Note* Candidate mentions are for information purposes only to provide an opportunity to meet the candidates. No candidates mentioned have been officially endorsed by the Antrim County Democratic Party.
ARE YOU 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.
Here is the Secretary of State’s list of all state and judicial races:
64 DEM PRECINCT DELEGATES!
Bravo to all the Antrim Dems who signed to be a precinct delegate! There are 64 of us !
Myrna Holland will be sending us more information as we get closer to elections. Welcome to all who came forward!! What a great group.
CALENDAR OF REGULAR EVENTS
Antrim Dems are gathering
WE WANT TO SEE YOU THERE!
PINTS AND POLITICS - A great place to meet others!
It occurs on the 3rd Tuesday of every month, alternating between Shorts Brewery in Bellaire (odd months), and Shorts Pull Barn in Elk Rapids (even months). May is an ‘odd’ month so we will be meeting at Shorts in Bellaire.
COME JOIN IN THE FUN!
WHEN: Tuesday, June 16th
WHERE: Shorts Pull Barn, Elk Rapids
TIME: 4:30 pm
REMINDER - You can always check the Antrim Dems Facebook page for dates and event information.
ANTRIM DEMS WOMEN’S WEEKLY COFFEE
WHEN: Every Wednesday, 10 am
WHERE: Art and Connection, 965 Green Street, Elk Rapids
ANTRIM DEMS COFFEE FOR ALL IN BELLAIRE
WHEN: Every Tuesday, 10 am
WHERE: M-88 Morning Grind, 614 E Cayuga.
ANTRIM DEMS MEN’S COFFEE
WHEN: Every Thursday, 11 am
WHERE: Art and Connection, 965 Green Street, Elk Rapids.
ANTRIM DEMS MONTHLY MEETING BY ZOOM
WHEN: 4th Thursday OF EACH MONTH
THIS MONTH: June 25th, 6:30 PM
A Zoom link will be sent out to all paid members.
Reminder: MEMBERSHIP LASTS 1 YEAR AND THEN YOU NEED TO RE-UP.
BE SURE TO VISIT OUR WEBSITE
www.antrimdems.com
Antrim County Board of Commissioners
We would love to have more people attending Antrim County Board of Commissioners meetings.
Meetings are held the 1st Thursday of the month at 10:00 AM and the 3rd Thursday at 6:30 PM. All meetings are held in the Commission Chambers at the County Building in Bellaire.
The NEXT May meeting will be June 2nd at 6:30 pm.
The second Commissioner meeting in June will be: Thursday, June 18, 2026 at 6 pm.
Meetings are held in the Board of Commissioners room at the Antrim County Building, 203 E. Cayuga Street, Bellaire.
Meetings are live-streamed on the County’s Facebook page. Open to the public.
Visit the County Commission Website by clicking the button below
JOIN OR RENEW YOUR
2026 MEMBERSHIP
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
Need to join for the first time?
You can join as :
• Voting in Antrim County
• Joining Antrim Dems but don’t vote in this county
• Want to support Antrim Dems but don’t want to join.
Thanks for reading the Antrim County Dems newsletter.
If you haven’t already, subscribe for free to receive new posts and support our work!
REMEMBERING THE ORIGINS OF MEMORIAL DAY
Story contributed by Heidi Nicol
UPDATE ON COUNTY CLERK VICTORIA BISHOP
Give this 9 minutes of your time!
At the May 21 Antrim County Commissioners Meeting, Antrim County Residents learned that Antrim County Clerk Victoria Bishop has been accused of serious wrongdoing in her duties as Clerk. 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 view
HEATHER COX RICHARDSON
Letters from an American
MAY 29, 2026
It’s an excellent bet that future books and films made about the Trump Era will begin with an image of the White House this week. The world-famous Rose Garden has been replaced with a patio that looks like one at Mar-a-Lago. The East Wing is rubble. And on the sweeping South Lawn, right outside the front door of the White House, construction is underway on a massive Ultimate Fighting Championship arena for cage matches to be held on Trump’s 80th birthday.
Now treating the nation’s capital as his property, Trump appears to be leaning on his past role as a real estate developer as a solution in Iran remains elusive, inflation in the U.S. climbs, and his popularity drops.
In addition to turning back to real estate, Trump seems to be lashing out to reassert his dominance over those who have hurt him.
Last night, Hannah Rabinowitz, Paula Reid, and Kara Scannell of CNN reported that the Department of Justice under President Donald J. Trump has launched a criminal investigation into whether 82-year-old E. Jean Carroll, the journalist who successfully sued Trump for defamation and for sexual assault, committed perjury in her testimony by saying she was not being paid to launch the lawsuit when it turned out later that billionaire Reid Hoffman had paid some of her legal fees and expenses.
Trump also refiled his $10 billion defamation lawsuit against the Wall Street Journalover its publication of an article describing a card for sex offender Jeffrey Epstein’s fiftieth birthday. The card shows a crude sketch of a girl, bearing words that refer to “certain things in common” and saying, “A pal is a wonderful thing. Happy Birthday—and may every day be another wonderful secret.”
And Finally . . .
Federal judge dismisses criminal charges against Kilmar Abrego Garcia
FROM NPR, May 22, 20265:13 PM ET
Kilmar Abrego Garcia speaks during a rally and prayer vigil for him before he enters a U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) field office on August 25, 2025 in Baltimore, Maryland. Andrew Harnik/Getty Images
A federal judge in Tennessee on Friday dismissed criminal charges against Kilmar Abrego García, an immigrant who was wrongfully deported to El Salvador.
Abrego Garcia was charged last year with human smuggling after being returned to the U.S. The charges stem from a 2022 traffic stop in Tennessee. He didn’t face charges then, but the Justice Department reopened an investigation into the traffic stop after a federal judge in Maryland ordered the Trump administration to facilitate his return from El Salvador.
In his ruling Friday, U.S. District Judge Waverly Crenshaw said the actions by then-Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche “taints the investigation with a vindictive motive.”
“The reopening of the closed HSI investigation is the source of the vindictiveness,” Crenshaw said, referring to Homeland Security Investigations, which conducts federal criminal probes.
Crenshaw said the government would not have prosecuted Abrego Garcia if not for his successful lawsuit challenging his deportation to El Salvador.
“Blanche’s now unrebutted public statements tying the reopened investigation to Abrego’s successful lawsuit taints the investigation with a vindictive motive,” Crenshaw said. “The evidence before this Court sadly reflects an abuse of prosecuting power.”
In a statement, the Department of Homeland Security called the decision “naked judicial activism.” The agency also said Abrego Garcia’s final order of removal stands, saying “this Salvadorian is not going to remain in our country.”
Abrego Garcia in a statement said, “Justice is a big word and an even bigger promise to fulfill; and I am grateful that today, justice has taken a step forward.”
“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 #7. ANTRIM DEMS NEWSLETTER, WRITTEN AND ASSEMBLED BY ALLEN WOLF, JIM BLACK, AND SALLIE FOLEY. QUESTIONS/COMMENTS CAN BE DIRECTED TO SFOLEY@ANTRIMDEMS.COM