Call to Action

Plant City Volunteers

Join the FREE Pizza Phone Bank with Plant City Thu, May 14 - Thu, May 21. Reach out to Plant City voters to introduce them to our candidates. Grace Manor Community Room, 790 Hunters Creek Road from 5:30-7:30pm. Please R.S.V.P. so we know how much pizza to order! Sign up here.

Flip the Plant City Commission BLUE by Knocking Doors, May 15 through May 23. 922 Panera Bread, 2909 James L. Redman Pkwy, Plant City. We hold a brief training session, distribute canvassing materials and put together teams. Following the canvass, we meet back at Panera to celebrate successes! Sign up here.

June Club Membership Meeting

DATE: Thursday, June 4, 2026

Time: Mix & Mingle at 1:00pm

Meeting at 1:30pm

Location: St Andrew Presbyterian Church (Social Hall in the rear of Bldg.), 1239 W Del Webb Blvd, Sun City Center

Program:

Our speaker for next month is Genesis Robinson, Executive Director of Equal Ground Education Fund and Action Fund, Florida’s preeminent Black-led voting rights organization. The topic is redistricting and their lawsuit challenging the congressional map recently enacted by the Legislature and signed into law.

The lawsuit was filed on behalf of Equal Ground and 18 individual plaintiffs by the Elias Law Group. It argues that the new map violates Florida’s Fair Districts amendment, which was approved by voters in 2010 and prohibits drawing congressional districts to favor or disfavor a political party.

The core legal claims include:

1. Unconstitutional Partisan Gerrymandering (Primary Claim)
2. Violation of the Fair Districts Amendment: The Legislature and Governor ignored binding constitutional law.
3. Racial Vote Dilution / Harm to Black Voters: The map packs Black voters into fewer districts.
4. Improper Mid-Decade Redistricting for Partisan Gain: Florida conducted mid-decade redistricting without legal necessity.
5. Violation of Traditional Redistricting Criteria: The map is less compact, splits more cities and counties, and ignores geographic boundaries.
6. Intentional Circumvention of Judicial Review & Public Process: The map was drawn in secret with no public hearings or input, and was released immediately before passage.

Members in Action

NO KINGS Demonstration - March 28

The national NO KINGS group held a third NO KINGS event on Saturday, March 28, and we participated in Sun City Center. We had over 1500 people join us here, with an estimated 8 million people participating nationwide in 3300+ locations.

This NO KINGS was a nonviolent chance to let the world know that we do not accept the authoritarian regime trying to gain a foothold in our democracy. In America we have NO KINGS. If you'd like more information about the national events and their history, go to https://www.nokings.org/

The outrage was channeled into creative signs, shirts, and chants. Thank you to everyone who participated!

Sponsor of the Month

Fran Bodman

1/11

TOWN HALL WITH DAVID JOLLY

In our ongoing efforts to help voters meet and learn about Democratic candidates, the South Shore Democratic Club hosted a Town Hall in Sun City Center on January 24 for Gubernatorial candidate David Jolly.

Former Congressman David Jolly grew up in Florida, the son of a pastor. He and his wife Laura are raising their young family in Pinellas County, which he represented in the U.S. House of Representatives from 2014-2017.

In Congress, Jolly focused on helping veterans and seniors, supporting law enforcement, protecting the environment, and bringing resources back to Florida. Following his time in Congress, Jolly has been a long-time political commentator on NBC and MSNBC.

Also speaking at the meeting were Glenn Pearson, candidate for Congressional District 16, and Luis Salazar, candidate for Florida State House of Representatives District 64.

Attendees were invited to bring non-perishable canned goods for the local food pantry.

The South Shore Democratic Club does not endorse any Democratic Candidates that are engaged in a primary. The Club's hosting of this town hall should not be considered an endorsement by the Club.

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SAVE THE DATE

ICE OUT

POP UP PROTEST JANUARY 29

Keith Porter, Jr., a father of two who worked with special needs children, was killed by federal agents in Los Angeles on New Years Eve.

Renee Good, a mother and committed community member, was killed while observing federal immigration agents in Minneapolis on January 7.

Alex Pretti, an ICU nurse at the local VA hospital, was shot and killed by federal agents in Minneapolis on January 24.

We WILL NOT stay silent. A local protest took place on Thursday, January 29 in Sun City Center. While this was not a Club-sponsored event, many members participated.

Members Taking Action

South Shore Democratic Club Special Town Hall was a Great Success!

On Saturday, Nov 8, the South Shore Democratic Club sponsored a Salute to Veterans Town Hall. We heard presentations from four veterans, moderated by Will Atkins from the Democratic Veterans Caucus, himself a USAF veteran.

The Methodist Church’s Senior Pastor Rev. Dr Cynthia Weems led the group in an opening prayer. The South Shore Democratic Club President Fran Bodman welcomed the group.

Commander Phil Ehr, US Navy, retired, was the kickoff speaker, praising U.S. forces deployed everywhere. He shared his experiences in having part in the kill chain in Bosnia as well as intel support in the maritime war on drugs in the Caribbean, and his concern about what is taking place currently in the area. He ended with the importance of veterans, particularly retired flag officers mentoring active-duty military and educating the public, which is why he is running for Congress in the Miami Dade area.

Sergeant First Class Robert People, US Army, retired, brought some levity into his remarks about joining the Army out of high school. He was looking for purpose and chose to be part of the solution, not the problems with his units. He is now running for Congress in Congressional District 15, for that same reason: to return to public service and be part of fixing what we are experiencing in the country today.

Sergeant First Class Gianny Hunt, US Army, retired, spoke of her experiences as a military intelligence analyst observing insurgency & terrorism in the Middle East and other regions, and how that powers her current activism. She reminded us that democratic norms are being eroded, election integrity is under pressure due to massive disinformation, and a small group of ultra-wealthy are now shaping policies and public discourse at the expense of America’s working families. They have hijacked our democracy. Her impassioned presentation urged the crowd to show up – together – and refuse to back down. To help that, she created a nonpartisan group, Magnified Voices, to empower communities through knowledge and action to take a stand, to not just show up but build bridges, empower new leadership, and shape policy with the strength of a collective voice.

Major General Richard Haddad, US Air Force, retired, was the keynote speaker. He established immediately in his remarks that patriotism is the cornerstone of democracy for all Americans, not blue or red, but for all citizens of this country. He spoke about swearing allegiance not to a president, a congress, a secretary of defense or a party but to the Constitution. He reminded us that democracy is not self-sustaining – it requires engagement, vigilance and courage. He focused on the needs of our veteran brothers and sisters, including PTSD, homelessness, underemployment and many other challenges, and how real patriotism keeps its promise to veterans, to workers, to immigrants and to our children. It’s rooted in inclusion, not exclusion.

Rabbi Philip Cohen, PhD. from Beth Israel Jewish Congregation of SCC led the Benediction.

The entire event was both inspirational and educational. As they departed, most of the many attendees said it was one of the best events they had ever attended.