Newsletter: June 2026 
President's Report
Welcome to the other side of the Primary Election – we made it! I am so grateful for every member of our group who participated in this election whether it was signing a petition, voting, canvassing, hosting a candidate meet and greet, donating to a campaign or being a poll greeter or poll worker. All of you are appreciated and helped make a difference. We had some fantastic candidates to vote for and I thank each of them for running and now coming together to help their opponents to win against the Republican candidates in November. This is exactly what Democracy looks like! See more election details below.
Please join me at our Sixth annual SLDC picnic on Sunday, June 21, Hopewell Park Pavilion 3 – 6 pm. Yes, this is Father’s Day, so bring them with you! As always this will be a potluck, family and friends are welcome. Sign Up Here. I’ve heard that some candidates will be attending too! I’m also going to ask you to bring paper products and toiletries for the Emergency Response Network (the group assisting folks affected by ICE operations in the area). See Community Service for the list of needs below. A volunteer sign up to help manage this will be emailed separately, so look for that!
Primary 2026
Congratulations to Governor Josh Shapiro and Lt. Governor Austen Davis in winning their uncontested Primary. Congratulations to Bob Brooks for becoming the nominee for the 7th Congressional District in Washington DC. Thank you Carol Obando-Derstine, Ryan Crosswell and Lamont McClure for running. We enjoyed talking with all of you and hope to see you at our picnic!
Congratulations to Mark Pinsley for becoming our candidate for PA State Senate, District 16 and thank you to Bradley Merkyl-Gump for running!
Congratulations to Meriam Sabih for winning her spot to become our candidate for State Representative for District 131!
Congratulations to Danielle Shackleford, April Riddick, Gab Klotz, Julian Giordy, Ben Stemrich, Aidan Levinson and Sunny Ghai for winning seats on the Democratic State Committee as our Lehigh County representatives. Thank you to Lori McFarland, Celeste Dee, Sarina Torres and Kathie Parsons for running.
Locally, all of our candidates for County Committee (Precinct Committee Person) won their seats! Congratulations to Robin Barnes, Carol Obando-Derstine – Upper Saucon 1, Casi Scully and Patty Carlis – Upper Saucon 2, Meriam Sabih and Emily Gehman – Upper Saucon 4, Roni Arena and Amber Stern- Upper Saucon 5, Kathie Parsons and Mark Miller – Upper Saucon 6, Shelley Sorenson-Bauder and Deborah Craig – Coopersburg and Kathy Harrington and Tim Shelly – Lower Milford. Each precinct has its own email and you can reach the partner PCP’s for your area with any questions or suggestions. Southern Lehigh Democrats - About Us
Community Service
Thank you SL for the donations to the Lehigh Valley Emergency Rapid Response Network Material Goods. I'd like to keep that up by asking members to please bring the following items to our June 21 picnic and to other meetings and events. The needs have increased and if we can make a monthly donation from SL, you know it's appreciated.
Needed items are: toilet paper, menstrual pads, tampons, paper towels, bar soap, dish soap, toothpaste, toothbrushes and laundry detergent.
Calendar of Events
Other events:
June 14 - "Rise Up and Sing" - Peaceful Protest in Pennsburg 11 AM - 1 PM. 350 Main St (Old Rite Aid), Pennsburg PA.
Every Monday – Protest in front of Ryan Mackenzie’s office noon – 1 pm 1125 South Cedar Crest Blvd. Bring your signs, get your spirit lifted.
Every Wednesday - Walk with the SLDC Blue Woman’s walking group. New start 9 am for the summer. RSVP to keep up to date and get weekly email reminder [email protected] Pictures of group here: Southern Lehigh Democrats - Photo Gallery
Every Thursday – Craftivists, 1-4 PM – Crafty activist women. Bring a hand craft, or just yourself! BYOB. Location rotates contact southern [email protected] to get on their reminder list.
June 27 and 28 – Canvass in Southern Lehigh with PA Dems Amber Stern will lead.
https://www.mobilize.us/pacoordinated2026/event/968816/?
Looking ahead –
July 3 – Lehigh County is celebrating our country’s 250th Anniversary at Coca-Cola Park! Lehigh County Dems as well as many other local groups are invited to attend. Stay tuned for more details: Liberty Ignited: A Lehigh Valley Salute to America 250 | Discover Lehigh Valley
July 29 – SLDC and ULDC will be attending an Iron Pigs game. We have a handful of tickets left. Cost is $38 and includes a buffet of tasty food, non-alcoholic beverages and a free hat! See details here: Southern Lehigh Democrats - Meeting/Event Information
Did You Know...?
