Please Renew Your Membership Or Become A New Member For 2020 By Clicking HERE.  You Can Sign Up With PayPal or Credit Card Or A Downloadable Mail-in Form.

Also please check out the details for our luncheon speaker programs from October 2019 through March 2020 HERE.

Democratic Club News

• Bruce Maggin will be the featured speaker at the LBKDC Tuesday, February 4 luncheon.  The topic will be Disrupted Media: Disrupted Democracy.  Our speaker is the Founder and Managing Partner of the H.A.M Media Group, an international investment advisory firm, formed in 1997, that is focused on the media, entertainment and communications industries.  He was formerly Executive V.P. and head of the ABC Multimedia Group responsible for directing ABC's activities in the digital world including a broad range of ventures for emerging media platforms.  Mr. Maggin will outline his views of where our democracy is particularly vulnerable and what developments might offer solutions.  Our luncheons are held at the Sarasota Yacht Club, 1100 John Ringling Boulevard, Sarasota.  Registration is at 11:30 am.  For more details and to reserve a registration for you and your guests using PayPal or your credit card go HERE

• The Sarasota MLK Celebration Committee is sponsoring the Annual Dr. Martin L. King Jr. Memorial Breakfast and Community Awards with guest speaker Dr. Rachel Shelley, Principal, Booker High School.  The breakfast is to beheld on Monday, January 20, 2020 from 7:30 am to 10:30 am.  The 2020 Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Memorial Breakfast and Community Awards honors the work and sacrifice of the late Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. The breakfast will be held at the Robert L. Taylor Community Complex, 1845 34th Street Sarasota, FL 34234.  Tickets start at $25. A one mile walk to MLK Park follow the breakfast.  For more details go HERE.  

• Terri Rizzo, Chair of the Florida Democratic Party has mailed out the Weekly Update from the Party.  The Update contains important information about upcoming Democratic Party events over the next few months.  The events include the Leadership Blue meeting on March 29-31 in Orlando and many other training and organizing events planned for this critical election year.  Check out the details HERE.

• Drake Buckman, candidate for State representative District 72 is holding a campaign kickoff fundraiser hosted by Kay Mathers and Scott Dennis on January 30th, 5-7 pm. For more details and to RSVP go HERE.

• Dr. Nancy MacLean, author of the National Book Award Non-Fiction Finalist, Democracy in Chains: The Deep History of the Radical Right’s Stealth Plan for America will be presenting "The Campus Origins of Today’s Radical Right and the Crisis of American Democracy" on January 31, 2020 at 6:00 pm at the New College of Florida, Sainer Auditorium, 5313 Bay Shore Rd Sarasota, FL 34243.  Booklist calls Democracy in Chains “perhaps the best explanation to date of the roots of the political divide that threatens to irrevocably alter American government.” The Guardian said: “It’s the missing chapter: a key to understanding the politics of the past half century.”  Please RSVP for this very special event to dnsrees@hotmail.com.  For more details go HERE

• How to Vote in Florida even if You are a Snowbird - Did you know that you can register to vote in Florida even if you do not spend six months and a day here?  The so-called 183-day rule is one used by many states for taxation purposes -- but has nothing to do with voter registration.  Looking ahead to the critical election of 2020, your vote is likely to be much more important in Florida than in a so-called “blue” state:  Whoever wins Florida is likely to win the presidency. If you own or rent property in Florida, you can register to vote here.  According to Florida law, what matters is where a person intends to make his or her permanent residence for purposes of voter registration.  You can be both a legal voting resident of Florida and a taxpaying resident of another state. (You must give up your right to vote in your alternate state.) This is a good time to make a switch, well in advance of next year’s election.  HERE is more information on how to register to vote in Florida as a snowbird. 

• Our friend June Leder Ansorge, age 94, died Thursday August 22 on Longboat Key, FL.  In her New York Times obituary it states  - "She lived life on her terms and was lucky in life and in death.  June was a ceramic artist/teacher for more than half her life.  She also loved cooking, politics, and the view from her condo. June is survived by her brother George, son Andrew (wife Laura), daughter Sally Mulvey and granddaughter Alexandra.  In her memory, contributions to the Democrat of your choice would be appreciated."  June was an active member of the Longboat Key Democratic Club, attended most of our luncheons and was a delight to talk with.  We will miss her greatly.      

• Norma Schatz has released her January letter to Plymouth Harbor residents and others who care.  The 2020 session of the Florida Legislature convened on January 14.  Over 3000 bills have been introduced in the state Senate or House. Many have already been heard by one or more committees; some will move to a vote in both houses and the Governor’s signature and some will die along the way.  Issues include off shore drilling, immigration, abortion, guns.  You’ll read in the local newspaper about the more controversial bills. In between elections, your voice can be important. Sen.Joe Gruters and Rep. Will Robinson represent Plymouth Harbor residents in the Florida Legislature. Senate President Bill Galvano (850/487-5833) and House Speaker Jose Oliva (850/717-5110), both Republicans, are very much in control of the agenda.  See Norma's complete January letter HERE.

• The Florida Democratic Party’s Organizing Corps 2020 is an effort to build the talent and infrastructure needed to win in 2020. Together we’re investing in the next generation of local and diverse staff for the 2020 general election and beyond.  The DNC, the Florida Democratic Party and 6 other state Democratic parties, in partnership with 270 Strategies and The Collective PAC, have launched Organizing Corps 2020 —a new program, starting in 2019, focused on recruiting, paying, and training young people, especially people of color, to work on the 2020 presidential cycle!  See Details HERE. 

A Message from the President – Ken Marsh

For decades the Longboat Key Democratic Club has provided means for local residents to support Democratic candidates, to hear from knowledgeable and stimulating speakers, to link to other Democratic Party efforts, and to impact government decisions based on our values. And now, for the 2019-20 program year, we are setting our sights on being more effective than ever before!

We are located on Longboat Key, a barrier island whose 3,000 registered Democrats vote at either Sarasota County precinct 201 or Manatee County precinct 309. Our island is situated between Sarasota Bay and the Gulf of Mexico and is 12 miles long and 1/2 mile wide.  Most of our voters are seasonal but still very involved in local election issues year-round.  Our precincts typically have the highest percentage of voter turnout in the county.

Our Club meets for lunch and discussion on the first Tuesday of the month, from November - April. Our luncheons are held at the Sarasota Yacht Club, 1100 John Ringling Boulevard, Sarasota.  Our guest speakers give presentations that are stimulating, relevant, and humorous. The presenters include members of Congress, local and state officials, candidates, political pundits, journalists, and entertainers. Our new luncheon format has Registration at 11:30, the Speaker at 11:45, Lunch and Club updates at 12:30, and adjournment at 2:00 after an extended Q&A with the Speaker.

Increasingly, we host luncheons, receptions, and Meet & Greet events from May through October. We also coordinate our activities with the captains for both precincts. And our members work hard to keep voters informed, educated and involved, even in off-years. Most Longboat Key residents are already registered to vote so our volunteers register voters elsewhere in both counties. For years we have strongly supported Democratic Party efforts in the Newtown neighborhood in north Sarasota.

The Longboat Key Democratic Club is proud to share information about the club and about your opportunities to get involved.  We encourage you to join us in our quest to support Democratic nominees at the local, state and national levels. Together, through excellent voter turnout and our support of Democratic candidates, we can make a significant, positive difference in the future of our country.

Contact any Board Member to discuss how you can participate in the camaraderie and activism of the Longboat Key Democratic Club.

Ken Marsh
President