Democratic Women’s Caucus honors Travis, endorses Munson, welcomes Yoder at monthly meeting

As the sun rose Friday morning, the Democratic Women’s Caucus gathered to celebrate a life and endorse a new candidate.

The DWC is a political action group, and they’ve been meeting at the Village Deli for eight years.

Their mission, chair, county councilor and candidate for county commissioner Julie Thomas said, is to fund, inspire, recruit, support and train pro-choice progressive democratic women.

“We encourage them to run for office, but also be aware of local issues and statewide issues and sometimes we talk about federal issues as well,” Thomas said.

Once a month, one can find the group at Village Deli on Kirkwood Avenue. During breakfast, they discuss those issues and vote on whether to endorse and fund candidates. On Friday, Shelli Yoder, democratic candidate for the 9th congressional district, joined the group.

“We’ve just found that the breakfast times are the best times for us to get together,” City Clerk and founder Regina Moore said.

Friday was IU freshman Erin McNeil’s second meeting with the group. She attended the Indiana Democratic State Convention this summer as a delegate. McNeil said she’s “as active as an 18-year-old can be,” due in part to her mother Kitty Liell’s encouragement.

Liell said she’s been attending for too long to remember.

“I think it’s important for all people to be a part of the political process, but especially because women are still underrepresented in politics,” Liell said.

On Friday morning, the meeting’s topics were twofold for the more than 60 guests who gathered. At the top of the agenda was a tribute to Sophia Travis, the late Monroe County Council at-large candidate. But first, the group endorsed Cheryl Munson, the candidate selected to replace Travis on the November ballot.

Travis died Sept. 19. She was one of the group’s first endorsed candidates during her successful 2004 run for Monroe County Council. The tribute featured a violinist and a slideshow with photos of Travis.

While still somber, the meeting’s tone lightened when 9th District Congressional Candidate Shelli Yoder took the floor. She shared her own memories of Travis and spoke of the need to move forward while keeping her in mind.

“We have this incredible loss, and yet we’re all so hopeful about the advances and gains we can make, and those two things happen simultaneously and side by side,” Yoder said.

She also shared insights from the campaign trail. Although the group’s bylaws preclude them from endorsing and funding federal candidates, they passed around a purse and encouraged those present to donate.

Yoder said she’s been familiar with the group since 2010, before she decided to run for Congress.

“I have friends here,” Yoder said. “That’s really what this meeting has become. Just an opportunity to catch up with old friends.”