Polk SDC Announces new meeting dates

General Meetings will now take place on the 3rd Monday of the month.

The meetings are open to all registered Democrats in Polk County. See our event calendar on the SDC Home Page for Zoom login info.

March 16th
April 20th
May 18th
June 15th
July 20th
August 17th
September- TBD, the 3rd Monday is Yom Kippur
October 19th
November 16th
December- TBD, this will be our reorganizational meeting

If you have any questions, please don’t hesitate to contact John Hill at chair@polkdemocrats.us

FDP Weekly Talking Points

Every week, talking points are provided to party leaders and membership. Messaging should be used for press interviews, conversations with voters, and social media posts. 

Join us each Tuesday at 11 a.m. ET for our weekly messaging call to learn what breaking news the party is discussing and how we’re sharing it. Register here.

To request for someone to be added to the mailing list, direct them to press@floridadems.org.

Cada semana, se proporcionan temas de discusión a los líderes y miembros del partido. Los mensajes deben utilizarse para entrevistas de prensa, conversaciones con votantes y publicaciones en redes sociales.

Únase a nosotros todos los martes a las 11:00 a. m. E.T. para nuestra reunión semanal de comunicación, donde podrá enterarse de las últimas noticias que está debatiendo el partido y cómo las estamos difundiendo. Regístrese aquí.

Para solicitar que alguien se agregue a la lista de correo, dirígete a prensa@floridadems.org.

This Event has been POSTPONED – Watch for New Date
If you have any questions, please reach out to John Hill at chair@polkdemocrats.us
or Sarah Fortney at sdfortney@msn.com

Congratulations: Leadership Updates!

Announcing our new Officers and Directors for 2026
These folks have been elected to two-year terms:

  • President & Vice President: We’re excited to announce that our current VP, Mary Martine-Scheiner, is now President! Past President, Brian Fillette, will serve as Vice President to help ensure continuity and to keep our Club moving ahead with strength and unity.
  • Mary >   < Brian
  • Directors: We’re also excited to share that our dedicated incumbents, Diane Jorio and Patty Whittle, are continuing in their current roles. Their leadership and commitment bring both stability and enthusiasm to our Club.
  • Rochelle > < Patty

Membership Renewal 

If your last dues payment was before October 1, 2025, it’s time to renew for 2026 ($15):

  1. By Mail: Go to solivitademocrats.org/club-membership, print the form, and mail with your check payable to “Solivita Democratic Club”. (Address to mail to is on the form.)
  2. Online: Submit payment by clicking the Donate button on the membership webpage.
  3. In-Person: Visit us at the Solivita Market (Mondays, 9:30 AM – Noon) or at the Monthly Meeting

Help Martha get the Lima Center across the finish line

Or, contribute to the Lima Center at Go Fund Me: https://gofund.me/551cab5f3

SDC Member Martha Cusimano died November 30th

Celebrating the life of Martha Hart Cusimano

B. January 27, 1943 – D. November 30, 2025
IN LIEU OF FLOWERS
Please make a donation to ST. ROSE OF LIMA
(Write on check: FOR LIMA CENTER BUILDING)
Mail to: St. Rose of Lima
Attn: Jack Weisheyer
3860 Pleasant Hill Road, Kissimmee, FL 34746

SOLIVITA DEMOCRATIC CLUB NOTE

We are saddened to learn of Martha’s passing. She exemplified the values of our club and the Democratic Party. Over the years she led voter registration training and door-to-door efforts for many local, state and national candidates. She orchestrated fundraisers for the St. Rose of Lima Food Pantry and Habitat for Humanity through a series of Big Band Concerts that raised more than $100,000 towards these worthy causes. For the past five years Martha devoted her efforts to improving the lives of the needy in and around Poinciana by working towards the Lima Center, which will greatly expand the capacity of the Food Pantry and provide much needed community meeting space. Her relentless work helped raise more than $4.1 million — within sight if the $4.4 million required to begin construction. All while bravely fighting her battle with terminal cancer. Martha was our SDC Member of the Year in 2020. Our club, our community and her family will miss her dearly. 

Contribute to the Lima Center at Go Fund Me: https://gofund.me/551cab5f3

FAMILY NOTE

The family wishes to thank everyone for their extraordinary impact on Martha’s life. In lieu of flowers, she expressly asked for donations to complete her final act for her community, the Lima Center Building Project. See instructions above on how to make donations. There will also be donation boxes at the funeral home during the viewing.

Please join us in celebrating all of Martha’s beautiful moments.
Finally, RSVP for the funeral reception so we can get a catering estimate.
RSVP to Patti Cusimano Gomas 808-987-4443

VIEWING
THURSDAY, JAN. 1, 2026, 4-5p (Family), 5-8p (Friends & Family)
FRIDAY, JAN. 2, 2026, 10-11:00am (Rosary Prayer Service)
–> Osceola Memory Gardens, 3175 Pleasant Hill Rd., Poinciana, FL 34746

CHRISTIAN BURIAL MASS
FRIDAY, JAN. 2, 2026, 12:30p
–> St. Rose of Lima, 3880 Pleasant Hill Rd, Kissimmee, FL 34746

RECEPTION
Immediately Following
–> The Palms | Solivita, 1055 San Clemente Ave, Kissimmee, FL 34759

BURIAL
SATURDAY, 3 JAN 2026
–> Oakland Cemetery North, 1250 Oakland Cemetery Road, Haines City, FL 33844

From the FDP Chair

We’re excited to continue building off of the momentum of our November Municipal Elections throughout the state. This week, we have two key Nights of Action where Florida Democrats will come together to drive turnout in critical special and runoff elections.

