News & Events


October 23, 2019
Politically passive
is an oxymoron
The other day I read an article on a financial website that discussed the increasing popularity of “passive” investment funds — specifically mutual funds that represent an entire major stock index such as the S&P 500. Because such funds include shares in all the stocks listed in an index, the fund’s value is dictated by the movement of the entire market. This requires minimal fund management. Oversight is “passive” so management fees are miniscule, hence the popularity.

I started today’s commentary with that financial anecdote because it got me thinking about how appealing it is to find an approach to any situation that only requires passive involvement. Then I thought about that adjective, “passive.” It’s relaxing. It sounds so peaceful and benign — yet in some situations it can be a destructive activity. Doing nothing is doing something. Just look at the 2010 and 2014 election years when too many Democrats stayed home from the polls and we ended up with years of congressional Republican obstruction.

These thoughts led to another aspect of that investment article that struck me as also worth mentioning. We all look for ways to protect and enhance whatever assets we accumulate in our lives. And yet, perhaps the most precious assets we Americans have is our Constitution and Bill of Rights — and the democracy and equality they protect. Many of us take this valuable legacy for granted. And yet, year to year it requires our attention and our involvement. We must never allow an erosion of our democracy that squanders an inheritance that took two and a half centuries to build.

At last Sunday’s NTD Annual Dinner I was reassured that this battle to protect our Constitutional legacy is not being conceded to the far right. Our Dinner’s guest speakers, Congresswoman Lauren Underwood and Congressman Sean Casten, came to congress in 2018 as a result of hard fought, grassroots campaigns involving hundreds of volunteers. Their words at the Dinner made it clear that they plan to fight even harder to hold on to their congressional seats against an onslaught of right wing money. (We can expect tough challenges to some of our state office holders too.)

So, “passive” is not a word we should even consider as we go into 2020. Democrats, across the country, certainly were not passive in 2018. That momentum has stayed with us. Let's keep it going.

Scroll down this page and you’ll see a number of opportunities to get involved in meaningful activities. It’s not too early to begin. (The Republicans already have.) And, however you choose to become involved, you will make a difference. Politically, passive never wins.

Nels Howard
NTD Member Since 1973

P.S.The financial article I mentioned above did warn of some potential dangers that may be inherent in passive funds. You can google “passive investing bubble” if you’re interested. It’s worth a read.
New Trier Democrats' Events
A Holiday Party With New Trier Democrats
Thursday, December 12th from 6:00pm to 8:00pm

New Trier Democrats will provide the hors d'oeuvres, and drinks will be available for purchase. This event is not a fundraiser. It's just an opportunity to have fun and meet other area Democrats.

We will be collecting non-perishable canned and packaged food, useful paper goods, and toiletry items to donate to the New Trier Township Food Pantry.  A complete list of priority pantry items is here . Anything you can donate is greatly appreciated - let's help fill their shelves!
Other Events of Interest
Inclusion in our "Other Events of Interest" List – whether it’s a fundraising event for a specific candidate or an event concerning a particular issue – does not mean that the New Trier Democrats have endorsed that candidate or adopted that position on an issue. 
Lauren Underwood
This Saturday & Sunday, October 27 & 28, 2019: Weekend of Action With Team Underwood

When: Saturday & Sunday, October 27 & 28, 2019 from Noon to 3:00pm each day
Where: Woodstock & Dupage County – Sign up for more details on location
What: Team Lauren Underwood is hosting a Weekend of Action on October 27th and 28th in IL14. They’ll be gathering petition signatures to get Lauren and other Democrats on the ballot for this election – and they need YOUR help. Will you join them?

This Saturday, October 27, 2019: Knock Doors for Elizabeth Warren in Waukegan

When : Saturday, October 27, 2019 from 12:00pm to 4:00pm
Where : Assemble at Bowen Park, 1800 N. Sheridan Rd., Waukegan
What : A door-to-door canvass for Elizabeth Warren, Democratic candidate for President of the United States. For additional information or to RSVP,  register online .
This Sunday, October 27, 2019: Tree Of Life Commemoration Vigil

When : Sunday, October 27, 2019 from 4:30pm to 6:00pm
Where : Buckingham Fountain, 301 S. Columbus Drive, Chicago
What : Jewish Council on Urban Affairs and partners hold a vigil commemorating the first anniversary of the Tree of Life shooting, in which a white nationalist gunman stormed into a Pittsburgh synagogue and murdered 11 Jews. To RSVP,  register online  or for more information, visit the event  Facebook page . For questions, contact Avra Shapiro at [email protected].
Monday, October 28, 2019: Trump Get Out Of Our House Protest

When : Monday, October 28, 2019, time TBD
Where : Chicago – location TBD
What : From the protest organizers – “Trump will be in Chicago for a fundraiser on October 28, 2019 at a TBD location with Todd Ricketts, Ronna (Romney) McDaniel, Brad Parscale and others. Trump has no business in Chicago. There will be a huge protest. This is an evolving and fluid situation. We don’t yet know where he’ll be or when. We may not know until the day of.  Sign up here  to receive alerts as details emerge and  share the Facebook event  with your friends and family!”
Saturday, November 2, 2019: Wisconsin Voter ID Canvass With Indivisible Evanston

When : Saturday, November 2, 2019 – see signup for time options
Where : Kenosha, Racine, Elkhorn & Wauwatosa, WI – see signup for meeting location options
What : Join Indivisible Evanston on November 2 as they canvass in FOUR different counties as part of the WI Dems weekend of action. The WI Dems have requested that they send canvassers to all four locations, so please take that into account as you choose where to go. All predictive lists concur that Wisconsin, with just 10 electoral votes, could easily be the state that determines the 2020 presidential winner; our boots on the ground are needed to flip it! Sign up to CARAVAN with them from the DPOE to Racine or DRIVE DIRECTLY to either Kenosha, Racine, Elkhorn or Wauwatosa, WI on 11/2:  Sign up here.
Sunday, November 3, 2019: Northfield Township Judicial Panel and Petition Finale

