- Lunch with David Jolly
- It's Back to School
- Book Bans On-Hold
- Interview with India Palencia
- Infant Death Emergency: Will Florida Be Next?
- Everglades Detention Protest in Lehigh
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- Volunteers of the Month: Club Builders
- Club of the Month: Young Democrats
- Why I Am a Democrat: Patrick Sheehan
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What Are Democrats Doing?
- Democrats Are Listening
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Meet David Jolly at Lee Dems Luncheon
Local Democrats will have a great opportunity to join gubernatorial candidate David Jolly for lunch on Sunday, October 12, at the Luminary Hotel in Fort Myers. Jolly, an MSNBC political analyst and former U.S. Congressman, will be making a sweep through “5 Counties in 5 Days.” During his visit to Lee County, he will have a VIP Meet and Greet, followed by a luncheon from 1:00 to 3:00 PM where he will be the main speaker. Attendees will also hear from other Democratic candidates. Later, Jolly will meet with Young Democrats.
This event is expected to be a major fundraiser for Lee Dems and will help support our 2026 campaign. So buy your tickets now! For Early Birds who place their orders before September 21, individual tickets are $100 and tables of eight $750. After that, single tickets will be $125 and tables, $900.
Clubs and caucuses—please buy a table! The Democratic Club of Southwest Fort Myers plans to buy a table and raffle off seats to attendees at its September meeting.
Can’t make it to the luncheon yourself? Consider buying a ticket and donating it to a Young Democrat.
REGISTER NOW AND SAVE!
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It’s Back to School
As parents stretch their budgets to buy school supplies and keep their kids in the classroom, Congressional Republicans have backed Trump’s plan to gut the Department of Education. Here in Florida, Republican legislators were more interested in removing books from classrooms than in offering public school teachers a living wage. Pay for the average teacher in Florida ranks at the bottom nationwide. Instead of investing in teachers and neighborhood schools, legislators slashed public school funding and funneled billions of taxpayer dollars into unaccountable, corporate-run schools.
Locally, the Teachers’ Association of Lee County disputes the school district’s claim that classrooms are properly staffed. But read on for some good news! A federal court found that the book ban violates the First Amendment. India Palencia shares ideas that make her a promising candidate for the School Board in the article below.
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Florida’s Book Bans: Good News for Now
By Paula Porter
On August 14, a decision by a federal court in Florida ruled that a key part of the state’s book-banning law, House Bill 1069, is “overbroad and unconstitutional.” This ruling is a significant development in the ongoing legal and political battle over books in Florida’s schools.
U.S. District Judge Carlos Mendoza issued a 50-page decision in a lawsuit filed by a coalition of major publishing companies, the Authors’ Guild, several prominent authors, and parents. The lawsuit specifically challenged the part of HB 1069 that required schools to remove any material that “describes sexual conduct” or is “harmful to minors.”
Since 2023 when HB 1069 was passed, Florida schools have removed hundreds of books from school libraries and classrooms. Read more
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Meet the Candidates
An Interview with India Palencia, Candidate for Lee County School Board, District 6—Continued
Recently, we sat down with India Palencia, candidate for the Lee County School Board, District 6 (at-large), which means her name will appear on every ballot county-wide. In Part One of our interview, India shared her perspectives on critical issues including teacher pay and retention, school safety, technology in the classroom, equality, and more.
In Part Two, India provides her thoughts on school board policymaking and transparency, curriculum and book bans, equity in school construction, capital improvements, and racial incidents and inclusion. Here are the questions and India's responses:
On School Board Policymaking and Transparency
Lee Dems: What are your thoughts on the School Board Policy-Making Process?
India: School boards should focus on student outcomes, not political agendas. While policy decisions are inherently public, I believe the line should be drawn where partisanship overshadows what’s best for students. I recently read a book entitled How NOT to be a Terrible School Board Member, and it addresses this. It is not the job of a school board member to push a “conservative” or a “progressive” political agenda or ideology on the public or district. It is the job of the School Board to remove our “party-colored glasses” and make choices solely for the educational quality for children in the school district. I believe having a board that is biased one way or the other will inherently fail to accomplish this goal.
LeeDems: How do you ensure transparency and community trust in board decisions?
Read more
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Will Florida Be Next?
Mississippi Infant Death Health Emergency
By Tracey Rippon
On August 21, 2025, Mississippi declared a public health emergency for infant deaths with a rate more than double the national average. Maternal health and infant health are closely linked since healthier pregnancies lead to healthier infants. Research has also shown that restrictive abortion laws increase both maternal and infant death rates. Pregnancies complicated by maternal medical conditions or fetal genetic conditions with anomalies that would have qualified for abortion care will be forced to go to term. In addition, Florida’s 6-week abortion ban (enacted in 2024) is more restrictive than the 15-week ban in Mississippi (enacted in 2022) so it is likely that Florida’s rate will worsen significantly. Read more
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Protesters in Lehigh Oppose Immigrant Detention Center
On Saturday, August 23, protesters gathered off Lee Blvd. in Lehigh to show their opposition to the immigrant detention center in the Everglades. Marchers claimed the facility’s inhumane conditions violated the constitutional rights of the people held there and harmed the environment as well.
