Luce County Democratic Party reactivates after six-year hiatus

By Sterling McGinn

The Luce County Democratic Party has officially reactivated after a six-year hiatus.

A group of 17 registered Democrats attended a meeting held at Zellar’s Village Inn on Thursday, September 17, and voted to reactivate the group and elected officers.

“We are really excited to reform the Luce County Democratic Party,” said Curtis Hertel, chair of the Michigan Democratic Party. “We are proud of the work they are going to do.”

Hertel has been chair of the state party since February 2025 and said that the party has an initiative for supporting an active and permanent Democratic presence in all of Michigan’s 83 counties.

“It’s Project 83—a year-round project to bring county parties back,” Hertel stated. “Iron County and Luce are ones who recently reformed.”

Kate Rosier, newly elected chair of the local party, said the Luce County Democratic Party stopped meeting during the Covid-19 pandemic and hadn’t been active since that time.

“2020 was the last year the party was active,” Rosier said. “It was really during Covid—they tried to call meetings, but people didn’t want to come out.”

Rosier grew up in Newberry and recently moved home after 49 years. She became interested in reviving the local party.

“Curtis Hertel and a couple other people from the Michigan Democratic Party came here a month ago and held a little gathering with 14 local people,” Rosier said. “One of the things he told us was Luce County was one of two counties in the state that didn’t have an active party. We thought maybe we want to do something about that… It was kind of embarrassing to be one of two counties not having an active party.”

Nearly everyone at the initial gathering also attended last week’s meeting at Zellars. “People are quite enthusiastic,” Rosier said. “The driving forces are that people feel a real and urgent need to protect our democracy. Local issues inspire people as well, but the larger national issues that people feel as a threat are inspiring people.”

The Luce County Democratic Party held another meeting Tuesday night at Zellars and Rosier said that they had a list of approximately 60 people that they sent notices to.

Rosier said that her group is planning collaborations with Stand U.P. 906 Indivisible and are holding a postcard writing and potluck together.

The Luce County Democratic Party is also setting up in office at 204 Newberry Avenue, the small storefront between Billie’s Little Store and the building formerly housing Duke’s Sport Shop.
Rosier said it is not open yet, but members have been working the last few days on getting ready. They are not sure yet on the hours.

“We had sufficient ‘yes’ votes on opening an office and volunteers willing to work,” Rosier said.