When : Sunday, November 3, 2019 from 3:00pm to 4:30pm
Where : Northbrook Public Library, 1201 Cedar Lane, Northbrook
What : Democrats of Northfield Township and North Shore Democrats for Progress host a panel discussion and questions on the Illinois Courts and Elections. Panelists include Supreme Court Justice and Candidate P. Scott Neville, Appellate Judge and Candidate Michael Hyman, Circuit Court Judge and Candidate Kerrie Maloney Laytin, Circuit Court Judicial Candidate Araceli De La Cruz, and Subcircuit Judge and Candidate Patricia Fallon. Also an opportunity to sign petitions to get candidates on the ballot. For additional information or to RSVP,  register online .
Bob Morgan
Monday, November 4, 2019: State Rep. Bob Morgan Fall Event

When : Monday, November 4, 2019 from 6:00pm to 7:30pm
Where : Glencoe home of Stacey Sher Michelon and Jon Michelon (Address upon RSVP)
What : Representative Bob Morgan of the 58th District’s final 2019 event in the district.  Link to RSVP online . For more information or to RSVP, please contact Joey Slater at [email protected] or (312) 448-8014.
Wednesday, November 6, 2019: Evanston Reception for U.S. Rep. Sean Casten IL-6

When : Wednesday, November 6, 2019 from 6:00pm to 8:00pm
Where : The home of Allison & Stephen Hackney, 2330 Orrington Ave, Evanston
What : A fundraiser reception for U.S. Rep. Sean Casten, Illinois’ 6th congressional district. To RSVP please use their  event webpage  or email Matthew Kipnis at [email protected].
Saturday, November 9, 2019: Northwestern Football Tailgate Extravaganza With State Sen. Laura Fine

When : Saturday, November 9, 2019 (Game time to be announced; tailgate opens 90 minutes before kickoff)
Where : Mustards Last Stand, 1613 Central St., Evanston
What :  Tailgate before the Northwestern Wildcats face the Purdue Boilermakers. Tickets for just the tailgate, and for both the tailgate and the game, are available. RSVP required: [email protected].  Link to purchase tickets/sponsorships online . For more information, please contact Carly Halstead: [email protected] or 312-630-7700
Saturday, November 9, 2019: Glen Ellyn Reception for U.S. Rep. Sean Casten IL-6

When : Saturday, November 9, 2019 from 7:00pm to 9:00pm
Where : Glen Ellyn – address provided upon RSVP
What : A fundraiser reception for U.S. Rep. Sean Casten, Illinois’ 6th congressional district. To RSVP please use their  event webpage  or email Genevieve Kristofek at [email protected].
Sunday, November 10, 2019: Evanston Reception for Marie Newman, Candidate for Congress IL-3

When : Sunday, November 10, 2019 from 3:00pm to 6:00pm
Where : Page 1 Books, 1808 Central Street, Evanston
What : Join Marie Newman, Democrat running for Illinois’ 3rd Congressional District for an afternoon of discussion! Hear from Marie as she shares her vision and plan to bring new change in IL-3. To buy a ticket in advance, click this link:  https://secure.actblue.com/donate/evanston11.10  If you have any questions, contact Mary-Margaret at [email protected]
Tuesday, November 12, 2019: Indivisible Evanston’s Phone Bank & Letter Write to Flip Wisconsin

When : Tuesday, November 12, 2019 from 6:00pm to 9:00pm
Where : 319 Wesley Ave, Evanston
What : Join Indivisible Evanston as they phone bank and letter write to help flip WI in 2020. If you are phone banking – please bring cell phone, earphones, charger & laptop! If you are letter writing – please bring “forever” stamps for first class letters or donate towards stamps at the meeting if possible. Thank you! For more information or to RSVP,  visit their Facebook event page.
Looking For Something To Do Now?

Help Text Bank For Democratic Candidates In Virginia State House Races With Sister District

Text Banking is here!

You can sign up at  this form . They expect high demand for texting lists.
Please sign up to text ONLY for the two candidates, Alex Askew and Ghazala Hashmi, that our local Sister District is supporting!

Some things to know:

You need to do some reading and training on your own. This is done online. Texting will be done at specified times. You will sign up for a texting “event” and at the scheduled time, a batch of numbers will be released. Sign-up is available now. Texting began August 17 and will continue through Election Day. You must sign up and complete all training steps at least one week before your first texting event.

More details can be found in this Sister District/Red2Blue  Texting Guide .
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representatives in government?

Visit our website for a complete list of everyone who represents the residents of New Trier Township - from Federal to Village level - and links to contact them.
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will make a difference. Come join us!

When you're a member of the New Trier Democratic Organization, you have an active role in affecting the political process by: participating in grassroots campaigns, staying in touch with elected officials, and playing a role in deciding which candidates are endorsed. You'll also gain  free admission  to select forums and events throughout the year.    

Come be a part of New Trier Township's grassroots political community.    
New Trier Democrats memberships are on a calendar year basis. We encourage our members to renew their dues annually every January.
Paid for by the NTDO-FED and not authorized by any candidate or candidate’s committee. A copy of our report filed with the State Board of Elections is available on the Board’s official website (www.elections.il.gov) or for purchase from the State Board of Elections, Springfield, Illinois.