Two days earlier, U.S. District Judge Kathleen Williams responded to a suit brought by the Miccosukee tribe and several environmental groups. She ordered the government to halt operations and close the facility within 60 days. Both the federal and state governments are appealing Judge Williams’ order.
| |  | Lee County Volunteers of the Month participated in the protest (above, Liz Schelper, and below, Jackie Brown (right) with MaryBeth Broderson-Soper, Lehigh Acres Democratic Club Treasurer). | | |
Volunteers of the Month
The Club Builders
This month we recognize five Democrats who have stepped up to build clubs and caucuses in Lee County, bringing people together to socialize, learn, and take action.
Liz Schelper and Jackie Brown have both been active with the Lehigh Acres Club. Both took part in the August 23 protest over Alligator Auschwitz. Jackie recruited dozens of new members for the Democratic Club of Lehigh Acres at the volunteer fair in July. She put together a club committee to organize the Alligator Auschwitz protest. “As an educator for the past 40 years, I felt a strong need to fight against the latest danger of the present fiasco.“ Read more
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Club of the Month
The Young Democrats Are Back!!!
By Simon Monteleone
The Lee County Young Democrats have returned as an energetic, vital, and proud organization, ready to empower the next generation of young Democratic leaders in our community! Officially chartered with Florida Young Democrats, LCYD is dedicated to giving youth an important voice in the direction of the Lee County Democratic Executive Committee and the wider Democratic Party apparatus.
Our Mission is critical, yet simple. LCYD supports Democratic nominees at all levels of government, works to shape party messaging, and fosters the development of future youth leaders. Through our constitution, we outline a clear mandate to train and mentor individuals aged 14 to 40, encouraging them to join not just the DEC, but to become active in all positions of the political sphere and engaged with politics. Read more
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Why I Am a Democrat
By Patrick Sheehan
Hi, I’m Patrick. I’m the quintessential “Millennial.” I’m staring at 40, and my generation likes to joke how we’ve survived something like ten “once in a lifetime” events. Global conflicts, Y2K, 9/11, Fannie Mae and Bernie “Made Off” with all the money; the housing crash that followed. Sure, we all remember those. But we saw so much more. I watched TWA flight 800 news reports as a kid, and overheard my folks talk about some monster named Timothy McVeigh. And while the DOE gets hacked to death today, nothing will change education for a nation quite like being a middle schooler and watching the events of April 20th, 1999 play out. Read more
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What are Democrats DOING?...
With our rights under attack and our voices increasingly silenced, the national conversation is filled with questions — why is this happening, and what can we do? Too many of our neighbors are losing hope. Are you ready to stand up and fight back? The Democratic Party of Lee County is holding two Volunteer Fairs this month. These fairs are an open call to everyone who’s ready to take action.
Join us on Saturday, September 6, at the Fort Myers Regional Library, 2450 First St, Fort Myers, from 10:30am to 12:30pm or, on Saturday, September 27, at Lakes Regional Library on Bass Road, Ft. Myers from 2:0 to 4:00pm.
You’ll learn about opportunities in Voter Registration, Communications & Messaging, Events & Community Outreach, Campaigns & Candidate Support, Clubs & Caucuses, Data & Technology.
And so much more.
We’re building a grassroots force to register voters, support bold candidates, and reconnect our communities. Whether you’ve got five hours a week or five minutes a day, there’s a way to get involved.
No matter your background or experience, we need you in this fight. Come meet the people doing the work and leave with a mission.
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...Democrats are Listening
Mark your calendars and come share your ideas at our Listening Tour event. Join us from 1 to 3 PM on Saturday, October 4, at the Cape Coral Public Library, 921 SW 39th Terrace, Cape Coral.
Your voice can help shape our priorities! We want to hear directly from you—local voters, community members, and activists—about the issues that matter most.
This is your opportunity to share concerns, ideas, and feedback with the local Democratic Party in a welcoming, open forum. Whether it’s affordable housing, jobs, healthcare, education, or any other issue, we’re here to listen and take action.
Sign up on Mobilize.
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SUBSCRIBE
The Informed Democrat is published monthly and posted on the LeeCountyDems.org website.
Do you have something you’d like to share with your fellow Democrats in Lee County, or do you have comments, questions, or ideas about features you'd like to see?
Contact us at InformedDemocrat@gmail.com.
Editor: Melissa Butler
The Democratic Party of Lee County is an all-volunteer organization. We do not receive any funding
from the Florida Democratic Party nor the National Democratic Party.
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