SAVE THE DATE

ANTRIM DEMS FUNDRAISER SEPTEMBER 27, 4:30 PM

Our creative ads serve as a source of inspiration for our supporters and a source of education for others. Pick up any area newspaper – The Antrim Review, The Elk Rapid News or the Northern Express and you are likely to see one of our ads. We place one or more ads each month in these publications. This costs approximately $10,000 a year. We’d like to do even more such as provide financial support to local candidates.

Our annual Antrim Dems Fundraiser is a major source of the revenue we need to win elections.

JOIN US ON SUNDAY, SEPTEMBER 27

LOCATION PROVIDED UPON R.S.V.P.

Time: 4:30-6:30 PM

Speaker to be announced!

Reservations required (stay tuned for the ActBlue site for reserving your spot)

Cost: $100 per person minimum donation

Maximum 75 attendees

Wine, beer, appetizers, small plate dinners.

Food created and donated by Chef Jesse of YumYum Caterers, East Jordan, Mi

Can’t make the date but want to be there in spirit? Please consider a donation.

You will receive further information on making your reservation shortly.

The Antrim Dems are a terrific bright blue space in all of our lives!

Join us in person or in spirit!

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VOTING – READY, SET, GO!

Whether voting in person on November 3 or by absentee ballot (Absentee ballots may be arriving as early as Sept 24), make sure you are registered to vote.

Check your status- registered? On permanent Absentee Vote list? Find out below:

Click to go to Ballotpower.org

To register, get on permanent AV list, or for most of your other voting needs:

CLICK HERE!

GET TO KNOW YOUR DEM CANDIDATES – READ ON!

Governor/Lt. Gov.: Jocelyn Benson/Winnie Brinks

MEET JOCELYN | WHERE SHE STANDS

Secretary of State: Garlin Gilchrist II

VISIT GARLINGILCHRIST.COM

Attorney General: Eli Savit

MEET ELI | WHERE HE STANDS

U.S. Senate: Abdul El-Sayed

MEET ABDUL | WHERE HE STANDS
EL-SAYED vs. ROGERS

U.S. Congress District 1: Callie Barr

MEET CALLIE | WHERE SHE STANDS

State Senate District 37: Kate Gallup

MEET KATE | WHERE SHE STANDS

Listen to her Podcast Interview

State House District 18: Betsy Coffia

MEET BETSY | WHERE SHE STANDS

State House District 104: Mitch Distin

MEET MITCH | WHERE HE STANDS

State House District 105: Rachel Longendyke-Teeter

MEET RACHEL | WHERE SHE STANDS

Is this the most important voting cycle of our lives? Possibly. Click the Michigan Dems logo below for a huge collection of voting resources so you can be sure your vote will be counted!

BISHOP RECALL UPDATE

Victoria Bishop’s attorney was once again successful in getting the Board of Canvassers to not approve the petition language. His main point was that the language was not specific enough.

With Bishop making so many unforced errors, it is hard to single out just a few acts of misconduct. However, the Committee to Recall Victoria Bishop is not discouraged and they are pressing forward with revised language.

We’ve recently received word in regards to some folks not receiving the newsletter, even after subscribing. It seems to be a mail filtering issue - the mail inbox doesn’t recognize our publication as ‘safe’ and blocks it from coming into the receiver’s mailbox (obviously this doesn’t apply to you since you’re reading this now!) .

We think we’ve found a workaround, and if you know of anyone who is experiencing this issue, please share this fix: simply add antrimdems@substack.com to your contact list. Called ‘Whitelisting,’ this tells the mail server to trust this address and allow the mail in.

ALSO - Some folks using Gmail have said no mail, and not in junk folder. Please also check the ‘Promotions’ folder as sometimes Substack emails end up there. Users can then simply reassign the email from Promotions to the regular inbox and Gmail will ‘learn’ this is what is preferred.

Reach out if you or anyone you know is still experiencing a problem.

Many thanks to you all!

UPCOMING EVENT

CLICK HERE FOR THE FULL CALENDAR OF REGULAR EVENTS ON OUR WEBSITE

JOIN OR RENEW YOUR 2026 MEMBERSHIP

CLICK RIGHT HERE

Download our membership form to mail in or click a link below

Click to Download Form

Voting in Antrim County Membership

Join Here

Part Time Resident (non-voting)

Join Here

ANTRIM DEMS HAVE THE AD-VANTAGE

The Ad Team is hard at work creating ads that will draw folks in – looking out for us all, rather than locking people out.

We appreciate your support! Every dollar goes toward our efforts to get the word out.

Click here to donate via ActBlue

Or you can mail a check to:
Antrim County Democratic Party
P.O. Box 331
Elk Rapids, MI 49629

· Official Website: Antrim County Democratic Party

· Facebook Page: Antrim County Democratic Party on Facebook

Thanks for your support!

Antrim County Democratic Party/Michigan

Chairperson: Veronica Welter, Chair@antrimdems.com

Website: antrimdems.com

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/AntrimCountyDemocraticParty/

ANTRIM DEMS NEWSLETTER, WRITTEN AND ASSEMBLED BY SALLIE FOLEY, ALLEN WOLF, and JIM BLACK.
QUESTIONS/COMMENTS CAN BE DIRECTED TO SFOLEY@ANTRIMDEMS.COM

For more contact information, including Michigan senators and house representatives, visit our full contact information page by clicking HERE

Support Antrim Dems Today!

The August 4 primary gave us both Senate and House of Representative candidates: Abdul El-Sayed for Senate and Callie Barr for US House of Representatives, District 1.

Abdul El-Sayed will be running against Mike Rogers in the November elections (the incumbent—Senator Gary Peters, Democrat, is retiring).

Callie Barr will be running against our U.S. Congressman Jack Bergman, who is running for his 6^th term in office.

Locally, the Antrim Dems had excellent candidates in all races.

Leading up to the Primaries was exciting. Antrim Dems had a chance to meet many of the candidates. We now know all the ways we can drive around Torch Lake to get to Elk Rapids and Bellaire, and all the drink and food options at Shorts Pull Barn (ER) and Shorts on Bridge Street (Bellaire). There were also meet and greets at Art and Connections (ER) and BeeWell (Bellaire). As always, a big shout out to our local coffee houses, shops, and pubs for becoming excellent places to meet old friends and new.

We have excellent candidates running across the board. In the weeks to come, we’ll be interviewing candidates for the Antrim races ( for example Mitch Distin in the 104^th District/MI State Legislature, Rachel Longendyke Teeter in the 105^th District/MI State Legislature and Kate Gallup in the 37^th District/MI Senate race.

We elected many fine Precinct Delegates locally. They’ll be working hard to meet their neighbors and get the word out about the excellent Dems who are running.

The Antrim Dems are an amazing, energized, smart and yes, creative group. The Newsletter is looking forward to biweekly reports as we “Go for Blue” in Antrim County!

Here are the Antrim County results as reported by 9and10news. Note that the Dems got out there! Thanks to everyone for showing up and voting.

CLICK FOR RESULTS

Keep your eyes peeled for our Michigan blue support of our candidates.

CLICK HERE FOR THE FULL CALENDAR OF REGULAR EVENTS ON OUR WEBSITE

JOIN OR RENEW YOUR 2026 MEMBERSHIP

CLICK RIGHT HERE

A huge shoutout

…To Martha Davidson who has been our Antrim Dems Treasurer for years. Martha, thank you so much for ALL you have done for the Antrim Dems!!!

A big welcome to our new Antrim Dems Treasurer Steve Klotz 62klotz@gmail.com.

Thanks, Steve, and welcome aboard!

ANTRIM DEMS HAVE THE AD-VANTAGE

The Ad Team is hard at work creating ads that will draw folks in – looking out for us all, rather than locking people out.

And we care about the beauty and richness of our natural resources.

We appreciate your support! Every dollar goes toward our efforts to get the word out.

Click here to donate via ActBlue

Or you can mail a check to:
Antrim County Democratic Party
P.O. Box 331
Elk Rapids, MI 49629

· Official Website: Antrim County Democratic Party

· Facebook Page: Antrim County Democratic Party on Facebook

Thanks for your support!

An Update on the Recall Effort

On August 6, the Attorney General’s Office issued a press release indicating they found no criminal conduct by Antrim County Clerk Victory Bishop in regard to allowing her husband unsupervised access to her office and computer.

The press release goes on to state: “There are obvious concerns with any county clerk allowing unsupervised and unauthorized access to their computers, workspaces, and files… this case surely represents a clear misstep from adequate practices and prudent policy.”

