Events! Rallies! Actions! Coming Up March 17 Dems Do Lunch Read More March 18 Mast Rally Read More March 27 Veterans Rally Read More March 29 No Kings Rally Read More April 12 Pinot & Politics Read More Do you want to do something to get Democrats elected into office? We need to let Democrats know that vote-by-mail rules have changed so they can get signed up. By making a simple phone call, you can make a difference. For scripts, SOE contact info, and a How-to Video, go here . When you're ready to make phone calls, go here . You will be calling voters who live in Region 5, which includes Hendry, Martin, Okeechobee, Palm Beach, and St. Lucie counties. Reach out to Mindy Squeo if you have questions: mindy.squeo@gmail.com Click here to see a list of restaurants to patronize in the Golden Gate area. Share the "Before You Leave Home" checklist with community members. We have some copies at the office. English is on one side, Spanish the other. Hand out "Right to Know" cards to immigrant businesses and others. These are also available at headquarters. Due to heartless cuts to the Local Food Assistance Program and Local Food for Schools program as well as cancellation of $500,000,000 in agricualtural purchases that would have gone to food banks, our local food banks and kitchens are in critical need of food products. We need to step up and help them out. Click here to see a list of local food pantries and kitchens. Click here to see a list of items that House of Hope needs the most. Click here to see items preferred by the Martin County Compassion House (Salvation Army) Let us please remember our poorest and most vulnerable neighbors by taking needed items directly to one of the food pantries or kitches or by bringing items to the Democratic Club meetings, which are held the first Tuesday of the month, starting at 6:30pm. The Martin County Democratic Party Headquarters is open M-F, 9-1. Located in Northgate Plaza at 611 SW Federal Hwy, Suite K1. Turn off Hwy 1 onto SW McPherson St and park in the large parking lot at the back of the building. Stop by to say hi, volunteer, ask questions, make a donation Quieres... Suscríbete a nuestro boletín de noticias? ¿Unirse a un caucus o club? ¿Ayuda para que los demócratas sean elegidos? ¿Hacer amigos y conocer a sus compañeros demócratas Martin? Complete el siguiente formulario y nos comunicaremos con usted. ¡¡Damos la bienvenida a todos los demócratas de Martin a unirse a nosotros !! ¡Gracias! Mensaje enviado. Enviar

Here are links to local and state resources for accurate information: La guía Voting 101 escrita por el Supervisor de Elecciones (SOE) contiene detalles sobre diferentes aspectos de la votación. Consulte esa y otras partes del sitio web de SOE para obtener información completa. A continuación se enumeran los principales puntos a considerar: Para verificar el estado del registro de votantes: Los votantes anteriores deben verificar su estado de registro de votantes antes de las elecciones, solo para asegurarse de que todo esté bien. Ven aquí: https://registration.elections.myflorida.com/CheckVoterStatus Es una buena práctica hacer esto varias semanas antes de una elección para que tenga tiempo de hacer correcciones. Para actualizar la información de registro de votantes: Si necesita actualizar su información de registro de votante (cambio de nombre o dirección, cambio de firma, etc.), vaya aquí para hacerlo en línea: https://registertovoteflorida.gov/home Para registrarse para votar: Vaya en línea aquí para registrarse: https://registertovoteflorida.gov/home También puede ir al Centro de Elecciones, el Departamento de Vehículos Motorizados o las oficinas del Recaudador de Impuestos para registrarse en persona. Para registrarse, debe ser ciudadano de EE. UU., Residente de Florida, 18 años o más (puede preinscribirse a los 16), no ser un delincuente convicto o sus derechos civiles han sido restaurados, no declarados mentalmente incompetentes Puede solicitar registrarse para votar en cualquier momento, pero debe hacerlo al menos 29 días antes de una elección para poder votar en esa elección. Para solicitar una boleta por correo: Vaya en línea aquí para solicitar una boleta de votación por correo: https://www.martinvotes.com/ballot-by-mail-request/ Las boletas de votación por