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Tonight the Naperville Democrats held a fundraiser at the Two-Nine Martini Bar downtown Naperville. Over the course of the evening we had over two hundred guests and, more importantly, a great time! I was struck by the reaction of one of the people I had comped for the event who I know only casually and had never been involved with the group. She has lived in Naperville for a decade or so and was absolutely ecstatic about seeing so many Democrats in Naperville in one place. Her genuine amazement and smile was priceless. She even offered, unsolicited, to start volunteering for the Naperville Democrats.

I guess what struck me about her reaction is that since 2003 I’ve been spending a tremendous amount of time among local Democrats and progressives. While I know the frequent joke is to reference how few Democrats there are here - I’ve gotten to the point where I see them all the time. They’re part of my daily life. They’re even voting as part of majorities to elect statewide candidates like Attorney General Lisa Madigan (who won every precinct in Naperville Township), Secretary of State Jesse White and Comptroller Dan Hynes. What’s missing in Naperville, and in the rest of DuPage County, isn’t Democrats - it’s Democrats meeting and connecting with other Democrats and working together for positive change. I’ve been at this long enough to see that even this dysfunctional dynamic is changing. Tom Wronski, Chair of the Naperville Democrats understands fundamental blocking and tackling - he’s putting together a team.

Tonight we honored Dianne McGuire, retired District 203 teacher and local Naperville Illinois Education Association president, with the first J. Glenn Schneider Public Service Award. Former Naperville Democratic State Representative (and before that Naperville City Councilman) and teacher Glenn Schneider was on hand with his wife Kathy to offer some words about the award in his honor. I’ve wanted to meet Glenn for a long time - and while tonight wasn’t conducive to a very substantial meeting (I was working the fundraiser) - I look forward to meeting with him in the coming months when we have a bit more time to spend talking. Glenn was gracious in letting us create the award to recognize the spirit of his public service as a teacher and during his over two decades as an elected official serving Naperville. What you realize at an event like tonight’s is that Democrats have a long history in Naperville. From Glenn Schneider’s public service, to Dianne McGuire’s decades of service as a public school teacher, to tonight’s packed Two-Nine Martini Bar in Downtown Naperville filled with Democrats young and old, Naperville Democrats are nothing new. While we are growing, the real difference is we’re meeting each other more and getting more organized. Positive political change can’t be far behind.