President's Message
I have enjoyed serving as the JFK Club President since January 2020. Since then, our membership has grown to over 100 members, many of whom are members of Franklin’s Municipal Democratic Committee and representatives from the state and county. The Club, an arm of the Franklin Township and Somerset County Democratic Committees, is an active local organization that represents the Democratic values of our large multi-cultural, thoroughly diverse Franklin Township community.
We hold monthly meetings at the Senior Community Center on DeMott Lane at the back of the Franklin Twp. Municipal Complex at which we often invite experts to speak on a variety of topics of interest to members. In concert with the Franklin Twp. Democratic Committee, we co-sponsor many events including an annual picnic at Middlebush Park which has been attended by esteemed guests such as Governor Phil Murphy, Congresswoman Bonnie Watson Coleman, Senator Bob Smith, Assemblyman Joe Danielsen, Somerset County Commissioners, our Somerset County Democratic Committee Chairwoman Marguerite “Peg” Schaffer and, of course, our local politicians, Mayor Phil Kramer and our Franklin Twp. Council 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 many committees.
Most important is our “get out the vote” (GOTV) work to do what we can to support the Democratic Party and elect Democratic candidates. We work with the municipal and county committees in a variety of ways – phone banking, canvassing, texting, and voter registration – to encourage area residents to vote.
The 2024 elections did not turn out as we had hoped. The Republicans now have control of the White House, the House and the Senate. However, we were successful in electing Democrat Andy Kim to the US Senate and, fortunately, we kept our county blue. For the next four years, we plan to re-double our efforts with an even more robust get-out-the-vote effort, while simultaneously educating our members, neighbors and friends about the importance of using our voices to resist any efforts to roll back our rights and suppress our voices, and advance the democratic ideals that benefit everyone, whether Democrat or Republican. We hope you will join us in our efforts.
The outcome of the November 5, 2024 elections will impact our nation for years to come. Many social issues that are not supported by the Republican party are at risk – women’s reproductive freedom, LGBTQI+ rights, racial equality, voting rights, climate change and the environmental regulations put into place by Democrats and President Joe Biden. More rights will be decimated by the current Republican administration as well as Republican controlled states across the country, and by the many conservative judges on the Supreme Court and on lower courts. For more details on the Republican’s plans, I refer you to their manual: “Project 2025: Mandate for Leadership”
We will be calling on our members and ourselves to do all we can to protect our rights and freedom. Our state legislators will be seeking re-election and a new governor will be elected in November. In addition to one county commissioner seat, the county surrogate, and the county sheriff positions, there are also five Franklin Township ward council seats open for re-election.
The November 2024 election was one of the most consequential elections of our lifetime and future. It is more important than ever to stand united as Democrats going forward. Our Club’s programs in 2025 will focus on building solidarity, resilience, and resistance. We will continue to represent the party of hope and the future of democracy and to fight for our democratic values. For New Jersey, please collaborate with us to keep the Governor’s office, the NJ legislature, Somerset County, and Franklin Twp. blue in November 2025. For the nation, let us return the House and Senate to Democrats in November 2026. We will need everyone’s help in our efforts to Get Out The Vote!
Please accept my sincere thank you to all those who have participated in our initiatives over the past few years. I ask those who are not yet members to consider joining the Franklin Township JFK Democratic Club. Annual dues are $25 per person, and membership is free for young adults through age 23. Guests are always welcome to attend a meeting before joining. As the Club’s namesake, President John F. Kennedy, so eloquently stated: Ask not what your country can do for you, ask what you can do for your country. In keeping with the spirit of those words, we look forward to seeing you soon.