6th Annual Pie Sale & Penny Raffle (2024-11-15)

To let off a little post-election steam, the Weare Dems’ 6th Annual Pie Sale & Penny Raffle took place at the Old Town Hall on Friday 11/15.

Many thanks to the following people and businesses for making donations:

Raffle items: Gerry Cowan; Deb Doscher; Debbie Farr; Bev Cotton; David Erikson; Ron Merrill; Sharon Czarnecki; Connie Evans; Nancy Brennan; Ron Merrill; Dave Trumble; Sharon Loeff; Suzanne Couhie; Nancy Christian.

Pies: Suzanne Couhie; Gail Silva; Bev Cotton; Tom Clow; Nancy Brennan; Chris Hague; Christine Marcroft; Connie Evans; Carolynne Shinn; Suzanne Merrill; Laurie Gordon; Josh Hilliard; Chris Hague; Nancy Christian.

Thanks as well to those who volunteered at the event, and congratulations to all the raffle winners!

Presence at the Polls (2024-11-05)

Both candidates and supporters were in full presence at the polls on November 5th. The voter turnout was unusually robust.

Many thanks to our wonderful candidates and all those who supported their campaigns!

Weare Dems Visibility Event (2024-11-01)

Some of the Weare Dems, including several candidates, gathered in front of the Weare Historical Society to greet afternoon commuters and other drivers. Reception was overall quite positive!

Thanks to Lisa, Bev, Nancy C., Dave T., Joe, David E., Linda, Marie and Nancy B. for their spirited participation!

Weare Candidates Meet-and-Greet (2024-09-27)

The Weare Dems held a Meet-and-Greet event for many of the candidates running to represent Weare. Check out some photos of the event below.

Bev Cotton, candidate for Hillsborough County Treasurer.

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David Trumble, candidate for State Senate (District 8)

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David Erikson, candidate for NH State Representative (District 28 – Weare)

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Luke Drake, candidate for NH State Representative (House District 28 – Weare)

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The aforementioned Luke, in a more informal circumstance. There’s never a wrong time for a selfie.

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Melanie Levesque, candidate for Executive Council, District 5. Rockin’ the yellow as usual!

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Marie Morgan, candidate for State Representative (House District 44 – Weare/Goffstown)

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Eric Emmerling, candidate for State Representative (House District 44 – Weare/Goffstown)

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A captivated audience. (But luckily, not a captive one.)

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Bill closes out the festivities with a PSA.

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Saturday morning canvassing (2024-09-14)

A sunny Saturday morning makes for good canvassing – what a crew!

State Primary Elections (2024-09-10)

Several of the candidates from the Democratic slate were present at the Weare Middle School polling location on State Primary Day, Tuesday, September 10th. In the below photo, standing under the tent, are Weare’s own (L-R) David Erikson, Dave Trumble and Luke Drake.

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Candidate Fundraiser Barbecue (2024-08-25)

Many of the wonderful candidates running to represent Weare spoke at the Weare Dems’ fundraiser barbecue event, graciously hosted by Angela and Luke Drake (the latter himself a candidate!). We are grateful for all those who attended and donated, as well as our Events & Fundraising Group. See the speakers and attendees in the photos below.

Shoshanna Kelly (Executive Council District 5 candidate) kicked off the event

Jon Kiper (NH Governor candidate)

Melanie Levesque (Executive Council District 5 candidate)

David Trumble (State Senate District 8 candidate)

David Erikson (State Representative candidate, NH House District 28 – Weare)

Marie Morgan (State Representative candidate, NH House District 44 – Weare/Goffstown)

Luke Drake (State Representative candidate, NH House District 28 – Weare)

Bev Cotton (Hillsborough County Treasurer candidate)

Our gracious hosts, Angela and Luke Drake

Campaign signs aplenty!

Dave T and Derek share a laugh, blissfully unaware that in moments, it is going to start pouring rain…

Hail to the chef?

Saturday morning canvassing (2024-08-24)

Saturday Morning Canvassing, Part II. Thanks again to Nancy C., Bev, David E, Marie and Jill!

Saturday morning canvassing (2024-08-17)

The Weare Dems are back at it again – thanks to Nancy C, Bev, Joe, David E, Marie and Chris N for doing all the legwork (literally and figuratively) to kick off our 2024 canvassing season!