correo se envían por correo aproximadamente 30 días antes de cada elección. No se pueden reenviar. Para verificar su lugar de votación (precinto): Vaya en línea aquí para verificar la ubicación de su recinto: https://www.martinvotes.com/election-information/precinct-locations/#Search Consulte con el DEC para averiguar si hay un capitán de distrito para su distrito. Para convertirse en trabajador electoral (trabajador electoral) de la Oficina del Supervisor de Elecciones: Vaya en línea aquí para ser voluntario como trabajador electoral (secretario, secretario auxiliar, inspector, técnico y diputado electoral): https://www.martinvotes.com/election-information/become-an-election-worker/ ¡Siempre es prudente que los demócratas participen como trabajadores electorales! Para obtener una descripción general completa de las normas de votación, consulte la guía Voting 101 escrita por el Supervisor de Elecciones. Be sure you are registered

2026 Legislative Session Schedule Websites that list bills

Election Dates and Candidates From the SOE: Official Election Dates for the Midterms and Offices up for Election Martin County Precinct Maps Get the facts: Click below for information about each race. Martin County School Board Stuart City Commission Martin County Commission State Offices Federal Offices To do research on money in politics, check out these websites you can go to for info. Clicking on each organization's name will take you to their website. You can learn what money goes into campaigns. Open Secrets Goods Unite Us

Environmental Caucus of the Martin County Democratic Party CAUCUS AMBIENTAL DEMOCRÁTICO DEL CONDADO DE MARTIN Haga clic en los accesos directos a continuación o desplácese por esta página para ver estos temas: Descripción general de Caucus Declaraciones de misión Principales problemas en los que nos centramos Otros grupos ambientales Calendario Minutos Estatutos Donaciones El Caucus Ambiental Democrático del Condado de Martin es un capítulo local del Caucus Ambiental Democrático de Florida (DECF). El caucus se reúne a las 6:30 pm el tercer martes de cada mes, actualmente a través de Zoom. Las reuniones consisten en una discusión general sobre temas ambientales en las noticias y cómo podríamos responder. Más específicamente, entre otras preocupaciones, abordamos los asuntos de la ciudad de Stuart, la actividad de la Junta de Comisionados del Condado de Martin y el trabajo de la legislatura estatal y más allá. La mayoría de las reuniones incluyen un orador invitado para informarnos sobre un tema ambiental en particular o para escuchar directamente a un funcionario o candidato demócrata local que se postula para un cargo. Damos la bienvenida a todos los demócratas a ser parte de nuestro caucus mientras aprendemos, hablamos y trabajamos para defender nuestro medio ambiente. Para participar en nuestro grupo, complete el formulario de contacto indicando su interés en MC Dem Env Caucus y alguien se comunicará con usted. Volver arriba Overview Declaraciones de misión MC Caucus Ambiental Democrático El Caucus Ambiental Democrático del Condado de Martin tiene la intención de: Identificar y priorizar las preocupaciones ambientales que afectan a nuestros municipios locales, condado, estado, país y mundo. Contemplar soluciones a esas preocupaciones y recomendar cursos de acción. Educar, colaborar y respaldar a los candidatos demócratas que adoptan nuestra agenda. Educar al público y generar apoyo para nuestros objetivos Coordinar con otros grupos ambientales dentro de nuestros distritos legislativos: Distrito del Senado 25 y distritos 82 y 83 de la Cámara Como capítulo del Comité Ambiental Democrático de Florida (DECF), en MC Dem Env Caucus también apoyamos los objetivos de DECF. Caucus Ambiental Democrático de Florida El Caucus Ambiental Democrático de Florida (DECF) se esfuerza por apoyar a los legisladores, candidatos, legislación y empresas de Florida que preservan, protegen y mejoran los recursos naturales de Florida. Las preocupaciones del DECF pueden incluir, entre otras, la calidad del aire, las costas y las costas de Florida, los acuíferos, las vías fluviales, los humedales, la vida silvestre, las áreas naturales restantes y las tierras y parques silvestres de propiedad pública. DECF tiene la intención de: Ayude