June BAND meeting cancelled
Bay Area New Democrats are taking a break this month. Our meeting place, the Bay Area Community Center, is temporarily closed due to flooding and a power outage. While it may reopen soon, the club has decided to cancel this month’s meeting. We will see you in July!
BAND board recommendations for upcoming Democratic Primary Runoff
Early voting in the Democratic Primary Runoff begins May 18, before the next Bay Area New Democrats (BAND) meeting and an opportunity to vote on endorsements. The BAND board has chosen to recommend Democratic candidates for those voting early or filling out mail-in ballots.
The board will continue to recommend those previously endorsed candidates who are now in the runoff. They are:
Lieutenant governor - Vikki Goodwin
Attorney general - Joe Jaworski
Justice, 14th Court of Appeals District, Place 7 - William Demond
Harris County Judge - Letitia Plummer
In two other races, the candidates previously endorsed are not in the runoff, and the BAND board recommends the remaining Democratic candidates who scored the highest during our candidate screening earlier in the year. They are:
Harris County Criminal District Judge, 209th District - Brian Edward Warren
Harris County District Clerk – Darrell Jordan Jr.
Candidates to be in attendance at April 21 BAND meeting
We are not finished with the Democratic Primary, because some candidates will be in runoffs May 26. Former City Council Member Letitia Plummer, candidate for Harris County judge, will be our guest speaker at our April 21 BAND meeting before early voting begins May 18.
In May, we will also be voting on board members for the Clear Creek school district (CCISD) and the Clear Lake City Water Authority. Some of those candidates will appear at our April meeting as well. They are:
Thomas Morrow and Anthea Guest, candidates for reelection to the Clear Lake City Water Authority board; Arturo Sanchez, candidate for reelection to the CCISD board; Ernest Hallman II, candidate for the CCISD board.
BAND meets the third Tuesday of each month at Bay Area Community Center in Clear Lake Park, 5002 E. NASA Pkwy. in Seabrook. Social time begins at 6:30 p.m., followed by the program at 7 p.m.
Bay Area New Democrats announce endorsements for the March 3 Democratic Primary
Bay Area New Democrats (BAND) voted at their Jan. 20 meeting to endorse the following slate of candidates for the upcoming 2026 Democratic Primary. BAND would like to thank Area 5 Democrats for organizing the screening process.
Not all the candidates that appear on your ballot appeared for candidate screening. Most of BAND's endorsements are in contested races in which at least one candidate screened with BAND. We have included races likely to appear on ballots in the Clear Lake/southeast Houston area, in ballot order as much as possible. See harrisvotes.com for your particular ballot.
Governor - Gina Hinojosa
Lt Governor - Vikki Goodwin
Attorney General - Joe Jaworski
Texas Comptroller - Sarah Eckhart
Land Commissioner - Benjamin Flores
Chief Justice, Supreme Court - Maggie Ellis
Supreme Court Pl 7 - Kristen Hawkins
Chief Justice 14th Appeals Court - Sarah Beth Landau
14th Appeals Court, Pl 7 - William Demond
Texas SBOE Dist 7 - Tiffany Perkinz
Texas SBOE Dist 8 - Dana Van De Walker
SD 11 - Shannon Dicely
HD129 - Albert Wittliff (uncontested)
HD131 - Lawrence Allen, Jr.
HD 144 - Mary Ann Perez
157th District Court - Tanya Garrison
183rd District Court - Katie Wilson
209th District Court - Brian Edward Warren
232nd District Court - Josh Hill
234th District Court - Lauren Reeder
270th District Court - Dedra Davis
281st District Court - Christine Weems
315th District Court - Leah Shapiro
496th District Court - Michael Abner
Harris County Judge - Letitia Plummer
County Civil Court 2 - Jim Kovach
County Civil Court 3 - Lashawn A. Williams
County Criminal Court 7 - Andrew A. Wright
County Criminal Court 14 - James Hu
Probate Court 4 - James Horwitz
Harris County Attorney - Abbie Kamin
District Clerk - Desiree Broadnax
JP Pct 7 P2 - Sharon Burney
Harris County Party Chair - Mike Doyle
Precinct chair 407 - Pati Limón Rodríguez
Several BAND members have expressed their support for: Sylvia Garcia for CD 29; Doug Alan Rogers for CD 36 and Leticia Gutierrez for CD 9. Members also support without a formal endorsement Jasmine Crockett and James Talarico for U.S. Senate.