Route 114/Adopt-a-Highway Cleanup (2024-07-13)

Another Saturday morning, another fine effort to clean up the portion of Route 114 that the Weare Dems sponsor as part of the NH DOT’s Adopt-a-Highway program! Thanks guys!

Weare Patriotic Celebration (2024-06-22)

Three of the candidates running to represent Weare – Dave Trumble (State Senate), David Erikson (State House) and Marie Morgan (State House) – beat both the application deadline and the rainy weather to participate in the annual Weare Patriotic Celebration. David E. once again provided his truck, posting the signs, flag and banner, as well as doubling as the chauffeur. A few photos are below.

Weare candidates file to run for office! (2024-06-19)

We are so happy to have a full slate of candidates who filed for office to represent Weare (and, in the case of the NH House district HI-44, Goffstown…)! Those candidates include: Dave Trumble for NH State Senate District 8, Luke Drake (who joined the aforementioned David Erikson to run for NH House in the Weare-only HI-28 district), Marie Morgan and Eric Emmerling who filed for NH House in the shared Weare/Goffstown “floterial” House district HI-44, Bev Cotton for Hillsborough County Treasurer, and a host of other candidates. All those candidates explicitly mentioned here (and in the photos below) are running in uncontested primaries so let’s give them our full support! Some photos below.

Dave Trumble files for State Senate District 8

Luke Drake files for NH House District HI-28

Marie Morgan files for NH House District HI-44 (floterial Weare/Goffstown)

Eric Emmerling has filed to run for NH House District HI-44 (floterial Weare/Goffstown)

Bev Cotton has filed to run for Hillsborough County Treasurer

David Erikson files to run for NH House district HI-28 (2024-06-07)

Many kudos to David Erikson for once again throwing his hat in the ring to run for NH State Representative in the Weare-only HI-28 district! Here are some photos of David filing this morning (Bill Politt with the photo credits). Congratulations David!

Weare Town-Wide Yard Sale (2024-06-01)

The Weare Dems held another successful Saturday morning town-wide yard sale, bringing in over $820 in sales! We are so grateful to those who volunteered in any way, including planning and communication; donating or purchasing items; setting up and staffing the tents and tables; and breaking down/making trips to thrifts shops and transfer stations. Big thanks to: Sarah Bouchard, Nancy Brennan, Nancy Christian, Tom Clow, Jim Curley, Deb Doscher, Paul Doscher, David Erikson, Debbie Farr, Christine Marcroft, Ron Merril and Suzanne Merrill (both of whom worked the entire shift!), Diane Padilla, Bill Politt, Carolynne Shinn, Jerry Shinn, Joe Stehno, Dave Trumble, and last but most certainly not least, Bev Cotton and Connie Evans for doing their usual outstanding work to make it all happen.

A few photos below:

Weare Dems Route 114/Adopt-a-Highway Cleanup (2024-04-21)

Despite a curveball – Saturday morning weather causing us to resort to our Sunday rain date – we had a great crew to clean up our sponsored portion of Route 114. Thanks go out to Tom, David E., Debbie, Linda, Bill, Sam, Suzanne M., and of course the organizer, Suzanne C. Here’s a photo of the Excellent Eight below.

Weare Dems Chili Night Event (2024-03-22)

The Weare Dems once again held their traditional Chili Night at the Weare Old Town Hall on March 23rd. Suzanne Couhie’s chili was voted the favorite by the attendees, and Diane Padilla was the lucky winner of the raffle item, a Cuisinart Air Fryer. Fun and good eating for all!

