Democratic County Chair Updates

Week of July 7, 2026

July is Off to a Strong Start!

Momentum across the campaign continues to grow, and we wanted to share a few quick updates on what we've been working on and what's coming next.

New Campaign Photos

We have a new Jennifer headshot. I will email it to you all.

Please begin using the new official photo of Jennifer whenever possible for county communications, social media, event graphics, and other materials.

A huge thank you to Logan County Chair Ronda Shelton for her incredibly generous in-kind contribution by donating her professional photography services.

We truly appreciate her talent and support of this campaign!

Bi-Weekly Wednesday Volunteer Zoom at Noon - Tomorrow

Our next bi-weekly volunteer meeting is tomorrow, July 8th.

Along with all our regular updates, we'll be joined by members of the Coordinated Campaign, who will share information about this Saturday's Day of Action canvass in Decatur.

Please encourage anyone interested in volunteering to join us.

Volunteer Meeting Link: https://us02web.zoom.us/meeting/register/O4ZyURZaQRGQNlX7VshaYg

Note: people can always go to the website: https://www.jentodd2026.us/events and click on the date of a meeting and sign up there as well. 

Welcome Tabitha Carden

We're excited to announce that we've hired Tabitha Carden of Jacksonville, our new organizer!

Many of you have already heard from her, and she's been hard at work recruiting volunteers, building local capacity, and helping organize campaign activity across the district.

Tabitha has also developed our new Zone Structure to better coordinate volunteers and county organizations. If she hasn't reached out to you yet, expect to hear from her soon.

Yard Sign Update

Campaign yard signs are expected to arrive in August.

We'll work directly with each county to coordinate distribution.

Many signs will be available for pickup during the Illinois State Fair. If no one from your county will be attending, don't worry. We'll work with Tabitha and our Zone Structure to make sure your signs get where they need to go.

4' x 4' Signs

We've received a tremendous amount of interest in 4' x 4' signs.

Thanks to a recommendation from Dan Kovats, we've selected a printer and finalized pricing.

Cost: $36 per sign, plus shipping.

The printer will have Jennifer's artwork on file, allowing supporters to order directly if they choose. We can also coordinate group orders through the campaign using donated funds.

The final design will be delivered to the printer this week, and we'll share complete ordering instructions as soon as everything is ready.

Surrogate Speaker Program

Our Surrogate Speaker Program is officially underway, and volunteers are already signing up.

With 35 counties, Jennifer won’t be able to be everywhere, and the surrogate speaker program is an important part of making sure Jennifer is represented even if she can’t be there herself. 

If you have someone in your county who is an effective public speaker and would enjoy representing Jennifer at local events, meetings, or organizations, please let us know. 

We'll provide them with the information and resources they need to be successful.

Coming This Week

Today's campaign email includes even more updates and links to join or RSVP, and we're expecting to have some exciting fundraising news to share with all of you later this week.

Thank you for everything you're doing to build this campaign in your communities. Your leadership is making a real difference, and we're excited for what's ahead.