Dear Indivisible Kensington,

The midterms are only two months away and there’s much to do to achieve the blue wave that all the pundits are predicting and that we all so desperately need. Read on to see what YOU can do.

Join Our Postcard Writing Campaigns

Our next campaign is to write postcards to Democratic and Independent voters in Maine in support of Troy Jackson, running for the Senate seat held for many years by Susan Collins. Yes, Susan Collins, who always voices her “concern” but ends up voting the Republican party line (remember Brett Kavanaugh). She’s voted with Trump 96% of the time, only casting an opposition vote when it is clear the Trump agenda will pass. 

She MUST go. Be part of making that happen. Sign up here by September 15; your packet of cards. names, script, etc. will be ready for pick-up no later than September 19. The message focuses on Collins casting the deciding vote to increase funding for ICE. Cards need to be mailed by September 30. 

Also, check soon for a new photo on our website of our in-person postcard party this past Saturday, August 29. Fourteen of us gathered to write GOTV messages to Iowa voters and then to enjoy happy hour together. We wrote 400 postcards which will be mailed to our contact in Iowa and postmarked from there. It was an afternoon of good work, good food and drink, and good companionship.    

And Speaking of Iowa:

It’s not too late to join us for a field trip to Iowa the last week of September.  In partnership with local Indivisible chapters and other progressive Iowans, we’ll be canvassing, helping students register to vote, attending fundraisers and a Town Hall, and getting to know our fellow, midwest activists. Five of us are planning on making the trip, first to Iowa City, home of the University of Iowa, and then on to Davenport, part of the Quad Cities metropolitan area along the Mississippi in Iowa and Illinois. For more information, check out the attached itinerary and/or contact IK4Iowa@gmail.com.

We’re also raising money to fund a set of lawn signs to give to our progressive friends in Iowa to distribute locally. The signs have been created by Factocracy who believe that facts are power. The idea of the lawn signs is to get neighbors talking to neighbors in Republican neighborhoods about the reality of Republican rule. Attached is a pdf order form with the signs we chose to send to Iowa.  Please order as many as you’d like to donate, using the Venmo QR code on the flyer. You might even consider getting one for yourself!

And finally, we’re doing another postcard writing campaign to Iowa voters, this time in support of Josh Turek, the Democratic candidate running for the open Senate seat. The race is considered a “toss-up”. Sign up here and indicate how many packets of 25 you’d like and whether or not you need stamps. We’ll be in touch with you when the packets are ready for pick-up.

Fighting Voter Suppression:

A huge national coalition is getting ready to fight back when Trump/MAGA disrupt voting and crosses Red Lines to try to overturn the results of the midterms. Red Lines could include stealing ballot boxes, occupying polling places, or other similar actions. The national coalition, which includes May Day Strong and No Kings, will be monitoring the situation in all 50 states and will decide when/if Trump crosses a line.  

In California the vote is considered safe, so the national coalition has asked us to hit the streets in massive numbers, peacefully protesting No Kings-style for days on end if necessary, if the need arises.

To be prepared, our friends at Indivisible East Bay (IEB) have asked as many of us as possible to pledge that we will join this massive peaceful resistance. IEB is using an announcement-only Signal chat group to collect signatures. The chat group will ONLY be used to call for Red Line action; your contact info will not be used for any other purpose.

To sign up, navigate to this Google doc, then scan the QR code there with your phone to join the Signal group. (If you’re not already on Signal, you will find another QR code there for you to join.).

We all need to be vigilant and ready to act. Please sign this pledge.

Election Protection:

Hands Off Our Vote is a program developed by National Indivisible designed to protect elections in all 50 states. To read more about the program check out this link, and if you want to be trained for election support, follow this link, where you can listen to the recordings of the first two trainings already held.  

Donate Money:

We know you receive multiple requests every day for money from candidates and organizations, but we think one of the most impactful ways to give is by funding local organizing in every swingable Senate, House and down ballot race. This is the aim of the Movement Voter Project. And here’s an opportunity for you to have fun while also making an impact. Check out this Parlor Game fundraiser on September 19 in Albany, organized by the newly formed Neighbors for Progressive Action (North).

