Join us for month two of the Nevertheless We Read Sumner Dems book club. This month, the NWR will be reading The Fire Next Time by James Baldwin. The book is available in physical, e-reader, and audiobook format.

The book club will meet monthly on the 4th Tuesday at 6:30 PM. Feel free to bring a snack to share! Books will be selected at each meeting for the next month.

Registration is now closed but limited walk-up space is available - we’ll see you at 1:30!

Update:

Two weeks ago, our Chair reached out to our elected representatives to invite them to a town hall on Saturday, July 19. Within hours, two representatives declined. Less than five days later, both additional representatives also declined.

Because our representatives aren’t willing to come and have conversations with us, we’re thankful for Tennessee State Representative Aftyn Behn for agreeing to come and hear our concerns, share what’s been going on at the TN Capitol, and act like an elected official truly should.

We’re hosting this empty chair town hall whether our representatives show up or not - so we hope to see you there. Make sure to register below.

General Info:

The people of Sumner County deserve an opportunity to hear from and ask questions of their legislators. That’s why we’re hosting a town hall.

Join us on Saturday, July 19th at the Palace Theater in Historic Downtown Gallatin for a town hall with the Sumner County State-Level Elected Officials. Doors will open at 1:30 PM with the event starting at 2:00 and ending no later than 3:30 PM. The event will be moderated by local lawyer and civic advocate Tyler Templeton and questions will be taken by Sumner Dems Chair Megan Lange.

Invited officials include:
Representative William Slater (House District 35)
Representative William Lamberth (House District 44)
Representative Johnny Garrett (House District 45)
State Senator Ferrell Haile (Senate District 18)

This event is free to attend and pre-registration is required as space is limited. If you plan to bring children, please complete an additional registration for yourself to guarantee their seat.

Have questions? While we won’t be able to take every question folks have, please bring your questions with you! We will try to get through as many questions as possible within the allotted time.

Stay tuned for more info closer to the event!

Join us for our monthly Pints With Progressives! Each month, the SCDP visits a different local eatery for drinks, food, and friendship.

Location changes each month between Gallatin and Hendersonville, with occasional gatherings in Portland and White House. This month, we’ll be Trattoria La Caverna in Hendersonville. See you there!

Join Indivisible Sumner for Good Trouble Lives On, an event honoring the late John Lewis.

Good Trouble Lives On is a national day of nonviolent action to respond to the attacks posed on our civil and human rights by the Trump administration and to remind them that in America, the power lies with the people.

On July 17, the anniversary of Congressman John Lewis’s passing, we’re taking action across the country to defend our democracy and carry forward his legacy of Good Trouble.

From voter suppression bills like the SAVE Act to the criminalization of protest, the Trump administration is launching a full-scale attack on our civil and human rights. But we know the truth: in America, the power lies with the people, and we’re rising to prove it.

This is more than a protest; it’s a moral reckoning. A continuation of the movement Lewis helped lead, and a new front in the struggle for freedom.

Please note: A core principle behind our Good Trouble Lives On actions is a commitment to nonviolence in all we do. We expect all participants to seek to de-escalate any potential confrontation with those who disagree with our values.

Your SCDP Executive Committee meets the third Wednesday of every month at 7:00 PM on Zoom to conduct our board meeting (including officer and committee reports, budgetary votes, and more). These board meetings are open to the public - if you’d like to observe our meeting, send an email to stillblue@sumnerdems.org and we’ll share the link with you the day of the meeting.

Join us for the Sumner Dems Elder Caucus! This caucus is open to all ages but will focus in on the issues that affect our elder population.

While officers will be elected, this will also be a time to get to know your fellow caucus members (and bring a friend or two as well!). Join us at 7:00 PM at the office - feel free to bring a snack to share!

Read more from your organizers here:

Announcing the opening of the Elder Caucus! The SCDP has a commitment to improving the lives of our elders by encouraging them to stay engaged in life and also by identifying unmet needs and supporting solutions.