a elegir candidatos demócratas que respalden acciones adecuadas en cuestiones ambientales críticas. Proporcionar a los miembros del partido y al público en general datos creíbles relacionados con cuestiones ambientalmente sensibles, como opiniones informadas, alertas legislativas y conocimientos técnicos y científicos. Supervisar la legislación y las políticas locales y estatales que afectan el medio ambiente de Florida y alertar a los legisladores y al público. Fomentar la administración ambiental responsable como parte de la política del Partido Demócrata de Florida. Volver arriba Mission Statements Principales problemas medioambientales Con la creciente población de Florida y con nuestros gobiernos locales y estatales que a veces eligen el crecimiento y el desarrollo y los intereses corporativos sobre la protección de nuestro medio ambiente, los problemas que enfrentamos son infinitos. Aquí hay una muestra de las preocupaciones que abordamos en nuestro caucus: Descargas del lago Okeechobee Restauración de los Everglades, incluidas las áreas de tratamiento de aguas pluviales (STA), el depósito EAA, la finalización del CERP Contaminantes que ingresan a nuestras vías fluviales: fertilizantes, pesticidas, herbicidas con glifosato, desechos agrícolas, biosólidos, contaminación de fuentes difusas Amenazas ambientales debido al desarrollo de la ciudad y el condado, así como a la legislación local y estatal. Degradación del hábitat de la vida silvestre, incluida la disminución de pastos marinos para los manatíes y la acumulación de lodo en nuestras vías fluviales, lo que reduce la producción de criaderos de ostras y la calidad del agua. Cambio climático y aumento del nivel del mar Pozos de perforación petrolera, fracking y de inyección de aguas profundas Transporte de materiales peligrosos (oleoductos, transporte ferroviario de alta velocidad de GNL y otros materiales peligrosos) Volver arriba Top Environmental Issues CALL TO ACTION ! Here are ways for you to get involved in speaking up for the environment PETITIONS Sign the "Stop Overdevelopment in Martin County" petition! http://chng.it/MRZYCqsDPD WRITE YOUR OWN LETTER Educate and influence the public. Choose a topic and write a Letter to the Editor to the Stuart News and/or Palm Beach Post. See this for links to each newspaper's online LTE form. . LEARNING OPPORTUNITIES/MISCELLANEOUS ITEMS Attend Martin County Board of County Commissioners meetings. Learn what the Commission is doing. Speak up for the environment, for keeping our Comp Plan intact, for minimizing growth and depletion of our natural resources. Check our Calendar for info on when they meet. Back to Top Resources Environmental Resources There are many groups locally, statewide, and nationally that focus on environmental issues. To view a list of some of the groups we learn from and work in concert with while advocating for the environment, go here . Here are links to various organizations that provide information on plants, bugs, growing gardens in Florida, and other topics of interest. UF/IFAS Extension Martin County https://sfyl.ifas.ufl.edu/martin/ Wildflower seeds https://www.floridawildflowers.com/ Native Plant Finder https://nativeplantfinder.nwf.org/ Bug guide https://bugguide.net/node/view/15740 Butterflies and Moths of North America https://www.butterfliesandmoths.org/ Atlas of Florida Plants https://florida.plantatlas.usf.edu/ Audubon Native Plants for Birds https://www.audubon.org/native-plants Bylaws Estatutos Estatutos actuales de MC Dem Env Caucus ... próximamente Estatutos anteriores de MC Dem Env Caucus Donaciones Para apoyar al Caucus Ambiental Democrático del Condado de Martin, haga clic en este botón. Te llevará a nuestra cuenta ActBlue donde podrás realizar tu donación. ¡Gracias! Si prefiere enviar un cheque por correo, hágalo a nombre de MC Dem Env Caucus y envíelo a: MC Dem Env Caucus 948 SE Central Parkway Stuart, FL 34994 ¡Done ahora! Bylaws and Donations

Wine and Cheese Party Gift Basket The picture above is a representation of the basket you will receive. Just in time for the holidays: Bid on this basket of goodies. Includes two bottles of wine - one red, one white - savory crackers, delightful cheeses, and an assortment of items to make happy hour and the holidays even better.

