GPAD is THRILLED to welcome as our keynote speaker Cook County Board President and Cook County Democrats' Chair Toni Preckwinkle at our annual fundraiser on Oct. 7. Speaker list includes State Rep. Nabeela Syed; State Rep. Margaret Croke, candidate for Illinois Comptroller; Clerk of the Court Mariyana Spyropoulos; MWRD Commissioner Eira Corral Sepulveda; Cook County Commissioners Scott Britton, Maggie Trevor, and Kevin Morrison, who is also a candidate for the Eighth Congressional District, State Representative Nicolle Grasse, State Senator Mark Walker, Board of Review Commissioner George Cardenas. Candidates speaking include candidates for the Eighth Congressional District: Junaid Ahmed, Yasmeen Bankole, Sanjyot Dunung, Christ Kallas, Neil Khot, Dan Tully, and Ryan Vetticad. State Senate Candidate Carina Santa Maria; State Rep. Candidate Jenny Levin; Judge Michael Cabonargi, Candidate for Cook County Judge, and Judge Dan Naranjo for Cook County Judge, 13th Subcircut, and more! For tickets and sponsorships, kindly visit https://secure.actblue.com/donate/redwhiteblue2025

As I write this, Trump and the Republicans are announcing that they are staging a military invasion of the Chicago metro area for no reason other than to try to terrorize a Democratic city and state. Trump's private army plans on staying at the Great Lakes Naval Station, then get on I-94 and hit the parking lot that is the Kennedy Expressway under construction, sit in traffic for a few hours, then go stand around the Bean for photo ops before they skulk around the downtown, harassing people. Are they going to help remove deadly firearms to keep us safer? Are they going to help free neighborhoods of gang activity? No. They are going to scare away tourists, ruin business for downtown restaurants and stores, and arrest passers-by on any old pretext, then lose their cases when grand juries refuse to indict the poor souls. Oh, maybe Trump's army will help with yardwork, like they did in D.C. In any case, our federal government has become useless, worthless and dangerous in an inept, stupid way.

Meanwhile, here in Illinois, we understand how democracy--and government!--works. We are working toward the day when justice will prevail. Because we can't just throw up our hands. Rallies help. We also need to dig in and do the work.  One way to move justice along is to help local Democratic candidates get on the ballot for the March 17, 2026, Democratic primary. Candidates need to collect thousands of signatures. Yours should be one of them.

We're holding two big petition rallies on Saturday, Sept. 13

Register to sign petitions on Saturday morning here: https://www.gpadems.org/sept_13_sign_candidate_petitions_in_maria_s_driveway

Register to sign petitions Saturday afternoon here: https://www.gpadems.org/sep_13_gpad_day_of_action_turbo_petition_drive_20250913

Want to help be a petition circulator on Sept. 13 in the afternoon and help guide voters through the candidates' petitions? Sign up here: https://www.gpadems.org/help_voters_with_candidate_petitions_at_gpad_sept_13_petition_drives

If that date doesn't work, check our calendar--we have many more opportunities for you to sign, AND for you to get a packet of candidates' petitions and collect signatures from your family, neighbors and friends.

As usual, it's Democrats who know how to do democracy--and we can't do it without YOU!

Cam Davis is running for re-election as a Commissioner on the Metropolitan Water Reclamation District, the government entity that makes sure the water we use is cleaned before it goes back into the environment. We were able to elect Cam in 2018 in a massive write-in vote, and now he is running for re-election. OOHH!!! AND!!!! Please come to GPAD offices to sign petitions for everyone from JP Pritzker to MWRD Commissioners Eira Corral Sepulveda, Precious Brady-Davis, Beth Kirkwood and Cam Davis. Learn from Cam about what the MWRD is doing to address flooding from massive rains, now that the spineless GOP is gutting the EPA.. Sign up here: https://www.gpadems.org/aug_23_gpad_day_of_action_turbo_petition_drive_20250823