This “misstep” is just one in a long series of missteps by our County Clerk. Her campaign for office included a false campaign finance report. She accepted an improper $10,000 cash contribution for which there was no paperwork. She mailed out approximately 1800 confirmation and cancellation notices to voters with multiple deficiencies. She improperly modified at least 14 voter records.

A Committee to Recall Victoria Bishop has been formed. A massive petition effort is expected to collect 4,500 signatures to hold a recall election in May 2027.

Ashley Areeda will appear before the Board of Canvassers on August 17 seeking approval of proposed language for the recall petition. Bishop’s lawyer would have 10 days to file an appeal if the Board approves the language.

A website with further information will be available in the next few days. We will provide the website address in our next newsletter.

Please help by filling out this form and forwarding this newsletter to everyone you know in Antrim County asking them to do the same. This will only happen if EVERYONE (meaning you) does their share. It is easy and quick !

ACCESS THE FORM

Conversations in Midterm Election Years:
Ready. Set. Go!

Before the November elections of 2026, you’ll hear a lot of chatter about Social Democrats. If you are a Democrat, you’ll find yourself handling questions like:

“I hear that Democrats are really Socialists. Are you one of those?”

“Isn’t that like Communism?”

How to respond….

Here are a few suggestions from friends who are in this with us:

The word ‘social’ has been around as long as there have been humans forming groups. It means “as of or relating to human society”. It means social connection/people living in groups/ time spent with others.

It means human interaction, community life, and humans gathering together.

In the US Congress, Democratic legislation over the years has often been about social issues. Democrats are interested in social options to improve individual’s lives-- like schools, public parks, regulations to make water, or houses or bridges safe for all. These are rules that people as a social group agree upon.

Democrats also believe that this is includes ‘social safety nets.’

Over the years it’s Democrats who pushed for the economic safety net of Social Security for the aged or disabled. It was Democrats who introduced Medicare for the aged, and Medicaid to provide health care for the poor, or young and alone, or disabled who could not meet those expenses.

It was Democrats who passed the Affordable Care Act attempting to bring health insurance into the grasp of all Americans, not just the rich. Why shouldn’t those whose independent businesses dig our wells and install our septic fields have insurance to cover the costs of their child’s broken bones or diabetes or asthma?

Over the years, all of these very popular programs were introduced and passed in Congress.

All these programs were passed by Democrats, not Republicans.

(Ironically, one of the first presidents to realize that Americans needed a social safety net was Republican President Teddy Roosevelt! He pushed for safety regulations for water, and fire door exits among other things.)

The term ‘Social Democrat’ in its most basic definition is related to all of the above.

Recently, those Democrats, like Vermont Senator Bernie Sanders, who believe in health care for everyone, have been called ‘Social Democrats’ as ‘opposed to Democrats. Some are proud to call themselves Social Democrats in this sense. Others—both Democrat and not Democrat—interpret the term to mean ‘Socialist’ Democrat….as in the Socialist Democratic Party.

It’s easy to twist words into different meanings. The English language is famous for it.

The word ‘swell’ is a case in point. Most wood swells when wet…That guy swelled with pride…I think going to the county fair is swell…..We like him. He’s swell…...How did a word for growing larger, louder, or more intense in size, number, or emotion transition to being a word for excellence or outstanding competence?

So, in your conversations this Election Season, be ready to counter the question of ‘Social’. Decide where you fit…is it adjective, verb, slang, timely, a slur or a compliment. Then form your response to others.

You can say, “I’m a Democrat. Some folks call us Social Democrats as if it’s something ugly or wrong…..It’s not. …. It’s just a way to describe this long list of great achievements Democrats have made over the years.

“Yes, I care about other people and their well-being. I care that people have food, a place to live, health care, and we try to practice the Golden Rule.”

After you respond, the other person might say that they believe the same things but they are Republicans. If so, compliment them. It’s good to be wanting the same things.

But if they feel compelled to argue back, your next response can be tailored to fit the circumstance, with the underlying goal: “Don’t pick up the rope.”

Wish them well, agree to disagree or remind them of the Golden Rule.

Many people are taught that conversation is about ‘winning’ a point. Having the ‘last word’ makes them feel they’ve won….

So, throw a smile. Wish them a great day. .

It’s the social thing to do. And that’s a winning conversation.

LASTLY . . . A Long Read on the War in Iran

by Terry Miller, Antrim County Resident, and ChatGPT Plus
Sunday August 9, 2026

The Iran War: Staying informed.

Here is a concise breakdown of key milestones in the conflict, now in its sixth month:

Core Summary

February 28: War begins with massive joint US-Israeli strikes targeting Iranian nuclear and military infrastructure. Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei is killed in the initial barrage.

March-April: The conflict expands regionally as Hezbollah opens a northern front in Israel, prompting Israeli ground operations in Lebanon. Mojtaba Khamenei is named Iran’s new Supreme Leader. Iran effectively closes the Strait of Hormuz, driving up global energy prices.

May-June: Repeated clashes disrupt maritime trade routes as Washington enforces a naval blockade on Iranian ports. A Pakistan-mediated ceasefire and June memorandum briefly reduce large-scale fighting, but disputes over Hormuz, sanctions and renewed strikes prevent a durable settlement.

Late July-early August: Multi-front escalation resumes after Iran targets U.S. bases in Jordan. U.S. and Saudi forces strike IRGC positions in Iran and proxy targets in Iraq. Houthi attacks also threaten Saudi and Red Sea energy and shipping infrastructure.

Current Status

Status: Active combat. The war has entered its sixth month and has become a prolonged regional standoff rather than the quick resolution initially envisioned.

Key Flashpoints: The effective blockade of the Strait of Hormuz, attacks on Gulf and Red Sea shipping, cross-border missile exchanges, and proxy clashes across Iraq, Lebanon and Yemen.

Diplomacy: Oman is mediating indirect U.S.-Iran discussions over a shipping arrangement and a possible reopening of Hormuz. Iran says an agreement is nearing completion but continues to demand sanctions relief, compensation and an end to U.S. military pressure.

Economic Consequences

The war’s largest economic consequence is not the direct military bill. It is the energy shock created by the effective closure of the Strait of Hormuz. That cost travels everywhere—in gasoline, airfare, food, manufacturing, interest rates, and slower economic growth.

At home: the United States

1. Gasoline is the most visible cost

U.S. gasoline averaged more than $4.20 per gallon during the second quarter, compared with roughly $2.80–$3.00 before the war. Prices have since retreated; the EIA expects about $3.80 during the third quarter. U.S. Energy Information Administration

For Michigan, an analysis by the minority staff of Congress’s Joint Economic Committee estimated that the average household had spent an additional $502 on gasoline by mid-July. That estimate depends on assumed fuel consumption, but it captures the scale correctly: several hundred dollars per driving household, not merely a few dollars at the pump. Michigan Independent

A household with two vehicles, especially SUVs or pickups, has probably felt considerably more.

2. Air travel has become substantially more expensive

Jet fuel has risen about 65% since the beginning of 2026, while domestic airfares are reportedly 26.5% above last year. Not all of that increase is attributable to Iran—aircraft shortages, reduced competition and FAA staffing also matter—but the fuel shock is an important component. The Guardian

3. Food and ordinary merchandise are being affected indirectly

Higher diesel and gasoline costs raise the price of:

• Farm operations and fertilizer

• Trucking and refrigeration

• Plastics and packaging

• Restaurant ingredients and deliveries

• Almost every product transported over a long distance

The March shock was especially pronounced: world crude prices rose nearly 40%, Asian LNG prices nearly two-thirds, and nitrogen-fertilizer prices nearly 50%. World Bank

For Masala Magic, the effects would appear less as one spectacular surcharge and more as accumulating pressure: food deliveries, cooking oil, packaging, employee commuting and customer reluctance to make discretionary trips.

4. Inflation is staying higher—and borrowing costs higher for longer

The Federal Reserve and other central banks face an unpleasant choice:

• Cut interest rates to protect growth, risking renewed inflation.

• Keep rates high to suppress inflation, weakening housing, investment and consumer spending.

The IMF says anticipated interest-rate paths have already moved upward because policymakers fear energy prices will spread into wages and other prices. Longer-term bond yields have risen as well. IMF July 2026 outlook

Thus the war can affect someone who buys no gasoline at all — through mortgage rates, auto loans, credit cards and business financing.