MCDC Martin County Democratic Club, MCDEC Martin County Democratic Environmental Caucus, Martin CountyDemocratic Progressive Caucus, Martin County Democratic Women's Club, and Treasure Coast Democratic Hispanic Caucus Únase a un grupo o club democrático Los demócratas del condado de Martin cuentan con dos clubes y tres asambleas electorales. Los clubes se rigen por DEC locales y no tienen relaciones a nivel estatal. Por el contrario, los Caucus están autorizados por el Partido Demócrata de Florida y brindan orientación sobre cómo operan. De cualquier manera, unirse a un club o caucus es una excelente manera de conocer personas de ideas afines y de involucrarse con los demócratas del condado de Martin. Los clubes y caucus activos en el condado de Martin: Club Demócrata del Condado de Martin Club de Mujeres Demócratas del Condado de Martin Caucus Ambiental Democrático del Condado de Martin Caucus Democrático Progresista del Condado de Martin Caucus Hispano Demócrata de Treasure Coast

Voter Guide 2022 Vote for Your Democratic Candidates US Senate Val Demings US House District 21 Corinna Balderramos Robinson Governor/Lt Governor Charlie Crist & Karla Hernandez-Mats Attorney General Aramis Ayala Chief Financial Officer Adam Hattersley Commissioner of Agriculture Naomi Esther Blemur State House District 85 Curtis Tucker District 86 Raymond Denzel Go to the Martin County Supervisor of Elections website to view your sample ballot.. Go here to fill in your name and birthdate and the app will display your personalized sample ballot so you can get acquainted with the categories and layout. Print it out so you have a copy. Dates and times to remember: Oct 11: Voter registration deadline Oct 30: Vote-by-Mail request deadline Oct 26 - Nov 5: Early in-person voting, 8am - 5pm daily Nov 8: Vote-by-Mail ballots must be received in the SOE office by 7pm Nov 8 : ELECTION DAY! Polls open 7am - 7pm Still have questions? Call the Martin County Democrats office at 772-221-0405 Do you want to print out a copy of this guide? Click here for a printable copy of this page. Florida Supreme Court Justices: Should they be retained? Short answer: Either vote NO for all the justices, or vote NO for all justices except Justice Labarga, who is considered less conservative than the others. Some detail: Justices are initially appointed by governors but face a retention vote on the first general election more than one year after their appointment. If elected, they serve six-year terms . Currently all justices on the ballot were appointed by Republican governors. Out of the 5 justices up for retention, Justice Jorge Labarga seems to be the most moderate. While some Democrats advocate NO for all the justice retentions, others believe they should vote YES for Justice Labarga and NO for all the others. The Palm Beach Editorial Board recommends a YES for Labarga and a NO for all the others. Click here to view their discussion. If you'd like to research the justices further, here are some sites to consider: https://www.floridabar.org/public/faircts/votes010/2020-merit-retention-biographies/ https://www.votingforjustice.com/candidates/florida-supreme-court https://ballotpedia.org/Florida_Supreme_Court_elections,_2022 4th District Court of Appeals Judges: Should they be retained? Short answer: Either vote NO for all the judges, or vote NO for all the judges except Justice Gross, who was appointed by a Democratic governor. Some detail: Similar election process as Supreme Court judges. All were appointed by Republican governors except for Justice Gross, who was appointed by Lawton Chiles. Check out these websites to learn about the 7 judges up for retention. https://www.4dca.org/Judges https://ballotpedia.org/Florida_Fourth_District_Court_of_Appeal Amendments : There are 3 constitutional amendments on the ballot. Short answer: Vote NO on all amendments. Some detail: Note that all of these were brought about by the Legislature, not the public, which requires us to look at these amendments closely. Many Democrats are voting NO for all 3 amendments. In fact, the Palm Beach Post Editorial Board recently recommended a NO vote for all amendments: Click here to view their analysis . Here is our own breakdown of the amendments: Amendent #1: Effective January 1, 2023 this amendment authorizes the Legislature to prevent flood resistance improvements made to a home (such as putting on stilts) from being considered when determining a property's assessed value for property taxes. Analysis: Some would argue this is good because it provides an incentive to homeowners to make their buildings more resilient to storms. Others argue this would reduce the ad valorem taxes available for local government, that this would primarly benefit the wealthy, and that the state should not be amending the constitution for such purposes. Amendment #2: This amendment would abolish the Constitution Revision Commission (CRC). This body meets every 20 