In celebration for America's 250th birthday, Heather Cox Richardson has a new series of 1 minute videos out about Americans who have shaped our country and remind us of the power of each person to make history.
Week 1 Batch Release (15 videos):
Week 2 Batch Release (10 videos):
The Rattled Generation Axios AM – An excellent article explaining this confusing moment in time. Thanks to Amber S for sharing.
Thanks go to:
Big Blue Thank you to all of our Poll Greeters. Election Day is where SLDC has learned to flex its collective volunteer muscle and our members show up to greet their neighbors at the polls. This year we had an unseasonably hot day with temperatures hitting into the 90’s. We were able to get permission to put up shade tents in five of our precincts. Thank you to the Judges of Election and Buildings who allowed that to happen!
Thank you to our POLL GREETERS - In Coopersburg – Dick P, Stephen Y, Mattie H, Lindy and Bill M, Rose and Joe F, Deb C and Shelley SB. In Lower Milford – Tim S, Kathy H. Deb B and Susan A, In Upper Saucon 1 – Clark C, Robin B, Sue F, Morag CC, Paige and Doug W, Clark Chandler, Mike C., Barry and Judy S, Bonnie S, Tracy M and Jeanne D. Upper Saucon 2 – Patty C., Casi S, Fulton B, Judy C, Lisa A, Vicki and Steve P, Claire K, Joyce P, Jan H and Tom and Joanne S. Upper Saucon 3 - Dan T, Cecelia and Allen E, Judy F and Michele S. Upper Saucon 4 – Joan and Mike L, Carol E, Jan V, Jill H, Kathy H. Thanks to Emily G for the tent and help setting up and tearing down. Upper Saucon 5 – Ronnie A, Dan M, Lori M, Laura T, Upper Saucon 6 – Julie S, Donna S, Pam P and Mark M. 57 people! Way to go team!!
In addition to our poll greeters, we had about several SLDC members working the polls inside to ensure the elections ran smoothly. We appreciate all of the poll workers, no matter what their party affiliation, who made this election day one of unity.
Preston Lane Semi-Annual Road Clean up – Thank you to Laura T, Kathie P, Gable Y, Tim S, and Deb B who came out to help us clean up Preston Lane. We’ve got this down to a science now and had the road done in less than two hours. This is done through Upper Saucon Township and their Quarter Mile Road Clean up. See our pics here: Southern Lehigh Democrats - Photo Gallery
Lehigh County Democratic Committee News
LCDC Election Update
At the 6/8/2026 LCDC meeting, re-organization elections were held. Lori and the incumbent officers were re-elected. A total of 141 members participated in the election, with 93 voting in person and 48 voting absentee. Lori received 89 votes in the initial Chair election, while Ben received 48. The remaining races produced similar results.
Due to LCDC's gender balance requirements for officer positions, the 2.0 slate adjusted after the Chair election. Following Lori's victory, Ben ran for First Vice Chair, Natalie ran for Second Vice Chair, and Mark chose not to run for an officer position.
All candidates delivered thoughtful and passionate speeches, reflecting the strong interest among members in both organizational continuity and ensuring that more voices are heard within the party.
One important outcome that should not be overlooked is the tremendous effort Mark invested in this campaign. Much of the vision, strategy, and planning that guided the 2.0 effort came directly from his work. His dedication, leadership, and commitment deserve recognition, and we are grateful for all he contributed.
We are also pleased to congratulate Emily Gehman, who was elected as one of the three District Representatives for County Commissioner District 5, giving Southern Lehigh an additional voice on the Executive Board.
As we move forward, we encourage everyone to remain engaged. Southern Lehigh Democrats have always been a strong and active organization, often working independently while collaborating with LCDC when appropriate. Let's continue to show our strength and unity by staying involved and proudly wearing our SLDC pins at county events.
Thank you to everyone who participated, volunteered, and supported this effort. Your engagement and dedication are what make our organization successful, and they are deeply appreciated.
Updates from the Treasurer
For those going to the Iron Pigs SLDC-ULDC event, you should have received email with information on payment options. The deadline to pay is June 26th. There are still 5 tickets available for the July 29th game. Cost is $38 per ticket, including food, payable in advance. There are considerable details regarding the game on our website.