First BAND meeting of 2026 is Tuesday, Jan. 20
BAND officially begins the 2026 campaign year on the date marked for presidential inaugurations every four years, Jan. 20. Our guest speaker will be Lydia Ozuna, president of Texans Against Gerrymandering.
The meeting will be, as usual, at the Bay Area Community Center in Clear Lake Park at 5002 E. NASA Pkwy. in Seabrook. It begins with social time at 6:30 p.m., followed by the program at 7 p.m.
Joe Jaworski to speak at November BAND meeting
The guest speaker at our November Bay Area New Democrats (BAND) meeting will be former Galveston Mayor Joe Jaworski, a candidate for state attorney general. We will be back in our usual scheduled meeting place at the Bay Area Community Center in Clear Lake Park, 5002 E. NASA Pkwy. in Seabrook. Social time begins at 6:30 p.m. on Tuesday. Nov. 18, followed by the program at 7 p.m.
Local ballots to include 17 state propositions and one City Council position on Nov. 4
You might have thought that there won't be much for you to vote on in the upcoming November election if you live in the Clear Lake area. However, the state legislature has placed 17 propositions on the ballot statewide.
Some nearby municipalities are holding elections, and Houston residents will be casting a ballot to replace Letitia Plummer as Houston City Councilmember in At Large Position 4. (The council member is running for Harris County judge.) In other parts of Houston, voters will choose a new U.S. representative in Congressional District 8 and
a state senator in Senate District 9.
For more information and recommendations on the ballot propositions, visit a progressive website lonestarleft.com/p/texas-2025-constitutional-amendments, or see the Texas Tribune article at
apple.news/AAeyjedQTRCKE-781aFIQIg.
Letitia Plummer to be guest speaker at October BAND meeting
Letitia Plummer, former Houston City Council Member in At Large Position 4, is running for Harris County judge. She will be the guest speaker at the Bay Area New Democrats (BAND) meeting on Tuesday, Oct. 21. BAND meets at the Bay Area Community Center in
Clear Lake Park, 5002 E. NASA Pkwy. in Seabrook. Social time begins at 6:30 p.m., followed by the program at 7 p.m.
Bay Area New Democrats ready to fundraise for 2026 election
In past even-numbered election years, Bay Area New Democrats (BAND) members have traditionally included work at a local campaign headquarters as a key portion of our volunteer efforts to elect Democrats. We have done so both in cooperation with other Democratic organizations and running our own headquarters in other years. Now is the time for us to step up efforts to raise plenty of funds for an all-important campaign. If you are not a member, please go to member signup on this website and join the club.
Back on schedule for our September BAND meeting
Yes, this month's meeting will return to the usual slot on the third Tuesday of the month, Sept. 16, at the Bay Area Community Center in Clear Lake Park, 5002 E. NASA Pkwy. in Seabrook.
Although we usually begin with social time at 6:30 p.m., guest Dwight Boykins, former Houston City Council member in District D and now candidate for City Council at Large Position 4, will start his presentation early at 6:30 p.m. We will also hear from ObesNwabara, competing for the same office. The remainder of the meeting will continue 7-8:30 p.m. with a panel discussion presented by Harris County Criminal Court judges on the criminal justice system and bail reform.
Former Mayor Annise Parker to speak at Aug. 5 BAND meeting
Former Houston Mayor Annise Parker, now a candidate for Harris County judge, will speak at next month's BAND meeting.
The meeting will not be in its usual spot on the calendar, this time only, because another group claimed our usual time slot. Instead of the third Tuesday of the month, Bay Area New Democrats (BAND) will meet on Tuesday Aug. 5 at the Bay Area Community Center, 5002 E. NASA Pkwy. in Seabrook. We will begin with social time at 6:30 p.m., followed by the program at 7 p.m.
