The Porchlight is our way of keeping the light on. Every month, you’ll find what’s happening with your local Democratic Party — the big dates, the neighborhood gatherings, the work we’re doing together, and the small ways you can plug in.

We debated it. We voted on it. And now we’re united in moving forward: Democrats will hold local primaries in 2026. This is how we build power from the ground up — by giving our neighbors real choices, recruiting local leaders, and showing that Democrats are doing the work right here at home.

They called it a roundtable. But what happened at Grand Oaks was a scripted stunt. The Secretary of Education read a statement, dodged every question, and let local officials speak for her—while the public was shut out.

Our schools were used as props. Our children were used as a backdrop. And the people who should’ve spoken up? They sat quietly and smiled for the cameras.

Most people don’t run for local office because they think someone else will. But that’s how we lose — before the race even starts.

If you’ve ever looked around and thought, “somebody has to do something,” this is your sign: You are somebody.

Sixty years ago, Medicaid made a promise: that no one would be left behind just because they were poor, rural, sick, or aging.
Now, that promise is under attack. Donald Trump’s brutal budget isn’t just cruel — it’s a calculated class war, and rural communities like ours are being left to bleed.

We’re not backing down. This is a promise worth fighting for.

At the July 21 Commission meeting, Anderson County had a choice: defend our libraries as inclusive public spaces — or hand them over to a censorship agenda wrapped in conspiracy and culture war. Despite powerful testimony from residents, the Commission chose the latter. They voted to appoint a man who "absolutely agrees" with a known book banner — just because he “goes about it differently.” This wasn’t leadership. It was performance. And our libraries, our staff, and our community deserve better.