Flash! Oconee County Dems in Georgia adopted the Democratic Creed recently. They are the 44th group to do so and the 5th in the state. Welcome to the community!

November 8, 2016…a turning point in American Democracy. Surely, all of us remember the shock and horror of the election of Donald Trump.

Immediately thereafter, that surprising development motivated a group of Michigan Democratic Party County leaders to brainstorm and organize a new approach to confront the dangers they recognized in this depressing turn of the political landscape in America.

That approach was to build a coalition of County Democratic Parties in Northern Michigan, to collaborate to build our strength as a unified whole against the dangers of a Trump Presidency.

Originally, this group consisted of County Democratic Parties in one State House District in a predominately rural area.  In 2023 this coalition expanded to 3 Northern State House Districts that now includes 14 County Democratic Parties.

We believe this is a model of collaboration that all County Democratic Parties nationally (especially rural counties) can endorse and embrace.

This alliance is how we have strengthened our presence in our region and State. It affords us a stronger presence with our State Democratic Party as a force to be acknowledged, accepted, and supported.

There are several benefits to be gained by such a Coalition:

1. We are stronger as a cohesive group rather than a stand-alone County Party.

2. We present a unified group that shares common values, such as those set forth in Democrats 101 and the Democratic Creed, that expresses a solid Democratic vision, identity, and message moving forward.

3. We inspire one another by sharing ideas, projects, messaging, and efforts that we can all engage in.

4. We work collaboratively on issues facing local, state, and national interests, to share our Democratic vision, values, and purpose moving forward.

5. We work on multi-County and State initiatives to foster an understanding of who we are and what we believe as American Democrats.

6. We provide a forum for local, state, and national Democratic candidates to communicate with several County Democratic parties simultaneously.

7. We share our community activism on local projects that demonstrates our commitment to our respective areas.

8. We believe there is not a more serious era in our lifetime to show our strength and commitment to our principles as Americans.

Remember folks, this Coalition came to exist because of the threat we perceived to Democracy following the 2016 election. We urge all County Parties to reach out to your neighboring Democratic Parties to consider forming such a Coalition. Together, we are making progress.

Dan McNeil, Vice-Chair, Alpena County Dems, Michigan