Porchlight | March ‘26

Written By Chase Lindsey

If you’ve ever wondered what a county party is for, here’s the clearest answer we can give:

We’re here to build the road that candidates can walk on.

Not just for this election. Not just for one headline moment. But a road that stays solid for years, so when good people step up to run, they’re not doing it alone, and they’re not starting from scratch.

That “road” is relationships, meeting habits, volunteer confidence, community trust, and the simple fact that people know where to go when they want to plug in.

March is packed… and it’s packed on purpose. Here’s everything happening this month.

How to Plug In This Month (Pick One Thing)

You don’t have to do everything. Just pick one lane:

If you do one of those things in March, you’re part of the road-building.

March Calendar: Week by Week

Week 1 (March 1–7)

Thursday, March 5

  • District 6 Dems Meeting (5:30–6:30 PM) — Anderson County Democratic Party HQ
    Monthly meeting for District 6 neighbors to connect and organize.

  • Districts 1–5 Dinner Meetup (5:30–6:30 PM) — Vista De Rio Mexican
    A relaxed community meal with Democrats from Districts 1–5. Come meet people and leave with new connections.

Week 2 (March 8–14)

Sunday, March 8

Monday, March 9

  • District 8 Dems Meeting (5:30–7:00 PM) — Jewish Congregation of Oak Ridge
    Monthly meeting for District 8 neighbors to connect and plan.

Thursday, March 12

Week 3 (March 15–21)

Wednesday, March 18

  • AndersonDems General Assembly (6:30–7:30 PM) — Roane State Community College (City Room)
    General meetings are back. Learn what’s on the ballot, share ideas, and turn community energy into action as we kick off the 2026 election season.

Thursday, March 19; Come talk about the book: How to Stand Up to a Dictator — Maria Ressa

  • Afternoon Non-Fiction Book Club (2:00–3:30 PM) — Anderson Democrats HQ
    Come-as-you-are discussion space. No pressure to finish the book.

  • Evening Non-Fiction Book Club (6:00–7:00 PM) — Anderson Democrats HQ
    Same vibe, evening time slot — show up with curiosity, questions, and whatever stood out.

Friday, March 20

  • Crafters’ Corner (1:00–3:00 PM) — Anderson County Democratic Party HQ
    Bring any “busy hands” craft and help make baby blankets and comfort items to donate through the Linus Project.

Week 4 (March 22–28)

Monday, March 23

Tuesday, March 24

  • District 7 Dems Meeting (6:00–7:00 PM) — Anderson County Democratic Party HQ
    Monthly meeting for District 7 neighbors to connect, organize, and plan.

Saturday, March 28

  • NO KINGS (3:00–5:00 PM) — Oak Ridge Turnpike
    No thrones. No crowns. No kings. We have power, and we’re claiming it together.

The Through Line: Why These Events Matter

It’s easy to look at a calendar and see “a bunch of stuff.” But what we’re really doing is building durable structure:

  • Events that make it normal to show up

  • Trainings that make it easier to take action

  • Community projects that prove we care about the county, not just elections

  • Consistent touchpoints that create a bench of volunteers and leaders

  • A party presence that future candidates can rely on

That’s the road. March is us pouring the concrete.

 

On Your Ballot: May Primary, August General… and Who’s Running

We’ve now got a finalized list of Anderson County Commission candidates for the August General Election, and because of Tennessee’s election calendar, these candidates will first appear on the May primary ballot, with their general election in August.

Here’s who’s running for County Commission:

  • District 3: Rodney Archer

  • District 5: Marty May

  • District 6: Ebony Capshaw & Derek Guy

  • District 7: Sharon Bourgeois & Steve Verran

  • District 8: Ashley Craven & Liz Henry

We’re launching a full candidate section on our website this week so you can see who’s running, what they care about, and how to support them.

 

A quick note on voting (the “don’t accidentally cancel yourself out” version)

In County Commission races, you get two votes in your district for Commission. That can be confusing, but the idea is simple:

  • Use your full vote for Democrats.