Learn About the Propositions on the California Ballot:

Once again, California voters will be faced with a number of significant, but often confusing, ballot initiatives. This November we’re being asked to decide on issues ranging from a billionaires’ tax (Prop. 40) to a bond measure funding immunology and immunotherapy research (Prop. 38) to voter ID requirements (Prop. 39) as well as various housing and taxation issues. To help sort out all these issues, our friends at Swing Left are holding a live Zoom presentation and Q&A  on Wednesday, October 19, 6:00-7:30 where they will discuss the pros and cons of all 14 propositions.

And keep your eyes open for an announcement in a future IK newsletter about our ballot-marking party.

Stay Hopeful, Be Inspired:

Finally, we can’t forget that our midterms are not the only things happening in the world.  People are struggling for freedom and persisting and even sometimes winning all around the world. Two films that remind us of this are All That’s Left of You about three generations of a Palestinian family and their struggle to survive, and Democracy Noir about the struggle of the Hungarian people to overthrow the Orban regime. You can catch both of these films now. Democracy Noir is being shown on September 16 (see attached flyer) and All That’s Left of You as a benefit for the Middle East Children’s Alliance on Wednesday, September 17.

In Solidarity,

Barbara and Robin for the IK Leadership Team

Dear Indivisible Kensington,

Sorry this is coming to you a bit late. It’s still summer, and, despite the price of gas, lots of people are traveling and coming to visit. But the November midterms are fast approaching, and even though we still face two more years of the disastrous, criminal Trump administration, electing a Democratic Congress, particularly one with a growing number of progressive members, can do a lot to stop the authoritarian slide. They  can stop funding the war in Iran and the genocide in Gaza and the West Bank, they can block Cabinet and judicial appointments, and they can hold hearings that will begin to hold individuals accountable for their immoral and illegal behavior. Here’s what we’re doing to win in November.

Partnering with Iowa:

As we’ve discussed in previous newsletters, the November election could turn Iowa blue, starting with Rob Sand, the Democratic gubernatorial candidate, and Josh Turek, the Democratic senatorial candidate, to several flippable House seats and a number of down ballot races. We are developing relationships with two Iowa Indivisible groups (Johnson City Indivisible and Quad Cities Indivisible) as well as other political leaders and groups in the state and are preparing to visit Iowa from September 25-30. We’ll be in Iowa City (home of University of Iowa) to start with and then end up in Davenport. Working with local activists, we’ll be canvassing, registering voters, attending house party fundraisers, and participating in a town hall with Rob Sand. We’ll also have free time to explore the sights and sounds of Iowa. Please join us for this fun and impactful field trip.

If you’d like more information, please send a message to IK4Iowa@gmail.com.

Postcarding Voters:

We are currently writing postcards to North Carolina voters urging support for Roy Cooper, the popular, Democratic former governor, who is running for the open Senate seat. This is considered a “lean Democratic state” by the Cook Political Report, and is a must win for the Democrats.

We’re also hosting an in-person postcard party to write to infrequent, Democratic-leaning voters in Iowa, urging them to show up in November. The party is scheduled for Saturday, August 29, 3:00-5:00 pm, followed by a wine and cheese social. Please sign up and hang out with your fellow Indivisible Kensington activists. Address will be supplied when you sign up.

Fighting Voter Suppression:

We’re still writing letters to North Carolina voters who received notice about a discrepancy in their voter registration information that must be corrected before they can cast a ballot in November. We’re planning on at least one more round of these letters. This is an easy but important activity. Basically all you have to do is print the letters, add a salutation and sign-off, address, stamp and mail the envelopes. One batch consists of 20 names and addresses. If you would like to help with this, please sign up here and indicate how many batches you’d like.

Plus, don’t forget to sign up for national Indivisible’s Hands Off Our Vote campaign.

Other Upcoming Events:

1.  Symposium: Fight Back – How States Can Counter Authoritarianism

Catherine Lhamon, who was one of our featured speakers at our Free Speech Round Table last fall, has invited all of the members of Indivisible Kensington (and their friends) to attend a symposium at the UC Berkeley Law School, addressing the very relevant issue of how the States can counter the authoritarianism of the federal government.  The symposium will be held on Friday, August 28 from 9:00 am to 2:00 pm. You can get more information and RSVP here.