5. Taxpayers are acquiring a large future bill

The Pentagon placed direct war expenditure at $37.5 billion through late July, including projected costs through September 30. The administration has requested almost $90 billion in additional Iran-related funding. Reuters

That has not yet appeared as a special tax. It will instead become some combination of:

• Larger federal deficits

• Higher interest expense

• Reduced spending elsewhere

• Future taxes

Weapons inventories are also being depleted. Replacing costly interceptors and missiles will continue well after combat ends.

Abroad

Iran: economic devastation

Iran is experiencing the most severe direct damage:

• Oil-export revenue has been curtailed.

• Ports, power systems and industrial facilities have been damaged.

• Sanctions and the U.S. blockade impede imports as well as exports.

• Currency depreciation magnifies the price of imported food and medicine.

• Businesses face shortages, closures and layoffs.

Exact Iranian statistics are difficult to trust during wartime, but reports indicate extraordinarily high food inflation and severe foreign-exchange stress. The economic pressure is real; whether it forces political capitulation is much less certain. Governments can survive economic misery considerably longer than their populations can comfortably endure it.

Gulf states and Iraq: enormous lost output

The World Bank has cut expected 2026 growth for Gulf Cooperation Council countries from 4.4% in 2025 to 1.3% in 2026. For the broader Middle East region excluding Iran, expected growth has fallen from 4.0% to 1.8%—a 2.4-point downgrade from the January forecast. World Bank regional update

Even oil-rich countries cannot profit fully from high prices when they cannot reliably ship the oil. Saudi Arabia and the UAE possess alternate pipelines, but those routes cannot replace normal Hormuz capacity.

Europe: particularly vulnerable

Europe imports energy and has less domestic cushioning than the United States. The consequences include:

• Higher household utility bills

• Higher industrial costs

• Weaker consumer spending

• Delayed interest-rate reductions

• Greater recession risk in energy-intensive economies

Eurozone consumption growth fell to about 2.5% year-over-year in April, down from the previous 3–4% range. The ECB attributes much of that pullback to uncertainty and fear of lost purchasing power. Reuters

Asia: most exposed to physical Gulf supplies

China, India, Japan and South Korea normally receive most of the oil and LNG leaving the Gulf. Wealthier importers can pay more and reroute supplies; poorer countries such as Pakistan and Bangladesh have much less room.

China’s inflationary pressure has recently eased as Brent fell from above $110 to roughly $84, but its second-quarter growth slowed to 4.3%. The war is not the sole cause—China’s property and demand problems remain important—but expensive imported energy added to the drag. Reuters

Global shipping and inventories

Traffic through Hormuz is reportedly around 10% of its prewar level, with hundreds of vessels and thousands of crew members stranded. Aramco estimates that the disruption has removed 2.6 billion barrels from normal global supply flows and inventories—nearly a month of world consumption. Even reopening the strait would not instantly restore inventories, refinery operations or insurance availability. Reuters

Bottom line

The United States is inconvenienced and made poorer; Iran and parts of the Gulf are being economically battered; Europe and energy-dependent Asian economies face the greatest external danger.

For an average American household, the most defensible present conclusion is:

• Several hundred dollars already lost through fuel and related prices

• Potentially around $1,000 over the year when indirect costs are included

• More expensive travel and goods

• Interest rates remaining higher longer

• A substantial federal war bill deferred to taxpayers

The hopeful fact is that oil markets have adapted better than feared: Brent has fallen from above $110 to the low-to-mid $80s. The dangerous fact is that this adaptation has consumed much of the world’s remaining cushion. A sustained Hormuz reopening would produce meaningful relief. Another major attack on Gulf oil infrastructure could reverse it very quickly.

Antrim County Democratic Party/Michigan

Chairperson: Veronica Welter, Chair@antrimdems.com

Website: antrimdems.com

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/AntrimCountyDemocraticParty/

Volume #12. ANTRIM DEMS NEWSLETTER, WRITTEN AND ASSEMBLED BY SALLIE FOLEY, ALLEN WOLF, and JIM BLACK.
QUESTIONS/COMMENTS CAN BE DIRECTED TO SFOLEY@ANTRIMDEMS.COM

For more contact information, including Michigan senators and house representatives, visit our full contact information page by clicking HERE

Support Antrim Dems Today!

Rogers’ shift towards total fealty to Trump over Michiganders clear as he pushes election denialism claims he used to condemn

LANSING — Breaking reporting from The New York Times reveals that corrupt multimillionaire Mike Rogers is prioritizing “loyalty to Trump” after “Trump convinced him to get back on the campaign trail,” including pushing false claims of stolen elections that he used to condemn.

According to The New York Times, Rogers said at a campaign event that he decided to run again only after “The president called and said, ‘Mike, I need you to do this. I need you in the Senate.’” Since then, Rogers has done Trump’s bidding at the expense of Michiganders, including suggesting that “further scrutiny of the 2020 election was warranted” and “voting irregularities sank his first Senate bid two years ago,” while pledging to rubber stamp all of Trump’s cost-raising policies.

Read more:

New York Times: Michigan Senate Candidate, a Former Trump Critic, Shifts Toward Election Skepticism

• [A]s he aims to return to Washington, in a Senate race considered key to control of that chamber, Mr. Rogers has become an election skeptic. Minutes after the president’s recent speech filled with outlandish accusations about voting fraud — including a debunked claim about Michigan ballots — Mr. Rogers weighed in, suggesting that further scrutiny of the election was warranted.

• “I am thankful for President Trump’s commitment to transparency,” Mr. Rogers said on his social media accounts. “The news coming out of the White House tonight is deeply troubling — especially that of a voter fraud scheme right here in Michigan.”

• Mr. Rogers has also suggested that voting irregularities sank his Senate bid two years ago — based on an unproven claim about late-arriving Detroit ballots that Mr. Trump has amplified and that echoed accusations made by election deniers in 2020.

• […] “Now he’s toeing the MAGA line,” said former Representative Fred Upton, a Michigan Republican who served with Mr. Rogers in the House and calls him a friend. “I don’t want to speculate on his motives for talking about the 2020 election, but that election is over. The 2024 election is over.”

• […] Mr. Rogers’s campaign did not provide any evidence to back up his claim about his 2024 defeat.

• Mr. Rogers now faces the newly minted Democratic nominee, Dr. Abdul El-Sayed, a former public health official from the left wing of his party, in the November election. Mr. Trump said earlier this week that Dr. El-Sayed had “a real shot” in a state he claimed was riddled with voter fraud. “Get ready for another Rigged Election,” he said.

• […] The editorial board of The Detroit Free Press reported in June 2024 that when it asked the Senate candidate whether Mr. Biden won the 2020 election, he refused to answer — a sign of Mr. Rogers’s newfound loyalty to Mr. Trump.

• Mr. Rogers won the primary two months later but narrowly lost to Elissa Slotkin, a Democrat, even as Mr. Trump carried the state. Weeks later, an aide to the president-elect quashed speculation that Mr. Rogers was under consideration for F.B.I. director amid a backlash from MAGA influencers, who saw the former intelligence official who had worked for CNN as part of the loathed “deep state.”

• But after Senator Gary Peters, a Michigan Democrat, announced his retirement in January 2025, Mr. Rogers said Mr. Trump convinced him to get back on the campaign trail.

• “The president called and said, ‘Mike, I need you to do this. I need you in the Senate, and here’s the only thing I’m going to ask you: win,’” Mr. Rogers told a Republican group in Muskegon, Mich., in October 2025, according to video reviewed by The Times.

• At that same event, Mr. Rogers cast doubt on the legitimacy of Ms. Slotkin’s victory, referring to a van carrying ballots that “showed up” in Detroit the morning after the election. He gave the same account at another event earlier that month and said those ballots had “swung the election.” His comments about the van were previously reported by The Detroit News.

• “Mike Rogers knows better,” said Christopher Thomas, who served as Michigan’s elections director for more than three decades before becoming an adviser to voting officials in Detroit. “Mike Rogers knows no one stole the election from him in 2024, and he knows full well no one stole the election from Trump in 2020.”

• This year, Mr. Rogers is running not just with the president’s endorsement but also with the help of many of his closest associates. His current campaign team includes Chris LaCivita, a co-manager of Mr. Trump’s 2024 campaign; Katie Walsh Shields, Mr. Trump’s former deputy chief of staff; and Tony Fabrizio, a pollster and senior adviser to the president.

• […] Linda Lee Tarver, a Republican activist in Michigan who backed Mr. Trump’s attempt to overturn the 2020 election, said she did not blame Mr. Rogers for opposing those efforts six years ago. “He didn’t have all the information,” she said. Ms. Tarver also suggested that Mr. Rogers’s view of that vote might have changed after his loss in the 2024 Senate race.