Panel to discuss the NASA experience for women in the 1960s and '70s
Throughout the 1960s and '70s, women often encountered barriers and bias, whether in the workplace or their personal lives. Even NASA, a respected institution synonymous with innovation and progress, was not immune to such prejudice.
At the July Bay Area New Democrats (BAND) meeting, hear from a panel of women as they share their experiences working in NASA's space program at a time when the idea of women contributing meaningfully to such projects was often met with skepticism. Guest speakers are Candy Anderson, Poppy Northcutt, Ann Hammond and Marion Hulen. The panel will talk about what it was like for women working at NASA during the 1960s and 1970s.
The meeting begins with social time at 6:30 p.m. on Tuesday, July 15, followed by the program at 7 p.m. BAND meets on the third Tuesday of each month at the Bay Area Community Center in Clear Lake Park, 5002 E. NASA Pkwy. in Seabrook.
Jon Haire to explore why any Americans vote Republican
Jon Haire, former candidate for Congress in District 36 and a nuclear engineer and scientist, says we must answer the above question if Democrats expect to win elections. At the April 15 BAND meeting, he will discuss how to talk to our friends, neighbors and relatives who vote differently and may even be MAGA Republicans.
The meeting begins with social time at 6:30 p.m. on the third Tuesday of the month at Bay Area Community Center in Clear Lake Park, 5002 E. NASA Pkwy. in Seabrook.
Could you pass the citizenship test?
Please join us at the March 18 Bay Area New Democrats (BAND) meeting when we welcome Magdalena Alvarado and Mary Longoria, co-founders of the Ser y Hacer (“to be and to do”) Citizenship Program, based in Texas City.
Their non-profit organization provides material, classes and informational forums where permanent residents can ask questions to feel more confident and prepared to pass the citizenship test. At the BAND meeting presentation, our guest speakers will discuss the barriers to passing the test and the naturalization interview. They will also give us an opportunity to take a small section of the naturalization test ourselves.
BAND meets on the third Tuesday of each month at the Bay Area Community Center in Clear Lake Park at 5002 E. NASA Pkwy. in Seabrook. Social time begins at 6:30 p.m., followed by the meeting at 7 p.m.
Director of Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR) Houston to speak at meeting Feb. 18
William White, director of the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR) Houston, will be our guest speaker at the Feb. 18 meeting of Bay Area New Democrats (BAND).
BAND meets the third Tuesday of each month at the Bay Area Community Center in Clear Lake Park at 5002 E. NASA Pkwy. in Seabrook. Social time begins at 6:30 p.m., followed by the program at 7 p.m.
First BAND meeting of year moved to Zoom
Because of the freezing weather, the Bay Area New Democrats (BAND) board has decided to hold our first meeting of the year on Zoom. Meanwhile, our usual meeting site at Bay Area Community Center will be serving as a warming center.
Our guest speaker scheduled for our holiday party was Carla Anne Holeva, director of development for the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) Texas. Because of a mixup in dates, she did not appear, but she has agreed to speak at our Zoom meeting on Tuesday, Jan. 21.
BAND usually meets the third Tuesday of each month at the Bay Area Community Center in Clear Lake Park at 5002 E. NASA Pkwy. in Seabrook. Social time begins at 6:30 p.m., followed by the program at 7 p.m. We hope to see you this time on Zoom. Click:
https://us06web.zoom.us/j/87644696554?pwd=oIOt68uLhx8bp9tvaA2p2REVw4T4Dz.1, or join with:
Meeting ID: 876 4469 6554
Passcode: 806755
It's time to renew your BAND membership for 2025
Bay Area New Democrats (BAND) membership comes up for renewal at the end of each year. Dues are $20 per person, $30 per family or $15 for students. Checks can be made payable to Bay Area New Democrats and delivered in person at a BAND meeting or mailed to the address on this website, or you can renew here. Click on "member signup."