As Connie Evans, Events Committee member extraordinaire and the main organizer of this event (along with her partner-in-crime, Bev Cotton), so nicely put it: “The expression, It Takes a Village, is getting to be trite, but it is so fitting to describe our events, including this one. Everyone was amazing from the early organizers: Suzanne Merrill, Suzanne Couhie, Bev Cotton, and Diane Padilla to the clean-up crew: both Suzannes again, Bev Cotton, Derek Winsor, Bill Politt, Christine Marcroft, and Leighton Timmins. We had seven wonderful chilis that made voting very difficult. Many thanks to Suzanne Merrill, Suzanne Couhie (the winner), Nancy Brennan, Bill Politt, Carolynne Shinn, and Leighton and Ermelinda Timmins. The biscuits and cornbread were outstanding. Many thanks to Lou Politt, David Erickson, Suzanne Merrill, Bev Cotton, Laurie Gordon, and Carolyn Sheehan. Delicious cobblers received many compliments thanks to Laurie Gordon, Linda Trumble, and Christine Marcroft. To round it all out, much appreciation for the cider, Diane Padilla, Leighton Timmins, and Chris Nase. Diane, thank you also for the cheese . With your help we now have $530 to add to our coffers and to help Weare Democratic causes.

You’re the best! Connie”

And here are some photos from the evening’s event:

Weare Dems Direct Mailer (2024-02-10)

As part of a larger group effort to send out a direct mailer to Weare voters, this stellar group assembled on February 10th to assemble hundreds of letters, with David Erikson graciously hosting the gathering. It was a very manual effort that included affixing labels, hand-writing addresses and stuffing envelopes. This was complemented by the efforts of a number of individuals who performed the same duties independently, resulting in a mailing going out on February 15th to 1,200+ Weare households. Thank you all for your selfless efforts!

5th Annual Pie Sale/Penny Raffle (2023-11-17)

Another year, another successful Pie Sale and Penny Raffle for the Weare Dems! Over $1,100 was raised, and it sure wasn’t by accident – it was the result of tremendous efforts by the following:

• Connie Evans and Bev Cotton, our unstoppable Dynamic Duo, who were the engine that moved the train.  They are the ones that make it all happen!  MUCH gratitude to you for your weeks of work preparing for this, executing the event, and handling all the aftermath (including delivery of items to raffle winners).
• Nancy Christian, who was the face of the team as she greeted arrivals and managed tickets and money as well as donated items.
• Debbie Farr, Suzanne Couhie, Diane Padilla, Jim Curley, Bill Politt, Tom Clow and Chris Nase, who helped with setup and/or stayed after the end of the event and donated items as well.  Debbie’s role in delivering items to the winners was also greatly appreciated.
• The lifeblood of these events is those generous folks who donate pies and raffle items.  Many thanks to:  David Erikson, Nancy C, Connie, Doreen and Sabrina at Pampered Touch, Jess & Jake Potter, Bev, Paul & Deb Doscher, Gerry Cowan at ACE Hardware, Diane, Cheryl Heymans, Suzanne & Ron Merrill, Tom, Debbie, Cheryl Gunn at Clayton’s Way, Jerry & Carolynne Shinn at Country 3 Corners Hardware, Suzanne C, Nancy Brennan, Dave Trumble, Sharon Czarnecki, Jim, Laurie Gordon, Ellen Dokton, and Bill & Lou Politt.

See photos below. Thanks to all who attended, donated, participated, helped to set up/break down/deliver, or otherwise contributed.

HCDC 2023 Town Committee Roundtable (2023-10-28)

The Hillsborough County Dems held a Town Committee Roundtable in Wilton, covering topics ranging from financial reporting requirements, to advertising and fundraising, to growing our committees and identifying great candidates to run for office. Guest speakers included Ray Buckley, NHDP Chair; Jack Tormoehlen, NHDP Executive Director; and Jonathan George, Executive Director, NH House Democratic Victory Campaign Committee (DVCC). Weare’s own Bev Cotton, and her HCDC co-chair, Katy Cutshall, organized and MC’ed the event. A few photos from the proceedings are below.

NHDP 2023 Midterm Convention (2023-09-30)

This year’s edition of the NHDP Midterm Convention took place at Bedford High School on September 30 and our own Bev Cotton (along with her HCDC co-chair, Katy Cutshall), were co-hosts for the event (and if you look real hard, you can see them at the podium in the first photo). The second photo shows the keynote speaker, Pennsylvania governor Josh Shapiro, the keynote speaker. Nancy Christian, David Erikson, Dave Trumble and Derek Winsor were in attendance to represent Weare, along with Bev of course.