• “We know in our hearts that he won,” said Ms. Tarver, who is serving on Mr. Rogers’s campaign coalition of religious leaders. “Tell me, how would you feel about losing by 19,000 votes in a state with illegal voting? That had to have changed his view.”

• […] Mr. Trump remains fixated on voting fraud and has seized on Mr. Rogers’s claim about his defeat in the 2024 Senate race. In a speech to the Detroit Economic Club in January, the president asserted Mr. Rogers “won” a Senate seat two years ago and said, “I think they took that away from you last time.”

• “They rigged the election on you,” he added.

• Mr. Rogers posted the president’s remarks on X and featured them in a fund-raising appeal.

• When the two men campaigned together last month in Michigan, Mr. Trump said, “I happen to think he won last time.”

• […] Mr. Trump then called up John James, a Republican candidate for governor, to the stage. “Thank you Mr. President for coming back to Michigan, where you’ve won three times,” Mr. James said. (Mr. Trump carried the state in 2016 and 2024 but lost in 2020.)

• Mr. Rogers stood to Mr. James’s right, his hands clasped.

###

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ANTRIM COUNTY — In contested races for the Aug. 4, primary election, voters in Antrim County showed support for Abdul El-Sayed by a slim margin over Haley Stevens in the Democratic run for U.S. Senator.

Click For Full Article and Results

For your own reference, here is the ANTRIM COUNTY Election Summary Report

Unofficial Results August 4 2026 Primary

482KB ∙ PDF file

Download

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Jack Bergman has represented the district since 2017. Republican candidates Matthew DenOtter, and Justin Michal are challenging the incumbent on the Aug. 4 primary ballot.

Candidates Callie Barr, who faced Bergman in the 2024 election, Kyle Blomquist and Wayne Stiles are vying for the Democrat position in the primary.

Republican candidates Bergman, DenOtter and Michal did not fill out the candidate questionnaire or respond to multiple requests from MLive to fill it out prior to publication.

All responses in the voter guide were submitted directly by the candidate and have not been edited by the League of Women Voters or MLive, except for necessary cuts if a reply exceeded character limitations. Spelling and grammar were not corrected.

Publication of candidate statements and opinions is solely in the interest of public service and should NOT be considered as an endorsement. The League never supports or opposes any candidates or political parties.

ON HEALTHCARE:
What specific steps will you take in Congress to address healthcare affordability, access and quality for the people you represent?

Callie Barr

Healthcare should be affordable and accessible for everyone - I will fight for universal healthcare. I will fight to repeal Medicaid cuts that threaten rural hospitals and nursing homes and extend ACA subsidies to keep coverage affordable. I support a strong public option so everyone can see a doctor without worrying about the bill. We must lower prescription drug costs by allowing Medicare to negotiate prices, require transparency in healthcare pricing, and reform insurance companies that deny needed care. Finally, I will fully fund the VA, end harmful staffing cuts, and ensure veterans receive the timely, quality care they earned.

Kyle Blomquist

I will work to pass Medicare for All so that we can finally join the rest of the developed world in providing universal healthcare to every American; eliminating our uniquely cruel for-profit health insurance system, which results in rampant claim denial, care avoidance, and medical debt. Medicare for All also reforms Medicare to eliminate the need to expensive supplements, and finally covers every American from birth to death. I will also work to fund public clinics to fill rural healthcare gaps where private healthcare systems have deemed my neighbors’ care unprofitable.

Wayne Stiles

Healthcare must serve patients, not corporate monopolies. I support restoring a strong Public Option to increase competition and lower costs. We should use the federal government’s buying power to reduce prescription drug prices and allow insurance competition across state lines. In rural Northern Michigan, expanding telehealth requires major investment in fiberoptic broadband. Where corporate hospital systems have consolidated and abandoned rural communities, I support federally operated hospitals and care facilities to restore local access to emergency, senior, and mental health care. The long-term goal should be universal healthcare.

ON THE ECONOMY:
What policy initiatives do you support for residents to earn a living wage and address the overall question of affordability across Michigan?

Callie Barr

I am running on an Affordable LIFE. I oppose policies that cause gas and food prices to skyrocket. For jobs, I support investments in small businesses, protecting the right to organize (PRO Act), and investing in apprenticeship and workforce training programs. To address affordability, I support universal healthcare, lowering prescription drug costs, increase the supply of affordable housing, reduce childcare expenses, and protect Social Security and Medicare. I will also support tax policies that reward work rather than wealth, ensuring working families—not billionaires and large corporations—benefit from economic growth.

Kyle Blomquist

I believe in mandating Living wages and Paid Time Off for all American workers. I support a Federal Jobs Guarantee and a Green New Deal, which would redirect funding away from our oversized military budget and towards putting Americans to work rebuilding infrastructure and providing services at home. I would attack affordability with programs like Medicare for All, repealing the Faircloth amendment to provide quality, affordable public housing to all that need it, and enforcing and strengthening existing anti-trust law to break up monopolies and impose price-controls to combat price gouging across all industries and markets.

Wayne Stiles

The best social program ever invented is a good-paying job. Northern Michigan’s economy depends on manufacturing, agriculture, forestry, tourism, shipping, and outdoor recreation. I support expanding skilled trades and apprenticeship programs, rebuilding roads and ports, protecting family farms, and bringing reliable high-speed internet to every rural community in MI-01. We must prioritize small businesses over multinational corporations while lowering everyday costs through affordable housing, lower prescription drug prices, and practical energy policies that keep utility costs affordable.

ON THE ENVIRONMENT & ENERGY:
How would you approach ensuring energy reliability, consumer affordability and environmental protection in Michigan?

Callie Barr

Michigan needs an energy strategy that is reliable, affordable, and responsible. I support an all-of-the-above approach that includes renewables and existing energy sources while modernizing our electric grid and expanding domestic energy production. We must lower utility costs for families, invest in energy efficiency, and strengthen infrastructure. At the same time, we must protect the Great Lakes, support responsible environmental stewardship, and create good-paying jobs in clean energy, manufacturing, and infrastructure so Michigan can lead in both economic growth and environmental protection.

Kyle Blomquist

In order to improve our energy reliability we must modernize our energy infrastructure and invest in renewable energy sources. Addressing consumer affordability requires elected leaders who are willing to break up utility monopolies, pass federal legislation creating more powerful consumer protections against utility price gouging, and public investment in green energy infrastructure, resulting in publicly owned utilities and further eroding corporate control over energy markets. Environmental protection must happen at all levels of government through robust investment, oversight, and accountability. The great lakes region must be protected.

Wayne Stiles

Northern Michigan needs an all-of-the-above energy strategy that keeps power reliable, affordable, and American-made. I support expanding wind, hydroelectric, propane, natural gas, and next-generation renewable energy while modernizing the electric grid and protecting the Great Lakes. Nuclear energy can continue to play a limited role where it is safe and cost-effective. Rural families should not bear the burden of policies that dramatically raise utility bills. We must protect our forests, water, and outdoor economy while ensuring dependable and affordable energy for homes, farms, and businesses.

ON IMMIGRATION
What is your position on due process, First Amendment, and Fourth Amendment rights for all Michigan residents, including noncitizens, and what changes, if any, would you support?

Callie Barr

The Constitution protects fundamental rights, including due process, free speech, and protection from unreasonable searches and seizures. These rights are essential to our democracy and must be upheld. I support secure borders, an orderly immigration system, and enforcement of our laws, but I also believe government must follow the Constitution. No one should be denied due process or have their rights violated by government action. I support comprehensive immigration reform that strengthens border security, modernizes legal immigration pathways, and ensures fair, efficient, and lawful procedures.

Kyle Blomquist

All constitutional rights including those enshrined in the first and fourth amendment should apply to every resident of our country, including those non-citizens. I support the repeal of the Laken Riley act, which undermined due-process rights based on citizenship status.

Wayne Stiles

America can have secure borders and still respect the Constitution. Due process, free speech, and protection from unlawful searches apply to everyone — citizens and noncitizens alike. I support targeted immigration enforcement focused on violent criminals and trafficking, not political theater or mass fear tactics. ICE needs real oversight, clear constitutional standards, and realistic budgeting so taxpayers know the agency is focused on public safety, not violating rights or wasting resources.

MLive / League of Women Voters guide

Compare candidates and proposal information for the Aug. 4 primary with our online voter guide, a partnership between MLive and the League of Women Voters. Click the link: Vote411.org/Michigan.

