May 11: Indivisible Santa Fe Newsletter

National purpose with local action

Next meeting: May 18, 2026 at 7:00pm
Christ Lutheran Church
1701 Arroyo Chamiso Road, Santa Fe

Primary voting is on 🗳️ – Phone banking for the primary election will be every Wednesday from 5:30-7pm and Sundays 2-4pm at 1420 Cerrillos Rd leading up to the primary. Get your phone and laptop out and join us. Snacks provided. Training is available, and team leader Cole Washburn can answer your questions about how to respond to voters’ questions.

For more information email colewashburn@gmail.com.

See below for more voting topics!

May 14: Public Comment on Plutonium production

DOE is holding a public comment period – first come first serve – on Thursday at 5:00pm in Santa Fe at the Farmer's Market (and on Microsoft Teams, details here). They are seeking to expand plutonium "pit" production at LANL.

Here is a write-up with good context and talking points from Concerned Citizens for Nuclear Safety:

Sample Comment Letter on draft Plutonium Pit Production Programmatic Environment Impact Statement – Public Hearing Thursday, May 14th in Santa Fe « Concerned Citizens for Nuclear Safety

Your Name

Regular protests & events

• May 16 Signs of Fascism at the Railyard - Meet in REI garage at 9:45. PLEASE RSVP to ellenmhill@proton.me
• May 17 Signs of Strength at Zorro Ranch. Carpooling available. Again, RSVP to ellenmhill@proton.me – this is a light-colored clothing event
• May 26 Banner drop at Cuyamungue 4-5 (Voting!). RSVP to lindawilderflatt@proton.me

Fridays: Southside Support

Fridays 12-1 PM on the corner of Zafarano Dr and Rodeo Rd, on the sidewalk in front of the Target. Bring your signs! Support your neighbors!

Indivisible Santa FeGuest post

Wednesdays: Walk the Talk

Walk The Talk Wednesdays! 12-1 at St. Francis & Cerrillos

Indivisible Santa FeDonovan Kolbly

🎤 Indivisible Santa Fe Radio

As Gary mentioned at the meeting, Monday's episode was with Archbishop John Wester of the Archdiocese of Santa Fe. It was a really interesting discussion about the intersection of politics and religion, and we got deep into the "Just War" theory.

From the desk of Indivisible Santa Fe

A Perfect Day

Beautiful, warm and sunny weather makes a perfect day for a banner drop at K’uuyemugeh Bridge.

Indivisible Santa FeGuest post

Young, Idealistic, and Uninvolved

“How can we get more young people involved?” is a common cry among our Indivisible colleagues. How indeed? It is hard not to notice the lack of diversity in our movement, which is dominated by gray-haired, often affluent white folks. Other people are avoiding our movement for their own reasons;

Indivisible Santa FeDebra Efroymson

The 2026 election starts May 5th with the primary election for candidates who will be chosen to be on the ballot in November. From May 5 till May 30 (closed on 5/25, Memorial Day) you can vote at the county clerk’s office, 240 Grant Ave, Santa Fe. Early voting sites can be found on the website of Santa Fe county clerk/early voting sites 2026 election. Expanded early voting starts Saturday, May 16!

WE THE PEOPLE are the ultimate solution to NO MORE KINGS. As we shift our focus from our last rally, let’s use our activism and energy in getting out the vote! We have set up a room in Element – Topic: Get Out the Vote (GOTV) – join us there to brainstorm ideas and share our energy!

New this year – Our legislature has enacted an expansion of the voting rights of independent voters, also known as Decline to State (party affiliation). They can now vote in primary elections on the ballot of the party of their choice, known as a semi-open primary. This is not widely known, so please share this good news with your friends and family.

The prime directive of the Democratic Party of Santa Fe County (DPSFC) is to elect Democrats. Santa Fe County is so reliably blue that we have the opportunity to help Democratic candidates in other parts of our state that are reliably red. Research yields this; we need to focus on independent voters (DTS), Hispanic men, young voters, new voters, infrequent voters, renters and folks in large apartment complexes. DPSFC sent welcome letters to all new registered voters in all these categories early this year, in addition to new Democratic registrants and people switching from red to blue.

