RandySF
RandySF's JournalAllen County Democrats get ready for busy election year and fundraising play
LIMA, Ohio (WLIO) — The Allen County Democratic Party is continuing its monthly “Donuts with the Dems” gatherings as a way to engage the community and share its message during a busy election year.
The Saturday informal gatherings, held over donuts, give party members an opportunity to discuss key issues and rally support ahead of the November general election, when all of Ohio’s statewide offices will be on the ballot. Party leaders say they are grateful for the community support shown through protests, rallies and other events held to advance their cause.
“People want to save our democracy. We realize what a gift it has been to all of us, and we want it to be there for our children and our grandchildren, and that's why we're here to ensure that that happens. We want safe, fair elections, and we want to allow everybody safety in our country,” says Rochelle Twining, chair of the Allen County Democratic Party.
The Allen County Democratic Party has also rented the Encore Theater for a fundraiser scheduled for Feb. 1, featuring a Reader’s Theater-style production of “It Can’t Happen Here,” based on the 1935 Sinclair Lewis novel.
https://www.hometownstations.com/news/allen_county/allen-county-democrats-get-ready-for-busy-election-year-and-fundraising-play/article_691344d3-cecf-42a2-9f0a-a4ab55b21fc7.html
Absentee voting in 2026 primary election begins January 12
RALEIGH — North Carolina’s 100 county boards of elections on Monday will begin sending absentee-by-mail ballots to registered voters who requested a ballot for the 2026 primary election.
This marks the start of voting for North Carolina’s March 3 primary election. Voters who have already requested absentee-by-mail ballots should receive them in the coming days. In North Carolina, any eligible voter can request, receive, and vote an absentee ballot by mail. Find more information at Vote By Mail.
The absentee ballot request deadline is Tuesday, February 17. Election officials urge voters who wish to vote by mail to request their ballot as early as possible to ensure there is time to receive it and then send it back to their county board of elections so that it is received no later than 7:30 p.m. on Election Day – March 3.
State law previously provided for a grace period if your ballot was postmarked on or before Election Day and received up to three days after the election. That is no longer the case. The ballot must be at the county board office — not in the mail — by 7:30 p.m. on Election Day.
https://www.iredellfreenews.com/news-features/2026/absentee-voting-in-2026-primary-election-begins-january-12/#google_vignette
Recall election canceled after former Lynn Haven Mayor Jesse Nelson resigns
BAY COUNTY, Fla. (WMBB) – The recall election against Lynn Haven Mayor Jesse Nelson has been canceled after Nelson announced his resignation late Friday evening in an email to Interim City Manager Chris Lightfoot.
The Bay County Supervisor of Elections Office confirmed on Saturday that his resignation means the recall election has been canceled.
Nelson had been at the center of controversy for months, following issues with the former City Manager Vicky Gainer and former Police Chief Ricky Ramie, among other things.
He had previously sued business owner James Finch, the Chairman of the Lynn Haven Recall Committee, and the Supervisor of Elections Office in an attempt to stop the recall from going forward.
https://www.mypanhandle.com/news/local-news/bay-county/recall-election-canceled-after-former-lynn-haven-mayor-jesse-nelson-resigns/
GA-14: Dalton resident Shawn Harris has announced he will run as the Democratic candidate in upcoming special election.
Dalton, GAImg 3892(WDEF)-Harris made the announcement while meeting with supporters, some of whom braved rainy weather to show their support. Backers described Harris as a hardworking, relatable candidate who understands the challenges facing everyday families.
One supporter, a longtime veteran, said Harris represents fairness and commitment to working people.
“I served our country for 40 years, and now I’m just raising my family,” the supporter said. “I want to make sure they have a fair shake, and that’s what Shawn Harris is going to do. I’ll be out here in the rain today because I believe in him.”
Harris says his campaign will focus on supporting veterans, protecting family farms, and strengthening the economy for working families. He emphasized healthcare access, affordability, and agricultural support as top priorities.
https://www.wdef.com/dalton-resident-shawn-harris-has-announced-he-will-run-as-the-democratic-candidate-in-the-upcoming-special-election/
Here are 5 Wisconsin political predictions for 2026
SUMMARY:
1. The Wisconsin Supreme Court election will NOT set a new spending record.
2. Data centers will continue to be a major subject of public interest in Wisconsin as public outcry causes the Public Service Commission to delay approvals of new power plant projects.
3. In the governor’s race, Republicans will focus on rising property taxes. Democrats will focus on rising health care costs. But the ultimate X factor will be the public mood about what’s happening at the federal level — just as it was in 2018.
4. Democrats will flip at least one chamber of the Legislature for the first time in nearly two decades (not counting that short-lived Senate flip after the 2012 recall elections).
5. Fundraising by candidates for Wisconsin’s 3rd Congressional District will exceed 2024, especially as that seat draws national attention in the Republican fight to keep the U.S. House majority.
https://wisconsinwatch.org/2026/01/wisconsin-political-predictions-2026-supreme-court-election-legislature-governor-data-centers/
GOP leaders start enforcing ban on recording committee hearings
Legislative Republicans have begun enforcing rules that bar members of the public from recording committee proceedings with WisconsinEye off the air.