2.  Film Screening: Democracy Noir

Democracy Noir, an award winning documentary from Connie Fields about the struggle for democracy in Hungary, was released in 2024 before our very consequential election. The film has now been updated following the extraordinary victory of the pro-Democracy forces this year. Use this link to see the trailer.

The filmmaker is screening the updated version on Zoom for Indivisible members on Saturday, August 29, starting at 10:00 am, followed immediately by a discussion with her from 11:30-12:30 pm.  If you would like to be part of this film screening and discussion, please sign up here by August 22. 

Please join us for one or more of these actions or events. Remember: it’s not so much what you do that matters as much as the fact that you show up and do something.

In Solidarity,

Barbara and Robin, for the IK Leadership Team

Dear Indivisible Kensington,

We hope you are enjoying the summer and finding time to relax and have some summer fun. BUT don’t forget  – as if you could – the midterms are less than 4 months away, and there’s much we have to do to defeat the authoritarians in Washington. Here’s what the IK teams have been up to:

Fighting Voter Suppression: Letters to North Carolina Voters:  

If you remember from the last newsletter, some 240,000 voters in North Carolina received notification that discrepancies between their voter registration and their information in other government databases need to be resolved before they can vote in November. We are partnering with the Wake County (NC) Indivisible and Indivisible East Bay to write letters to those voters explaining how to correct their information and urging them to do so as soon as possible and NOT to wait until they go to the polls to vote, which is what they were told in the official notification.

So far IK members either have written, or are in the process of writing, to over 500 NC voters.  We will be requesting more names and addresses towards the end of the month. If you haven’t already signed on to this action and want to help, let us know by responding to this email or sending us a note at indivisiblekensington@gmail.com. This is quick and easy and feels very worthwhile.

Taking Back the House and Senate: Postcarding in California and Other Key States:

We recently completed 250 postcards to Democratic leaning, but infrequent, voters in Texas, urging support for James Talarico who is running for the US Senate against Ken Paxton. We are also currently writing 425 postcards in support of Randy Villegas, who is a young, progressive educator running for a US House seat against David Valadao in District 22, one of the districts newly created by the passage of Prop 50.

And Postcard Parties are Back: On Saturday, July 25 from 10:30am to 12:30pm, Indivisible Kensington is having an in-person gathering in Kensington to write postcards in support of Marni von Wilpert (D) running against Jim Desmond (R) in the newly redrawn House district CA-48 (Darrell Issa’s old seat.). von Wilpert is a San Diego City Council member, endorsed by local labor, educators, and Planned Parenthood. She served in the Peace Corps, founded a legal clinic to combat discrimination in the Deep South, and helped write the Protecting the Right to Organize Act as counsel to the congressional House Education and Labor Committee. This is a must-get seat for Democrats. The Cook Political Report rates the race “lean D”. We can flip this open seat IF we get the Democrats to the polls. So come and join your fellow IK compatriots in this important effort!  Sign up here and bring a friend.

If you are not already on the Postcarding team and want to be on our mailing list for future postcarding opportunities, please let us know by emailing us at IndivisibleKensingtonPostcards@gmail.com. We’re planning 2 campaigns per month until mid-October and would love to have you join us.

Partnering with Iowa:  

As we have discussed before, Iowa is a key state in this election with competitive seats for the Senate and the House, as well as the Governor, Attorney General and Secretary of State. We are developing partnerships with several Indivisible groups in Iowa as well as other key Democratic leaders in the State. We’ve been encouraged to come to Iowa for a  September 29 Town Hall with Rob Sand, the popular Democratic candidate running for Governor. We’d also have an opportunity to do some canvassing, meet with Iowa activists, and party the Iowa way.  Several of our Focus on Iowa team members are planning to go, and we’d love to have others join us. If you’re even a little interested, contact us at IK4Iowa@gmail.com. And if travel isn’t in the cards for you, stay tuned for a possible fundraising campaign to help your fellow IK members make the trip.