DEMOCRATIC PRIMARY FOR SENATE

Here’s what the League of Women Voters reports in regards to the Democratic Primary for US Senate:

GENERAL BIO:
Why are you running for Senate?

Abdul El-Sayed

I was born and raised in SE Michigan by my dad, Mohamed, an Egyptian immigrant, and my stepmom, Jackie, whose family has lived in Gratiot County since the 1800s. I graduated from the University of Michigan, earned an MD at Columbia, and a PhD from Oxford as a Rhodes Scholar. I trained as a doctor, but came to see that it was our politics making people sick. That led me to public service. I led both Detroit and Wayne County’s Health Departments, where we secured free glasses for kids and spearheaded a program to eliminate medical debt for thousands of Michiganders. I’m running for US Senate because life in Michigan shouldn’t be this hard–and it doesn’t have to be. Our campaign focuses on guaranteeing healthcare through Medicare for All, making life more affordable by empowering unions and small businesses, and banning corporate money from politics. Our goal isn’t just to win this election, but to change our politics through a movement of Michiganders who believe in the American government as it was meant to be: of the people, by the people, and for the people.

Haley Stevens

Michigan needs a fighter who gets things done for our state. I am the most effective Michigan Democrat in Congress, and I’ve been fighting Donald Trump’s abuses of power and working to lower costs.

Having walked nearly 200 manufacturing floors with workers and business owners as part of my ‘Manufacturing Monday’ program, I know what Michigan workers and Michigan’s economy need. That’s what I’ve been working on since my time as Chief of Staff on President Obama’s auto rescue, where I was the only Michigander on the team. Delivering for Michigan means protecting manufacturing, like my work to bring semiconductor production back to Michigan, and protecting auto jobs by keeping Chinese cars out of U.S. markets. It means investing in education, like my Building Blocks of STEM Act to help underserved communities access STEM education, and lowering health care costs by impeaching RFK Jr., restoring Trump’s cuts to Medicaid, fighting back against Trump’s attacks on Social Security and Medicare, and standing up to Trump when he abuses his power and deploys the military on U.S. citizens.

LEGISLATIVE ACTIONS:
How and to what extent would you negotiate and compromise with your colleagues to pass critical legislation?

Abdul El-Sayed

I will work with anyone who is serious about delivering real results for working people. I’ll fight for bipartisan solutions that actually move us forward, like reforms to speed up clean energy projects, but only if they protect workers, uphold strong labor standards, and put communities first. I know that bipartisan deals can make progress, but I will never trade away our core values or the needs of working people just to please corporate interests.

Because my campaign refuses all corporate PAC money, I am accountable only to the voters, not special interests. I will not back down on defending fundamental freedoms like civil rights, reproductive freedom, LGBTQ+ rights, and workers’ rights. I will fiercely protect the programs that keep people afloat, like Social Security and Medicare, and oppose any cuts. To break the gridlock caused by outdated rules like the filibuster, I support real reform so we can finally pass the laws working people need. I believe in principled negotiation—finding common ground without ever abandoning the people I serve.

Haley Stevens

It is my job to deliver results for Michiganders - and Michigan’s working families can’t afford to wait decades for change. I’m proud to have been named Michigan’s most effective House Democrat, and I earned that recognition by finding common ground and working with people of both parties to get things done.

I also believe that under this administration, with Trump wreaking havoc on our institutions and chipping away at our freedoms, there are times when it’s my job to hold fast to our Democratic values and not give an inch. That’s the kind of leadership that Michigan voters continue to ask for and the kind of approach I take to delivering tangible results for them in Washington.

ON IMMIGRATION:
What recommendations, if any, would you propose to change U.S. Immigration Policy?

Abdul El-Sayed

Our current immigration system treats any and all immigrants as threats rather than with dignity and respect. I believe in a safe and secure border and a clear pathway to citizenship. I support the Dream Act, the SECURE Act, and protecting birthright citizenship. I have called for abolishing ICE since 2018 because it has become a paramilitary force weaponized at the whims of the executive branch to terrorize communities.

We must rebuild our approach to border enforcement so it actually keeps people safe instead of criminalizing immigrants, while investing in legal infrastructure to support clear pathways to citizenship. We must fully fund asylum and refugee programs and end discrimination based on religion or nationality, period, and stand up for immigrant workers by reforming guest worker programs to stop exploitation, holding corporations accountable when they abuse people.

Haley Stevens

Donald Trump’s ICE is out of control and requires an immediate, drastic, and transparent overhaul that ensures accountability and prosecution for wrongdoing. Trump’s ICE agents killed two American citizens in broad daylight, and they are putting more Americans in danger every day. I pushed to impeach then-Secretary Kristi Noem and remove her from office. My plan to reform ICE is this:
-Require ICE agents to identify themselves and take off their masks, wear body cameras, and be held to the same standards as local law enforcement.
-Redirect the $75 billion slush fund Donald Trump gave ICE to our communities and give it to state and local law enforcement.
-Create a Special Prosecutor to investigate misconduct by ICE agents and hold them accountable for crimes they commit.

We must secure our border and fix our broken immigration system through the passage of comprehensive immigration reform. This includes taking steps like supporting our Dreamers and creating a secure immigration system.

ON HEALTH CARE
What policies, if any, will you advance regarding reproductive health care?

Abdul El-Sayed

No politician or government should ever stand between you and your doctor. Every person has the right to make their own decisions about their body and healthcare, including reproductive care. In the Senate, I’ll fight to guarantee reproductive freedom by making Roe v. Wade the law of the land. I’ll proudly cosponsor the Women’s Health Protection Act and stand against any attempt to ban abortion nationwide. I’ll work to ensure everyone can access abortion, contraception, and fertility treatments—without cost standing in the way—by supporting Medicare for All.

I’ll fight to repeal the Hyde Amendment and pass the EACH Act, because reproductive freedom shouldn’t depend on your income or where you live. I’ll defend funding for providers like Planned Parenthood, stop taxpayer dollars from going to fake clinics, and address the maternal mortality crisis by supporting community health workers and doulas. I will only support judges who will protect your reproductive rights.

Haley Stevens

The federal government has a responsibility to protect fundamental rights and ensure that access to health care does not depend on your zip code.

I believe Congress should establish a national standard for reproductive health care. That standard should be the protections that existed under Roe v. Wade before Republicans stripped them away: the right for women to make their own health care decisions in consultation with their doctors, free from political interference.

Since the Supreme Court overturned Roe, we’ve seen women denied emergency care and doctors threatened with prosecution. A woman’s fundamental freedoms should not change the moment she crosses a state line. That’s why when I make it to the Senate, I will fight to pass the Women’s Health Protection Act, which would restore Roe’s protections nationwide and safeguard access to abortion care, contraception, and other reproductive health services.

- - - REMINDER - - -

MICHIGAN PRIMARIES AUGUST 4
MIDTERMS NOVEMBER 3

Learn more about the races and the candidates.

BALLOTPEDIA is a useful guide to the Michigan Primaries

Click HERE for Ballotpedia

PLEASE SPREAD THE WORD:

IF YOU HAVEN’T YET, IT IS TOO LATE TO MAIL YOUR BALLOT. YOU CAN GO TO EARLY VOTING ON SATURDAY OR SUNDAY, VOTE ON ELECTION DAY, OR PUT YOUR BALLOT IN A DROP BOX

If yo would like to become a permanent Absentee Voter, go to Michigan.gov/vote.

CLICK HERE FOR THE FULL CALENDAR OF REGULAR EVENTS ON OUR WEBSITE

JOIN OR RENEW YOUR 2026 MEMBERSHIP

CLICK RIGHT HERE

ANTRIM DEMS HAVE THE AD-VANTAGE

Antrim Dems ads are known for being eye-catching and on point. The ad team works hard to design and publish ads every month. We are known in rural Michigan as the country where “Dems have the great ads.”

In the run up to the November election, our ads will be seen in local papers and the Northern Express. We need your help to keep ‘beating the drum’ and getting the word out. Sometimes a picture is worth a 1,000 words!

Click here to donate via ActBlue

Or you can mail a check to:
Antrim County Democratic Party
P.O. Box 331
Elk Rapids, MI 49629

· Official Website: Antrim County Democratic Party

· Facebook Page: Antrim County Democratic Party on Facebook

Thanks for your support!

The effort to recall Victoria Bishop continues to move forward.

Ashley Areeda made an eloquent appeal to the Michigan Board of Canvassers on July 24, 2024 to approve proposed recall petition language. However, the Board deadlocked after reviewing objections raised by Bishop’s attorney. The Committee to Recall Victoria Bishop is resubmitting with revised language which they believe will be accepted. Petition circulation should be occurring by late summer.

