You know an election cycle is in full swing when the first Grassroots North Shore endorsements appear. We have a whole page dedicated to endorsing the best candidates for statewide office in the North Shore of Milwaukee County and in Ozaukee County. And sure enough, we've made our first three endorsements:

• For the 8th State Senate District, Neal Plotkin
• For the 23rd Assembly District, Deb Andraca
• For the 24th Assembly District, Emily Siegrist

The endorsements page includes our reasoning and links to candidates' web and Facebook pages when they are available.

On our Candidate Statements page, you'll find statements of key candidate issues and links to their websites or Facebook pages for the Democrats running for the nomination for the 6th Congressional District, currently represented by Republican Glenn Grothman. Grassroots North Shore typically does not endorse during a primary unless one candidate is clearly the only progressive in the race (see a recent race for sheriff in Milwaukee County!). Instead, we summarize their key issues, culled from their websites, and provide links to their campaigns so that it is easy for you to find information about who is running and what they emphasize about their candidacies. You'll find statements about the 6th Congressional candidates on our Candidate Statements page. And when they're available, we will also publish candidate statements for the 11th Assembly District.

We are all painfully aware of the gravity of the November 3, 2020 general election. However, the election in Wisconsin’s 6th Congressional District is of maximum significance to the residents of that district and, quite possibly, to all Americans. August 11, 2020 is Primary Election Day. The voters of the 6th CD will choose a candidate to face the ignominious Glenn Grothman. The same Glenn

• who opposed MLK Day;
• who announced that women can buy birth control at the grocery store;
• who claims that because women do not care about money as much as men do, they earn less;
• who believes that only white left-wingers care about Kwanzaa;
• who voted to the right of 428 of the 435 members of the House of Representatives in the 116th US Congress;
• and who votes with Trump in 94% of the votes.

The good news is that three talented candidates are campaigning to send Glenn to his last Pancake Breakfast as Congressman of the 6th CD! So let's make sure every registered voter who leans toward the left gets out to vote on August 11.

Which brings me to a reminder to request an absentee ballot. Do it NOW to avoid the rush ahead of the August 11 primary. Remember, for the April 7 election, municipal clerks were overwhelmed with requests that came in close to the election. And the postal service also seems to have buckled under the rush in some places. But in case you were wondering, requesting an absentee ballot doesn't mean you can't vote in person, although it would be safer for you and kinder to poll workers if you did. Still, if conditions warrant, you can still vote in person. In many of our North Shore and Ozaukee communities, a municipal publication will include a paper form for making these requests. And the Wisconsin Election Commission intends to send a request form to every registered voter in the state, though probably not until after the primary election. So there will be plenty of reminders in addition to this one. If you need assistance with any part of the process, whether online (see our step-by-step guide) or on paper, you can contact your municipal clerk. You'll find contact information for them on our our Partisan Primary and General Elections page.

I also want to highlight the great work we have been doing while we're still all working from home. We just launched our voter purge project, to contact Democrats on the state's voter purge list to let them know and to help ensure that they are properly registered and can vote in August and November. Some 571 names are on the list in the North Shore, and volunteers are using a Virtual Phone Bank set up by the Democratic Party of Wisconsin to reach out to all of them. We will also be participating in the DPW's Weekend of Action coming up on June 27 and 28 (please see the links to sign up for these phone banks in the Events list). And starting next week, we will be making phone calls to the 2160 women in Ozaukee County to whom we recently sent postcards, following up to urge them to vote — absentee if possible — in the vital primary for the 6th Congressional District. If you would like to participate in that activity, please sign up.

EVENTS

Tue Jun 16, 2020

Celebrate Junteenth with Gwen Moore, 5pm
Online
Celebrate Juneteenth a few days early with Congresswoman Gwen Moore! RSVP here and join us at 5:00 PM CST.

Wed Jun 17, 2020

Info: Refuel the Resistance, 6pm - 8pm
Bounce Milwaukee, 2801 S. 5th Ct., Milwaukee
Refuel the Resistance is canceled for now, but Bounce is currently open for delivery and carryout. And check out "Apocalypse Drive-In" when movies are shown every Friday and Saturday in the parking lot and food and beverages can be brought out to your car. (More information on this new program.)

Canceled: Drinking Liberally Wauwatosa, 6:30pm - 9pm
Camp Bar, 6600 W. North Ave., Wauwatosa
Camp Bar is closed for now and Drinking Liberally Wauwatosa is canceled. More info.

Info: Southwest Region Dems Meeting, 7pm - 7pm
Studz Pub Sports Bar & Grill, 6833 W. National Ave., West Allis
Southwest Dems (Region 5) cover Franklin, Greendale, Greenfield, Hales Corners, Milwaukee (Southwest), West Allis, West Milwaukee. For information on when a meeting may be held check online or email.

