Clallam Democrats Rising - October 2025
Vol. 1, #9 - October 2025
During the first week of the government shutdown, we bring you the October issue of Clallam Democrats Rising. In this month’s stories, ongoing resistance stands shoulder to shoulder with hope and joy, channeling fear into action, and reawakening political resolve.
Check out the latest news and actions!
Clallam County Democrats (CCD) endorse local candidates, Proposition 1
Chair’s Corner - Turning Frustrations into Actions
Feature Stories on the Blog
Jessica Hernandez: Choosing hope, joy, and resistance
Lisa Dekker: Protecting our immigrant neighbors
Tim Wheeler: Rallying for Labor, against Fascism
Tina Tyler: Rep. Emily Randall fields tough questions at Sequim Town Hall
Tina Tyler Commentary: Channeling fear into action
A political cartoon by American professor, author, lawyer, and political commentator Robert Reich
Local Impacts, Local Actions — Prop. 1; CCD focus group studies government shutdown; conservation fee approved; local campus of national energy and science lab on the firing line; firefighter arrests by ICE stir controversy
Two Port Angeles Candidates’ Forums this month!
Monday, Oct. 13th - Port Angeles School Board candidates
Monday, Oct. 20th - Olympic Medical Center, Public Hospital District 2 candidates
All forums will be held at 6 p.m. at the Clallam County Democrats office, 124 A W. First St., Port Angeles. A Zoom option is available.
All participants who join electronically MUST identify themselves with first and last names to be admitted. Admittance is at the discretion of the host or host’s designee.
Questions for candidates can be submitted in advance: clallamdemschair@gmail.com
Please submit all comments no later than 24 hours in advance of the scheduled forum.
Support our endorsed candidates!
You will be getting your ballots soon after October 15. Clallam Democrats have endorsed candidates and propositions they believe are critical for our community. Check out what they have to say, and vote early!
LaTrisha Suggs – Port Angeles City Council
“I will focus on housing opportunities, protecting our sole source of water, implementing the climate resiliency plan, implementing water and wastewater infrastructure expansion and maintenance to support growth, [as well as] code updates, and providing government services. Also, as leaders, we need to be clear that our town does not support attacks on our rights protected under the U.S. Constitution and the dismantling of public institutions.” https://www.vote4suggs.org/
Mark Hodgson – Port Angeles City Council
“I am running for Port Angeles City Council because I love our community and couldn’t imagine living anywhere else. I know a successful Port Angeles is built on ensuring safe communities, making affordable housing accessible, and ensuring we have a strategic plan for economic growth and development.” https://www.markhodgson.org/
Gerald Stephanz – OMC Hospital Commissioner
“The current hospital commissioners have failed in oversight of hospital administration to the point of near bankruptcy and the ongoing threat of shutdown of the hospital over quality issues. I have the hospital, administrative, and advocacy experience to guide the changes that will need to be made for Olympic Medical Center to survive and prosper.” https://www.electstephanz.org/about
Laurie Force – OMC Hospital Commissioner
“Together, the Hospital Commissioners set overall policy, supervise the CEO, monitor quality, and approve expenditures. The current Board has not been doing its job. I pledge to tighten the financial reins while keeping the focus on quality. I will maintain open, respectful dialogue with senior leadership, staff, and the community to restore trust in our excellent caregivers.” https://www.forceforomc.com/
Nancy Hamilton – Port Angeles School District
“I have a deep commitment to equitable and high-quality education. I want to bring the perspective of someone who is a parent of two Port Angeles students and the wife of an educator, and understands first-hand challenges facing students, parents, and educators. I have been in public service my entire adult life and have the skill sets necessary to be a representative of the community.” https://electnancyhamilton.org/
Clallam County Proposition 1 – levy lid lift – statement by County Commissioner Mark Ozias
“Please support the modest Clallam County general fund levy lid lift this November so we can maintain service across all departments, from Sheriff’s deputies to Public Health to Community Development to elections. The county has worked very hard to cut costs and build efficiencies, but without additional support from you, we will be forced to consider additional painful cuts.” [To learn more about the Levy Lid Lift and why you should consider voting for it, go to our Local Impacts, Local Actions page.]