years to determine what amendments to the State Constitution are needed and, if approved, the amendment is then put on the ballot. Analysis: Those supporting this amendment say the CRC has put forth unpopular and sometimes confusing amendments and this body is no longer needed. Others say that this is one significant means by which the public can update the state's constitution periodically and should be left in place. Safeguards could be enacted to improve amendment wording and to prevent bundling of issues within the amendments, which has caused confusion in the past. Amendment #3: This amendment would let the Legislature give an additional homestead tax exemption of $50,000 on the assessed value of homestead property owned by classroom teachers, law enforcement officers, corrrectional officers, firefighters, emergency medical technicians, paramedics, child welfare services professionals, active-duty members of the United States Armed Forces, and Florida National Guard members. Analysis: Some would argue this is an appropriate benefit to provide to workers in these fields, while others would argue providing an additional $50k property tax exemption is unwise. They point out that salaries for these professions should be increased and that government should work to provide more affordable housing, not reduce local government money by providing additional tax exemptions. For more discussion on the merits of these amendments, you might check out these sites: https://lwvfl.org/amendments-2022/ (League of Women Voters) https://bit.ly/3M0qNc8 (Florida Tax Watch) https://wusfnews.wusf.usf.edu/politics-issues/2022-09-15/constitutional-amendments-florida-2022-ballot-explanation *********************************************************** *Details on In-Person Early Voting* Oct 26 – Nov 5 8am – 5pm daily Early Voting Locations: STUART Elections Center (SOE Office), 135 SE Martin Luther King Jr. Blvd Robert Morgade Library, 5851 SE Community Dr HOBE SOUND Hobe Sound Library, 10595 SE Federal Hwy INDIANTOWN Elisabeth Lahti Library, 15200 SW Adams Ave JENSEN BEACH Hoke Library, 1150 NE Jack Williams Way J PALM CITY Cummings Library, 2551 SW Matheson Ave You are required to provide current and valid photo and signature identification in order to vote in person. Acceptable forms: • Florida driver’s license • Florida Identification Card (ID) issued by the Department of Motor Vehicles • U.S. passport • Debit or credit card • Military identification • Student identification • Retirement center identification • Neighborhood association identification • Public assistance identification • Veteran health identification card issued by the US Dept. Of Veterans Affairs • A license to carry a concealed weapon or firearm • Employee identification card issued by any branch, department, agency or entity of the Federal Government, the state, county or municipality Visit the Martin County Supervisor of Elections website at https://www.martinvotes.gov/ for further details on all matters related to voting. To reach SOE by phone, call 772-288-5637 during office hours 8am – 5pm.

An evening to remember: Unity Party, May 10th Petition Project Reproductive Rights and Right to Clean Water: If these amendents are on the ballot in 2024, they will help ensure a good turnout for Democrats. Besides, they are good for women's health and for the environment: a win-win! It's VERY IMPORTANT that all Democrats pitch in to obtain needed signatures for these petitions during 2023. Our deadline for getting signed petitions into the hands of those who verify them is the end of December. Let's get to work!! See details below: For Abortion Petition info For Clean Water petition info HOA Project Having Democrats enrolled in Vote by Mail also significantly increases our odds of having a good turnout on Nov 5, 2024. Volunteers within many of the HOAs throughout Martin County will visit neighbors to give out provide handouts on Vote by Mail, have conversations with neighbors, and offer petitions. See details below: Vote by Mail info Click Here Read More Docktails 2023 Be a part of Martin Dems' premier fundraiser! Click here for more informaiton or to purchase sponsorship or tickets Vote by Mail Chair Nikki Fried Dems Do Lunch Clubs & Caucuses Volunteers Needed for Abortion Petition Drive Click here for more info Please get involved NOW so we meet our goal! Be sure to click through the slideshow below so you don't miss any announcements. Let's Get This Done!! All Hands On Deck!! Our deadline is the end of December. See links for details....and volunteer TODAY!! Choose from among these three ways to help us get over the line: Click here . We need your support, Martin Democrats. Check it out and let's make this happen!! See FloridiansProtectingFreedom.com to download and print English, Spanish, and Creole versions of the petition and learn about statewide initiative. Campaign Update from Floridians Protecting Freedom: Cick here.