  • If you have two Democrats running, vote for both Democrats.

  • If you only have one Democrat, don’t “split” your vote with someone else — your single Democratic vote matters more when you don’t dilute it.

(We’ll share a simple district-by-district guide as we get closer so nobody has to do math at the ballot box.)

 

Candidate Filing Deadlines Are Coming Fast

If you’ve been thinking, “Maybe I should run,” this is your sign to take it seriously.

  • March 10 is the qualifying deadline for the August primary ballot for several races, including:

    • State House District 33 & 41

    • State Senate District 5

    • Municipal School Board (Clinton and Oak Ridge — yes, we mean you)

And for our nonpartisan municipal races (like city council), the qualifying deadline is August 20. We’ll have more details and a clear “how to file” explainer soon.

Start your run for office today

Who’s Filed So Far for November (and What We’d Love to See More Of)

We believe no seat is spoken for, and we truly mean it. Democracy gets healthier when more people bring ideas, ask hard questions, and make their case to voters. Competition isn’t “drama.” It’s how we build better leadership.

Here’s who has signatures approved and is officially filed as of now:

State House District 33: Anne Backus & Kelly McCampbell
State House District 41: No one filed yet
State Senate District 5: David Miller
(With Sen. Randy McNally retiring, this is a once-in-a-decade opportunity… and we want Democrats taking it seriously.)

Tennessee Democratic State Executive Committee (State Party Leadership)

Think of the State Executive Committee like a bigger version of our local Executive Committee: these members help set the direction of the Tennessee Democratic Party. Each State Senate district elects one man and one woman to represent Democrats in that district, and if you want the state party to change, this is one of the most direct ways it happens.

Currently filed:

  • Executive Committeewoman: Anne Backus

  • Executive Committeeman: No official candidates as of this writing (though two folks from the Knox County portion of the district have expressed interest)

Statewide & Federal filings (approved signatures so far):

  • Governor: Carnita Atwater, Jerri Green

  • U.S. Senate: Diana Onyejiaka

  • Tennessee House District 3: Anna Golladay

More candidates have picked up petitions — the list above reflects those whose signatures have already been approved.

Our fairness policy (and why it matters)

The Anderson County Democratic Party believes in bringing new voices to the table. We do not endorse or play favorites before a Democratic nominee is chosen (or until our bylaws allow).

What we will do is make sure voters have good information, candidates have a pathway to compete, and our county has a bench that keeps growing. Cycle after cycle.

donate to help us get democrats elected this year
 

What the Executive Committee Is Up To

This month, your Executive Committee is focused on the unglamorous stuff that makes everything else possible: tightening up our volunteer systems, supporting candidate infrastructure, keeping our HQ calendar strong, and building the kind of consistent public presence that makes it easier for Democrats to run (and win) in Anderson County.

Here’s what that looks like this month:

  • Our monthly business meeting to keep the basics strong: finances, compliance, minutes, planning, and follow-through.

  • Laying groundwork for a big summer event (more soon) — the kind of thing that brings new people in and gives candidates a real runway.

  • Planning district-based house parties so organizing isn’t just “at HQ,” it’s happening where people live.

  • Building out our voter outreach program for 2026 — the systems and habits that make turnout possible when it matters most.

  • New HQ signage approved at our last EC meeting — you’ll see photos soon, and it’s going to make a real difference in visibility and foot traffic.

And one more thing we want to say plainly: every person doing this work is a volunteer. We’re all doing this work for free because we believe Anderson County can do better than what we’ve been stuck with, and because change doesn’t show up by accident. It gets built, piece by piece, by people who decide to help.

If you’ve been waiting for the “perfect time” to get involved, March is it.

Your Executive Committee can set the direction and build the scaffolding, but the road only gets finished when more of us put a hand on it.

So keep it simple: Pick one event. Bring one person. Take one small role.

That’s how roads get built. It isn’t by one big heroic day, but by a whole community showing up, again and again.

— Anderson County Democratic Party Executive Committee

 
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