GODFREY - The Greater Godfrey Democrats have grown in the past year, and they are endorsing several candidates as the midterms approach.
Mark Lorch and a few friends formed the Greater Godfrey Democrats after the 2024 election, when they were “a little shocked” to realize there were very few Democratic challengers on the local ballot. Since then, the group has worked to garner support and engage with local voters.
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“We know that people are wanting change,” Lorch said. “We know people are wanting to do things differently than it’s been done in the past, and I think we’re working in that direction. And I think we just need to be sure that we can recruit candidates that are capable and give people choice.”
Election Day is scheduled for Nov. 3, 2026. Early voting has started in Madison County. Lorch and Elizabeth Schepers, another member of the group, went to the polls on Monday, Oct. 19, to cast their votes.
They encourage others to do the same. The Greater Godfrey Democrats have been working to educate people about their favored candidates.
“This election period, the Greater Godfrey Democrats were out in the neighborhoods, knocking on doors and going door-to-door and letting people know who’s going to be on the ballot and letting them know to get out and vote. I think every precinct in Godfrey was knocked on,” Schepers said. “A lot of people brought candidates with them. The residents were able to talk to the candidates about what affects them locally. That way, the candidates can hear firsthand from the constituents. So it was a very one-on-one, hands-on approach.”
The group hosts other candidate meet-and-greets and mixers throughout the year. The goal, Lorch and Schepers agreed, is to promote the Democratic Party and candidates in the area while also fostering a sense of community.
Lorch noted that the local Democratic Party is not the same as it used to be. He believes the Democrats in Madison County had “almost disappeared,” and groups like the Greater Godfrey Democrats are bringing them back.
Looking ahead to Nov. 3, the group has a few “very bright and talented” Democrats who they hope will win the midterms. Juliana Stratton is running for U.S. Senator, and the group is pushing for J.B. Pritzker and Christian Mitchell to take the Illinois Governor and Lieutenant Governor seats, respectively. They also support Kwame Raoul as Attorney General and Alexi Giannoulias as Secretary of State.
They are advocating for Margaret Croke as Comptroller and Michael W. Frerichs as Treasurer. More locally, the group hopes to see Nikki Budzinski retain her seat as the representative in Congress for Illinois’ 13th District, and Jennifer Todd to take the 15th District seat.
Marsia Geldert-Murphey hopes to represent the 56th District in the Illinois State Senate. Rosetta “Rosie” Brown is aiming to become the Illinois representative for the 111th District. Lorch is especially excited to endorse Rachelle Bauerle as the Madison County Clerk and Recorder.
Michael “Mike” Krewson is the Democratic challenger for the Madison County Board District 5 seat. The group also encourages people to vote yes to retain Circuit Judge Dennis Ruth.
Lorch and Schepers agree that the midterms are an important time to vote. They hope to see many people in Madison County come out to participate in this year’s election.
“I have not run into very many people that aren’t planning on voting. I think there are a lot of people out there looking for change, and they haven’t had an opportunity to vote for Democrats in a lot of these contests for quite some time,” Lorch said, adding, “We’re not done. We’re going to continue to grow, continue to do more community events.”
The Greater Godfrey Democrats meet at 6 p.m. on the second Monday of the month at IBEW Local 649 in Alton. You can visit their official Facebook page for more information.
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