Route 114/Adopt-a-Highway Cleanup (2023-07-15)

The Weare Dems completed their second cleanup of their sponsored portion of Route 114 on July 15, again under the dependable leadership of Suzanne Couhie. Thanks to those who participated today. In the below photo, from L-R: Diane Padilla, Nancy Christian, Bill Politt, Suzanne Couhie, Derek Winsor, Suzanne Merrill, Gary Evans, Connie Evans. Others not in the photo but who most definitely participated: Tom Clow, Vicki Rinne and Heikki Rinne.

Weare Patriotic Celebration Parade (2023-07-08)

The Weare Dems made quite the showing in the Weare Patriotic Celebration Parade, winning ** FIRST PRIZE ** for the Toy Story-themed float many people spent lots of time putting together!

Lots of thanks to go around, starting with Connie Evans for leading the effort; David Erikson for building/constructing; Suzanne Couhie for her work on costumes/props; Gary Evans for driving the truck that pulled the float; Matt Hammond and his son Dash for playing Buzz Lightyear and Andy, respectively; Caity Wasserman for playing Jessie; Grant Spooner for playing Woody; Erin Wasserman for playing Barbie; and for Bill Politt, Bev Cotton, Nancy Christian and Christine Marcroft for walking/participating. A whole slew of photos below!

Hillsborough County Democratic Committee’s Grassroots Awards Dinner (2023-06-24)

The Weare Dems’ very own Nancy Christian was honored as the 2023 HCDC Grassroots Awards winner, as nominated by her fellow Weare Dems! Nancy was a very deserving candidate, as the WDC Secretary since its 2018 resurrection (and never missing a monthly meeting in the process!)

Special shout-out to Bev Cotton for promoting the event in her dual HCDC/WDC role, to Connie & Gary Evans and David Erikson for attending the dinner, and to Dave Trumble for donating a nice herbal basket as a raffle item for the event. A few photos below.

Weare Town-wide Yard Sale (2023-06-03)

The Weare Dems overcame less-than-ideal weather conditions and again held a successful presence at the annual Weare Town-wide Yard Sale, staffing not one but two tents. We ended up bringing in a little over $500 for the Committee! Thanks go to: Bev, Connie, Gary, David E., Nancy B., Nancy C., Suzanne M., Suzanne C., Ron, Debbie, Christine M., Tom, and any other contributors we may have missed, for doing one or more of the following: setting up, working the tents, donating items, and/or cleaning up. It was a great team effort. Below are a couple of photos from the event.

Another successful Adopt-a-Highway cleanup event! (2023-04-22)

Many thanks to all those who participated in the April 22nd cleanup event for our sponsored portion of Route 114. Below are some photos of the event, but unfortunately none of them show Suzanne Couhie, who graciously took on the role as Designated Safety Person – thanks Suzanne!

One of our new at-large delegates, Jim, wielding a powerful pick-up weapon.

Suzanne M and Judy. Double the power.

Bill, testing the boundaries. As usual.

Chris, from a distance. I guess you’ll have to take our word for it that it’s her.

Tom, holding one of the many random “treasures” we tend to encounter as part of the cleanup.

Derek, at long last finally laboring out there in the trenches with everyone else.

Biannual Caucus Election Results (2023-03-08)

The Weare Dems held their biannual caucus, which resulted in the election of officers and delegates-at-large for the next two years. Results were as follows:

Chair: Derek Winsor

Vice-Chair: Gary Evans

Secretary: Nancy Christian

Treasurer: Bev Cotton

Delegates-at-Large: Wendy Curry, Jim Curley, Christine Marcroft, David Erikson, Dave Trumble, Bill Politt.

Many of those names listed were in attendance and are indicated by the red boxes. Congratulations to all the elected folks and thanks to all who participated!

Pie Sale & Penny Raffle (2022-11-18)

The Weare Dems held their fourth annual Pie Sale & Penny Raffle in the Sawyer Room of the Weare Public Library. All pies were sold, and every raffle item went to a happy winner, all of it helping the Dems replenish the coffers a bit after the election season so we can head into 2023 ready for the next steps.

Working the Polls (2022-11-08)

The Dems were out in great numbers at the Weare and Goffstown polls. A little cold and wind didn’t dim their enthusiasm as they greeted voters.

Canvassing in Weare (2022-10-22)

The 11th weekend of canvassing for our wonderful candidates and the volunteers that are helping them! (Humans and canines alike…) What a crew!