We have launched a new slate of Take Back Local candidates for the December 2025 runoff elections. Floridians are tired of the chaos and ready for leaders who show up, listen, and deliver. That’s exactly what our Take Back Local candidates will do. 

The Take Back Local slate for the December 2025 runoff elections includes:

  • Matthew Crowley, Winter Haven, District 4 – Runoff 12/2
  • Monica Matteo-Salinas, Miami Beach, Group I – Runoff 12/9
  • Eileen Higgins, City of Miami Mayor – Runoff 12/9
  • Chris Dzadovsky, Fort Pierce City Commission, District 2 – Runoff 1/13

On Wednesday, November 19, we’re kicking off with a Special Election Night of Action Phonebank focused on SD-11 in Central Florida and HD-90 in Palm Beach County:

  • HD-90 is a must-protect after the recent passing of our longtime Democratic representative
  • SD-11 gives us a rare chance to flip a Republican-held Senate seat after the incumbent was pulled into the DeSantis administration

Strong performance in these races will send a clear signal: Florida Democrats are ready to compete everywhere.

Nikki Fried
FDP Chair

DEMS WIN OFTEN IN FLORIDA!

Red to Blue WINS:

  • Eileen Higgins leads the Miami Mayor race headed to runoff in December. 
    She would be the first Democrat to take the office in 28 years!
  • Bryan Bain flips Clermont City Council Seat 2, securing Democratic majority.
  • Tom Keen flips Orlando Commission 1 with a majority of votes in a 4-way race,
    defeating a 12 year incumbent for complete control of city commission.
  • Chris Dzadovsky leads Fort Pierce City Commission race going to runoff to replace a Republican incumbent.

Re-elected:

  • Steve Oelfke, Holmes Beach
  • Vernon Burton, Lake Helen
  • Laura Dominguez, Miami Beach Seat 2
  • Alex Fernandez, Miami Beach Seat 3
  • Christine King, City of Miami Commission District 5
  • James Watts, Fort Meade Seat 3 
  • Clifton Dollison, Winter Haven Seat 5

🎉 We’re excited to share that four candidates from our Take Back Local program were elected in local races across the state.

Our work is not done—Eileen Higgins is advancing to a December 9th run-off for Miami Mayor, and based on last night’s results, another Democratic victory is within reach. All eyes are on the city of Miami as Dems battle to take back the mayor seat for the first time in 28 years. 

Support Our Local Candidates!

http://hernandez51.com/kickoff

https://www.simsforpolk.comhttps://www.simsforpolk.com

 

News Release from PCPDC

Polk County Progressive Democratic Caucus Condemns Trump’s Illegal Actions, Calls for Impeachment and Refusal to Fund His Administration

Winter Haven, FL — The Polk County Progressive Democratic Caucus today issued a strong condemnation of President Donald Trump’s reckless and unlawful actions, citing his authorization of a failed 2019 Navy SEAL mission in North Korea that killed civilians, a recent U.S. military strike that destroyed a civilian boat off the coast of Venezuela without evidence of wrongdoing, and his blatant violation of the Posse Comitatus Act by deploying federal troops into Los Angeles and Washington, D.C., while threatening to do the same in Chicago.

“These are not isolated incidents. They represent a pattern of lawlessness, executive overreach, and disregard for human life,” said the caucus leadership in a joint statement. “Drug smuggling is not a capital crime, and no president has the right to authorize the extrajudicial killing of civilians. To normalize this kind of violence is to erode both our democracy and our humanity.”

The caucus also warned that simply waiting for the next election is not an adequate strategy.

“The Trump administration is already working to rig the next election to guarantee its hold on power. If Democrats do not act now, it will be too late.”

While Democrats remain in the minority in both chambers of Congress, the caucus urged them to use the most powerful tool available: the power of the purse.

“Congress must refuse to fund this administration until the rule of law is restored. Anything less enables Trump’s abuses.”

The caucus emphasized that Trump’s corruption is directly harming American families by:

  • Reducing access to health care

  • Undermining the CDC and public health protections

  • Weakening FEMA’s emergency response capacity

  • Undermining National Parks and selling off public lands for profit

  • Attacking clean energy development in wind and solar

  • Targeting minority communities, including people of color, LGBTQ people, and women

“We call on Congress to commence immediate impeachment proceedings and to halt all funding for this administration,” the statement concluded. “Our democracy, our communities, and our future are at stake.”

Media Contact:

Polk County Progressive Democratic Caucus <info@progressivepolk.com>