2026 Q4 Calendar
• Sun., Oct. 4, 11:00 a.m. — Vernon Day of Action! Calling all volunteers to knock on doors for our Democratic candidates. Kick-off meet-up at our 2026 Headquarters.** Wear comfortable shoes!
• Mon., Oct. 19 through Sun., Nov. 1 — Early voting in the midterm elections is held in Rm. 119 (front entrance) at Center 375 for Vernon residents, 10:00 a.m. – 6:00 p.m. except extended hours 8:00 a.m. – 8:00 p.m. on Oct. 27th and 29th.
• Mon., Oct. 19, 5:30 – 7:30 p.m. — Meet the Candidates: Joe Courtney vs. George Austin at Graduate by Hilton (hotel), 855 Bolton Road, Storrs, CT. RSVP Windham Chamber or call 860-423-6389. Free event, registration required.
• Wed., Oct. 21, 7:00 p.m. — VDTC monthly meeting at our 2026 Headquarters.** Keynote speaker: TBD. Town residents and Democratic voters welcome. (HQ hours for this election season will be posted here soon.)
• Thurs., Oct. 22, 7:00 p.m. — Election debate between Democratic Governor Ned Lamont and Republican state Senator Ryan Fazio. WFSB Channel 3, WFSB+, and WWAX, with digital streaming available through WFSB and CT Insider platforms.
• Sat., Oct. 24, 11:00 a.m. — Vernon Day of Action! Calling all volunteers to knock on doors for our Democratic candidates. Kick-off meet-up with multiple esteemed guests at our 2026 Headquarters.** Wear comfortable shoes!
• Mon., Oct. 26 through Thurs., Oct. 29, 4:30 p.m. — Campaign Canvass and Phone Banking at our 2026 Headquarters.**
• Thurs., Oct. 29, 4:30 p.m. — Educators Canvass for Kevin Brown and Ethan Werstler at our 2026 Headquarters.**
• Fri., Oct. 30, 3:00 – 6:00 p.m. — CT AFL-CIO Labor Walk: Door-knocking with our friends in the labor movement. Meet at our 2026 Headquarters.**
• Fri., Oct. 30, 6:30 – 10:00 p.m. — VDTC FUNdraiser: A “speakeasy-themed” party at The Blue Donkey, a.k.a. our 2026 Headquarters.** $20 donation. Details and secret password to be provided when registered. Non-members: contact us to receive an invitation.
• Sun., Nov. 1, 9:30 a.m. — Labor Walk with the Building Trades: Door-knocking with our friends from the CT Building Trades. Meet at our 2026 HQ.**
• Sun., Nov. 1, 10:30 a.m. — Campaign Canvass and Phone Banking at our 2026 Headquarters.**
• Mon., Nov. 2, 4:30 p.m. — Campaign Canvass and Phone Banking at our 2026 Headquarters.**
• Tues., Nov. 3, 6:00 a.m. – 8:00 p.m. — Election Day Poll-Standing Sign-up. Two-hour shifts at Northeast School, Rockville High School, Skinner Road School, and Vernon Center Middle School. Last shift of the day includes Results Reporter.
• Tues., Nov. 3, 6:00 a.m. – 8:00 p.m. — ELECTION DAY. Refer to the district map for polling locations based on your home’s street address. See sample ballots for all Vernon voting districts.
• Tues., Nov. 3, 7:00 – 10:30 p.m. — Election Night Party at our 2026 HQ.** RSVP for food & refreshments head count.
• Wed., Nov. 18, 7:00 p.m. — VDTC monthly meeting returns to Center 375.* Keynote speaker: TBD. Town residents and Democratic voters welcome.
Need a ride to the polls for Early Voting or on Election Day in Vernon? Please call Amanda at 860-515-8215, and she will arrange your ride with one of our volunteers.
* Parking and entrance in rear of building at 375 Hartford Turnpike (Rte. 30), Vernon, CT. (Location of meetings may be subject to change; refer back to this page for updates.)