Thu Jun 18, 2020

Info: Mental Health Board Meeting, 9am - 9am
TBA
Milwaukee County Mental Health Board Meeting. Public Comment: none. More information on how the meeting will be held.

The Importance of Voting by Mail, 6pm
Online
US Representative Mark Pocan will be joining Organizing Together 2020 to discuss the importance of voting by mail in 2020. RSVP.

Dontre Hamilton Film, 8:30pm - 9:30pm
Drive-in Movie at Bounce Milwaukee, 2801 S. 5th Ct., Milwaukee
After Dontre Hamilton was shot 14 times and killed by police in Milwaukee, his family embarks on a quest for answers, justice and reform. The film The Blood Is at the Doorstep will be shown at Bounce Milwaukee. Dontre's brothers Nate and Dameion will introduce the film and answer your questions after. Your $10 suggested donation to reserve your parking spot will be donated to Black Leaders Organizing for Communities and Mothers for Justice to further their social justice activism in the community. $5 coupon code for food and drinks is included. RSVP.

Sat Jun 20, 2020

Info: NAACP Monthly Meeting, 11:30am - 1pm
2745 N. Dr. Martin Luther King Dr., Milwaukee
The NAACP meeting is likely to be canceled. Call 414.562.1000 for further information. Monthly membership meeting of NAACP Milwaukee Branch. The meeting is held in the basement conference room.

Info: Stand for Peace, 12pm - 1pm
43rd Street & Forest Home Avenue
Stand for Peace is resuming their presence with careful precautions (more information on this). Stand for peace in the streets of Milwaukee, every Saturday at noon. Organized by Peace Action Wisconsin.

Wed Jun 24, 2020

Info: Refuel the Resistance, 6pm - 8pm
Bounce Milwaukee, 2801 S. 5th Ct., Milwaukee
Refuel the Resistance is canceled for now, but Bounce is currently open for delivery and carryout. And check out "Apocalypse Drive-In" when movies are shown every Friday and Saturday in the parking lot and food and beverages can be brought out to your car. (More information on this new program.)

Canceled: Drinking Liberally Glendale, 6:30pm - 9pm
Bavarian Bierhaus, 700 W. Lexington Blvd., Glendale
Bavarian Bierhaus is closed for now and Drinking Liberally is canceled until further notice. Drinking Liberally Glendale meets on the fourth Wednesday of the month. A monthly meetup to eat, drink, and talk politics with like-minded people. More information.

Drinking Liberally Port Washington, 6:30pm - 8pm
Schooner Pub, 114 N Franklin St, Port Washington, WI
No additional information.

Sat Jun 27, 2020

Suspended: Community Brainstorming, 8am - 11am
Community Brainstorming Conference will suspend its monthly breakfast forums until further notice. More info.

Democrats' Weekend of Action, 4 shifts
The Democratic Party of Wisconsin is hosting a Virtual Weekend of Action Phone Bank and we need your help talking to voters on the phone about Democrats up and down the ticket, all from the comfort of your own home! We will be calling persuadable and undecided voters to talk about issues they care about as well as local candidates. Shifts at 9am, 12noon, 3pm, and 6pm. Here are the signup links:

• Glendale: https://secure.ngpvan.com/vH1trvOTn06rAtkoVyp-jA2
• Shorewood: https://secure.ngpvan.com/PznK_Y2AcEainFVaOgwQng2
• Whitefish Bay: https://secure.ngpvan.com/0VGrOcrm-EOuqIpGtma_EA2
• Northridge: https://secure.ngpvan.com/AOUGWtzHtEeCAJLDapuy0A2

Info: Stand for Peace, 12pm - 1pm
Layton Avenue & 76th Street
Stand for Peace is resuming their presence with careful precautions. (More information on this.) Stand for peace in the streets of Milwaukee, every Saturday at noon. Organized by Peace Action Wisconsin.

Sun Jun 28, 2020

Democrats' Weekend of Action, 3 shifts
The Democratic Party of Wisconsin is hosting a Virtual Weekend of Action Phone Bank and we need your help talking to voters on the phone about Democrats up and down the ticket, all from the comfort of your own home! We will be calling persuadable and undecided voters to talk about issues they care about as well as local candidates. Shifts at 12noon, 3pm, and 6pm. Here are the signup links:

• Glendale: https://secure.ngpvan.com/2d06Tj0A2UiNZR4FaLamCw2
• Shorewood: https://secure.ngpvan.com/gJgBC3ONg0mMJtLGBRMrbw2
• Whitefish Bay: https://secure.ngpvan.com/0VGrOcrm-EOuqIpGtma_EA2
• Northridge: https://secure.ngpvan.com/AOUGWtzHtEeCAJLDapuy0A2