Dear Fellow Democrats,

Yes, we're shocked, gutted, reeling.

 But – let's look at some things we did win. The Oceana Democrats gathered together an astounding coalition of volunteers who gave as much as they possibly could to this effort to bring love and light to our county in this election. Thank you, thank you, thank you to the hundreds of neighbors who showed up for mailings, phone banks, canvassing door-to-door, fundraising events, rallies, parades, and a myriad of other activities that showed that, indeed, there are Democrats in the OC!

Over and over, at gatherings for projects, meetings, meals, and even just plain fun (Pizza Party & Square Dancing!), we heard people exclaim that they “had no idea there were this many Democrats in Oceana!” People streamed into our HQ in Pentwater, delighted to find us and bursting with energy to join the campaign (many thanks again to Pat & Diana Hooyman for hosting our HQ at their Shared Space Studio).

Many thanks also to the core group of committee members who took on the Herculean task of putting the local campaign together. They established links with the state and national Democratic party organizations that support outreach into the remote corners of the country (apparently we are one!), and worked diligently to keep the multiple strands of campaign activities woven together.

Although the outcome of the election was not what we hoped for, there is evidence that the energy we poured into our county had an effect. The number of Democratic votes increased (unlike many rural counties nationwide that saw a drop in support from the 2020 election). There was a very respectable number of votes for our strong state house candidate Kathy Pelleran-Mahoney and for U.S. Senator Elissa Slotkin.

And – we will persist. “The Oceana County Democratic Party supports flourishing communities by advocating for and promoting economic growth and equity for all.” There has been much musing among pundits and philosophers about what went wrong for us in this election. One thing is clear. We must re-examine how we engage with the issues that are most important to our neighbors. 

We are already organizing for the future. We were sponsors of and participated in Saturday's Veterans' Day 5K and Parade in Hart. We're already planning next summer's Pizza for the People picnic at Charlie's (we had over 150 people there this past summer). We hope you'll stick with us and, as the darkness seems overwhelming, heed Kamala Harris's appeal to “...fill the sky with the light of a brilliant, brilliant billion of stars, the light -- the light of optimism, of faith, of truth, and service.” 

Onward Friends!

Oceana County Democratic Party