Hey friends, the National Asparagus Festival is June 12-14. Please walk with us in the parade!

The parade is on Saturday, June 13. We are working on another fun presentation, an updated float with a “workers” theme. Please mark your calendars and join us! (Pictured are last year’s parade helpers.) We are thinking your kids or grandkids might love to walk in a parade! Dress them in work clothes of any kind: farmers, nurses, firemen, construction workers, mechanics, waitresses/waiters, etc. Kids love to dress up and they would probably love to march in the parade, dressed as their working family members. Get them to the high school by 1:30 pm on 6/13!

WOW!
Just WOW! We can’t thank our supporters enough!

Over 200 people attended our Serving Up Democracy Fundraiser on Tuesday, June 2nd. And we had a fabulous response to the silent auction that was part of the event. We are strong in Oceana County! And we, the people, are seeing what's happening and are ready to create positive change with our donations and our VOTES!

We enjoyed hearing from the following Democratic guests:

  • Oceana County Road Commission Candidate, George Heath

  • US Congressional District 2 Candidate, Jamie Hill

  • Michigan House District 102 Candidate, Angel Coon

  • Michigan Senate District 32 Candidate, Rebecca Amidon

  • Dana Nessel, Attorney General of Michigan

We received 54 items to auction off, and our total net donations, including the auction proceeds, tallied at a whopping $14,083! This is outstanding! We hugely exceeded our goals for this effort! Thank you all so much.

Your donations do make a difference and now we have good money to work with when supporting our local and national candidates. If you are still interested in helping, please consider donating to support our new campaign office in downtown Hart (see the article below).

Dana posted on FB about our event. She was so happy to see how many turned out to support democracy in our little rural county. See her post, here: https://www.facebook.com/share/p/1JYoe4mExF/

Dana Nessel, Michigan Attorney General

We Awarded Our Scholarships to Two Deserving Students

The Oceana County Democratic Party awarded $1000 scholarships to two Oceana County 2026 graduates who have shown involvement in service to others and the community. All residents of Oceana County who graduated in 2026 were eligible to apply for the awards.

Shelby High School graduate Bailey Dickman was one of the scholarship recipients. Bailey was very involved in activities throughout her high school years. She was a member of many student groups, including Student Council, the National Honor Society, and JV and Varsity Basketball. In all of these organizations she served as a leader, including Team Captain for Basketball, an officer of her class, and President of the Student Council. Bailey was also involved with YoungLife at her church, volunteering to serve as Student Servant Coordinator and to teach Girls' Bible Study. She has gone on church service trips and commented, "These service trips have opened my eyes to so much I take for granted . . . and have made me want to give back to the world and make Oceana County a better place for people to belong. . . . I hope to bring all of these attributes and service abilities as I continue my journey in new places." Bailey plans to attend Taylor University to study elementary education and earn certification to teach. Bailey's Advisor at SHS, Shelly Fortier, said of her, "Her hard work ethic, enthusiasm and open-mindedness will produce many successes but it is her passion for quality life for others that will provide food for her soul. Bailey will prove to be an integral part of our society."

The second award recipient, Jenna Woller, is a graduate of Montague High School. In her application essay, Jenna mentioned a mission trip she participated in, traveling to Metepec, Mexico with her church. She described how she felt after the trip: ". . . my eyes were opened and it made me realize I want to keep helping people throughout my life." This experience informed Jenna's decision to attend Northern Michigan University and seek a degree in Nursing. She stated, "Throughout my time in college and as a nurse, I will still be doing community service because I feel it not only betters the community, but myself." Jenna was very involved in FFA during high school and served in numerous leadership positions in the group. She also was on Student Council and Student Senate, ending her high school years as Student Senate President. She served her class in various positions through the four years, including as President. These are only a few of the ways Jenna served her fellow students and volunteered in her community. In 2025, she was awarded a 4-H Citizenship Award. Jenna's volleyball coach, Gretchen M. Schneider, said of Jenna, "I would be remiss if I failed to highlight Jenna's genuine compassion for people. Peppered with an appropriate amount of humor, Jenna has an uncanny ability to pull people together."

The Oceana County Democratic Party is pleased to award scholarships to Bailey and Jenna, and admire how they have given of themselves in service to others. These two graduates along with the others who applied show what an amazing amount of talent there is among students of Oceana County, which bodes well for a future where they go on to make their mark in their careers and in service to their communities.

Bailey Dickman

Jenna Woller

Rebuilding Rural Politics

The Oceana County Democrats are hosting a 2-day book club to discuss the book titled "Dirt Road Revival," and what it teaches us about rural politics and how to save our future. Grab a little dinner and talk with us.

June 15 and 22, from 5-7 pm, La Mexicana de Pancho, 2361 N Oceana Dr., Hart, M 49420
https://maps.apple/p/LUW.FWkfo7kyfm

https://www.dirtroadrevival.com/

We feel it's a critical year in which we must do everything we can to protect democracy. Please join us to learn how to help. 

We have a campaign office…

But it isn’t free.

Please consider helping Dent the Rent, and pay for the sign, and for the internet, and for the utilities, etc. Click on the Dent the Rent flyer image to donate through ActBlue. Or mail a check made out to “Oceana County Democratic Party”, to OCDP, PO Box 145, Hart, MI 49420.

We have a few “dissent” signs left and are ordering campaign signs!

We have a few of the 3 that are pictured, plus a few of one that says “Be informed, not just opinionated.” All signs come with metal frame-stakes for ground installation.

We will be ordering new election-related signs soon! So watch this site or our Facebook page for notices on new signs.

Suggested donations are $15 per sign, or two for $20. Message us at oceanacountydems@gmail.com to learn we we have, now, and to help us work out how to get them to you.

You can also donate via ActBlue at https://secure.actblue.com/donate/ocdp-signs-2025 if you prefer, but just let us know by message or email if/when you have done this, so we can be prompt about getting you your sign(s). The signs do come with metal frame-stakes for putting them in the ground.

Your donations will fund our efforts to support Dem candidates in the midterms and hopefully taking over the House, the Senate or both! Thank you, in advance for supporting Dems!

2 Easy Ways to Use Your Voice to Effect Change. We are stronger than we think!

  1. Download the ‘5 Calls’ app to your phone and start calling your congressional members with your concerns. The app gives you categories/issues to call about and your reps’ phone numbers, and a tracking system to record what you’ve done.

  2. Check out https://www.goodsuniteus.com, the blue handbook on how to fight back with your dollars.