Martin County Democratic Club Membership Application Today's Date * required First Name Last Name Email Phone Martin County Street Address City State Zip code Check circle if you live in a gated community Is it OK to share your contact details with other Club members? * Obligatorio Yes No https://secure.actblue.com/donate/2025annualdues Method you will use to pay Club dues. If online, FIRST click on underlined link below, complete the ActBlue payment, and THEN SUBMIT this application. https://secure.actblue.com/donate/2025annualdues By submitting this application, you certify that you are a member of the Democratic Party of Florida. Submit Application After Paying Online or Mailing Check

COSTA DEL TESORO CÁUCUS HISPÁNICO DEMOCRÁTICO Estamos adquiriendo! Somos el capítulo de Treasure Coast del Caucus Hispano Demócrata. Somos un grupo nuevo y en crecimiento dedicado a ayudar a nuestra comunidad, amplificar la voz de nuestras hermanas y hermanos y construir una Florida mejor para todos. Somos demócratas. Creemos en las oportunidades para las familias trabajadoras, un medio ambiente más limpio para nuestros hijos y nietos, y un gobierno que trabaja para las personas de TODOS los orígenes. Y creemos que no lo conseguiremos en Treasure Coast ni en Florida en general. Y creemos FIRMEMENTE que podemos cambiar las cosas. Nos ponemos manos a la obra. Ya hemos estado en la comunidad ayudando a nuestros vecinos a recibir las vacunas COVID. Continuaremos generando cambios: ayudando a más familias, registrando votantes y asegurándonos de que se escuchen todas nuestras voces. ¡Únete a nosotros! No es necesario ser hispano o hablar español para ser miembro. Tienes que ser un residente de Treasure Coast y un demócrata (o alguien que apoye el mundo mejor por el que luchamos los demócratas). Nos reunimos el tercer jueves de cada mes a las 6:30 pm a través de Zoom. Envíanos un email a tcdemocratas@gmail.com para más detalles o llame al 772-202-8540. Síguenos en Facebook: ¡Juntos podemos! - Oz Vázquez Hispanic Caucus

Read about the life and work of Dave Dew and his role in the local Democratic Party organization Dave Dew Dave dew It was an ordinary day in Stuart when 65 year-old Dave Dew had an epiphany that changed his life. He credits President George W. Bush, Vice-President Dick Cheney, Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld, and a guy named Larry for helping bring about this transformative moment. You see, for the first 65 years of his life Dave identified as a Republican. Like so many others, he had followed the political leanings of his parents and, when it was time to vote for the first time, he registered as a Republican. While his father Charles was apolitical and focused on his sales career, his mother Clarice was a sharp businesswoman who owned two hair salons and was an enthusiastic “Eisenhower Republican” – a centrist Republican who was individually liberal but economically conservative and a believer in a strong national defense. With his focus through the years on his own career and family, Dave had not seen any reason up until this point in 2003 to question his political leanings. The Dark Democratic Past If you’re around Dave for any time, you find that he likes to put things in historical context and he is quick to point out that the Democratic Party of today is not the same as the Democratic Party back in the 60s when he arrived in Florida from Wisconsin to attend the University of Tampa. Back then, white Dixiecrats (a play on the words Dixie and Democrat) controlled the Democratic Party in much of the South, including his area in Tampa, and they were known for their racist and segregationist views. These Dixiecrats were right-wing Democrats who were alarmed by the pro-civil rights positions taken by the national Democratic Party under Presidents Franklin Delano Roosevelt and Harry Truman, and by the mid-1940s these zealots resisted by forming a pro-segregationist sect within the Democratic Party itself, calling for “states’ rights” to circumvent federal legislation. (Sound familiar?) Dave recalls that by the 1950s in the South “the Democrats were the Dixiecrats, and they were the racists. They were the segregationists.” For someone like Dave who came to Florida in 1956 at age 18 without those racist views, joining the Democratic Party was not something he considered. Dave reflects sadly that racism was so prevalent back then in the Florida he knew that “I got beat up a couple of times because I wouldn’t join the Klan.” Passage of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 and the Voting Rights Act of 1965 pushed the Dixiecrats over the edge and most joined the Republican Party, who gladly took them in. Some, however, remained Democrats. Idea House Advertising and Republican Wins After getting married and leaving the University of Tampa, Dave continued life as a registered Republican during his many years in sales, mostly working for the large healthcare company American Home Products. His career took him from Minnesota to Chicago to New York City where he worked as advertising manager. After three years in the Big Apple, Dave yearned for a simpler life and so he and his family moved to St. Petersburg where he continued in sales work. By late 1979 he was looking for a change. He had gotten divorced and wanted to start over somewhere new. It was then that he became reacquainted with Jimmy Adams, a fellow advertising executive he had known in New York who had relocated to West Palm Beach. Together Dave and Jimmy started an advertising agency in North Palm Beach called Idea House, and they ran it successfully from 