Neal for Decorah

Thank you Decorah for trusting me to serve you for four more years!

MAKE A PLAN TO VOTE TOMORROW (if you can't today!) TOMORROW POLLS OPEN FROM 7 am - 8pm

Thinking you are too busy to vote or that your vote doesn’t matter?

Here are the top 10 reasons (actually 11) to VOTE, a tie for #1

10. You get a sticker to wear proudly all day, that says “I love Democracy” aka. “I voted”
9. It’s the BEST excuse to be late to work or leave early
8. You will be a role model to young people. Let them know that voting matters, even when the election isn’t making national news!
7. A candidate that wins by a super-majority governs very differently than one who wins by just a few votes.
6. Many elections are won and lost by just a few votes here in Winneshiek County!
5. You will feel really terrible the next day if you don’t vote and your candidate loses by 3.
4. Feel connected to your community; you’ll have a chance to thank the poll workers!
3. Voting is a privilege and a right (How does the saying go…use it or lose it)
2. By showing your support for candidates who support your values, you indicate the direction you would like your community to take and the causes you believe in
1b. Strengthen Democracy: Active voter participation strengthens the democratic process
1a. Gives you the right to complain all year long if you want!

Monday is the last day to vote early at the courthouse! You’ll be in and out in 10 minutes—and that includes chatting with the friendly staff at the auditor’s office. It couldn’t be easier.

Check voting off your to-do list!

I’ll be at the Candidate Meet and Greet at Impact Coffee at 5 PM today. Stop by for a drink and meet everyone who’s running for office.

DecorahNews.com to host City and School election candidate "Meet & Greet" Wednesday, Nov. 1, 2023, at Impact Coffee This informal community event is free and open to all members of the public

Hope you can join me! Snacks provided!

Early Voting Starts TODAY! All Winneshiek County Residents can vote at the Winneshiek County Court House from 8 am - 4 pm. If you need to request an absentee ballot by mail, you must have your form in by October 23rd and a ballot will be sent to your location. Make sure your favorite college students have this information! Here is a link to the form:

2023 Regular City and School Election - Winneshiek County The 2023 Regular City and School Election will be held November 7, 2023. Polls will be open from 7:00am – 8:00pm. Absentee Voting by mail begins October 18th. Voting by mail will be available through October 23rd. Absentee Voting in the Auditor’s Office begins October 18th. Voting in the Auditor...

I love campaign season! I know many folks dread the “signs” of the political season, but for me, it is a great time to remind ourselves of the most important right we have as Americans, VOTING. As I get ready to put out my own yard signs, please consider a donation to my campaign to help spread the word about the power of voting locally. Let’s get out the vote this election season!
Donate here https://donorbox.org/neal-for-decorah

It’s official! Campaign season is here and I’m running At-Large for the Decorah City Council. During the last four years, it has been my honor to represent the people of Ward 2.

During this time, I have worked hard to get the City of Decorah to invest in repairing our streets and our aging water infrastructure. All of the structurally deficient bridges in the City limits have now been fixed. I have made supporting a thriving downtown a priority along with helping to alleviate the housing and childcare shortages in our area. I am proud of the work the Council has accomplished to reach our Sustainability Goals, including three major City solar projects, electric chargers, recycling bins downtown, and piloting a city-wide composting initiative. I have helped support historic preservation initiatives, and the building of new parks, including the beautiful new Veteran’s Memorial. I have worked with the Council to invest in watershed and drinking water protection as well as making sure our City is well prepared for a major disaster by investing in public safety resources, generators, and updated communication tools. Additionally, I have helped to foster broader communication across the City, including the rebuilding of the City website and the rollout of citywide communication tools for residents.

But, the truth is there is still so much to do! We need to cross the finish line for installing city-wide fast fiber so that all Decorahians have access to affordable and fast Internet access. We still have a long way to go in meeting the needs of childcare and housing. We need a new elementary school and a fire department. Most importantly, we need innovative solutions to deal with the ever-increasing financial strain on residents as costs rise and infrastructure ages.

For all of this and more, I’m hoping to extend my reach throughout Decorah by running at-large in the upcoming City Council election on November 7th. I’ll be on the ballot for EVERY DECORAH RESIDENT! Let’s work together to continue to build a resilient future for all of Decorahians!

Dear Friends! Thank you so much for your endless support and may I say....countless votes (hee hee hee). I am thrilled to now be an official city council member and even more excited to get to work! Decorah is such a unique and special place and I am looking forward to collaborating and working to make our community thrive now and in the future!

Yesterday I was asked if I was worried that the pride flag discussion would be coming up tonight right before the election, it was a pretty easy "no". I'm not afraid of conversation or decision. I have no special agendas or hidden causes. My agenda is open and transparent. My cause is to create a resilient, thriving, welcoming Decorah. I value our natural and human resources as much as our financial ones. I'm honest, I tell folks how I feel and I fully engage in conversation. If someone has a different viewpoint, I listen...sometimes I change my mind because they make good valid points..and other times, I won't back down from what I know is right. As your ward 2 councilwoman, I promise to continue with the same level of transparency that I shared tonight in the conversations about the pride flag. I hope I can count on your vote tomorrow, knowing in FULL transparency that I want to create a welcoming, inclusive, thriving community that can be known across the country as forward-thinking, innovative and resilient. VOTE VOTE VOTE VOTE!