First BAND meeting of year on Tuesday, Jan. 21
Our guest speaker scheduled for our holiday party was Carla Anne Holeva, director of development for the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) Texas. Because of a mixup in dates, she did not appear, but she has said she will speak at our first BAND meeting of the year on Tuesday, Jan. 21.
BAND meets the third Tuesday of each month at the Bay Area Community Center in Clear Lake Park at 5002 E. NASA Pkwy. in Seabrook. Social time begins at 6:30 p.m., followed by the program at 7 p.m. We hope to see you there!
Join us as BAND and BAAD Women celebrate the holidays!
Bay Area New Democrats (BAND) and Bay Area Association of Democratic (BAAD) Women are celebrating the season together from 6 to 8:30 p.m. on Thursday, Dec. 19 with a potluck dinner party. Our guest speaker will be Carla Anne Holeva, director of development for the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) Texas. The event will be at the Bay Area Community Center, our usual meeting place, at 5002 E. NASA Pkwy. in Clear Lake Park in Seabrook.
Holiday party participants are asked to contribute food to the potluck dinner. BAND secretary Melissa Courteau will coordinate meals with Cheri Germain of BAAD Women. Contact Melissa Courteau to tell her what you plan to bring to the holiday meal at mcourteau@live.com or 409-392-0711. Attire is holiday festive.
The Democratic ticket for Clear Lake area residents in Harris County
The shortcut option to vote a straight ticket no longer exists. When you get to the polls, please vote individually for the Democrats all the way down your ballot. The county positions listed below are for Harris County.
President / Vice President - Kamala D. Harris / Tim Walz
United States Senator - Colin Allred
United States Representative , District 36 - Dayna Steele
Railroad Commissioner - Katherine Culbert
Justice, Supreme Court, Place 2 - Dasean Jones
Justice, Supreme Court, Place 4 - Christine Vinh Weems
Justice, Supreme Court, Place 6 - Bonnie Lee Goldstein
Presiding Judge, Court of Criminal Appeals - Holly Taylor
Judge, Court of Criminal Appeals, Place 7 - Nancy Mulder
Judge, Court of Criminal Appeals, Place 8 - Chika Anyiam
State Representative, District 129 - Doug Peterson
Justice, 1st Court of Appeals District, Place 2 - Brendetta Scott
Justice, 1st Court of Appeals District, Place 6 - Sarah Beth Landau
Justice, 1st Court of Appeals District, Place 7 - Julie Counties
Justice, 1st Court of Appeals District, Place 8 - Richard Hightower
Justice, 1st Court of Appeals District, Place 9 - Amber Boyd-Cora
Justice 14th Court of Appeals District, Place 3 - Velda Renita Faulkner
Justice 14th Court of Appeals District, Place 4 - Charles Spain
Justice 14th Court of Appeals District, Place 5 - Frances Bourliot
Justice 14th Court of Appeals District, Place 6 - Meagan Hassan
Justice, 14th Court of Appeals District, Place 8 - Margaret “Meg” Poissant
District Judge, 11th Judicial District - Kristen Hawkins
District Judge, 61st Judicial District - Fredericka Phillips
District Judge, 80th Judicial District - Jerilyn Manor
District Judge, 125th Judicial District - Kyle Carter
District Judge, 127th Judicial District - Denise Brown
District Judge, 129th Judicial District - Michael Gomez
District Judge, 133rd Judicial District - Nicole Perdue
District Judge, 151st Judicial District - Erica Hughes
District Judge, 152nd Judicial District - Takasha Francis
District Judge, 164th Judicial District - Cheryl Elliott Thornton
District Judge, 165th Judicial District - Ursula A. Hall
District Judge, 174th Judicial District - Hazel B. Jones
District Judge, 176th Judicial District - Nikita “Niki” Harmon
District Judge, 177th Judicial District - Robert Johnson
District Judge, 178th Judicial District - Kelli Johnson
District Judge, 179th Judicial District - Ana Martinez
District Judge, 215th Judicial District - Elaine Palmer