In the meantime, it is important to get as many people as possible to pledge to sign the petition. People who pledge to sign will receive a text message when and where the petitions will be available to sign. The solicitors will have only 60 days to collect 4,500 signatures of Antrim voters.

Please help by filling out this form and forwarding this newsletter to everyone you know in Antrim County asking them to do the same. This will only happen if EVERYONE (meaning you) does their share. It is easy and quick !

ACCESS THE FORM

LASTLY . . .

Michael Kryton is a YouTube AI video creator. Check out his rousing musical number, found on Facebook, from our living former Presidents, reminding us all that the best way to get out of this tRumpian nightmare is to VOTE!
\

Antrim County Democratic Party/Michigan

Chairperson: Veronica Welter, Chair@antrimdems.com

Website: antrimdems.com

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/AntrimCountyDemocraticParty/

Volume #11. ANTRIM DEMS NEWSLETTER, WRITTEN AND ASSEMBLED BY ALLEN WOLF, JIM BLACK, AND SALLIE FOLEY.
QUESTIONS/COMMENTS CAN BE DIRECTED TO SFOLEY@ANTRIMDEMS.COM

Support Antrim Dems Today!

Democrats believe it puts unnecessary burdens on citizens and is not needed whatsoever. It becomes a way to harass the citizenship.

Rather than solve a problem, it creates a problem.

Click on the image to read the post from the Bipartisan Policy Center.

MICHIGAN PRIMARIES AUGUST 4

Learn more about the races and the candidates.

BALLOTPEDIA is a useful guide to the Michigan Primaries

Click HERE for Ballotpedia

ARE YOU GOING TO BE READY FOR THE MIDTERMS?

Voters in Antrim County will go to the polls for primaries on August 4, 2026, and Midterms on November 3, 2026.

Primary Voting Has Already Started

QUESTION: CAN I STILL VOTE BY MAIL?

ANSWER: A RESOUNDING YES!

Despite the news that reports you won’t be able to use a mail in ballot, the post office is delivering. The ballots will be mailed.

A strategy that we all know Trump uses is to flood the news with his threats as if they were already accomplished.

Remember, his name was removed from the Kennedy Center in Washington

PLEASE SPREAD THE WORD:

VOTING BY MAIL IS HAPPENING NOW!

Absentee ballots have already been mailed to many Absentee Voters for the August 4 Primary.

The majority of Democrats vote using an absentee ballot.

Why?

1. It is the easiest way to vote.

2. It gives you time to do your research if there is something on the ballot you weren’t expecting (and voting the WHOLE ballot is very important).

3. State law changed and you can now bring your absentee ballot to the polls and vote it just like a ballot issued at the polls so it saves you and the poll workers time. So even if you like to vote in-person, getting on the permanent Absentee Voter list makes sense.

To become a permanent Absentee Voter, go to Michigan.gov/vote.

CLICK HERE FOR THE UPDATED CALENDAR OF REGULAR EVENTS ON OUR WEBSITE

Click here to donate via ActBlue

Thanks for your support!

Contact & Information:

Antrim County Democratic Party
P.O. Box 1025
Bellaire, MI 49615

· Official Website: Antrim County Democratic Party

· Facebook Page: Antrim County Democratic Party on Facebook

JOIN OR RENEW YOUR 2026 MEMBERSHIP

CLICK RIGHT HERE

One Step Forward,
Two Steps Backward

Nine bills supported by Democrats were sent to the Governor’s desk last week thanks to the Michigan Supreme Court over the objections of Republican House Speaker, Matt Hall.

During the 2023-2024 State legislative session, the Democratic majority in the House and Senate passed the 9 bills but failed to forward them to the Governor before the legislature adjoined. When the Legislature reconvened, Republicans were in the majority in the House and Hall declared the legislation dead.

After a lengthy legal battle, the Democratic majority Supreme Court sided with the Democrats. In a surprising twist, the Governor vetoed all nine bills. The Governor’s Office said that the bills all had timing in them which would have required budget authorizations in the past and therefore could not be implemented. If the Governor had signed, there would have been lengthy further legal battles.

The nine bills in play here would have required public employers to pick up a larger share of employee health insurance costs, exempt public assistance payments from debt collection, move corrections officers into the Michigan State Police pension system, and allow Detroit historical museums to seek a millage.

The importance of electing the right legislators and judges has never been more apparent.

– Allen Wolf

A bi-partisan group is forming to recall Victoria Bishop. Her ability to do the job of Clerk is now constrained by the fact that the Bureau of Elections has revoked her access to the Qualified Voter Files. Her access was revoked because of multiple violations of Michigan Law and her willful disregard for those laws.

We will need to collect 4,000 signatures in a 60-day window. The exact starting date is not yet determined but we are identifying volunteers to help collect signatures as well as the contact information of people willing to sign the recall petition. Even if you can only get 10 other signatures, we need your help. You can collect signatures on your own or join us for one of our public collection points at a time convenient for you.

You can volunteer to collect signatures or to sign the petition by following the link below:

VICTORIA BISHOP RECALL CAMPAIGN

Please include your name, address, phone number and email address. Indicate whether you are volunteering to sign or volunteering to collect and also how many other signatures of Antrim Voters you think you can get.

Bishops Settle Defamation Lawsuit

Randy Bishop and Victoria Bishop’s radio station (WCHY) have settled in a defamation lawsuit brought by Moran Iron Works and Tom Moran. The judge had previously found Mr. Bishop and the radio station liable for defamation. This stage of the trial was to determine damages to be paid.

In typical Bishop style, Randy Bishop did not want his MAGA followers to know that he ate crow. So, he was able to arrange for the settlement to be sealed.

Now we can only hope that Victoria has to sell the radio station in order to pay the judgement. Thank you to Tom Moran for helping to put Randy Bishop in his place. And thank you to superstar attorney, Sandy Jasinski, whose keen skills provided so much sworn testimony from the Bishops themselves on their various illegal activities.

VICTORIA BISHOP LOSES ACCESS TO ANTRIM COUNTY VOTER ROLLS

CLICK TO READ THE STORY

IN CASE YOU MISSED IT . . .

Some people believe that barring Bishop’s access to the Qualified Voter File and thereby limiting her involvement in elections is insufficient. Antrim Dems member, Allen Wolf, sent a letter to the Governor asking her to remove Bishop completely from the Clerk job. A copy of the letter has been sent to the Antrim County Board of Commissioners. You can read Wolf’s letter on the Antrim Dems website.

A next logical step would be for the Board of Commissioners to reduce Bishop’s salary commensurate with her reduced duties. The Commissioners believe they can’t do that legally.

IMPORTANT VOTE FOR ANTRIM CONSERVATION DISTRICT

To all residents of Antrim County, notice is hereby given that on the 22nd day of July 2026, between the hours of 3:00 p.m. and 5:00 p.m. an annual meeting and election for directors will be held at the Antrim Conservation District office at 7915 Cameron St, Central Lake, Michigan.

Antrim County Democratic Party/Michigan

Chairperson: Veronica Welter, Chair@antrimdems.com

Website: antrimdems.com

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/AntrimCountyDemocraticParty/

Volume #10. ANTRIM DEMS NEWSLETTER, WRITTEN AND ASSEMBLED BY ALLEN WOLF, JIM BLACK, AND SALLIE FOLEY.
THANKS TO HEIDI NICOL FOR HER CONTRIBUTIONS.
QUESTIONS/COMMENTS CAN BE DIRECTED TO SFOLEY@ANTRIMDEMS.COM

Support Antrim Dems Today!

Coffee with Callie on Wednesday, July 15, 2026.  Callie will arrive at Arts and Connections at 10 am. We usually schedule 1.5 hours for an event. The plan is to speak for 15-20 minutes, then allow time for questions, conversation, and visiting with attendees.  We will need a place for campaign materials.  We will also bring "Callie Barr for Congress" yard signs for those who would like to take them. 

Callie will arrive at Arts and Connections at 10 am. We usually schedule 1.5 hours for an event. The plan is to speak for 15-20 minutes, then allow time for questions, conversation, and visiting with attendees.  We will need a place for campaign materials.  We will also bring "Callie Barr for Congress" yard signs for those who would like to take them. 

Join us !

This is important—Conservation minded candidates are essential !

Go to Antrimcd.org to carefully read information on the election and read the bios of those in the running for Board Positions.

