Former U.S. Senator and Ambassador Joe Donnelly speaks at the Fulton County Democrats’ annual JFK Dinner, encouraging voters to get involved in local government and consider running for office.

Text and Photos
By Libby Hubbard
InkFreeNews

ROCHESTER — The Democratic Party of Fulton County hosted its annual JFK Dinner Saturday, Sept. 27 at the Fulton County Fairgrounds, bringing together party members, candidates and residents to discuss elections, civic engagement and local issues.

The event, orchestrated by Democratic Party President Joshua Zehner, ran from 3 p.m. to approximately 6 p.m., with dinner served by the Log House Restaurant of Argos.

Doors opened at 3 p.m. with drinks and conversation, followed by speeches and candidate introductions.

Guest speaker Corinne Straight, known online as Plots and Politics, addresses the crowd during the Fulton County Democrats’ annual JFK Dinner.

Former U.S. Senator and Ambassador Joe Donnelly addressed the crowd at 4 p.m., emphasizing the importance of local organization and accountable leadership.

“If you are running for office, if you are serving in office, you can’t serve afraid. Because you work for the people of Fulton County. You work for the people of Indiana. Not for Donald Trump. Not for Governor Braun. Not for them. You work with them. But you work for the people here,” Donnelly said.

Donnelly recounted his time in Congress, explaining that his focus was always on local constituents.

He highlighted his efforts to protect jobs in Kokomo, saying, “Remember, in Kokomo, there were two congressmen. Two. Me and another fellow. Those (manufacturing) plants were going to live or die. 5,000 people worked there. And the other guy voted no. But you gave me the chance to be in office and support it.”

During the 2008-2009 auto industry crisis, Donnelly advocated for federal assistance to Chrysler, helping protect the Kokomo transmission plant and its roughly 5,000 jobs. His support for the bailout was pivotal in keeping the plant open and preserving the local workforce.

He also described his experience negotiating with the Obama administration to ensure that national policy worked for Indiana.

“I told the president, ‘I work for the people of Indiana, Mr. President. I work with you. But I work for them. And to get this passed, you need to put these things in.’ And it was not happening,” Donnelly said.

On the topic of elections and civic engagement, Donnelly stressed voter participation and local organizing.

“Every vote counts. Every vote makes a huge difference. So when we organize and we know who’s voting and we turn out our voters, we win. We win,” he said.

Fulton County Democratic Party President Joshua Zehner speaks about upcoming local positions and the need for candidates ahead of the 2026 elections during the party’s annual JFK Dinner.

He noted that Indiana ranked No. 50 out of 50 in voter turnout during the 2022 midterm elections, emphasizing the need to engage residents who may feel disenfranchised.

Donnelly also addressed state-level issues, including property taxes, toll roads and infrastructure. He recalled fighting against toll roads in Indiana, stating, “If you’re driving in Indianapolis, you shouldn’t have to pay $5 to get down Highway 465. That’s wrong.”

Featured speaker Corinne Straight, a social media political commentator known for Plots and Politics on Facebook, TikTok and Instagram, spoke at 4:30 p.m.

Straight focused on educating voters and demystifying politics, particularly for inactive voters.

She said, “Even inactive voters, that number is growing. And the conversations that we are going to have with people are going to be based around, why does your quality of life suck? It’s not any of the reasons you’ve been told. Here’s the real reason.”

Straight highlighted economic inequality and historical context, noting, “When Reagan took office in 1980 … Keep making rich people richer. And trickle-down economics … It’s never worked. People at the top keep the money.”

She compared historical household expenditures to today, saying, “If we look in the 1970s, the average American household … about 3% of our annual income went to health care. … Back in 1978, the average American paid about 15% for housing. Today, we’re looking at 40%. You had less than a quarter of your 1975 pie going to two necessities … You have more than half of your pie now going to those two necessities.”

Straight also emphasized historical activism, citing figures like John Lewis, Elizabeth Cady Stanton and W.E.B. Du Bois to illustrate the long-term commitment required for social change.

“If we get to plant a tree and keep planting trees and we never get to see those trees bear fruit … Does it mean it wasn’t worth it? To me, no,” she said.

She connected this to modern voter engagement, urging residents to run for office and participate at the local level.

At 5 p.m., candidates running for Fulton County offices were introduced. Dinner followed at 5:30 p.m., rounding out the evening.

Zehner said the JFK Dinner serves as an opportunity to educate voters and encourage civic engagement.

“There are federal, state, county, towns, townships, school boards, and precinct chairs and vice chairs up for election next year. If you know anybody who would want to run, get in contact with me. We will get them on the ballot,” he said.

The annual dinner honors the legacy of President John F. Kennedy and encourages active participation in government, from local offices to national representation.