Important SJC Democratic Party Dates & Information.
Happy New Year! Go Hoosiers! And we hope to see all of you at the upcoming monthly meeting this Saturday, January 3rd.
As we prepare to welcome the new year and root for the Hoosiers(!), we wanted to put several important upcoming dates on your 2026 calendar:
Monthly St. Joseph County Democratic Party meeting:Saturday, January 3rd, 9:30-10:30am, The Well, 2410 Mishawaka Avenue, South Bend.
Speakers will include Stephanie Ball, candidate for County Clerk, and Jamee Decio, candidate for Congress (2nd District). Bring a non-perisable food item. We want to stock the pantry at The Well! Any items The Well cannot take will be donated to the Mishawaka Food Pantry.
Indiana State Democratic Convention — June 6, 2026
This year's convention will be held on Saturday, June 6th at the Indiana Marriott Downtown, 350 West Maryland Street, Indianapolis, IN 46225.
Interested in becoming a convention delegate? Click here.
The "Two Primary Rule" is in effect for Democratic State Convention Delegates. To pass this rule, you need to have voted Democratic in the last two primaries in which you voted. If you do not pass this rule, you can still be a delegate, but the County Party Chair must fill out a form certifying you as a Democrat, and you must include this form when you submit your Candidate Form to the Clerk's Office. Contact me if you are unsure whether you can pass the rule.
Interested delegates file between January 7, 2026 and February 6, 2026 (12:00pm noon), with the County Clerk's Office using a CAN-37 form (download here).
All Delegates from St. Joseph County will be "at-large" and we will discuss the process at the monthly meeting Saturday, January 3.
If interested in also being a Precinct Chair (see below), you must file two of these forms (CAN-37), one for each position (Delegate and Precinct Chair). Note: There is a convention fee of approximately $50 that is the responsibility of each Delegate, in addition to travel and hotel costs.
To keep track of who is filing, please email, text or call me with your name and address!
Filing to become an elected precinct chair:
The “Two Primary Rule” is also in effect here (see above). If you are interested in becoming an elected precinct chair you must file between January 7, 2026 and February 6, 2026 (12:00pm noon) with the County Clerk’s Office using CAN-37 form.
Filing to become a county candidate:
Filing dates are between January 7th and February 6th, 2026. Two forms need to be filed:
Form #1: CAN-2 DECLARATION OF CANDIDACY FOR PRIMARY NOMINATION IN 2026.
Form #2: CAN-12 STATEMENT OF ECONOMIC INTERESTS FOR LOCAL AND SCHOOL BOARD OFFICES.
Indiana Campaign Finance Reporting schedule for 2026:
2025 Annual Reports are due by noon on January 21, 2026.
Form: CFA-4 REPORT OF RECEIPTS AND EXPENDITURES OF A POLITICAL COMMITTEE
If you were a previous candidate who did not disband their committee, you also need to file this form.
If you are a new candidate who has not previously run for an office, even if you now have only an exploratory committee and have accepted donations in 2025, you need to file this form.
The Indiana Campaign Finance Reporting Schedule for 2026 is attached below.
Happy New Year! Go Hoosiers! And we hope to see all of you at the upcoming monthly meeting this Saturday, January 3rd.
In Solidarity,
Donald R. Westerhausen, Jr., MD, FACC
St. Joseph County Democratic Party, Chair
574-276-6465 cell
Indiana Campaign Finance Reporting Schedule for 2026 >>
