In this Issue: Legacy ● Kamala Harris: Off to a Great Start! ● Presidential Race: Prosecutor vs. Felon ● Illinois Republican Party Chair Salvi Embracing Big Lie ● Lake Dems Out and About ● ICYMI (In Case You Missed It) ● Upcoming Events
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On Sunday, President Joseph R. Biden Jr., putting the country to which he has devoted his life first, made the monumental decision to drop out of the presidential race. This heroic and selfless act only adds to the list of accomplishments of this great American statesman, one of our time’s most transformative and effective presidents.
Although Biden has withdrawn, he still maintains the office of the presidency. As he mentioned in his statement, withdrawing from the election frees him up to put his full energy into continuing to lead the United States and pass Democratic policies that best serve the American people.
By endorsing Kamala Harris, he passes the torch to the next standard bearer for the party. Let us be united in our work to build on the legacy of Joe Biden, stand up to the MAGA extremism of Donald Trump, and keep moving the country forward.
Read the president’s initial statement here and his statement endorsing Harris here.
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Kamala Harris: Off to a Great Start!
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In the first 24 hours of her campaign, Vice President Harris secured enough delegates to win the Democratic nomination. Her PAC raised more money in 24 hours ($81 million) than any candidate in history. Per The Hill:
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“The campaign said it brought in more than 888,000 contributions from individual grassroots donors, 60 percent of whom had not donated before in the 2024 cycle. Roughly 43,000 donors have signed up to give weekly to the campaign.”
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This renewed enthusiasm for the Democratic Party is gratifying; however, let’s remember this race will be tough. Lake Dems must remain vigilant in our work to elect Democrats at every level of government. We will be out there holding and promoting events, registering voters, writing postcards, knocking on doors, making phone calls, distributing yard signs, and disseminating fact-based information, so the difficult conversations about what’s at stake this November can be had.
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Presidential Race: Prosecutor vs. Felon
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By: Democratic Intern from Grayslake, Matthew Sprenger
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People are excited about Kamala Harris. Harris’s announcement regarding her candidacy has clearly generated a fresh wave of energy and rejuvenated excitement and faith in the Democratic Party. Harris has already generated strong support among many Democrats including young voters, women, and the African American community. She is also a remarkable debater, as evidenced by her performance against former Vice President Mike Pence in 2020. A match-up between Harris and Trump will almost certainly be refreshing for Democrats after President Biden’s self-proclaimed “bad night.”
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Kamala Harris has undoubtedly rendered many of the political attacks Trump made against Joe Biden irrelevant, or better yet, self-destructive. For example, the Trump campaign played into the concerns of many Americans that President Biden is simply too old for the job. Now Trump is the old guy, and Kamala Harris can use his own words against him. If elected, Donald Trump would be the oldest president in American history by the end of his term in 2029. ABC News reported that 60 percent of Americans believe Trump is too old, which means even some Republicans have concerns about Trump’s age.
Another attack from the Trump campaign against Democrats is that crime rates are up and the Democrats are “too soft” on crime. As the national crime rate is actually down, this is also false, which is unsurprising, as the odds of anything that Trump says being true are slim to none. It’s also ironic that the convicted felon with cases still pending, who expressed plans to destroy and weaponize the Department of Justice, says he is concerned about adequately addressing crime. Regardless, given Harris’s history as a prosecutor, any claim about not addressing crime becomes even more outlandish. This race is almost poetic in a way: Prosecutor versus Felon.
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Illinois Republican Party Chair Salvi Embracing Big Lie
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A Letter to the Sun-Times by Lake County Election Judge Laurie Schiller
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As a Lake County election judge, I take great offense at new Illinois Republican Chair Kathy Salvi raising an envelope that read “election integrity” as she spoke to the GOP Illinois delegates in Milwaukee.
She said that she “wants to make sure that every honest vote is counted,” which implies they were not, raising at the same time the tired lie that there were fraudulent votes in the last few elections.
There are only two options here: Either she doesn’t understand how elections are run in Illinois and how difficult it would be to cast fraudulent ballots, or she is just another Trump Republican embracing his big lie.
I challenge Salvi to produce any evidence that “honest” votes were not counted or that fraudulent ones were. Trump couldn’t produce any. Can she? If not, then she should be quiet.
We election judges do an excellent job, and there are dozens of security measures that prevent fraud. And she wonders why the Republican Party is a joke here in Illinois. Just look in the mirror.
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We love to include event photos in our newsletter! To be considered for inclusion, please send yours to info@lakedems.org with a brief description of the event. Have an event coming up? To submit future events for consideration for our website and emails: lakedems.org/submit-an-event.
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Coffee and Conversation with State’s Attorney Eric Rinehart
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Moraine Township Dems Party with Our Party
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Lake Dems and Ela Dems in Lake Zurich Alpine Fest Parade
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ICYMI (In Case You Missed It)
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WEDNESDAY, JUL. 24
You Can Bank On It: Banking Basics with Holly Kim. 3:00pm, online via Zoom. More.
Lake Dems and Fremont Dems Postcard-Writing Event. 6:00pm, Grayslake. More.
THURSDAY, JUL. 25
Behind the Scenes at Presidential Conventions. 5:30pm, Chicago. More.
Lake Dems Phone Bank for Maria Peterson for State Representative. 6:00pm, online via Zoom. More.
FRIDAY, JUL. 26
Reception for Erin Cartwright Weinstein. 5:30pm, Waukegan. More.
SATURDAY, JUL. 27
State Senator Laura Murphy with IL Senate President Don Harmon at the NV5 Invitational Korn Ferry Tour. 7:00am, Glenview. More.
Lake Dems Day of Action for State’s Attorney Eric Rinehart and County Board Candidate Hilary Winiarz. 10:00am, North Chicago. More.
Alderman Kenneth Smith’s 5th Ward Block Party. 11:00am, North Chicago. More.
Help Win Over Wisconsin for Kamala Harris and More Democrats with Lake Dems. 12:00 noon, meeting points in southeast and central Lake County to travel to Democratic Headquarters in Kenosha. More.
Democratic Gathering to Get Out The Vote (GOTV). 12:30pm, Wheeling. More.
Marah Altenberg Campaign Kickoff with Congresswoman Jan Schakowsky. 2:00pm, Buffalo Grove. More.
SUNDAY, JUL. 28
Tenth Dems Capitol Connection: A Conversation with Congressman Brad Schneider. 4:00pm, Northbrook. More.
TUESDAY, JUL. 30
Summer Reception for Senators Morrison, Johnson, and Edly-Allen. 5:30pm, Green Oaks. More.
WEDNESDAY, JUL. 31
An Evening with State’s Attorney Eric Rinehart in Lake Forest. 6:00pm, Lake Forest address provided upon RSVP. More.
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How Do I Join Lake County Democrats?
Lake County Democrats is made up of people like you, people who are passionate about building better communities and a better world. We’re a grassroots political organization, working with Democrats in all parts of Lake County – from Antioch to Highland Park, Libertyville to Waukegan, Barrington to Zion. Become a member online now (individual: $35/couples $60 – though more is always appreciated), or send a check payable to Lake County Democrats to P.O. Box 671, Lake Zurich, IL 60047. Questions? Contact info@lakedems.org.
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