Meeting Minutes

Minutes for September 25, 2025

Glen Ellyn History Center

Quote for the Month

The greater the number of people who find any idea correct, the more the idea will be correct.                                                - Robert Cialdini

Call to Order

Chair Stacy Slater called the meeting to order at 7:31 p.m. Other Officers in attendance: Steve Siemer (Absent). Larry Pitts presented the Treasurer’s report. Ted  Estes (Operations). Bonnie Gahris (Absent). Minutes respectfully submitted by Jackie McGrath (Publications).

Welcome Visitors

Stacy welcomed those in attendance, and invited newcomers to introduce themselves, and stay for refreshments. First time visitors: Scott (new PC) and Bernadette Young (York Township PC), Margaret DeLaRosa (candidate), Brad Hutchins, Ronald Almiron (Mosquito Abatement, Wheaton, appointed by the County Board). 

Approval of August Minutes

Stacy entertained a motion to approve the August Minutes without reading. Helene Frankfater moved and Deb Walker seconded the motion, which was passed by voice acclamation. 

Treasurer’s Report Presented by Larry Pitts

The new hat was passed for donations. There’s a sheet for membership renewal or donations in the back of the room, and on the hat you can use the QR code to make a donation. Receipts: $739 income, total disbursements $2406. We’re up to 151  members, same as July, with the goal being 200. In the back is a list of paid up members and lapsed members. A year ago we only had 85 members so it’s significantly up.

Chair Report Stacy Slater

Cialdini is a social psychologist, and he coined this term “social proof” as part of his work studying the art of persuasion and influence. When you walk in a room, you take that moment to hesitate to see what everyone else has out on the desk and aim to match them and take out the same. It’s searching for approval in a social group, that joining that group is acceptable and accepting. It lets us know we are in with our crowd, these are the people, our clique. When it’s used well, it says to the people who are hesitant, come on in. YOu are welcome here. You can be one of us. We want to say, this is a safe space for you. It’s why we are standing on street corners to protest. It lets people know there are others who think like you do. This is how a grass roots movement gets started. There is a cautionary side to this. When social proof is used badly, it turns into herd mentality and group think and is being used badly in some ways right now. So my challenge is to provide a safe entry point for those who want to join us.

October 18th is No Kings Day, again. There was one in June and about 5 million people turned out. The goal this time is 12 million people. If you go on the DuPage Democrats website you can find the Mobilize link. Here’s the exciting news: we are going to have a location right here in Wheaton and Glen Ellyn along Roosevelt Road. It’s sponsored by one of the Indivisible groups and the Glen Ellyn League of Women’s Voters. We’ve been invited to be a co-sponsor.

I’d like to put to the membership. Larry moves, Karen Craven seconds. Should we become a cosponsor of the event on Roosevelt Road. Motion carries. We will be assigned a corner and the goal is to have all four corners covered.

Write postcards to swing states! Coming up October 25. 

Also, Nominations - from Larry Pitts: on the DuPage County Dems Executive Committee, each township has voting members and alternates. We need to move one of our alternates up to voting member status. Judy Pitts nominates Dan Bailey, seconded by Paula McGowan. Motion carries. Next we have to replace him as an alternate and we need to do that at the October meeting. Larry Pitts nominated Joe, and Joe Fortunado seconded it. It will be voted on at the next regular meeting. 

Operations Report Ted Estes

Our driveway events are in full swing. We’ve had six events, and we have six more to go. Plenty of opportunity to advertise those coming up. If you want to help, stop by. We’ve had many candidates show up. Candidates, if you haven’t given me a sign, I will take one (and one only) to decorate the location. We try to attract some attention and get good foot traffic. For the petitions: your first stop is the PC portal. We have PDFs up and they are organized and up to date. I have a few available with the union bug. Otherwise stop by the DPDC office. Still looking for notaries if you want to help out—see me and we will subsidize the cost of becoming a notary. PCS: you now have a month left to collect your signatures. Don’t stop at 10, make sure you get a few extras and get your packet to Stacy or me and we’ll look it over. Lastly, I printed 500 business cards. I have a whole box. They have our logo and our QR code, and if you are somewhere, hand people a card. 

If you have ideas about sign placement, see Ricky.

Special Events Niki Taylor (traveling for business, update from Stacy)

We had 16 of us help with clean up on Butterfield. It went fast and it was very clean so our efforts are showing some results. We also helped out with Naper Pride.