Antrim Conservation District (ACD) office: 77915 Cameron Street Central Lake, MI
231-533-8363 Ext 3 (ask to speak to Alexander Xander)

Ways to Vote: The best way to vote is in person from 3-5 PM Wednesday, July 22. Call the office, talk to Xander to have a ballot mailed to you or emailed to you. Fill out ballot and return to office in person or mail it in with proof of Antrim County residence.

*For informational purposes only. Not an official endorsement by the Antrim County Democratic Party.

A lot like this amazing photo by Dan Crites

MICHIGAN PRIMARIES AUGUST 4

Learn more about the races and the candidates.

BALLOTPEDIA is a useful guide to the Michigan Primaries

Click HERE for Ballotpedia

Candidates who are coming to speak over the next few weeks:

*For information only. Not an official endorsements by the Antrim County Democratic Party.

DEMS HAVE ALREADY WELCOMED SEVERAL CANDIDATES TO NORTHERN MICHIGAN

• GARLIN GILCHRIST FOR SECRETARY OF STATE

• ELI SAVIT FOR ATTORNEY GENERAL

• CALLIE BARR FOR MICHIGAN’S 1^ST CONGRESSIONAL DISTRICT

• MALLORY MCMORROW FOR US SENATOR

• ABUL EL-SAYED FOR US SENATOR

• OUR OWN ANTRIM COUNTY DEMOCRAT MITCHEL DESTIN FOR STATE SENATOR IN MICHIGAN’S 104^TH.

ARE YOU GOING TO BE READY FOR THE MIDTERMS?

Voters in Antrim County will go to the polls for primaries on August 4, 2026, and Midterms on November 3, 2026.

Primary Voting Has Already Started

QUESTION: CAN I STILL VOTE BY MAIL?

ANSWER: A RESOUNDING YES!

Despite the news that reports you won’t be able to use a mail in ballot, the post office is delivering. The ballots will be mailed.

A strategy that we all know Trump uses is to flood the news with his threats as if they were already accomplished.

Remember, his name was removed from the Kennedy Center in Washington

And here is the recent court ruling—From Simon Rosenberg’s Hopium Substack:

Big Court Wins

We had another big voting rights win in the Courts yesterday. Here’s an excerpt of a new Democracy Docket article, Judge blocks Trump order that would have let USPS refuse to deliver mail ballots:

A federal judge in Massachusetts Thursday blocked federal agencies from implementing President Donald Trump’s sweeping attack on mail voting and his attempt to create a national voter registration list before the midterm elections.

District Judge Indira Talwani, a Barack Obama appointee, found that major parts of Trump’s March 2026 anti-voting executive order were “legally void” for exceeding the president’s power and violating the separation of powers by encroaching on states’ authority to administer elections.

“The Constitution does not grant the President any specific powers over elections,” Talwani wrote.

The 37-page ruling marks a major win for voters before the midterms. In siding with Democratic state attorneys general, Talwani largely stopped the United States Postal Service (USPS) from refusing to deliver mail ballots unless states hand over their voter lists to the Trump administration.

Her order also significantly prevents the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) and the Social Security Administration (SSA) from effectively creating a nationwide voter registration list by compiling lists of verified U.S. citizens eligible to vote.

This ruling comes on the heels of another win in the fight against Trump’s efforts to create a national voter registry. Here’s Democracy Docket again, In blow to Trump, federal judge blocks DHS from using citizenship database to purge voters

A federal judge in Washington D.C. blocked the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) from using its citizenship database to remove voters from registration rolls, striking a significant blow against President Donald Trump’s unconstitutional attempt to take control of federal elections.

In her 75-page decision Monday, District Court Judge Sparkle L. Sooknanan excoriated Trump and DHS’s implementation of his March 25 executive order for ignoring federal privacy laws as they overhauled the Systemic Alien Verification for Entitlements (SAVE) system into a faulty citizenship checker.

“All in all, the federal government has knowingly trampled on the privacy rights of American citizens in a manner that threatens the sacred right to vote,” District Court Judge Sparkle L. Sooknanan wrote. “This Court cannot stand idly by while that happens.”

Trump’s order directed DHS to overhaul SAVE, taking a database of the immigration status of roughly 26.5 million people and turning it into a citizenship-checking system with access to the personal information of most Americans. The upgrades allowed for bulk searches using partial social security numbers and made the database freely available to state and local election officials.”

PLEASE SPREAD THE WORD:

VOTING BY MAIL IS HAPPENING NOW!

Absentee ballots have already been mailed to many Absentee Voters for the August 4 Primary.

The majority of Democrats vote using an absentee ballot.

Why?

1. It is the easiest way to vote.

2. It gives you time to do your research if there is something on the ballot you weren’t expecting (and voting the WHOLE ballot is very important).

3. State law changed and you can now bring your absentee ballot to the polls and vote it just like a ballot issued at the polls so it saves you and the poll workers time. So even if you like to vote in-person, getting on the permanent Absentee Voter list makes sense.

To become a permanent Absentee Voter, go to Michigan.gov/vote.

Newsletter error corrected - apologies from the Newsletter team

We reported the wrong number of Democratic Precinct Delegates for Antrim County.

The number of delegates is actually 34. We can always work toward getting to 64!

Thank you for all who have volunteered to a delegate. Remember to vote for ALL the delegates in your township. To be a delegate, you have to have at least one vote. But you are not running against the other delegates.

Antrim County Democratic Precinct Delegates

CENTRAL LAKE TOWNSHIP
JEFFREY A. BOZYNSKI

CUSTER TOWNSHIP
STEVE KLOTZ

ELK RAPIDS TOWNSHIP
CHERYL BACHMAN

FOREST HOME TOWNSHIP
CHARLES PRYDE, LINDA TRAVIS, STUART TRAVIS, ELLEN BAIRD, JOHN W. WESLEY, MYRNA S. HOLLAND, WILLIAM C. HOLLAND, MARY CLARE KURZ, JAMES J. MUTH, MYRA MUTH, SUSAN MYERS, SALLIE MARTIN FOLEY

HELENA TOWNSHIP
KEVIN D. GARLOCK, DAVID R. MARTIN, GREGORY P. CZACH

KEARNEY TOWNSHIP
DANIEL BENNETT

MANCELONA TOWNSHIP
HEIDI NICOL

MILTON TOWNSHIP
LIS RYAN, CYNTHIA GARWOOD

TORCH LAKE TOWNSHIP
MARY A. SAKALL, CAROLYN SYNOL, THOMAS G. HOLTON, GRETCHEN IORIO, JIM MCKIMMY, LOU ANN MCKIMMY, ELAINE MILLER, JOHN NEMETZ, TAMMY NEMETZ, SARAH DEAN PECK, CHRISTINE HARVEY, MAUREEN LORENZ

CLICK HERE FOR THE UPDATED CALENDAR OF REGULAR EVENTS ON OUR WEBSITE

More great Antrim Dem advertising!

Check out our July 4th ad appearing in the Elk Rapids News, Antrim Review, and the Northern Express. We even share our ads with other counties!

You’ve seen them in Northern Express, Antrim Review, and Elk Rapids News. These ads keep readers informed, raise important questions and remind us all that we cannot ‘look away’ from the damage being caused by Trump and his party. But we need your support to keep the ads going. Publishing the ads is not cheap. We need your help through contributions to the Antrim Dems.

Any amount helps. If we can raise enough money, we are exploring doing radio and internet advertising as well.

As we come closer to August 4 Primary and November 3 Midterm Elections, remember that our ads will also educate voters about candidates and continue to raise awareness about the importance of voting and protecting our democracy.

Thanks for your support!

Click here to donate via ActBlue

Contact & Information:

Antrim County Democratic Party
P.O. Box 1025
Bellaire, MI 49615

· Official Website: Antrim County Democratic Party

· Facebook Page: Antrim County Democratic Party on Facebook

JOIN OR RENEW YOUR 2026 MEMBERSHIP

CLICK RIGHT HERE

A bi-partisan group is forming to recall Victoria Bishop. Her ability to do the job of Clerk is now constrained by the fact that the Bureau of Elections has revoked her access to the Qualified Voter Files. Her access was revoked because of multiple violations of Michigan Law and her willful disregard for those laws.

We will need to collect 4,000 signatures in a 60-day window. The exact starting date is not yet determined but we are identifying volunteers to help collect signatures as well as the contact information of people willing to sign the recall petition. Even if you can only get 10 other signatures, we need your help. You can collect signatures on your own or join us for one of our public collection points at a time convenient for you.