2 days left of early voting! Election day is frighteningly close...

BREAKING NEWS: YOU CAN START VOTING AGAIN!!!! Yes, that's right, the early voting polls are now open! Ward 2, let's get out and VOTE AGAIN! It's the one time I can truly say "Vote early and vote often!" This election is not over until November 5th! Let's make this REELECTION campaign an even BIGGER landslide!

Door knocking anyone? If you interested in helping out, please message me.

Dear Friends and Neighbors!

I'm happy to announce my re-election campaign! I want to give a GIANT thank-you to all who participated and who helped me win in September. No one wins alone. Together, once again, I hope you'll help me win in November! If you're hosting a sign we will be around in the next week for a sign "refresh". If you would like one, just send me a message. We will continue to be knocking doors in the neighborhood. Let us keep up this incredible engagement within our community! I'm here for YOU!

WE did this TOGETHER! Thank you Decorah!

Helen Keller has been one of my heroes from as far back as I can remember. It was through her that I learned that vision doesn't come from what you can see with your eyes, rather it comes with what you believe in your heart and what you can visualize in your mind. Her words have been with me for almost 40 years, ever since I wrote my very first report in 3rd grade on her: "Alone we can do so little, together we can do so much" No one wins alone...ever. Go vote. Let's win this, together.

You can vote EARLY! The courthouse is open 8 am - 4 pm daily until election day. On September 24, there are extended hours, from 7 am - 8 pm. Voting is both easy and essential. Every vote counts!

I would like to give a GIANT SHOUT OUT TO ECO LIPS! My old friend Steve Shriver, founder and CEO of the company, created and donated a crazy amount of AWESOME lip balms for the Neal for Decorah Campaign! I'll be out and about all weekend, door knocking and stocking up at the Farmer's Market! If you stop me and share what you love most about Decorah, the most luxurious lip-balm ever can be yours!! Thank you, Steve Shriver, and the entire Eco Lips Team! A true testament that friendships are forever..through time-space and all that molecular matter in between!

It's time for YARD SIGNS! The 1st election is on September 24th. That is only 2.5 weeks away! If your wanting a yard sign please message me your address here on FB or send an email to [email protected]. We will deliver it to you this weekend! Priority will be given to Ward 2 residents. However, if you would like to have one for your campaign sign collection, just ask someone in Ward 2 to host it for you for a few weeks and you can have it after November 5th. After all, who doesn't have a campaign sign collection?

Decorah! Are you ready to talk with your neighbors about this campaign? I sure am. We're going to be hosting two outreach events this weekend. Join us Sunday at 6:00 PM or Monday at 9:00 AM to learn how to knock doors and get the word out! We'll meet you at the gazebo by the Co-op for a quick training and then we'll send you out to the doors!

Hello, Decorah! We are ready to print walk cards and yard signs! This weekend we'll be knocking doors throughout Ward 2 to ask folks to vote in the September 24th special election. You can help our efforts by making a donation! Thank you for anything you can give.
https://nealfordecorah.nationbuilder.com/donate

"Dear Editor:

As a resident of the second ward, I'm delighted at the prospect of Emily Neal representing me on Decorah's city council.

Emily is a creative, thoughtful problem solver who understands that on many issues there will be compelling arguments on each side. She will listen to all sides and engage in healthy but civil debate. Most important, she will do her homework, study the evidence and competing arguments, and then decide to the best of her ability. That, rather than some predetermined agenda, is what I am looking for in my representative.

Having worked with Emily I know, too, she will be an excellent team player. She has good leadership skills but is willing to defer to others when that seems most appropriate. She also has the rare ability to combine passionate beliefs with tolerance for the views of others. Consequently, she will not be afraid to disagree with fellow council members but her disagreements never will carry over to the next issue nor will they be personal.

For as long as I have known Emily, she has demonstrated a civic mindedness that is essential to who she is. Whether it is the wellbeing of the students she teaches, Luther college where she works, or Decorah where she lives, she genuinely wants to improve the quality of the people and institutions around her. She will be a great council member, in part, because she loves Decorah and wants to do what she can to make it a prosperous and healthy community."

- John Moeller, Decorah.

Thank you, John. With your support, and the support of other voters in Ward 2, I hope to make you proud as your city council representative.

Hello! I'm Emily Neal.

This summer I was honored to be appointed to Decorah's City Council to represent Ward 2. This fall I am running to maintain my seat. I am interested in working hard for Decorah to address the issues that matter to us.

I am a creative idea generator with a tenacity to get things done. I believe wholeheartedly that people support what they help create and that collaboration and communication are essential ingredients to any good work. I look forward to collaborating and communicating with all of the residents of Decorah so that we can continue to build the city we wish to see for our children.

Decorah is my home. I feel blessed to live in such a tremendous community.

Please feel free to write to me to tell me more about the issues that matter to you. I cannot wait to travel around the heart of our town and talk with representatives in this part of the community. I would be proud to earn your vote in the special election on September 24th, 2019. Thank you.