Let’s Koh! Worst newsletter, Ballot Qs 5 & 9, Hive mind speaks: We like them apples!
Quick overview
Let’s Koh!
Congratulations to Dan Koh on his big primary win! We’re here to give him every support as he runs against MAGA-light candidate Micah Q. Jones in the general election. It was a great primary and we wish all the other candidates—Mariah, John, Bethany, Tram, and Jamie—our very best.
Thank you to all the BoxfordDems who joined us at the polls at Boxford Town Hall last Tuesday in support of our candidates. Notably, the town Republicans had put up many, many signs, but failed to make a physical appearance (except briefly to check if their signs were still there).
A special thanks to Ken Thompson, our former chair, who was holding signs in the rain most of the day, as we—evidently weaker Democrats—changed in and out! We’re very lucky to have you, Ken!!!
Worst newsletter
Spread the word! Want to annoy your fence-straddling neighbors on the North Shore?
Introduce them to the BoxfordDems Newsletter. We’re some 770 people in the immediate area who’re already barely putting up with it.
(Apologies to the AndoverDems treasurer… we were giggling all the way back to Boxford from Connor’s primary party.)
Why did the Democrat cross the road?
For a sample of what to expect, in the spring we crossed the road to sample some red MAGA meat (well, Chinese) at a North Andover Republican event (https://mailchi.mp/boxforddems/20260427a). Ugh, this is what we’re up against.
Send them this link to sign up! http://eepurl.com/iO4VC6
The hive mind speaks!
The purpose of our Sultans of Swag contest last week was to find a motto for a keyring or bottle opener for our Apple Festival booth on September 19. Again, Adam and Ellen, our North Andover friends, came through for us and touched a soft spot—a weakness—with the simple phrase: “OPEN MINDS, OPEN BEERS.” We may also produce a sub-21-year version to draw in the next generation of voters, “OPEN MINDS, OPEN DOORS.”
In addition to offering apples, political leaflets, promote our Blue Rides program, Democratic trinkets and baubels, t-shirts, and harvesting souls, we might also have Ingaldsby cider donuts.
Dan Koh, our newly elected Sixth District U.S. House candidate, will stop by our booth to chat as will Connor Murray, our candidate for 18th Essex, ahead of the Nov. 3 General Election. And ice cream and donut enthusiasts from the BoxfordDems will be available all day to answer questions ahead of the election.
BoxfordDems Ballot Measure Series
FINAL TWO BALLOT QUESTIONS IN OUR SERIES
Christina Eckert and Julian Troake round off our BoxfordDems Ballot Series with their summaries and recommended votes on:
Question 5 (Should the Commonwealth change the limit on how much revenue the state may collect in a given year?) and
As usual, click the voting buttons in the respective articles to weigh in with comments and your own recommendation.
As we publish each article, we provide a BoxfordDems-subscriber consensus recommendation, which might come in handy going to the ballot box. Next week, once all ballot questions have been presented, we’ll publish a printable overview with our recommendations.
LAST WEEK: LIMIT ON REQUIRED LOT SIZE FOR SINGLE-FAMILY HOMES
Terri Teleen wrote on Question 7: Limit on Required Lot Size for Single-Family Homes Initiative last week. Our subscribers apparently struggled as much with the question as did Terri. In a narrow vote, 47.9% were in favor of the measure, 57.1% against.
Please go to our comments section to read our subscribers’ thoughts on the matter.
Have a great week!
Christian Schoenberg, Chair
Boxford Democratic Town Committee
chair@boxforddems.org
P.S.: As always, if you have any questions, feel free to reach out to us at christian@boxforddems.org or Terri at terri@boxforddems.org.
