newsletter currently has over 600 subscribers.

‍Deep Canvassing Update — Harriet Bachner       Harriet will be available to deep canvass with members up until June 9.

‍Community Outreach Committee — Jack Bertoncino, Harriet Bachner & Lynette Wescott

‍The committee continues its postcard writing initiative. Handwritten notes to legislators remain highly effective.

‍Lynette Wescott is organizing a group to attend Kansas State Legislature committee meetings in Topeka. Upcoming school finance meetings are scheduled for May 21 and 28.

‍The committee emphasized the importance of having a Democratic presence at the County Fair, 620 Day, and other community events. A list is being compiled now.

‍Young Democrats — Jack Bertoncino        The Young Democrats continue volunteering at Wesley House and are ready to canvass for candidates. Sessions are planned for weekends and Wednesday evenings.     Next meeting is Saturday, May 24 at 6:30 pm

‍ Candidate Search Committee — Don Pyle & Lynette Wescott   The committee continues to seek a candidate for County Commissioner District 3.

‍Local Impact: Get the Facts — Lynette Wescott   Lynette provided updates on the Judge Ballot Issue and the August 4 Vote No campaign, including signs, voter cards, and participation in local parades.

‍Saturday, June 6, 10-11 am - Lincoln Center, Pittsburg, Ks: Kansas Appleseed- Judges Ballot Issue, Part of the Justice For All Vote No August 4 tour. Resister at the website or call 785-274-8311. Note that there is a conflict with the Frontenac Miners Day parade. ‍ ‍

Adjournment

Don Pyle moved to adjourn; Avery Rowland seconded. Motion carried.

‍ ‍Next Meeting: June 28, 2026

Lincoln Park, Pittsburg, Ks

Article submissions are needed from Crawford County Democrats and friends about issues and topics we should all be thinking about. Let us publish your thoughts in this Revue, for distribution to county Democrats and others across the state. Back issues of thr newsletter are also on the website at https://www.crawfordcountyksdems.org/newsletter.

Please email your thoughts or those of your caucuses and interest groups for publication in the county party’s newsletter to news@crawfordcountyksdems.org. Accompanying photographs or other ideas for illustrating your articles are also welcome. Feel free to ask questions by text or phone of newsletter crew Harriet at 620-704-8566 or Phil at 708-466-0659. Also please include your phone number with your message in case we have questions for you.

We look forward to hearing from you!