BlueCD2NM is a group whose goal is to keep New Mexico's Second Congressional District Blue to get out the vote for Gabe Vasquez for Congress in New Mexico District 2. Their scientific approach has worked, and that group is still sending postcards for him to low propensity voters in that district. For the primary this year, members of ISF have sent 1,000 postcards for Gabe Vasquez!

Semi-Open Primaries

Semi-open primaries means more people are Declining to State their party affiliation. This year is New Mexico's first use of primaries where independents can vote in either the Republican or Democratic primary. Our county clerk put together a flyer to remind "Decline to State" folks how to vote in the primary:

Young voters

Here are some tools to help onboard young voters:

New Online Tools Create On-Ramp to US Democracy for Youngest Voters

Not sure where to start? Click your state to find rules, tools, and motivation.

The Civics CenterLaura W. Brill

Check out our resources page with lots of links to useful information, constantly being updated as we find new web resources to help fight for democracy and the rule of law.

You can help our effort to expand our digital presence, including social media on Bluesky, Facebook, and Instagram by following us and liking and re-posting our messages, or sharing our website with people who might be interested – they, too, can sign up and get this newsletter! 🎉 Help us get the word out!

We have to talk about what happened in Virginia. It’s a painful lesson, but if Democrats take the lesson to heart, it will drive a real winning strategy for how to take back power and use it to make a democracy that works.

What happened. On Friday, the rightwing-dominated Virginia Supreme Court overturned a vote by the people for new congressional maps, likely guaranteeing Trump a handful of additional House seats next year. You can read Jamelle Bouie over the weekend for an overview of how ludicrous and undemocratic this ruling is.

What it doesn’t mean. First, let’s put to rest some doomerism: we are not now screwed. Democracy did not die last week. Even now, Republicans will net fewer than 10 House seats through their gerrymanders this year, and objective analysis remains that Democrats are favored to win the House and the Senate remains a toss-up. Even in Virginia, the top recruits in seats that just got harder -- Indivisible fan favorites Tom Perriello, Elaine Luria, and others -- are staying in the races and fighting hard.

What damage was done. This Virginia Court ruling wasn’t a knockout blow, but it added to the damage done by Trump’s aggressive demolition of democratic institutions; by Supreme Court Republicans who unleashed a flood of money into our politics with Citizens United and gutted the Voting Rights Act with Callais; and Republican state leaders who jumped at the opportunity to disenfranchise more brown and Black people.

The Republicans have repeatedly attacked our democratic institutions, but they’ve been aided at times by Democratic failures to respond and defend -- by Joe Biden’s decision to sideline accountability in the wake of January 6th and court reform in the aftermath of Dobbs; by Merrick Garland’s refusal to speedily prosecute Trump and his coconspirators; and by Chuck Schumer’s failure to unify Senate Democrats to pass democracy reform when we had the chance.

The right wing has packed the courts and undermined our democratic institutions, and too many Democratic leaders look on solemnly and say, “I disagree but acquiesce.” Hours after the Virginia court’s decision, the frontrunner for the Minnesota gubernatorial primary, Amy Klobuchar, told an interviewer she wouldn’t pursue a redistricting plan in the blue state. This came shortly after the Democratic Speaker of the House in Virginia and Democratic Governor both gave limp statements simply accepting the right-wing court’s opinion.

Where’s the fight? Retire the bastards in the Virginia court! Or do something.

The definition of “fighter” is coming into focus. Will you use the power you have, not just to pass good legislation, but to take on the ways our system has been captured and corrupted by right-wing fanatics? Will you demand the kind of reforms that will truly protect democracy and the right to vote? Will you take on the massive flows of corrupt cash into our political system, and actually stand for the people?

The path to a truly inclusive and representative democracy means going on the offense with real accountability and reforms to our billionaire-addled democracy. That's what Indivisible is doing. The Virginia Supreme Court can suck an egg -- democracy is coming.

