Sarasota League of Women Voters stages rally amid ‘constitutional crisis’

The non-partisan group says it reacts to voting rights restrictions and executive overreach.

By Mason Chambless

Original Air Date: June 25, 2025

Host: In its first 105 years, the League of Women Voters occasionally used street protest and picketing to press for issues such as the Equal Rights Amendment in the early 1970s. But it has never protested against a whole set of policies by a sitting president or Congress. Now they do, and WSLR News reporter Mason Chambless explains.

Mason Chambless: Two months ago, the League of Women Voters took the unprecedented step of declaring a constitutional crisis. Responding to the president’s ignoring of federal court orders, the deployment of troops to protests, and immigration raids, the Sarasota chapter of the League is now organizing a protest—in part to defend protesting itself.

‘Unite and Rise 8.5’ promotional image.

The rally is part of the League’s nationwide “Unite and Rise 8.5” campaign, an effort to mobilize eight-and-a-half million voters and engage them through advocacy, mobilization and civic education to “fight back against authoritarianism.”

The Sarasota chapter’s co-president, Vilia Johnson, explains. 

Vilia Johnson

Vilia Johnson: We oppose executive overreach, which we feel is in violation of the Constitution. We oppose the failure of Congress to uphold their oath of office and legislation that’s being developed to disenfranchise eligible voters. That’s our message. We’re nonpartisan. The League of Women voters has always been nonpartisan, but we feel in the last 90 days that there’s been an unprecedented assault on voting rights and the balance of power and the rule of law, and we have to respond to this. This is not a right or left issue. This is an American issue. We’re calling on all Americans to unite to defend our democracy.

MC: And Johnson wants to make clear that, as a nonpartisan organization, the rally is not protesting against any specific side of the aisle or politician; rather, it is about policies that are not in line with the constitution.

Part of the way in which the League is ensuring that nonpartisanship is upheld is by providing signs for the participants that oppose the policies they believe are transgressing the Constitution instead of opposing any particular person or party.

Lawn signs produced by the Sarasota League.

VJ: We have signs that talk about protecting our Constitution. The real message of the rally is Unite and Rise. That is a campaign of the League of the U.S.
It’s a nationwide campaign that was launched in April to mobilize eight and a half million voters to protect our democratic institutions. Why eight and a half? That’s because we feel that that is the margin that would shift the dynamic. If eight and a half million additional people turned out to vote, it could shift the dynamic of what’s happening. 
That’s the campaign that LWBUS started, and that’s our initiative here locally as well: Unite and Rise campaign. 

MC: Johnson said that this rally isn’t just for members of the League, but for the entire community. She also looks forward to the future and hopes to collaborate with other nonpartisan, pro-democracy organizations, although she said that she has no further comments about future collaborations at this time. She did, however, highlight an upcoming campaign by the League to help educate voters on the Constitution. The sessions will begin in October.

When asked about the upcoming rally in Sarasota, the President of the Manatee County branch of the League said they are helping promote the event and encouraging their members to attend, but no similar events are being hosted by the Manatee County branch.

Reporting for WSLR News, Mason Chambless.

WSLR News aims to keep the local community informed with our 1/2 hour local news show, quarterly newspaper and social media feeds. The local news broadcast airs on Wednesdays and Fridays at 6pm.