District Judge, 333rd Judicial District - Tracy D. Good
District Judge, 334th Judicial District - Dawn Rogers
District Judge, 337th Judicial District - Colleen Gaido
District Judge, 338th Judicial District - Allison Jackson Mathis
District Judge, 339th Judicial District - Te’iva Bell
District Judge, 351st Judicial District - Natalia “Nata” Cornelio
District Judge, 486th Judicial District - Vivian King
District Judge, 487th Judicial District - Stacy Allen Barrow
District Judge, 488th Judicial District - Carvana Cloud
District Judge, 507th Judicial District - Lillian Henny Alexander
District Attorney - Sean Teare
Judge, County Criminal Court No. 16 - Ashley Mayes Guice
Judge, County Probate Court No. 5 - Franshenka “Fran” Watson
County Attorney - Christian D. Menefee
Sheriff - Ed Gonzalez
County Tax Assessor-Collector - Annette Ramirez
County School Trustee, Position 3, At Large - Richard Cantu
Justice of the Peace, Precinct 8, Place 1 - Carissa Grady
Constable, Precinct 8 - no Democrat running
Harris County Flood Control District Election to Approve Tax Rate - Vote for or against:
“Approving the ad valorem tax rate of $0.04897 per $100 valuation in Harris County Flood Control District for the current year, a rate that is $0.01581 higher per $100 valuation than the voter approval tax rate of Harris County Flood Control District, for the purpose of operating and maintaining the district’s flood risk reduction infrastructure. Last year, the ad valorem tax rate in Harris County Flood Control District was $0.03105 per $100 valuation.”
Air quality and VP Harris' nomination to be topics at next BAND meeting
Our guest speaker, environmental activist Leticia Gutierrez, will talk about air quality regulation, or the lack thereof, and its effect on underserved communities at the August BAND meeting. The meeting will be on Tuesday, Aug. 20, the same night that Democrats at the Democratic National Convention in Chicago are scheduled to formalize the nomination of Vice President Kamala Harris for President. If the timing is compatible with our meeting, we plan to watch the roll call vote at our meeting as well.
The BAND meeting begins with social time at 6:30 p.m., followed by the program at 7 p.m. at Bay Area Community Center, 5002 E. NASA Pkwy. in Seabrook.
Former Olympian to be guest speaker at July BAND meeting, now on Zoom
The Summer Olympic Games 2024 begin July 26, and Tommy Z. Haynes, U.S. Olympic track and field team captain in 1976, will be the guest speaker at the Tuesday, July 16 Bay Area New Democrats (BAND) meeting. The retired Army major and author of Lead, Love and Laugh, will discuss patriotism. The meeting begins with social time at 6:30 p.m., followed by the meeting at 7, now on Zoom at https://us06web.zoom.us/j/84322798079?pwd=kbyuOV1xMKB0WojXZDdWdeVWydB64u.1. The Bay Area Community Center is unavailable for the meeting, because it is serving temporarily as a cooling and charging center.
BAND to discuss Deep in the Pockets of Texas documentary at June meeting
Jon Haire and David Jones, Bay Area New Democrats (BAND) members, will present a discussion of the July 30, 2022 CNN documentary Deep in the Pockets of Texas at the next club meeting on Tuesday, June 18. The documentary traces the recent history of the transformation of the state government through donations from the super wealthy. The event begins at 6:30 p.m. with social time, followed by the meeting at 7 p.m. on Zoom.
Candidate Annette Ramirez to speak at April BAND meeting
Tax attorney Annette Ramirez, endorsed by BAND and the Houston Chronicle, is in a runoff against Desiree Broadnax for the Democratic nomination for Harris County Tax Assessor-Collector. She will be our guest speaker at the next Bay Area New Democrats (BAND) meeting on Tuesday, April 16.
The meeting begins at 6:30 p.m. with social time at the Bay Area Community Center in Clear Lake Park, 5002 E. NASA Pkwy. in Seabrook. The program begins at 7 p.m.