1980-1990. Their specialty, it turned out, was advertising for local Republican candidates running for office. During their time there, Dave and Jimmy helped Republicans win many contests – all of them in heavily Democratic Palm Beach County. It was quite a feat. This experience provided Dave with a great education in Republican politics. By working with the candidates and their handlers, he learned a great deal about how Republicans ran their campaigns, the money they spent, the support they provided. He was impressed with the money and organization of the Republican Party. Another Move…and Intensive Care During his time with the ad agency, Dave started dating again and he eventually married for a second time in 1984. In 1990 he and his wife moved to the Fort Myers area so she could pursue a job promotion. Life might have kept them there on the west coast but fate had another idea: On September 10, 1996 while driving to meet his wife, Dave was involved in a serious head-on collision. Says Dave: “I call it a collision because it wasn’t an accident. It was a collision. It was on purpose.” Through court proceedings that followed, Dave learned a 16-year-old boy sitting in the passenger seat of an oncoming car had grabbed the wheel of the car exclaiming, "I wonder what it will be like to take this car and kill someone with it?" He then drove across the median. The car flew three feet into the air and straight into Dave's car. At the time, both cars were going about 60 mph and they were totaled upon impact. Dave recalls that “when we hit, the front tire came up through the floorboard, and kind of ran up me, and threw me forcefully into the back seat.” Dave was air-lifted to a hospital in critical condition with extensive internal injuries and injuries to his legs. Dave ended up in the hospital for 6 months and followed that up with 6 months of intense physical therapy. "Are You Your Brother’s Keeper?" It was after this rehabilitation period that Dave and his wife moved from Fort Myers to Stuart in 1998 looking for a fresh start. They opened up a couple of retail stores in the area and bought some radio advertising from a local station. Dave and the sales guy Larry became friends. (To this day, Dave cannot remember Larry’s last name!) Larry was a Democrat and had previously worked in journalism covering politics, and so he engaged Dave in a lot of political conversation – one of the first times in his life that Dave was forced to examine his political views. The conversations with Larry helped Dave realize that he actually aligned more closely with the principles of the Democratic Party (the non-Dixiecrat side, that is) than the Republicans. Dave recalls one conversation in particular with Larry in 2003 that was a turning point for him: Larry: “You’re a Republican but you think like a Democrat.” Dave: “I don’t know about that. I’m a conservative.’ Larry: ‘Yeah, but that’s just with money. How about with people?’ Dave: “What do you mean?” Larry: “Are you your brother’s keeper?” Dave: “Well, of course!’ Larry: “Then you’re not a Republican. You’re a Democrat. Ask any Republican that question and he’s gonna say I’ll consider any problems, but I’m not going to give any money to [fix] them. So you’re your brother’s keeper and you ought to switch to Democrat.’” That conversation resonated with Dave. Through his further talks with Larry and listening to the national news, Dave says he also learned about “the disastrous trio of Bush, Cheney, and Rumsfeld – the guys that conned everybody to go into Iraq in 2003….These were all oil people that were running the government and the idea was to corner the market.” Upon reflection, Dave agreed he should meet some other Democrats in the area. “I went to a [Democratic Club] meeting at the time. Louise Cunha was running the club meeting….I walked in and sat down and she said, ‘So you’re new. Would you introduce yourself?’ And I said, ‘I’m Dave Dew and I’m an embarrassed Republican.’ And she said, ‘We can change that!’ And I said, ‘Well, let’s do that.’ And so I became a Democrat and started to come to the DEC meetings because I said I want to be where the action is.” The Many Hats of Dave Dew Precinct Leader followed by DEC Chair Dave learned that to get active with the DEC the rules required precinct work, and so he became a precinct leader. Six months later he became Chair and in 2008 was re-elected for another four-year term. Dave ran the first time for DEC chair saying that the Democrats needed a fulltime office. In the years before, Democrats only leased office space for a six-month period for the elections every two years. Dave believed strongly that such an intermittent presence was wrong – that Democrats needed a permanent home so they had a constant presence in the community. Dave views this change as his greatest achievement as DEC chair. Since then it’s been proven time and again that having an office open year-round has been instrumental in raising funds, getting out the vote, and organizing and providing support to all Martin Democrats. State Committeeman When Dave finished out his second term as DEC Chair in 2012, he then became the DEC's State Committeeman and he continues to hold that position today (along with Mary Higgins, who is the State Committeewoman). The function of the committeeperson is to act as a liaison between the Florida Democratic Party and the county DEC and its various committees by voting on party issues, being on committees, and so forth. One of the issues that Dave has championed as Committeeman is changing the bylaws that dictate how the Democratic Party in Florida operates. “My