Meanwhile, we can’t forget there’s the whole world beyond the midterms. The genocide in Gaza and the West Bank goes unabated, the war in Iran continues to throw the entire world into chaos, and immigrants are being deported from the US in record numbers. Here are a few things you can do about these horrors:

1.  Call our representatives and tell them not an additional dime to fund Trump’s war in the Middle East. Check out Indivisible’s message here.

2.  Demand that our representatives pressure Israel to free Dr. Hussam Abu Safiya. To learn more about this story and what you can do, see this link from Amnesty International.

3.  Support our immigrant community with Commit to Democracy by providing a presence at the Concord Immigration Court, every Tuesday and Thursday morning, 10:00-11:30. Check them out here.

Thanks for all you do. Together we win.

In Solidarity,

Barbara, Robin and the IK Leadership Team

Dear IK Members,

It’s hard to feel celebratory about the 250th anniversary of the signing of the Declaration of Independence when we’re facing so many grave threats to our democracy. Of course that democracy has always been imperfect; from the outset, it excluded Black people, women and the indigenous population. But thinking back to the dream of democracy during that revolutionary period has lessons for us today. As we approach July 4, 2026, many writers and thinkers are reflecting on those lessons.  Here’s one such article by Steve Schmidt, a founder of the Lincoln Project, that you may want to read.  

Summary of Indivisible Kensington All-Member Meeting, June 16, 2026 (especially for those of you who missed

the meeting):

We were pleased to see close to 50 people attend our in person meeting. Our keynote speaker was

Steve Schear, a long-time political organizer, currently working with Swing Left and the Democratic National Committee to flip House and Senate seats. The theme of this talk was “Can You Give More?”, urging all of us to go beyond our comfort zone as the only way we’ll be able to overthrow this authoritarian regime. Specifically, he talked about the importance, and joy, of canvassing door to door and talking openly with those who may not agree with us, learning what’s on their minds, and finding common ground.  

Our leadership team also presented a three-pronged strategy for the work we can do between now and November. Those prongs are:

  1.  Partnering with Iowa

     2.  Fighting voter suppression

     3.  Postcarding and more in California and beyond

Partnering with Iowa: We’re focusing on Iowa for the Midterms due to the number of potentially flippable seats and its relatively small population where our time, energy and resources can have an outsized impact. We were happy that this aligned with the successful house party we had earlier this year for Leila Staton, the 22-year old progressive running for a seat in the Iowa State Assembly, from a rural, ruby red district. Although Iowa has been a red state recently, it was a purple state from the 1990s until 2012. A popular Democrat (Rob Sand) is running for the open Governor’s seat, a strong Democrat (Josh Turek) is running for the open Senate seat, and there are several House seats that are considered flippable.

We have been in touch with several Indivisible groups in Iowa and other grassroots organizations who are delighted to have our support. The specific forms of that support are now under discussion, but may include postcard/letter writing, voter registration drives, and fundraising.  

If you signed up for this team at our meeting, be on the look-out for an email from IK4Iowa that will invite you to talk about next steps. And if you want to join this team, but have not yet, please email IK4Iowa@gmail.com. We welcome your input and participation.

Fighting Voter Suppression: We all know that the Trump administration is doing everything they can to depress voter turn-out and to sow distrust about the integrity of our elections, all designed to keep them in power. For one glaring example requiring immediate attention,  see the last section of this newsletter on the USPS rule changes affecting voters.  

We proposed the following actions for IK to fight against voter suppression:

Volunteering with VoteRiders: VoteRiders is a national, non-partisan organization focused on the issue of voter ID; their mission is to eliminate all ID barriers to the ballot box so that every eligible voter is able to cast a ballot. They have several volunteer opportunities, including staffing a helpline to answer questions about ID requirements, working one-on-one to assist voters to get the ID they need, and ride and appointment assistance.  Check them out and let us know if this is of interest to you.

Writing to North Carolina Voters with Discrepancies in Their Voter Registration: This action comes to us from Wake County (NC) Indivisible who are writing letters to the 240,000 North Carolina voters who have been informed that there is a discrepancy between their voter registration and information in other government databases which must be corrected before they can vote in November. The letter explains exactly how they make the corrections and urges the voters to do so well before the midterm election. Twelve people who attended the meeting have already written to most of the names they received and are looking for more. We will continue this action until there are no more names available. Please let us know if you want to be part of this effort.