Outreach Report Karen Craven

This week, we worked with Reed to get on Mobilize. On the DPDC website, there are lots of opportunities there. We put our Milton meeting on Mobilize! The protest RSVP is there, and we will use Mobilize and it will drive visibility. We are working to do outreach with like-purposed organizations, and if there is a group you think we should reach out to, let us know. We are promoting the calendar—it’s a fundraiser, and we ask for pictures to feature in it. It’s not Act Blue. It’s a desktop calendar and they make great gifts. More to come on that. Last, if you could, please update your contact information. That really helps us. There is a link in the newsletter to update your contact information. Also, be brave and courageous—take action, bring friends to events, go write postcards. 

Presentation Candidate Forum

The 10 candidates will have three-minute presentations, followed by a two-minute Q&A: There are two or more people  running for the same office. Need to keep it simple, keep it civil, and within a time limit. Following are candidates listed in  order of appearance: 

1. (Current Rep) Terra Costa Howard, who is appointed and will run for the 5th Circuit. Appointed on Tuesday by the Illinois Supreme Court to finish the vacant term and will run for the position. 

2. Yeena Yoo (DuPage County Treasurer)

3. Mary Ozog (County Board 4, the two year seat)

4. Jesse Gutierrez (County Board 6)

5. Syed Hussein (County Board 4) 

6. Ben McAdams (Illinois State Senate, 24th District)

7. Margaret DeLaRosa (House District 42)

8. Sonia Bhagwakar (House District 42)

9. Erica Bray Parker (House District 47)

10. Bernadette Young speaking on behalf of candidate Holly Kim, running for Illinois State Comptroller

11. Joey Ruzevich (U.S. Congress, IL-6)

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12. Video from Dan Hebreard (DuPage Forest Preserve President)--could not play

13. Video from Julianna Stratton (U.S. Senate)

New candidates: email your information to democratsofmilton@gmail.com

Petitions need to be finished in early October for state wide candidates.

Petition filing starts Oct. 24th.

If you are running for PC, Ted and Stacy need petitions a few days in advance to help number and collate, and we will turn in all our PC petitions in one group.

Over the holidays there is a lull.

Early voting for the primary opens in January.

The primary is March 17th 2026. Six weeks before that, early voting will happen.

PCs will be walking in the beginning of January in the lousy weather.

After the primary, the summer campaign starts.

The General Election is November 4, 2026

Announcements, Introduction of Other Candidates & New Business

Reid McCollum, Chair of the DuPage Democrats: We have fewer than 2 million people in DuPage County, so we address vacancies according to Illinois Law. Reed as the chair can appoint 2 people to join me to be a representative committee. I’ve appointed Dennis Terdy and Diane Page to that committee. We are the representative committee for the 42nd district. Once the current rep resigns on October 2nd, that kicks off a 30 day clock to fill a vacancy. We have to call for applicants. We will make it public and ask for a resume and a letter of intent. Others can advocate, but that will be the process. October 12 at 1:30 at the College of DuPage (these details will be published). We rented a room that holds 100 people. No participation but you can observe. All applicants will make a 3 minute statement. The committee will deliberate in closed session and come out and announce the information. The next day is the start of the veto session and our hope is to fill the position so the person can go to Springfield for the veto session. Whoever we appoint will fill out the rest of the term and that person will have to submit petitions by the Oct. 27-Nov filing period just like anyone else. Our role is to fill the vacancy, nothing to do with slating or to decide who is running for that seat. 

It will be a primary no matter who is appointed to fill out the remaining months in Terra’s term. The good news is, we have a lot of candidates. 

Ricky Tartara: we need people to host signs; please help recruit volunteers and we will keep track of those locations and share with candidates. If you are PC or a new one please see me and we need a major spot in each precinct. See Ricky to help with signs. 

Terra: I want to say thank you. You’ve been with me every step of the way and it’s been an honor of a lifetime. 

Reid McCollum: our gala keynote speaker in February is David Hogg. Sunday February 22nd at Drury Lane. We will sell over 1,000 tickets. 

Adjournment 

Stacy entertained a motion to adjourn at 8:56 pm. It was moved by Erica Nelson and seconded by Mary Ozog. It  passed by  voice acclamation. 

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