Dem Rep. Clinton Anderson slammed it as an attempt to restrict public access. But a spokesperson for Assembly Speaker Robin Vos, R-Rochester, said it was just a reminder of longstanding rules.
“With WisconsinEye gone, and more instances of videotaping in committee hearings, we felt it was important to reaffirm the long-established rules of the Assembly,” said Luke Wolff.
WisconsinEye has been off the air since Dec. 15 due to funding shortfalls. This is the first week of legislative hearings since the network went dark, and WisPolitics reporters have witnessed several examples this week of the longstanding — but little known — rule being enforced in committee hearings.
https://www.wispolitics.com/2026/gop-leaders-start-enforcing-ban-on-recording-committee-hearings/
Minimum wage referendum ramps up signature collection efforts
Organizers are gearing up for their final push in a referendum campaign to undo Michigan’s 2025 minimum wage law. They held a series of events in southeast Michigan Friday featuring actress and activist Jane Fonda to get the word out.
The law, passed last February, will raise the state’s minimum wage to $15 an hour next year. But it will also allow businesses to pay tipped workers, like servers and bartenders, half of what everyone else makes, once fully implemented in 2031.
It replaced a policy that would have also raised the minimum wage over time. But the original version would have created one base pay for all adults, regardless of whether they make tips.
The group behind the referendum, One Fair Wage, wants to bring it back after fighting for that higher pay for years. Tameka Ramsey is the group’s state director for Michigan.
https://www.michiganpublic.org/politics-government/2026-01-10/minimum-wage-referendum-ramps-up-signature-collection-efforts
OH-GOV: Vivek Ramaswamy's family bodyguard arrested on drug trafficking charges
Columbus, Ohio – Republican Ohio gubernatorial candidate Vivek Ramaswamy has expressed alarm that a man who worked as his family's bodyguard is facing federal drug trafficking charges.
Justin Salsburey, 43, of Bellefontaine, and his wife, Ruthann Rankin, were each charged late last month with conspiracy and possession with the intent to distribute large amounts of narcotics through the U.S. mail.
Salsburey was employed by a private security firm hired by the Ramaswamys for protective services, according to campaign spokesperson Connie Luck. She said that ARK Protection Group removed him from the family's security detail immediately upon learning of the matter.
According to the criminal complaints, 261 parcels containing counterfeit OxyContin and other pills were delivered to the couple's western Ohio home between August 2024 and last month. Rankin has been removed from her employment as a schoolteacher in nearby Urbana, according to a statement posted by the district.
https://www.detroitnews.com/story/news/politics/2026/01/09/vivek-ramaswamys-family-bodyguard-arrested-on-drug-trafficking-charges/88102647007/
NJ-11: Amalgamated Transit Union NJ State Council backs Gill (D)
The Amalgamated Transit Union New Jersey State Council endorsed Essex County Commissioner Brendan Gill (D-Montclair) for Congress yesterday – yet another labor group going Gill’s way in the crowded Democratic primary for the 11th congressional district.
“Brendan Gill understands that strong public transit systems depend on strong transit workers,” ATU NJ state chairman Orlando Riley said in a statement. “At a time when transit workers face increasing demands, safety challenges, and attacks on their rights, we need leaders in Congress who will stand up for fair wages, safe working conditions, and the dignity of union jobs. Brendan Gill has shown he will be that kind of leader, and he knows firsthand how critical transit is for New Jersey families and communities.”
The ATU NJ State Council represents nearly 10,000 New Jersey bus operators, rail workers, mechanics, dispatchers, maintenance crews, and other transit workers.
Gill, one of the leading candidates for the 11th district, has garnered more labor support than anyone else in the race thus far, earning endorsements from unions representing firefighters, hospitality workers, electrical workers, longshoremen, and more. One other candidate, Analilia Mejia, has also gotten a fair amount of union support, having previously worked for several state unions.
https://newjerseyglobe.com/congress/amalgamated-transit-union-nj-state-council-backs-gill/
NJ-11: Former Progressive Caucus chair endorses Mejia (D)
Washington Rep. Pramila Jayapal (D-Washington), a prominent progressive congresswoman and the former chair of the Congressional Progressive Caucus, endorsed Analilia Mejia for New Jersey’s 11th congressional district this morning.
Jayapal is the latest national progressive figure to weigh in for Mejia, who was the national political director on Bernie Sanders’s 2020 presidential campaign; Sanders is backing Mejia, as are the Congressional Progressive Caucus PAC, Rep. Ro Khanna (D-California), and the Working Families Party.
“Analilia Mejia is the exact progressive fighter New Jersey’s 11th District needs,” Jayapal said in a statement. “Analilia is unbought, unbossed, and will never fold to Trump, MAGA extremists, or corporate special interests. She has spent her career standing up for workers, immigrants, and families, and as the daughter of Colombian and Dominican immigrants, she brings valuable lived experience to the fight for working families.”
Mejia faces ten other Democrats in the February 5 special election for the 11th district, which was previously held by Gov.-elect Mikie Sherrill.
https://newjerseyglobe.com/congress/former-progressive-caucus-chair-endorses-mejia/
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