The Polk County Democratic Party is an inclusive, membership-based organization promoting Democratic and progressive principles. We recruit, support and elect candidates who share those principles. We act as a resource to educate all citizens on the important issues of the day.
HOW YOU CAN SUPPORT THE WORK OF POLK COUNTY DEMOCRATS
Frederic Family Days parade!
The trade war reaches Marathon County.
This rural Wisconsin county is famous in China. A trade war could take it all away. (Click to read the Washington Post...
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Weekly news form the DPW chair.
Only a Few Days Until 2018 State Convention in Oshkosh! Our annual state convention is rapidly approaching! As you may know, state convention is one of our biggest events of the year. To ensure it runs smoothly, we need help staffing tables, directing convention...
read moreUPCOMING MEETINGS AND EVENTS
Come join us in the Milltown Fisherman’s Day parade! You can walk with us if you want, or you can ride on the flatbed on our comfy straw bales. Throw candy to the kiddos, wave to supporters, have a bit of fun with your fellow Dems. All are welcome!
Parade starts at 2 with line-up at 1:30. We provide the T-shirts, candy, drinking water, sunscreen, and blankets to sit on. Check in with the parade organizer at the parade lineup starting place to find us.
Contact Pam to let us know you are coming.
We are thrilled to have Margaret Engebretson and Brian Ewert, who are vying for the 7th Congressional District nomination to take on Sean Duffy in November. All are welcome!
Amery Ale Works will have their kitchen and bar open…. come for dinner and drinks!
Every year the Polk County Democrats host a big tent at the fair. We need volunteers to help set up on Wednesday evening, July 25; to work a 2- or 4- hour shift as a greeter in the tent; and to help dismantle the displays on Sunday afternoon, July 29. Believe it or not, every single one of those activities is a lot of fun… because you are hanging out with fellow Dems!
Sign up here and tell us how you can help!
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Here are four of our parade crew in Frederic. We threw candy to the kiddos, waved at the crowd, and enjoyed the folks who cheered for us. Come march or ride with us next Sunday in the Milltown Fisherman's Day parade! Contact details to sign up at our website.
Here is my campaign’s take on today’s SCOTUS ruling.I am dismayed by today’s Supreme Court ruling, sending the WI gerrymandering case back to Federal Court on largely procedural grounds. Our state’s notoriously partisan redistricting process climbed all the way to the Supreme Court, which released its decision today regarding the case of Gill v. Whitford. To paraphrase the Campaign Legal Center, gerrymandering enables legislators to choose their voters, rather than allowing voters to choose their legislators.
After the 2010 census, the Republican-controlled legislature redrew our legislative districts so as to maximize the efficacy of Republican votes. This dishonest tactic--known as gerrymandering--is employed by both Republicans and Democrats in various states across the nation. Thanks to the drawing of legislative districts favoring their own party, the 2012 election cycle saw Republicans winning 60% of the seats in the Wisconsin State assembly, despite only earning 49% of the vote.
Gill v. Whitford challenged the constitutionality of Wisconsin’s district map on the account of gerrymandering. A district court ruled in the plaintiffs’ favor and declared the state’s redistricting plan unconstitutional. The case moved to the Supreme Court, who today sent it back down to a Federal Court.
Today’s SCOTUS ruling is a serious blow, but not the end of the fight for those of us who advocate for the “one person, one vote” principle. I am a firm believer in the idea that every citizen’s vote possesses both intrinsic and practical value, a belief that is not currently reflected in the drawing of Wisconsin’s legislative districts.
While some politicians do not see this as an issue, I hear your concerns. Citizens of Wisconsin feel as though their votes are squandered and their voices suppressed, which leads to a loss of faith in our supposedly “representative” government. I believe in winning on a level playing field. That’s what I teach my own children.
But this faith, though waning, need not vanish entirely. Despite my disappointment in the Supreme Court’s ruling on the Gill v. Whitford case, I believe we can--and should--take the initiative to solve the problem of gerrymandering. Viable solutions do exist, and other states have implemented them with considerable success. For example, Iowa utilizes a nonpartisan commission to draw its legislative districts, and the resulting map is presented to a public forum for discussion, with legislators then voting on the districts. If the map is struck down, the commission proposes a new one, and the process begins anew. In the event that the legislature refuses to pass three different proposals, the Iowa Supreme Court will take up the task; however, such measures have never been necessary.
I believe that a similarly nonpartisan model could not only apply neatly to Wisconsin, but would also benefit our state immensely. Fair, transparent, and honest elections are a critical component of a functioning democracy, but gerrymandering hinders these qualities, giving one party or the other an undeserved advantage that undermines the value of citizen votes.
In the world of sports, athletes understand that an honorable loss is preferable to an underhanded victory. Politics should be no different. The recent ruling in Gill v. Whitford does not need to constitute an excuse to allow partisan gerrymandering to continue. Instead, let us rise to the occasion and restore integrity to our elections.
Many of the same factors this article cites necessary for a Democrat to beat the awful Congressman Steve King are probably similar to what it will take for our democratic nominee to beat Sean Duffy.
Exciting News: join us THIS THURSDAY 6/14 to visit with and meet 7th Congressional District Candidate Dr. Brian Ewert. This is your chance to have a casual, candid conversation with Dr. Ewert, a Marshfield physician and hospital administrator before the August primary. Come at 5:30 - upstairs at Top Spot in Balsam Lake. Later, Skype with Gubernatorial Candidate, Kelda Roys.
Find Your Elected Officials
Click the “Start” button to visit the League of Women Voter’s “Find Your Elected Officials” webpage.