Democratic Club
by Mary Larson
LW contributor
So far, up to 1.3 million Orange County ballots have been returned, which is approximately 6% of total ballots mailed. Of those voters, 726,000 are Democrats, 305,000 are Republicans and 357,000 are Independents or other.
With less than two weeks until the close of the 2022 Primary season, the Seal Beach Leisure World Democratic Club has already started organizing for the November General Election.
Current polling has current Gov. Gavin Newsom receiving 40% of the vote in the primary, despite running against 25 other candidates, with only three of them being Democrats. However, the U.S. House of Representatives is so closely divided the half-dozen highly competitive races in California could swing the outcome to one party or the other.
Democrats currently have a majority of 11 seats in the House. The LW Democratic Club is committed to focusing over the next few months on making sure that Democratic Congresswoman Katie Porter is re-elected in November to help preserve that majority.
Leisure World’s current representative, Republican Michelle Steel, is running for re-election in a different district. Club members will also support the Democratic candidate in that district, Jay Chen.
It’s been more than a decade since California switched to its “jungle primary” selection. The two candidates with the most votes—regardless of party affiliation or whether one of them gets a majority in June—now square off in November. Nonpartisan local races in Orange County will also narrow down to two finalists, although a strong contender can win outright in the Primary with a majority of votes.
LW Democrats and supporters can call (562) 296-8521 for more information about these and other races. ••• The Board of Education is the only Orange County nonpartisan race in which there is no run-off in the November General Election. The person with the most votes is elected to the board in the Primary, regardless of the number of votes he or she receives. Candidates running in LW’s District 2 are Republican Mari Barke, Libertarian Party member Christopher Ganiere and Martha Fluor, who has declined to state her party. Call (562) 296-8521 to receive more information regarding this race. ••• Information booth outside Clubhouse 6 will be open every Tuesday from 10:30 a.m.-12:30 p.m. until after the Primary election. Volunteers will also be available to assist voters in getting their ballots to the Registrar of Voters’ drop box. Call (562) 296-8521 for more information about ballot drop-off.
For more news about candidates as well as other issues, LW Democrats and their supporters can subscribe to the club’s free electronic newsletter. Email editor Mary Larson at democraticclubsblw@ gmail.com and include contact information.