In solidarity,
Ezra Levin
Co-Executive Director, Indivisible

Your weekly to-dos

1. Congress is back in session TOMORROW, so we need you to call your Republican senator(s) and Republican representative TODAY to demand they reject $70 billion in funding for ICE and Border Patrol. Republicans officially unveiled their reconciliation bill last Monday, which includes these slush funds for Trump’s mass deportation machine and $1 billion for his gaudy ballroom. Some Republicans are already wavering, so let’s keep up the pressure.
2. If you have Democratic Members of Congress, we need you to keep up the drumbeat of opposition to $70 billion in ICE funding, too. Now that Congress is back in session, we need to see Democrats using every tactic and tool possible to block, obstruct, and turn public opinion against this bill.
3. Phonebank for Jasmine Clark, Indivisible’s endorsed candidate for Congress in GA-13 on Wednesday, May 13 or Monday, May 18 (both events at 5:30pm ET/2:30pm PT). Jasmine’s primary is just over a week away, on May 19, and we’re excited to support a candidate who will take Trump’s regime head-on to defend abortion access, restore voting rights, protect public health, and build an accountable government that fights for working families. Learn more about Indivisible’s primary program below. Electoral phonebank events paid for by Indivisible Action. Not authorized by any candidate or candidate committee.

P.S. Indivisible organizes day in and day out to defend our democracy. Right now, we’re fighting back against the GOP’s reconciliation bill that gives $70 billion to ICE and $1 billion for Trump’s ballroom, urging Congress to block funding for Trump’s unprovoked war on Iran and hold the regime accountable for its crimes, and so much more. If you can, please chip in to help us keep up the fight against authoritarianism.

Plugging into primary season

Republicans and the Trump regime pose a direct threat to American democracy and American lives. The stakes for our country and our communities are extraordinarily high, and current Democratic leadership has not met the moment. That’s why Indivisible has launched the biggest primary program in our history, guided by a network of local Indivisible groups that are ready to organize and elect pro-democracy Democrats with fire in their bellies and steel in their spines.

Each week, Indivisible is organizing phonebanks for endorsed candidates who are ready to fight like our nation’s future depends on it -- because it does. No matter where you live, you can get plugged in and make calls to help these candidates win their primaries and build a stronger Democratic Party.

This week, you have two fantastic opportunities to phonebank for two of Indivisible’s recently endorsed candidates: Jasmine Clark in GA-13 on Weds, May 13 (5:30pm ET/2:30pm PT) and Randy Villegas in CA-22 on Thurs, May 14 (5:30pm ET/2:30pm PT).

Keep an eye on the “Upcoming events + Election shifts” section below in future newsletters for additional opportunities.

Electoral phonebank events paid for by Indivisible Action. Not authorized by any candidate or candidate committee.

Indivisibles On the Ground

Indivisible Memphis Spotlight of the Week

On Thursday, emboldened by the Supreme Court’s ruling gutting Section 2 of the Voting Rights Act, Tennessee lawmakers rammed through a new House map, drawing out the single Democratic district in the state. In a disgustingly undemocratic process, the GOP locked Black Tennesseans out of political power and further entrenched white supremacy -- but local communities immediately took action.

On Saturday, Indivisible Memphis and APRI Memphis organized a “Memphis Won’t Be Silenced” march through downtown to protest this blatant attack on Black votes and Black representation. Democratic State Rep. Justin J. Pearson, a leader for civil and voting rights in Tennessee and primary candidate for Congress in TN-09, spoke to the crowd after their march.

Across the country, Indivisible groups are organizing on the ground in their own communities. Find a local group near you.

 Upcoming events + Election shifts

These nationwide events, calls, training sessions, and electoral volunteer opportunities are coming up soon. For even more Indivisible happenings, check our national calendar and get in touch with Indivisible groups near you!

Follow Indivisible national on Bluesky, Mastodon, and Threads to keep up on the latest information, and text “INDIVISIBLE” to 59798 to opt-in to their text messaging program, where they send rapid response actions a few times a month.