Judge Richard Hightower to speak at Feb. 20 BAND meeting
Judge Richard Hightower, the BAND-endorsed candidate for re-election as Justice at the Court of Appeals for the First District of Texas, Place 8, will be our guest speaker at the Bay Area New Democrats (BAND) meeting on Tuesday, Feb. 20. His court serves Austin, Brazoria, Chambers, Colorado, Fort Bend, Galveston, Grimes, Harris, Waller and Washington Counties. A fifth-generation attorney, Judge Hightower has been licensed for 40 years and worked in small and large counties.
Another BAND-endorsed candidate, Doug Peterson, will also speak briefly. He is the sole Democratic candidate running for state representative from House District 129.
The meeting begins at 6:30 p.m. with social time, followed by the program at 7 p.m. Join us at the Bay Area Community Center in Clear Lake Park, 5002 E. NASA Parkway in Seabrook.
BAND votes to endorse 2024 Democratic Primary candidates
Bay Area New Democrats met Tuesday, Jan. 30 to vote to endorse candidates in the 2024 Democratic Primary, listed below. While state rules prohibit our PAC from endorsing formally a candidate for federal office, many of our members individually support President Joe Biden.
Texas Railroad Commissioner - Bill Burch
Texas Supreme Court, Place 2 - Dasean Jones
Texas Supreme Court, Place 4 – Christine Vinh Weems
Texas Supreme Court, Place 6 - Bonnie Lee Goldstein
Presiding Judge, Court of Criminal Appeals –-Holly Taylor
Court of Criminal Appeals, Pl. 7 – Nancy Mulder
Court of Criminal Appeals, Pl. 8 – Chika Anyiam
Texas State Rep. District 129 - Doug Peterson
1st Court of Appeals, Place 2 - Gordon Goodman
1st Court of Appeals, Place 6 – Sarah Beth Landau
1st Court of Appeals, Place 7 – Julie Countiss
1st Court of Appeals, Place 8 - Richard Hightower
1st Court of Appeals, Place 9 - Peter Kelly
14th Court of Appeals, Place 3 - Jerry Zimmerer and Chuck Silverman
14h Court of Appeals, Place 4 - Charles Spain
14h Court of Appeals, Place 5 – Francis Bourliot
14h Court of Appeals, Place 6 - Meagan Hassan
14h Court of Appeals, Place 8 – Margaret “Meg” Poissant
11th Civil District Court – Kristen Hawkins
61st Civil District Court – Fredericka Phillips
80th Civil District Court - Jeralynn Manor
125th Civil District Court - Kyle Carter
127th Civil District Court - R.K. Sandill
129th Civil District Court - Michael Gomez
133rd Civil District Court - Nicole Perdue
151st Civil District Court - Mike Engelhart
152nd Civil District Court - Robert K. Schaffer
164th Civil District Court - Cheryl Elliott Thornton
165th Civil District Court - Jill Yaziji
174th Criminal District Court – Hazel B. Jones
176th Civil District Court – Nikita “Niki” Harmon
177th Criminal District Court – Robert Johnson
178th Criminal District Court - Kelli Johnson
179th Criminal District Court - Ana Martinez
215th Civil District Court - Elaine Palmer
333rd Civil District Court – no endorsement
334th Civil District Court – Dawn Rogers
337th Criminal District Court - Colleen Gaido
338th Criminal District Court - Allison Jackson Mathis
339th Criminal District Court – Te’iva Bell
351st Criminal District Court – Natalia “Nata” Cornelio
486th Criminal District Court - Gemeyal G. Haynes
487th Criminal District Court – Stacy Allen Barrow
488th Criminal District Court – Carvana Cloud
507th Family District Court - Lillian Henny Alexander
Harris County District Attorney - Sean Teare
Harris County Criminal Court #16 – open seat - Juan J. Aguirre
Harris County Probate Court 5 - Franshenka “Fran” Watson
Harris County Attorney - Christian D. Menefee
Harris County Sheriff - Ed Gonzalez
Harris County Tax Assessor Collector – open seat - Annette Ramirez
Harris County Department of Education, Place 3 - Richard Cantu
Harris County Constable, Pct. 2 - Jerry Garcia
Local endorsements available for pre-voting research
The Bay Area Democratic Movement (BADM), a local Democratic club, has screened candidates for the upcoming Nov. 7 election and endorsed in most races in Houston, Harris County and Clear Creek Independent School District. Although BAND has not endorsed candidates in this election, the BADM endorsements are printed below to assist in your pre-voting research. Early voting begins Oct. 23.