** Vernon Circle Shopping Center, 243 Hartford Turnpike, Suite #206, Vernon, CT 06066. Situated in the former ‘Liberty Income Tax’ store, between ‘Wow Nails & Spa’ and ‘Vernon Circle Package Store’, and facing the ‘Bank of America’ building. Accessible from Route 83 via Green Circle Rd., or Route 30 via driveway next to Green Circle Road.
Vernon Democrats’ Speakeasy Party
at The Blue Donkey
Join us for a swell night of 1920’s-style fun with a live-wire band and the cat’s pajamas drinks on Friday, October 30th at 6:30 p.m. at “The Blue Donkey” (formerly our Vernon DTC Headquarters).
You’ll need the secret password to get in this back-alley joint. After you purchase your ticket, the barkeep (Raychel) will email you with instructions. Purchase tickets at $20 a pop.
We’re simply tickled pink that you’ll be joining us for our speakeasy soirée! So, put on your glad rags, let loose, and enjoy a swell evening before we get back to business and rally the vote on Election Day. It’s going to be the bee’s knees! E-mail Raychel Hermanson for more info.
“Tickets get you all the info and secret password entry into the shindig, to see the live band and socialize with the cool cats. You can come dressed to the nines, come in your cat’s pajamas, or come in your halloween costume. Feel free to bring a drink to share.”
© King Features Syndicate Inc. World rights reserved
New VDTC Headquarters to Open
With August Meeting
(click on image to view larger version)
VDTC will hold a soft opening of its new 2026 Election Headquarters with the monthly meeting, to be held at the former storefront for Liberty Income Tax in the Vernon Circle Shopping Center at 243 Hartford Turnpike. The August 19th meeting starts at 7:00 p.m.
Regular HQ visitor hours will be announced here in the near future. VDTC expects to expand the hours as Election Day draws closer, and special times for canvassing meetups will be broadcast to members as they are scheduled.
Anyone interested in hosting lawn signs for our candidates can pick them up at HQ, along with walk cards, bumper stickers, and other campaign materials. Lawn signs can be installed starting on Sept. 1st.
Annual “Meet the Candidates” Cookout
One of VDTC’s perennially popular programs, our annual cookout features this year’s Democratic candidates for U.S. Congress, the Connecticut State Legislature, Governor’s Office, plus more special guests* — and a scrumptious array of gastronomic fare.
Join us for an evening of grilling, bantering with good people, and hearing from the candidates! Bring your appetite, a chair, and your wallet!
This FUNdraiser is an enjoyable family affair! Donations to VDTC are of course welcome — the amount at your discretion. We’re also grateful for any help you can offer by sharing a dish, beverages, dessert, or providing assistance with logistics (tents, set-up, clean-up); just use this form to sign up according to your preference.
When: Saturday, Aug. 1, 2026. Time: 4:00 to 7:00 p.m. Where: At the home of Ole & Keri Hermanson, 25 Cold Spring Drive, Vernon (off Rte. 30, Hartford Turnpike).
View and/or download the flyer for this event.
* Special guests at the cookout include: Rep. Kevin Brown (56th), Rep. Jaime Foster (57th), Michelle Doucette Cunningham (53rd House District candidate), Ethan Werstler (35th Senate District candidate), Senate Majority Leader Bob Duff, Lieutenant Governor Susan Bysiewicz, U.S. Congressman Joe Courtney, CT Gov. Ned Lamont (tentative), Gubernatorial challenger and current Rep. Josh Elliott (88th).
National Night Out Block Party 2026
Tuesday, August 4th, 2026 from 5:00 to 8:00 p.m. at St. Bernard Church parking lot, 25 St. Bernard’s Terrace, Rockville, CT.
The Vernon Community Network and the Vernon Police Department will again be working together to bring this premier event to downtown Rockville.
There will be free school supplies for our children, free food, free musical entertainment, Police and Fire “Touch-a-Truck” and over 45 organizational booths (including VDTC) with information and give-aways.
Come meet your neighbors, local law enforcement, and community leaders in a relaxed and enjoyable atmosphere!
For more information, please contact Vernon Community Network at info@1vernon.org.
Meet On The Street — A New Festival Series
Let’s Meet on the Street and celebrate Vernon’s vibrant culture through art, food, music and performance. All are welcome!