Canvassing in Weare (2022-10-15)

The Weare Democrats were honored to be joined by Charlene Lovett, candidate for our canvassing event on a beautiful Saturday morning. And what group photo can’t be improved by the presence of two cute dogs?

Ask the Candidates Virtual Event (2022-10-02)

Voters had the chance to ask questions of State Rep candidates David Erikson, Bill Politt, Judy Johnson and Dave Trumble, as well as State Senate candidate Charlene Lovett and Executive Council candidate Shoshanna Kelly. The event was held via Zoom and questions asked of all candidates, along with each of their responses, can be seen in the below videos.

Meet the Candidates Event (2022-09-07)

What a Wednesday evening it was – the Weare Democrats and friends gathered to meet State Rep candidates David Erikson, Bill Politt, Judy Johnson and Dave Trumble, as well as State Senate candidate Charlene Lovett and Brennan Spencer, campaign manager for Executive Council candidate Shoshanna Kelly. The cherry on the sundae was live musical entertainment from Fortune’s Favor. Thanks to Deb and Andy from Moody Pond Marketplace for once again providing a lovely venue, and to our Events Committee (Bev Cotton, Connie Evans, Debbie Farr) for making it all happen, and all volunteers and guests! Pics below.

Second Weare Canvassing Event of the Season (2022-08-27)

The Weare Democrats continued their canvassing efforts in conjunction with OrganizeNH/Coordinated Campaign on August 27th (photo of Saturday’s canvassing team below). We liked it so much we decided to turn it into a Saturday morning tradition for the next couple of months! (And we’re adding Tuesdays to the mix as well.) Please contact us at WeareDemCom@comcast.net if you are interested in participating.

First Weare Canvassing Event of the Season (2022-08-20)

The Weare Democrats kicked in the election season by canvassing parts of Weare on August 20th, in support of our candidates, Bill Politt, David Erikson, Dave Trumble and Judy Johnson. Our friends at OrganizeNH/Coordinated Campaign were a great help with targeting lists, creating maps, and meeting us that day to help canvass. This is the first step of many! Here’s a nice photo of the canvassing team, including three of the four NH House candidates for Weare (front row, L-R Bill Politt, David Erikson, Dave Trumble), gathered at the gazebo in Weare Center before starting up all the fun.

Dems Represent at the Weare Patriotic Celebration (2022-07-16)

The Weare Democrats showed a ‘united’ front as they participated in the annual Weare Patriotic Celebration on Saturday July 16th. Note the “Unity” theme, as well as the participation of several candidates, including NH House candidates David Erikson, Bill Politt and Dave Trumble, along with State Senate candidate Charlene Lovett.

Additional thanks go to Connie Evans for her leadership role in spearheading the Weare Dems’ participation in this event, with plenty of support from the aforementioned Mr. Erikson (who was responsible for much of the logistics and materials for the float), Michele Goldsmith, Bev Cotton, Debbie Farr, Tom Clow, Nancy Christian and Gary Evans. Check out the photos below.

Another successful Adopt-a-Highway cleanup event! (2022-06-25)

Many thanks to all those who participated in the June 25th cleanup event for our sponsored portion of Route 114 (which has now changed to cover the area beginning at Duck Pond Road and ending at Reservoir Drive). See some photos of the event below, including two freshly-minted candidates running for state representative!

David Erikson and Bill Politt file to run for NH House State Representative from Weare (2022-06-01)

Many congratulations and kudos to David Erikson for filing to run for state representative from Weare! The Weare Dems will throw their full support and enthusiasm behind them to get them into Concord in November. Photos from their “filing day” are below.

John Foss Plaque Dedication (2022-02-16)

A plaque in memory of John Foss was dedicated in the Weare Town Hall on Feb. 16, 2022.  John served as the assistant principal at the middle school as well as town moderator and will be sorely missed.  John’s many contributions to the community were remembered with comments such as “he was my mentor,” “he was a dear friend,” and “what a kind, sincere, caring person.”  Town representatives and members of the Weare Democratic Town Committee joined Judy, John’s wife, for the ceremony.

For those looking for it, John’s plaque can be found right underneath the large photo of Justice David Souter and George H.W. Bush.