cause for the last 8 years has been to eliminate all of the bylaws and start all over again.” One of Dave’s main concerns is the unequal representation caused by the weighted voting system that the Florida Democratic Party employs. In today’s system, each DEC is allowed one State Committeeman and one State Committeewoman to represent their DEC, with their votes weighted based on the number of Democrats within that DEC. Dave notes that this weighted vote is necessary to give the larger populated counties fairer representation. However, this system causes a big problem in that the committee people from the large counties represent too many people to be effective. Here is how Dave explains it using Dade and Martin Counties as an example: “ Dade County is more than 10 times larger than Martin County [in Democratic population] so it obviously should have a greater total vote. The problem is that Dade and Martin have only 2 State Committeepersons each. So each of Martin County’s State Committeepersons represents about 30,000 Democrats while each of Dade’s Committeepersons represents 300,000 . That’s more than two Congressional districts each. One Committeeperson cannot effectively reach out to 300,000 Democrats.” Another negative aspect to the weighted system is that it puts power into the hands of the larger counties because they can join forces to dictate the direction of the entire party, sometimes going against what the majority of the counties want to do. Rules Committee As Committeeman, Dave served on the Rules Committee from approximately 2010-2020. He proposed eliminating the weighted voting system and replacing it with more of a “one person, one vote” system like our US Constitution requires. This could be achieved by having each of the 140 House Districts in Florida – which have approximately the same population of voters -- elect two State Committeepeople each. Dave notes that this would lead to fair representation because “each committee person would have roughly the same population representation in their vote” and thus the weighted system would not be needed. This revised plan has been voted upon by the State Committee and passed but was reversed by the Judicial Council due to a technicality. Dave is still pushing for this change, however, because he knows this would be a more equitable system and ultimately would help the Florida Democratic Party as a whole move forward and compete against the GOP. Chair, Florida Small County Coalition While acting as Committeeman, Dave had the opportunity to also become involved with the Florida Democratic Party’s Small County Coalition. This is an organization of smaller Democratic counties (fewer than 40,000 Democratic voters) and it focuses on the challenges the smaller counties face—from lack of money, to lack of facilities, to fewer boots on the ground, to lack of influence within the FDP itself. Dave served as Chair for 10 years, and under his leadership, he is proud to note that the Small County Coalition drastically improved their political training given to volunteers, increased funding, held annual conventions so the small counties could network and learn from each other, and developed a stronger relationship with the state party. State Judicial Council From about 2012-2020 Dave also served on the State Judicial Council and was Chair for a short time. The Judicial Council gave Dave an opportunity to hear grievances of Democrats throughout the state over such matters as eligibility of candidates, voting issues, changes in voter registration, and many other matters. Says Dave: “Florida has a history of the counties fighting each other,” and so there were plenty of opportunities for the Judicial Council to act. In 2006 Dave receives "Most Improved Small County" award from from FDP Chair Karen Thurman. (click to enlarge) Stuart News ran an article on Dec 3, 2008 about Dave being re-elected to DEC. (click to enlarge) Dave and his partner Shelley learn they WON !! All-Star Dave Fun fact: When Dave moved to Stuart, not only did he later become a Democrat, but he also rediscovered the joy of singing. He had sung some as a youngster and, in fact, had been part of a band. Family and jobs changed that and he put his passion for singing on the backburner. After he got to Stuart, he began to sing at a church in Jensen Beach and soon became its music director. Then, in 2014, he entered the Singing with the Stars competition at the Lyric Theater and was paired with professional singer Shelley Keelor. Since Tony Bennett and Lady Gaga had just released a popular album of standards, they decided to play on that and chose “Lady is a Tramp” and…..THEY WON!! Today, Dave continues to sing at his church, and he often visits clubs and bars that offer karaoke – sometimes as much as three times a week. So if you’re at a club where they do karaoke, don’t be too surprised if our own Dave Dew gets up on stage to belt out a couple of songs! Dave Dew As you can see, Dave’s “atonement” during the past twenty years has led him to wear many Democratic hats – both locally and statewide. Throughout it all, he has sought to bring about change so that Democrats become smarter in the way they do business, from having a local office opened to Democrats throughout the year to modernizing the bylaws that dictate how the Democrats run their operation. We Democrats in Martin County owe a debt of gratitude to Dave for his years of work aimed at strengthening the Democratic Party within Martin County and throughout the state of Florida. Thank you, Dave, for switching to Democrat and becoming a Martin County Democrat All Star!