You can volunteer to collect signatures or to sign the petition by sending an email to Allen Wolf, allenwolf@yahoo.com. Please include your name, address, phone number and email address. Indicate whether you are volunteering to sign or volunteering to collect and also how many other signatures of Antrim Voters you think you can get.

Bishops Settle Defamation Lawsuit

Randy Bishop and Victoria Bishop’s radio station (WCHY) have settled in a defamation lawsuit brought by Moran Iron Works and Tom Moran. The judge had previously found Mr. Bishop and the radio station liable for defamation. This stage of the trial was to determine damages to be paid.

In typical Bishop style, Randy Bishop did not want his MAGA followers to know that he ate crow. So, he was able to arrange for the settlement to be sealed.

Now we can only hope that Victoria has to sell the radio station in order to pay the judgement. Thank you to Tom Moran for helping to put Randy Bishop in his place. And thank you to superstar attorney, Sandy Jasinski, whose keen skills provided so much sworn testimony from the Bishops themselves on their various illegal activities.

VICTORIA BISHOP LOSES ACCESS TO ANTRIM COUNTY VOTER ROLLS

CLICK TO READ THE STORY

IN CASE YOU MISSED IT . . .

Some people believe that barring Bishop’s access to the Qualified Voter File and thereby limiting her involvement in elections is insufficient. Antrim Dems member, Allen Wolf, sent a letter to the Governor asking her to remove Bishop completely from the Clerk job. A copy of the letter has been sent to the Antrim County Board of Commissioners. You can read Wolf’s letter on the Antrim Dems website.

A next logical step would be for the Board of Commissioners to reduce Bishop’s salary commensurate with her reduced duties. The Commissioners believe they can’t do that legally.

In our June 1 newsletter, we invited you to take 9 minutes and listen to county resident remarks regarding Antrim Country Clerk Victoria Bishop who is accused o serious wrongdoing in her elected position . Please listen to the following. Our thanks to the speakers: Ashley Areeda, Allen Wolf and Kevin Wood for speaking out about the need for integrity in Antrim County government. Victoria Bishop must go! And our gratitude to Antrim County resident Lori Wood for preparing this clip.

Click the image to listen to the May 21 Antrim County Commissioners Meeting Citizen Remarks:

NEWS FROM POLITICO -
PETE BUDDIGEIG FALSLEY ACCUSED

Former Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg says he was kept apart from his two young children for 24 hours after someone made a false complaint about him to child protective services in Michigan.

READ THE FULL STORY

Humor:

What does it do for us? A lot! We need the temporary relief it brings. We need that sense that there are so many others who ‘get it’. We are not in this alone and together we will get through it. Stay connected. Stay active. VOTE

Thanks to Heidi Nichol for providing these ‘quick takes’ of the news.

Civil Discourse with Joyce Vance

Finally: A Judge Orders the Government to Release the Rest of the Epstein Files in a Lawsuit Filed by Katie Phang

Back on May 1, my friend Katie Phang joined us for Five Questions. Four days earlier, she had sued Todd Blanche over DOJ’s failure to fully release the Epstein Files in compliance with the Transparency Act. At the time, I called it “a novel theory, but one that’s very elegant.” And tonight, I can add successful. Late this afternoon, the Judge…

Read more

2 months ago · 6789 likes · 160 comments · Joyce Vance

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“Never forget this: The forces undermining our democracy, rigging our economy, polluting our planet, and stoking hatred are counting on you to give up. Cynicism is how they win.”

-Robert Reich

Antrim County Democratic Party/Michigan

Chairperson: Veronica Welter, Chair@antrimdems.com

Website: antrimdems.com

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/AntrimCountyDemocraticParty/

Volume #9. ANTRIM DEMS NEWSLETTER, WRITTEN AND ASSEMBLED BY ALLEN WOLF, JIM BLACK, AND SALLIE FOLEY.
THANKS TO HEIDI NICHOL FOR HER CONTRIBUTIONS.
QUESTIONS/COMMENTS CAN BE DIRECTED TO SFOLEY@ANTRIMDEMS.COM

Support Antrim Dems Today!

Membership is on a calendar year basis. So, it’s time to renew your membership! Click HERE it’s so easy!

In 2026, we will expand our efforts, especially in social media, to unseat flawed local politicians and increase the vote for Democrats at all levels.

Without your help, none of this can happen!

If you have already renewed your membership, you can make an additional donation HERE

If you prefer, you can mail your check to Antrim Conty Dems to:

ACDP

P.O. Box 331

Elk Rapids, MI 49629

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This was a topic of discussion at a recent men’s coffee gathering. This photo has surfaced as verification they have indeed arrived.

Let us know if you see any activity.

This article was originally published by Votebeat, a nonprofit news organization covering local election administration and voting access.

By Hayley Harding, Votebeat

Jun 24, 2026 at 5:10pm EDT

Votebeat is a nonprofit news organization reporting on voting access and election administration across the U.S. Sign up for Votebeat Michigan’s free newsletter here.

What happened?

A federal appeals court has ruled that Michigan does not have to turn over its unredacted voter roll to the Department of Justice, dealing the Trump administration its highest-profile loss yet in its quest to obtain voter data from states ahead of the 2026 midterms.

What’s the dispute?

Since last year, the Department of Justice has demanded lists of registered voters from virtually every state, including Michigan in July. The state turned over the public version of its voter file but refused to turn over personally identifying information such as partial Social Security numbers.

In response, the Department of Justice filed a lawsuit against Michigan in September but lost in district court in February after a judge dismissed the case, arguing that none of the laws cited by the department required the disclosure. The department then appealed the case to the Sixth Circuit Court of Appeals, which agreed with the lower court’s reasoning.

In addition to Michigan, the department has sued 29 other states and Washington, D.C., to compel them to share their voter rolls. (Seventeen states have complied voluntarily.) So far, lower courts have dismissed several of those lawsuits, with none finding in favor of the Department of Justice.

What is the plaintiff asking for?

The Department of Justice has argued that a number of federal laws, including the National Voter Registration Act and the Help America Vote Act, entitle it to access to the unredacted voter rolls, including voters’ personal information. Many states have declined to provide that information, arguing that it would pose privacy concerns and violate state law. Federal officials have not provided an official reason for their requests, but they appear to be looking for noncitizen voters on the rolls.

What happens now?

Michigan’s case is the first to be heard, and be ruled on, at the appellate level. The next step up would be to appeal to the U.S. Supreme Court, but Department of Justice officials did not immediately respond to requests for comment Wednesday.

Even if the case is taken up by the country’s highest court, a resolution — particularly one that could be meaningfully implemented — before the midterm elections is unlikely. Absentee ballots for the Michigan primary election start going out Thursday.

Read more Votebeat coverage of the DOJ’s fight for access to voting rolls:

<a href=”https://www.votebeat.org/wisconsin/2026/05/21/judge-dismisses-department-justice-lawsuit-voter-roll/”><b>Judge dismisses federal government’s lawsuit over Wisconsin voter records</b></a>

<a href=”https://www.votebeat.org/arizona/2026/04/28/department-justice-trump-adrian-fontes-unredacted-voter-rolls-lawsuit-dismissed-brnovich-ruling/”><b>Judge dismisses Justice Department lawsuit over Arizona’s voter rolls</b></a>

<a href=”https://www.votebeat.org/national/2026/04/21/voting-rights-groups-lawsuit-trump-department-justice-state-voter-roll-requests/”><b>Voting rights groups sue Trump administration to stop collection of voter data</b></a>

<a href=”https://www.votebeat.org/michigan/2026/03/14/michigan-voter-roll-case-doj-appeal-supreme-court/”><b>In fight with DOJ over voting roll access, Michigan may be poised to go the distance</b></a>

<a href=”https://www.votebeat.org/michigan/2026/02/10/trump-justice-department-lawsuit-voter-rolls-data-dismissed-judge-hala-jarbou-jocelyn-benson/”><b>Judge dismisses Trump administration lawsuit over Michigan’s voter rolls</b></a>

<a href=”https://www.votebeat.org/2025/09/25/justice-department-sues-michigan-pennsylvania-voter-roll-request/”><b>U.S. sues Michigan, Pennsylvania and four other states over request for voter rolls</b></a>

Hayley Harding is a reporter for Votebeat based in Michigan. Contact Hayley at hharding@votebeat.org.

Votebeat is a nonprofit news organization covering local election integrity and voting access. Sign up for their newsletters <a href=’https://votebeat.org/newsletters/’ target=’_blank’>here</a>.

https://www.votebeat.org/michigan/2026/06/24/trump-department-justice-voter-rolls-appeals-court-loss-sixth-circuit/