Mayor - Sheila Jackson Lee
City Controller - Chris Hollins
City Council at Large 1 - Conchita Reyes
City Council at Large 2 - Nick Hellyar
City Council at Large 3 - Donnell Cooper
City Council at Large 4 - Letitia Plummer
City Council at Large 5 - Sallie Alcorn
City Council, District E - no endorsement
The two candidates are Republicans, but some believe Martina Lemond Dixon is less extreme than the other.
14 Texas Constitutional Amendments
Prop 1 no
Prop 2 yes
Prop 3 no
Prop 4 no
Prop 5 yes
Prop 6 yes
Prop 7 no
Prop 8 yes
Prop 9 yes
Prop 10 no
Prop 11 yes
Prop 12 neutral
Prop 13 neutral (Note: All Democratic legislators voted for this one.)
Prop 14 yes
CCISD Propositions
Prop 1 for
Prop 2 for
Prop 3 for
Houston City Propositions
Prop 1 yes
Prop 2 yes
Harris County Health Bond
yes
Kimberley Yancy of NAACP to speak at October BAND meeting
Kimberley Yancy, NAACP Texas Education chairwoman and a City Council member in La Marque, will be BAND's guest speaker at the Oct. 17 meeting. Her presentation will be "The Time Is Now; Speak Up or Shut Up."
BAND meets on the third Tuesday of each month at Bay Area Community Center in Clear Lake Park, 5002 E. NASA Pkwy. in Seabrook. This month, we will gather for a home-cooked dinner at 6:30 p.m., and the program will follow at 7 p.m.
Let's have a crowd at the Bay Area Community Center!
At the August Bay Area New Democrats (BAND) meeting, our guest speakers will be two candidates in this fall's City of Houston election. U.S. Rep. Sheila Jackson Lee, candidate for mayor, and Donnell Cooper, candidate for City Council at-large position 3, will join us on Tuesday, Aug. 15 at the Bay Area Community Center in Clear Lake Park at 5002 NASA Pkwy. in Seabrook. BAND meets the third Tuesday of each month, with social time beginning at 6:30 p.m., followed by the program at 7 p.m.
Join us for discussions on 2 Million Texans and the CCISD board election
Bay Area New Democrats' guest speaker Sri Kulkarni, two-time Congressional candidate and now chief strategist for 2 Million Texan Voters, will provide training on his voter outreach program at the March meeting. (Bring your cell phones!) Jamieson Mackay, a candidate for Clear Creek Independent School District (CCISD) board trustee in District 2, will also join us. (The three authors previously scheduled for the March BAND meeting had to cancel, because one of them contracted COVID.) The event starts with social time at 6:30 p.m. Tuesday, March 21 at the Bay Area Community Center in Clear Lake Park, 5002 NASA Pkwy. in Seabrook. The program begins at 7 p.m.
BAND to welcome guest speaker Jon Haire
At our February BAND meeting, Jon Haire, former candidate for the 36th Congressional District, will give us a summary of his 2022 campaign experience. Sherrie Matula will update us on the current legislative session, and Clear Creek school district board member Arturo Sanchez will talk about his campaign for re-election. The meeting begins with social time at 6:30 p.m. on Tuesday, Feb. 21, followed by the program at 7 p.m. As usual, the meeting place is the Bay Area Community Center in Clear Lake Park, 5002 E. NASA Pkwy. in Seabrook.
Celebrating the holidays in a new way, Tuesday, Dec. 20!
BAND members often celebrate the holidays each year at a restaurant, but this year, we might start a new tradition by asking members to bring a dish to share for a potluck event at Bay Area Community Center at 6:30 p.m. Tuesday, Dec. 20.