Turning Frustrations into Actions
In recent weeks, I have received a steady stream of emails from members, and others, expressing frustrations that “Democrats aren’t doing enough,” or that we need to “be bolder.” Some even insisting that “the current leadership has got to go.”
I understand and respect the passion behind these messages, yet not a single email has offered concrete ideas or proposals for what to do. Critiques are important, but action is essential. We must do more than voice dissatisfaction — we must come together to find practical solutions.
As of this writing, our U.S. government has been shut down. When there was still a possibility that a shutdown could be avoided, I reached out to our membership and invited volunteers to participate in a focus group to discuss the pros and cons of a government shutdown and prepare a report with their findings to share with our members. Could taking a stand on this one vote be a “DO MORE, BE BOLDER” moment for Dems?
Within a few days, a focus group was formed. Their discussions were constructive, with open dialogue and collective problem solving. The group’s consensus: We should continue to stand firmly against the current Republican funding proposal, especially until the proposed cuts to critical healthcare programs are reversed. Remarkably, the focus group accomplished this in just one week!
The report included a Call to Action — a challenge for all of us to reach out to members of Congress — regardless of party — and register our vote on this critical issue. It’s a reminder that our U.S. Congress represents all people! I have also shared their report with Democratic parties across our state, our DNC members, and our elected leaders. [Read the Focus Group report]
While the outcome of the Senate vote may have ultimately been a foregone conclusion, I learned that — like Minute Men in the American Revolution — Clallam County Democrats can be mobilized in record time to tackle a difficult issue, come up with a consensus, and propose a call to action.
I hope to organize another focus group before the end of the year. If you have ideas, now is the time to share them — your voice matters. If you want to be part of the next focus group, please respond to this message and let me know.
Let’s keep pushing forward — boldly, together.
In solidarity,
Ellen Menshew
Chair, Clallam County Democrats
clallamdemschair@gmail.com
Governor declares Washington not backing down
We were extremely honored to have Governor Bob Ferguson as the keynote speaker at our annual Roosevelt Luncheon on September 6. He spoke eloquently about the sharp contrast between this administration’s divisive and destructive goals versus our own state’s successes in standing up for “our Washington values.” (Photo by Lisa Dekker)
Choosing hope, joy, and resistance
What is it like being a wife, mother, daughter, and farmer in a country where the Latino community is being marginalized, oppressed and silenced? A moving speech by Speaker Jessica Hernandez brought attendees at the Roosevelt Luncheon to tears as she shared her emotional journey. You can experience it for yourself on Clallam County Democrats YouTube.
Protecting our immigrant neighbors
Knowing your rights under Washington state law. Joining immigrant rights coalitions. How to legally document ICE activity. Writer Lisa Dekker offers accessible resources we can use to help protect immigrants in the North Peninsula who are such an integral part of our communities and workforce. Includes an interview with Carole Scholl, chair of a local Immigration Action Group.
Rallying for Labor, against Fascism
Nearly 1,000 protesters honored Labor Day in Sequim by angrily protesting the Trump Administration’s war on voting rights and freedom of speech and assembly, as well as MAGA’s vicious cuts in Medicare, Medicaid, Social Security and other benefits.
Representative Randall fields tough questions at Sequim Town Hall
In a recent Town Hall meeting in Sequim attended by more than 200 Clallam County citizens, House Representative Emily Randall tackled challenging questions ranging from illegal use of the military and Gaza concerns, to local issues like new ferries and the Elwha land transfer.
Channeling fear into action
Writer Tina Tyler reflects on a moment of political reawakening.
Vote YES on Proposition 1, a Levy Lid Lift
Clallam County has put Proposition 1 on the ballot, which would increase the maximum levy rate for property taxes. (Note that there is another Proposition 1 on the ballot for the Clallam Charter Review Commission.) Why does the County need this proposition?
A couple numbers can help explain the County’s problem: 1 and 3. The County can only increase property taxes by 1% per year, but inflation for the last 10 years has averaged 3% per year. As inflation outstrips revenues, funds for County services in real dollars keep declining, even though the population keeps growing.