Working to Defeat the California ID Proposition on the November Ballot: We are keeping our eyes on other organizations, such as the ACLU, Common Cause, and the League of Women Voters, who have formed a coalition to defeat this proposition. Although their plans are not yet clear, we suspect that a good amount of voter education will be needed to explain to voters why this proposition is dangerous. Stay tuned on this one.

Postcarding and More in California and Beyond: Postcarding has been shown to increase voter turn-out by about 1.5-2%.  Although this seems like a small effect, it can make a difference in close races and especially in non-presidential election years when voter turn-out is lower. Plus, IK members have consistently responded to postcard campaigns in the past and we will continue this activity going forward.  

There are important House races in California and elsewhere, as well as several Senate seats that are in play.  Our first campaign of the season, writing to voters in Texas in support of James Talarico, was announced at the meeting, and all of the names/addresses we had were claimed.  But don’t fret, there will be many more opportunities. If you want to be part of the Postcarding Team, please let us know at indivisiblekensington@gmail.com.  We will communicate directly with the team when we have postcarding opportunities; we’ll also continue to announce those opportunities in our bimonthly newsletter, but if you want to always be on the list for names/addresses, join the team!.  

If you want to know why James Talarico is inspiring voters across Texas and beyond, check out this substack from Heather Cox Richardson

We’re also hoping to galvanize people to canvas in District 22 for Randy Villegas.  Like Steve Schear said, canvassing can be fun and meaningful and a great way to bond with your fellow IK members. Stay tuned on this as well.  

Finally, PLEASE Comment on the US Postal Service Proposed Rule Changes Aimed at Voter Suppression:

Among other directives, Trump’s order from March calls for the Postal Service and the Department of Homeland Security to create lists of adult U.S. citizens or eligible voters in each state. It also calls for USPS, which is independent of a president’s administration, to deliver mail-in ballots only to people on those lists.

In response, USPS has proposed using information from state election officials to create voter lists. Postmaster General David Steiner told lawmakers Wednesday that under the proposal, the Postal Service would not deliver the mail ballots of any states that refuse to turn over their absentee voter lists to the federal government.

For more information on this and how to submit a comment, go here.

That’s all for now.  

In Solidarity,

Barbara, Robin and the Indivisible Kensington (IK) Leadership Team

Dear Indivisible Kensington,

This newsletter is coming to you a little early because we want to remind you about a couple of events happening in the next few days.

First, this is a reminder about our all-member meeting, this coming Tuesday, June 16, 7:00-8:30 pm at the Arlington Community Church, 52 Arlington Ave. here in Kensington. The focus of the meeting is on strategies to take back the House and the Senate in November, as well as other key state offices. Steve Schear, a long-time political organizer in Oakland, will be our featured guest speaker, followed by a discussion of several initiatives Indivisible Kensington is undertaking and how you can be involved. Please plan to attend. Doors will open at 6:45 and there will be refreshments.  

Second, this Sunday, June 14, Flag Day, while Trump is celebrating his birthday with a monstrous mixed martial arts fight on the South Lawn of the White House, resisters will gather all over the country for Rise Up Sing Out, sponsored by No Kings and the Committee for the First Amendment. The star-studded line-up includes Rufus Wainright, Bette Midler, and Patti Smith. Show starts at 7:30 pm EDT, 4:30 PM PDT. Click here to learn how to join in.  

Finally, Indivisible Kensington is co-hosting a Zoom briefing with Focus For Democracy (F4D), Tuesday, June 23, 5:00 pm PDT. F4D raises funds to support the work of programs developed and implemented by community organizations that generate Democratic votes. F4D’s funding recommendations are made only after careful evaluation of where the investment will be most effective and strategic. If you’re interested in smart, data-driven recommendations for political donations designed to take back the Senate and the House, please join us for this insightful event. Register here at

https://bit.ly/F4D23Jun.

Hope to see you all on Tuesday.

In Solidarity,

Barbara, Robin and the Indivisible Kensington Leadership Team= = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = =Resistance Through PersistenceIndivisibleKENSINGTON