The Vernon Cultural District Advisory Board has been working to create a series of summer festivals in historic downtown Rockville, in recognition of the region’s rich heritage. There will be three such events in 2026: May 21, June 18, and July 16 (all Thursday evenings).
The festivals take place from 6:00 to 9:00 p.m. at 1 Court Street in Vernon, on the grounds of the former Anocoil factory. For more information and/or vendor questions, contact Annie Geitner (860-896-4296) or Jennifer Johnston-Marius (860-875-5892, ext. 4).
48 Years In the Making —
The Gloves Are Off
First CT Gubernatorial Primary Since Ella Grasso
The Hartford Courant’s Kevin Rennie has written that “it’s about time” Connecticut hosted a primary contest — on August 11th*, to be exact — for the office of Governor. It hasn’t happened in 48 years, not since Ella T. Grasso and Robert K. Killian faced off on September 12, 1978.
* Early voting will also be available for the primary, Aug. 3-9, 2026, at Center 375 in Vernon. Must be a registered Democrat (not unaffiliated or Republican) to vote in a Democratic primary.
Grasso was the first woman elected to a U.S. state governorship in her own right, succeeding Thomas Meskill. Killian was her incumbent Lieutenant Governor at the time.
On Saturday 05/16/26 at The Bushnell in Hartford, Democratic delegates met during the CT State Convention to cast their ballots for Governor. While the two-term incumbent Ned Lamont received 74.6% of the votes, the 41-year-old Josh Elliott — a 5-term State Representative for Hamden’s 88th District — garnered 25.4%, more than the 15% minimum required to trigger a primary.
Elliott is a 2002 alum of Hamden Hall Country Day School; a 2006 graduate of Ithaca College in sociology; and he earned his law degree (J.D.) from the Quinnipiac School of Law in 2013. Josh is a co-owner of Thyme and Season, a health food store in Hamden. Read his campaign platform here.
Governor Lamont paid a visit to gathered members and guests at the 04/15/26 VDTC monthly meeting, speaking briefly about his administration’s accomplishments in the face of federal cutbacks, while notably omitting any mention of Connecticut’s housing crisis — one of the most pressing and controversial issues of the Legislature’s past two sessions.
awardees (L to R) Amanda Ruttenberg, Laurie Bajorek, and Bernie Sykes.
The Vernon Dems
Awards Night & Cocktail Party
Thursday, April 30, 2026
6:30 – 9:00 p.m.
in the Carriage House
at Rockville Elks Lodge 1359,
9 North Park Street, Vernon
Join us, along with Special Guests, as we honor:
Laurie Bajorek
2026 Marie Herbst Award
Amanda Ruttenberg
Volunteer of the Year Award
Bernie Sykes
Rising Star Award
Formerly known as the Marie Herbst Memorial Dinner, the event has changed format and venue this year. Although billed as a Cocktail Party, the affair will feature a generous buffet of delectable hors d’oeuvres, catered by Maneeley’s Banquet Facility of South Windsor, to include gluten-free and vegetarian options. Alcohol-free beverages will be provided, and there is also a cash bar.
Tickets are $60 per person (not tax-deductible) by advance reservations only, no later than Sunday, April 26th. Congratulatory ad space in the program is available. Please visit our secure reservations page.
If you’re not on our invitation list and wish to attend this or future VDTC events, please contact Mary Carlson at 860-805-8585.
Coffee & Connections
Monday, March 2nd and 16th, 2026 — 6:00 – 8:00 p.m. @ Between Rounds
(Vernon Circle Shopping Center, accessible from Rte. 30 or Rte. 83)
Join your Democratic Town Council and Board of Education members in an informal and comfortable setting, to let them know your feelings about important issues in Vernon — the town’s budget, taxes, building projects, economic development, traffic patterns, education, school safety, or any other concerns you might have.
Your Democratic representatives are approachable, candid, and dedicated. They look forward to hearing your viewpoints on issues affecting your family or business.
Complimentary coffee or tea will be provided. Contact VernonDTCSecretary@gmail.com if you have any questions.
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Paid for by the Vernon Democratic Town Committee,
Stephen V. Taylor, Treasurer
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