Another few numbers: In 2015, 1.44, 0.76, and 0.95. Ten years ago, the County’s tax rate was $1.44/$1,000 of assessed value (rounded). Today it’s shrunk to about $0.76/$1,000 of assessed value. The proposed new levy would be $0.95/$1,000 of assessed value. So, over the last 10 years, the levy rate has dropped by 47%. This new levy lift would increase the levy by only 20%, restoring less than half of the reduced rate. The increased levy being proposed would only cost the owner of a $200,000 home $3/month; the owner of a $400,000 home (about the county average) $6/month; and the owner of an $800,000 home $13/ month.
Over the last two years, the County has reduced expenditures, including county services for critical needs with cuts to sheriff’s deputies, courts, community development, health and human services, parks, required County duties (Assessor, Auditor, Clerk, Commissioners, Prosecutor), and other urgent needs. Federal cuts will only be making our County’s situation worse.
Without a levy lid lift, the County will continue to cut services. For this reason, Clallam County Democrats have endorsed a YES vote on this proposition.
Small Fee, Big Impact!
Clallam Conservation District (CD) asked County Commissioners to approve a conservation fee of $5/year, to be collected with property taxes. Members of Clallam Democrats had voted to endorse this fee. On September 23, the County Commission approved the fee by a 2-1 vote (Ozias and Johnson yea, French nay).
District Manager Kim Williams commented: “The Commissioners took a stand for local conservation! The $5 a year will help the CD protect clean water, support local farms, strengthen salmon populations, and promote water conservation. This investment ensures sustainable, locally driven conservation that will benefit the community for generations to come. It’s a small fee that brings a big impact!”
Sequim Campus of PNNL threatened by Republican cuts
The Pacific Northwest National Laboratory (PNNL) has helped develop nationwide breakthroughs in nuclear cleanup, cancer treatment, national security, counterterrorism, and energy. But the Trump Administration’s gutting of those programs will affect 7,700 PNNL jobs nationally and at least 80 positions at the PNNL-Sequim facility. Rep. Emily Randall introduced amendments to protect funding that supports the work of the PNNL campus in Sequim, but when Republicans blocked consideration of them, Randall voted against the bill. She and her Democratic colleagues are working to stop the cuts. Sen. Patty Murray, Vice Chair of the Appropriations Committee, says it’s simple: Rip up Trump’s budget and then reach across the aisle and work on writing a bipartisan funding bill that protects investments in PNNL and saves the jobs President Trump is thoughtlessly seeking to eliminate (Read Senator Murray’s remarks).
Firefighter arrests at Bear Gulch fire continue to stir controversy
A Sept 9 Peninsula Daily News’ (PDN) front page article continues to raise questions about the Aug. 28 arrest of two contract firefighters working the Bear Gulch Fire. The article, “Wildfire veterans furious at claim that raided crews weren’t firefighters,” cites firefighters and public documents showing that the crews assigned to key frontline roles battling the blaze all had firefighting classifications. This contradicts a Department of Homeland Security post claiming the “two illegal aliens apprehended were NOT firefighters.” The crew had been doing suppression work, but had been pulled off to cut timber. Firefighters believe it was a deliberate set-up by someone up the chain of command to allow Customs and ICE agents to engage with the crew. Lawyers maintain the arrest violated policies restricting immigration enforcement during emergency responses.
UPDATE: The case against Rigoberto Hernandez Hernandez, one of the two firefighters arrested, was dismissed on Tuesday, Sept. 23, and he was freed after nearly four weeks of detention in the ICE Processing Center in Tacoma. According to Matt Adams, the legal director with the Northwest Immigration Rights Project representing Hernandez, the government dismissed its proceedings to remove Hernandez from the country, “acknowledging that there’s no justification for this arrest.”
We are looking for a volunteer to lay out our monthly Clallam Democrats Rising newsletter. Experience preferred (but not mandatory) working in the digital platforms Substack or ClubExpress. For details and contact information, select this link.
Find all of our upcoming events on the calendar on our website.
Click here to:
✅Become a Member!
✅Volunteer!
✅Donate!
We need your stories! Submit your contributions to newsletter@clallamdems.org.
Deadline for content is Tuesday, Oct. 21.
The Clallam Democrats Rising newsletter is put together by CCD Volunteers. We try our best to get it right — please send us any suggestions for improvement.