The Elder Caucus is a group of volunteers of any age who will identify priorities and plans of action to benefit elders age 65 and up. Here are a few initial ideas of things we might consider:

1) Brief training about ageism that lulls our elders into deciding they are used up and should spend their remaining years watching television. The alternative includes living a healthier and more satisfying life for decades to come; this would include service to others, at least part of the time. This assists in fighting the feeling of being cast aside and purposeless. It would help renew the sense of personal agency that our society strips away as people age.

2) Encouraging and assisting activism among elders. This might include phone banking, poll watching, and intergenerational activities such as tutoring, reading stories, or sharing life experiences from 70 years ago.

3) Another possibility would be shooting videos encouraging people to vote for budgets and agencies that support our elders featuring real elders - not paid actors!

4) Assisting elders with setting up letter-writing and phone-calling campaigns to our county, state, and federal representatives.

Those are just a few quick possibilities. We welcome your ideas.

For more information, call Kort Nygard at 615-289-3928.

Join us for the Sumner Dems Youth Caucus! To align with the greater Young Democrats of America, this caucus will be for folks between the ages of 16 and 35.

While officers will be elected, this will also be a time to get to know your fellow caucus members (and bring a friend or two as well!). Join us for table games (Uno, anyone?), pizza, and fun - we can’t wait!

Join the Sumner Dems for our monthly potluck at headquarters! Bring a dish to share and come for community, learning, and good food.

This month, the potluck will take place on the second Sunday of the month so as not to interfere with Fourth of July weekend. We hope to see you there!

Join the TNDP for their annual Three Star Dinner (also known as Democrat Prom)! Featuring keynote speaker DNC Chair Ken Martin and special guests, this is a great time to connect with fellow Democrats from across the state.

Are you considering a run for office? Whether you’re considering a run for school board, county commission, city council, or even Tennessee State House - you’ve got questions, and we’ve got answers!

Join Candidate Recruitment Chair Holly Cruz and SCDP Chair Megan Lange as they go through the realities of running for office: from time commitments to financial needs and beyond. Please note, this info session is designed for state level campaigns and lower - Congressional runs follow a whole different set of guidelines!

Upcoming Elections:
May 2026 - Local Primary (Commission, odd-numbered School Board, County Mayor, etc)
August 2026 - Local General (Commission, odd-numbered School Board, County Mayor) + Primary (City Councils, State House, Congress)
November 2026 - City Councils, State House, Congress

Mark your calendars for Wednesday, July 9th at 3:30 and attend the Sumner County Library Board meeting at the Sumner County Administration Building (Taj Mahal) to remind the library board who they represent.

The Sumner County Library Board will once again be discussing and voting on on their Collections Policy that will give the Library Board full and final authority over content challenges. The collections policy intends to remove requirements for multiple viewpoints within library content and require “transgender and gender confusion” topics be locked away from access by minors. This policy removes the current standing process for addressing content challenges and takes them out of the hands of Library Directors and instead allows the Library Board to decide which content can be found in our libraries. The policy also removes any ability to appeal a decision once it has been made.

Having people in the audience is most important, but feel free to sign up to speak during the public comment section. Last meeting speakers had 2 minutes, but this time limit is subject to be reduced by the Chairwoman. It is expected that there will be attendees speaking in favor of the Collections Policy - sohelp us make sure there are voices of reason and compassion in the audience.

Have questions? Check out the Build Back Blue Blog articles covering recent Library Board meetings. If you intend to make a comment, we recommend you arrive by 3:00 pm so that you can sign up.

Join us for the Sumner Dems Women’s Caucus Meeting!

This meeting will host the elections of the SCDP Women’s Caucus. While officers will be elected, this will also be a time to get to know your fellow women’s caucus members (and bring a friend or two as well!). Join us at 5:30 PM at the office - feel free to bring wine or a snack to share!

Your SCDP Executive Committee meets the third Wednesday of every month at 7:00 PM on Zoom to conduct our board meeting (including officer and committee reports, budgetary votes, and more). These board meetings are open to the public - if you’d like to observe our meeting, send an email to stillblue@sumnerdems.org and we’ll share the link with you the day of the meeting.

