Democratic Club
by Mary Larson
LW contributor
With primary ballots arriving in Orange County mailboxes early next month, the LW Democratic Club is adding the final touches to its voter outreach efforts. The Hospitality and Information booth outside Clubhouse 6 will continue to be open on Tuesdays from 10:30 a.m.-12:30 pm. Nearly 4,000 letters will soon be mailed to LW Democrats and “decline to state party” voters. This letter will contain a list of selected candidates running for election in the June 6 primary. The May 1 issue of the club’s electronic newsletter will include even more detailed information about the candidates. Club leaders are available and prepared to respond by phone to questions from voters. People can call (562) 296-8521 or (562) 412-0898 for more information about the candidates. Club volunteers will also be available to assist voters in getting their ballots to the Registrar of Voters’ dropbox located on St. Andrews Drive just outside the LW Amphitheater. Special interest is being generated around the campaign to replace California’s State Controller, Betty Yee. Yee, a longtime friend of the LW Democratic Club, will be termed out of office at the end of 2022. She will, however, continue to serve as one of two California Democratic Party vice-chairs. The club hopes to have Yee as a speaker at a membership meeting before the General Election in November.
Malia Cohen, the current chair of the Board of Equalization, is running to replace Yee. While she was on the San Francisco Board of Supervisors, she led efforts to divest the city’s pension fund from fossil fuels. She was chair of the Budget and Finance Committee, which oversaw appropriation ordinances, bond issues, taxes, fees and other revenue measures. Cohen also served as president of the San Francisco Employee Retirement System (SFERS), for which she helped manage the $22 billion fund.
The club is aware that Congresswoman Katie Porter winning re-election in LW’s District 47 could be a key element in determining which party will be in the majority in the House of Representatives beginning in 2023.
Porter, if re-elected, will continue to fight for affordable childcare, lowering the cost of prescription drugs, climate action and a strong, stable, globally competitive economy that works for everyone.
Major fundraising committees on both sides of the political spectrum are already reportedly throwing money into District 47.
The most contentious races on Orange County voters’ June Primary Election ballots will probably be those dealing with the OC Board of Education. The only Democrat on the current board is Rebecca “Beckie” Gomez, who is not up for reelection.
There are no Democrats running in LW’s area 2 district against OC Board of Education Chair Mari Barke. The only viable candidate running against her is Martha Fluor. Fluor, who declined to state party affiliation, has been on the board of the Newport-Mesa Unified School for 26 years. She is also a past District president of the California School Boards Association.