Annual Pie-and-Penny Raffle (2021-11-13)

The Weare Dems held their third annual “Pie-and-Penny” raffle, once again on the lovely grounds of Moody Pond Marketplace (thanks to Deb Brown’s continued generosity!). Taking place during a nice 3-hour break of sunshine between weather systems, the raffle was quite the success, with more than 30 pies sold and lots of great raffle items won by a variety of winners. See below for some photos from the event.

In addition to Deb, many thanks go to our Events Committee team, the other volunteers at the event, and all those who donated items or time to this event!

Route 114 Adopt-a-Highway Cleanup (2021-09-11)

The Weare Dems conducted their latest cleanup of the portion of Route 114 we sponsor as part of the NH DOT’s Adopt-a-Highway program. It carried some extra meaning, given it was the 20th anniversary of the 9/11 attacks. We ended up cleaning up 33 bags’ worth of assorted trash, which, this time, included an automobile exhaust pipe, a full window screen, and more than a few masks.

Special thanks to Karen, Nancy, Tom, Bev, Suzanne C, David, Connie, Gary, Debbie, Chris, Diane, Bill and Fiona for all their labors this morning, as well as Deb from Moody Pond Marketplace for once again generously allowing us to use their parking lot. Here are a few photos!

Weare Town-Wide Yard Sale (2021-08-14)

The Weare Dems participated in the annual town-wide Yard Sale, and thanks to many generous donations of items and time, we ended up making well over $300 to help advance our cause! A couple of photos may be seen below.

Town Visibility Event (2021-05-21)

Another successful town visibility event! Let’s keep this going…

Town Visibility Event (2021-04-23) and Town Cleanup (2021-04-24)

The Weare Dems stood up for their beliefs in Weare town center (April 23) and participated in another cleanup of the portion of Route 114 as part of town cleanup day (April 24). Below are a couple photos from the visibility event, and a sample of what was encountered during the cleanup. Thanks to all volunteers!

Weare DemCom Monthly Meeting w/guest speaker Emmett Soldati (2021-01-13)

The Weare Dems welcomed Emmett Soldati, candidate for NHDP chair, during their 1/13/21 monthly meeting. A screen capture from the event can be seen below.

Weare DemCom 2nd Annual Pie & Penny Raffle Event (2020-11-21)

Many thanks and gratitude go out to everyone who helped organize, host, work at, donate to, or purchase an item from the Pie & Penny Sale/Raffle on Saturday, November 21, 2020.  The event was a tremendous success!

The committee would like to give a special shout-out to:

• Connie Evans, Suzanne Couhie, Suzanne Merrill, Judi, Stephanie and Rachel Cisto, Gail Silva, Jean Anglim, Sylvia Beaupre, Lynne Bride, Katy Cutshall, Roger Lessard, Bev Cotton and Tom Clow for donating baked goods;
• Pampered Touch Salon, Pat’s Peak Ski Area, Country 3 Corners Hardware/Convenience, Esol’s Massage Studio, Ron Merrill, George Bougher, Gail Silva, Connie Evans, Debbie Farr, Nancy Christian, Lauren Warner and Bev Cotton for donating items;
• And last but not least – to Deb Brown for once again generously donating the use of Moody Pond Marketplace for our event.

Below are some photos from the event. Again, thanks again to all that helped in any way!

Weare DemCom Meet the Candidates – Event #3 (2020-10-12)

See below videos where candidates Bill Barry (video #1), William Bryk (video #2), Michael Conlon (video #3), Suzanne Ketteridge (video #4), Debora Pignatelli (video #5), and Elizabeth Ropp (video #6) introduce themselves. Then see videos #7 – #9 for open question-and-answer sessions for all the candidates.

Primary Day @ WMS (2020-09-08)

Weare DemCom Meet the Candidates – Event #2 (2020-08-04)

See below videos where candidates Andru Volinsky (video #1), Rachel Cisto (videos #2, 4 & 6), and Jenn Alford-Teaster (videos #3, 5 & 6) introduce themselves and answer questions.

Weare DemCom Meet the Candidates – Event #1 (2020-07-22)

See below videos where candidates Gary Evans (video #1), Rob Girard (video #2), Dan Feltes (videos #3 & #4) and Jen Paveglio (video #5) introduce themselves and answer questions.