Join us for month two of the Nevertheless We Read Sumner Dems book club. This month, the NWR will be reading Animal Farm by George Orwell. The book is available in physical, e-reader, and audiobook format.

The book club will meet monthly on the 4th Tuesday at 6:30 PM. Feel free to bring a snack to share! Books will be selected at each meeting for the next month.

Join the Sumner Dems at the fifth annual Juneteenth CommUnity Festival.

We are proud to be part of the Gallatin Juneteenth CommUnity Festival again this year - mark your calendars now to join us! This year, the event takes place on Friday, June 20th and Saturday, June 21st. More information to come.

Join us for our monthly Pints With Progressives! Each month, the SCDP visits a different local eatery for drinks, food, and friendship.

Location changes each month between Gallatin and Hendersonville, with occasional gatherings in Portland and White House. This month, we’ll be upstairs at Casa Roja in Gallatin. See you there!

Join us for the Sumner Dems Elder Caucus Launch! This caucus is open to all ages but will focus in on the issues that affect our elder population.

This meeting will be the official launch of the SCDP Elder Caucus. While officers will be elected, this will also be a time to get to know your fellow caucus members (and bring a friend or two as well!). Join us at 7:00 PM at the office - feel free to bring a snack to share!

Read more from your organizers here:

Announcing the opening of the Elder Caucus! The SCDP has a commitment to improving the lives of our elders by encouraging them to stay engaged in life and also by identifying unmet needs and supporting solutions.

The Elder Caucus is a group of volunteers of any age who will identify priorities and plans of action to benefit elders age 65 and up. Here are a few initial ideas of things we might consider:

1) Brief training about ageism that lulls our elders into deciding they are used up and should spend their remaining years watching television. The alternative includes living a healthier and more satisfying life for decades to come; this would include service to others, at least part of the time. This assists in fighting the feeling of being cast aside and purposeless. It would help renew the sense of personal agency that our society strips away as people age.

2) Encouraging and assisting activism among elders. This might include phone banking, poll watching, and intergenerational activities such as tutoring, reading stories, or sharing life experiences from 70 years ago.

3) Another possibility would be shooting videos encouraging people to vote for budgets and agencies that support our elders featuring real elders - not paid actors!

4) Assisting elders with setting up letter-writing and phone-calling campaigns to our county, state, and federal representatives.

Those are just a few quick possibilities. We welcome your ideas.

For more information, call Kort Nygard at 615-289-3928.

Join us for the Sumner Dems Youth Caucus Launch! To align with the greater Young Democrats of America, this caucus will be for folks between the ages of 16 and 35.

This meeting will be the official launch of the SCDP Youth Caucus. While officers will be elected, this will also be a time to get to know your fellow caucus members (and bring a friend or two as well!). Join us at 5:30 PM for casual chitchat and an official start time of 6:00 - feel free to bring a snack to share!

The SCDP is proud to support Indivisible Sumner’s No Kings Rally on Sat, June 14.

In America, we don’t put up with would-be kings. NO KINGS is a national day of action and mass mobilization in response to increasing authoritarian excesses and corruption from Trump and his allies. We’ve watched as they’ve cracked down on free speech, detained people for their political views, threatened to deport American citizens, and defied the courts. They’ve done this all while continuing to serve and enrich their billionaire allies.

🚨On Saturday, June 14, we’re taking to the streets nationwide. We’re not gathering to feed his ego. We’re building a movement that leaves him behind.🚨

The flag doesn’t belong to Donald Trump. It belongs to us. We’re not watching history happen. We’re making it.

On June 14th, we’re showing up everywhere he isn’t—to say no thrones, no crowns, no kings. Check out nokings.org for more information.

A core principle behind all No Kings events is a commitment to nonviolent action. We expect all participants to seek to de-escalate any potential confrontation with those who disagree with our values.