Please let us know if you plan to join us so we can set up enough tables and coordinate to have just the right quantity and variety of food. Contact BAND secretary Melissa Courteau at mcourteau@live.com with the number of people from your household attending and what kind of dish you plan to bring. The dish may be purchased or one you prepare yourself.
We'll see you at our regular meeting spot in the Bay Area Community Center in Clear Lake Park, 5002 NASA Pkwy. in Seabrook. Attire will be holiday festive.
As is our custom, we will honor a charity with donations from members. We will have baskets available for this year's chosen charity, Bay Area Turning Point, which provides services to survivors of family and sexual violence. Please bring cash or your checkbook and look for the baskets. See you there!
Chris Hollins to be our guest at August meeting
Invite your Democratic friends from the other clubs and those who are not members anywhere else for our special guest at the next BAND meeting. Chris Hollins, who revolutionized voter turnout in Harris County in 2020, is a candidate for Houston mayor in 2023. He will be our guest speaker at the Tuesday, Aug. 16 BAND meeting.
Hollins served temporarily as Harris County Clerk when the elected clerk resigned for health reasons, and he helped citizens dealing with a pandemic find innovative ways to cast their votes with drive-through voting, 24-hour voting and increased numbers of voting centers, among other things. He holds a Bachelor of Arts in political science from Morehouse College and completed a joint program with Yale Law School and Harvard Business School, earning a J.D. and Master of Business Administration degrees.
The meeting will begin with social time at 6:30 p.m., followed by the program at 7 p.m. BAND meets the third Tuesday of each month at the Bay Area Community Center in Clear Lake Park, 5002 E. NASA Pkwy. in Seabrook.
Join us at the fall campaign headquarters
The three local Democratic clubs, Bay Area New Democrats (BAND), Bay Area Association of Democratic (BAAD) Women and Bay Area Democratic Movement (BADM), are working together to open our fall campaign headquarters in the shopping center at 1215 Bay Area Blvd. at Diana Lane, the same second-floor facility used in the 2020 campaign.
The headquarters opens on Monday, Aug. 1 and will celebrate a grand opening on Sunday, Aug. 21. In the first month, the campaign headquarters is open, the hours will be 11 a.m. - 6 p.m. Mondays through Thursdays; 11 a.m. - 5 p.m. Friday and Saturday; and closed on Sunday. We will need staff that can work half-day or full-day shifts, one day a week or more.
Johnny Peden to speak at Tuesday BAND meeting
Longtime Democratic activist Johnny Peden will be the guest speaker for the Tuesday, June 21 meeting of Bay Area New Democrats (BAND). His topic will be Gay Pride Month and issues affecting the LGBTQ community, including teen suicide, counseling, marriage, self awareness and political targeting.
A former Southern Baptist minister, Peden was a church staff member when he was outed. Soon afterward, he was elected to the board of directors of the Houston Gay and Lesbian Political Caucus. He has volunteered in election campaigns for Gov. Ann Richards and Houston Mayors Kathy Whitmire and Annise Parker, among others. Now a wedding officiator, he also fills in for pastors at the Bay Area Unitarian Universalist Church and other Unitarian churches.
The hybrid in-person and virtual meeting begins with social time at 6:30 p.m., followed by the program at 7 p.m. The in-person meeting will be at the Bay Area Community Center in Clear Lake Park at 5002 E. NASA Pkwy. in Seabrook. See the BAND Facebook page for the Zoom link to the meeting.
Beto O'Rourke to appear locally at Multicultural Center
You are invited to see gubernatorial candidate Beto O'Rourke at a "Beto Townhall" at 5:30 p.m. Friday, June 17 at the Multicultural Center (MCC), 951 Tristar Dr., Webster 77598. The event will include five food trucks, so if you'd like to buy dinner there too, come no later than 5:30 p.m. Please use this link to register for the event: mobilize.us/betofortexas/event/463420/.
BAND endorses nine runoff candidates
At the April 19 BAND meeting, members voted to endorse the following candidates in the Democratic Primary runoff election on Tuesday, May 24: