President's Message
It has been three years since I assumed the role of JFK Club President. Until October 2022, all our meetings were held via Zoom due to the Covid pandemic since,first and foremost, we wanted to protect our membersfrom illness. The JFK Club – an arm of the Franklin Township and Somerset County Democratic Committees – is an active local Democratic organization that represents the Democratic values of our large multi-ethnic and racially diverse FranklinTownship community. Our membership continues to grow. Last year, we reached 100 members. There are numerous opportunities to be involved in the Club–attending meetings, participating in activities, and organizing events as well as by serving on one of the Club’s committees and/or in an Executive Committee position.
We hold monthly meetings where we invite expert speakers to present on a variety of topics of interest to members. For the past two years, we held our annual picnic at Middlebush Park with esteemed guests such as Governor Phil Murphy, Congresswoman Bonnie Watson Coleman, Senator Bob Smith, Asm. Joe Danielsen, our Somerset County Commissioners, our Somerset County Democratic Committee Chairwoman and, of course, our local politicians, Mayor Phil Kramer and our Franklin Twp. Council members.
Most important is our “get out the vote” (GOTV) work to do what we can to support the Democratic Party and elect endorsed Democratic candidates. We work with the County and Municipal Committees in a variety ofways -- phone banking, texting, voter registration and canvassing – to encourage area residents to vote.
The 2022 midterm elections will determine who has control of the House and Senate, governorships, attorneys general, and secretaries of state across the country. It doesn’t stop there. Elections in counties, municipalities and boards of education also come into play. The outcome of these elections has the potential to impact democracy as we know it for years to come. At risk are progress on climate change and environmental regulations put into place by Democrats and President Joe Biden. There are also many social issues at risk – women’s reproductive freedom, LGBTQ+ rights, racial equality, voting rights, and others. With conservative judges on courts, more and more rights could be decimated with the help of conservative lawmakers across the country and state by state.
This election year is very consequential, to say the least. It is more important than ever to stand united as Democrats. Please work with us to keep Franklin Township, Somerset County, New Jersey, the House, Senate, and the White House blue. There is no turning back to the dark days of Trump and the January 6th insurrection. We need everyone’s help in our efforts to GOTV.
I thank all those who have participated in our initiatives over the past few years, and I ask those who are not yet members to consider joining the Franklin Township JFK Democratic Club. Annual dues are $25per person and only $10 for students. You are always welcome to attend a meeting before joining. We look forward to meeting you soon at our in-person meetings.