Past Weeks’ Ballot Measure Instalments
Overview of ballot-initiative process (Christina Eckert) (link)
Q1: Public Records Requirements (Ellen Mandel) (link)
Should lawmakers in the State House and Senate and the Governor’s Office follow largely the same public-records rules as other state government offices?Q2: Collective Bargaining for CPCS Employees (Christina Eckert) (link)
Should the Commonwealth’s 750 public defenders, social workers, investigators, administrative assistants, and IT staff be able to unionize?Q3: State Primary Elections (Terri Teleen) (link)
Should Massachusetts adopt a single, non-partisan primary in which the top two candidates, regardless of party, would proceed to the general election?Q4: Same-Day Voter Registration (Eleanor Grigg Schoenberg) (link)
Should residents be able to register and vote during early voting or on Election Day (subject to verification of their identity and eligibility)?Q5: Change State Tax Revenue Limit Initiative (Christina Eckert) (link)
Should the Commonwealth change the limit on how much revenue the state may collect in a given year?Q6: Establish Nature-for-All Fund (Jessica Grigg) (link)
Should the Commonwealth create a fund for state money entitled the Nature for All Fund to be used to finance nature-conservation efforts.Q7: Limit on Required Lot Size for Single-Family Homes (Terri Teleen) (link)
Should the Commonwealth set statewide lot-size minimums for single-family homes?Q8: Sale of Adult Recreational Use Marijuana (Adam Steiner) (link)
Should the Commonwealth dismantle commercial sales, end home growing, eliminate state excise taxes, and shift Massachusetts to a possession-only criminalization model?Q9: 2024 Act Modernizing Firearms Laws (Julian Troake) (link)
Should Massachusetts’ 2024 Act Modernizing Firearms Laws—which limited ghost guns, expanded red-flag laws, and revised the state’s ban on assault weapons—be upheld?
Democrats and democracy-leaning organizations sharing regional calendar
We’ve invited all the various Essex County Democratic city and town committees, local Democratic campaign teams, as well as local organizers (such as the Indivisible groups) to post events directly to our calendar. Learn how to use and embed our North Shore Calendar on your site…
Hitch a ride to the polls with the BoxfordDems’ Blue Rides
The BoxfordDems are offering rides to the polls to registered Democrats in Boxford. If you’re somehow prevented from getting to the polls at Boxford Town Hall, we’ll be happy to give you a ride. Let us know!
Join us for “Drinks with Dems” at Alfalfa Farm Cellars on Sept. 17
Every third week of each month we meet with area Democrats at Alfalfa Farm Cellars for beers at 4:30-6:00pm. No speakers. No agenda. Just having fun!
Join Team Koh to get the word out about Dan!
We're knocking doors, making calls, and talking with our friends all across the district. You can see all of our upcoming opportunities here.
Our Doorhanger Initiative is still going strong - distribute 47 doorhangers to your neighbors and get a BoxfordDems swag bag!
We’re always looking for neighbors willing to distribute door hangers in Boxford! We have no public sidewalks; residents don’t expect canvassers; Boxford has 2-acre zoning; houses can be hard to find—in other words, Boxford is notoriously difficult to canvass.
Other great opportunities to get involved - nationwide
Zoe Finch Totten and others have provided us with some useful links to some organizers whom you should consider joining. Click the images to go their websites and check them out!
This week’s issue
GENERAL
Let’s Koh! Worst newsletter, Ballot Qs 5 & 9, Hive mind speaks: We like them apples! (link)
BOXFORDDEMS BALLOT-MEASURE SERIES
Overview of ballot-initiative process (Christina Eckert) (link)
Q1: Public Records Requirements (Ellen Mandel) (link)
Q2: Collective Bargaining for CPCS Employees (Christina Eckert) (link)
Q3: State Primary Elections (Terri Teleen) (link)
Q4: Same-Day Voter Registration (Eleanor Grigg Schoenberg) (link)
Q5: Change State Tax Revenue Limit Initiative (Christina Eckert) (link)
Q6: Establish Nature-for-All Fund (Jessica Grigg) (link)
Q7: Limit on Required Lot Size for Single-Family Homes (Terri Teleen) (link)
Q8: Sale of Adult Recreational Use Marijuana (Adam Steiner) (link)
Q9: 2024 Act Modernizing Firearms Laws (Julian Troake) (link)
GET INVOLVED INITIATIVES
Drinks with Dems: Meet fellow Tri-Town Dems at Alfalfa Farm Cellars (link)
Distribute 47 doorhangers and get a BoxfordDems swag bag (link)
We’re getting out the Boxford vote with Blue Rides (link)
Democrats and democracy-leaning organizations sharing regional calendar (link)
Other great opportunities to get involved - nationwide (link)
CAMPAIGNS
Comment on this week’s newsletter or submit feedback here!
If we publish your submission, we reserve the right to edit for length and ease of reading.