Join us for the Sumner Dems Educator Caucus Launch! This caucus is for all those who care about education - whether a teacher, a past teacher, a future teacher, or someone who just cares about supporting education-related issues, we’d love to have you join us.

This meeting will be the official launch of the SCDP Educator Caucus. While officers will be elected, this will also be a time to get to know your fellow caucus members (and bring a friend or two as well!). Join us at 6:00 PM at the office - feel free to bring wine or a snack to share!

Are you participating in the Sumner No Kings Rally this Saturday? Join the SCDP for a sign making party!

Poster and paints available at the office, or feel free to bring your own markers! Starts at five and ends when it ends. Kids welcome!

Register for the No Kings Rally here.

Join us for the Sumner Dems Women’s Caucus Launch!

This meeting will be the official launch of the SCDP Women’s Caucus. While officers will be elected, this will also be a time to get to know your fellow women’s caucus members (and bring a friend or two as well!). Join us at 5:30 PM at the office - feel free to bring wine or a snack to share!

Join the Sumner Dems as we celebrate Pride!

It’s year three of Affirming Sumner, and we can’t wait to show our support for our LGBTQ+ neighbors. We’ll be sponsoring the event and are ready to wear our rainbows and share the love!

Interested in volunteering? Sign up below! Address will be sent out the day before the event.

Join the Sumner Dems for our monthly potluck at headquarters! Bring a dish to share and come for community, learning, and good food.

This month, we’ll be celebrating the launch of Pride with Chaplain Dahron Johnson. Chaplain Johnson serves with the Tennessee Equality Project and will share about legislation that passed or failed this past cycle and what we can expect to see in the 2026 session as well as share what TEP does and how we can help.

Join us for month two of the Nevertheless We Read Sumner Dems book club. This month, the NWR will be reading Let This Radicalize You by Kelly Hayes and Mariame Kaba. The book is available in physical, e-reader, and audiobook format.

The book club will meet monthly on the 4th Tuesday at 6:30 PM. Feel free to bring a snack to share! Books will be selected at each meeting for the next month.

Join us for the Sumner Dems Women’s Caucus Organizational Meeting!

This meeting will begin the process of organizing the women’s caucus - how it will work, what it will accomplish, and what we hope for. Join us at 5:00 PM at the office - feel free to bring wine or a snack to share!

Join us for the 3rd Annual Blue Wave Barbecue: SCDP Picnic.

Join the Sumner Dems on Saturday, May 17th from 1:00 to 4:00 PM for our third annual community picnic: the Blue Wave Barbecue!

In a time where so much is uncertain, we believe in resilience and healing. Join us for a casual family barbecue with stations set up for sign-making, community bonding, chair yoga, and more - everything you need to refocus!

This year, we're especially excited to welcome Terrell McDaniel, PhD., HSP as he talks to us about coping mechanisms and how to move forward.

Bring a lawn chair and a dish to share (sign up here for your dish to share) - then join us. Address is in Gallatin, TN and will be sent out a few days before the picnic!

Interested in volunteering for the picnic? Sign up here.

Join us for our monthly Pints With Progressives! Each month, the SCDP visits a different local eatery for drinks, food, and friendship.

Location changes each month between Gallatin, Portland, and Hendersonville. This month, join us at Tailgate Brewery in Hendersonville! The first hour will be primarily mingling to get to know each other better - then order your meal and sit down to enjoy it with your table mates. We’ll see you there!

Join the Sumner Dems for our monthly potluck at headquarters! Bring a dish to share and come for community, learning, and good food.

This month, we’ll be celebrating the grand reopening of our office and hearing from Luis Mata with TIRRC Votes. The TN Immigrant and Refugee Rights Coalition played a huge role in stopping the passage of HB793, a bill that would allow undocumented immigrant children to have to pay for public education. Join us to learn more about what TIRRC does and how we can help.

Join the SCDP at Squarefest! Gallatin’s twice-yearly street festival is back and better than ever so head on over and say hello - we’ll be there waiting to meet you!