America First Republican Club

by Hope Horning

LW contributor

At Leisure World’s America First Republican Club meeting on June 17 in Clubhouse 3, Room 2, the uncertified results of the California Primary Election were discussed. The club thanks the voters who allowed over 150 candidate yard signs to be placed throughout Leisure World. If club volunteers missed picking up political signs after Election Day, residents can call Hope Horning at 714-833-1654.

Ballot harvesting is legal in California and the club collected over 350 ballots to take directly to the Orange County Voter Offi ce in Santa Ana. This is the most ballots the club has collected since it started to harvest ballots for voters who choose not to use the yellow dropbox in front of the Amphitheater or the U.S. Mail.

Tentative results at the Secretary of State website indicate that the following candidates’ yard signs will be reused since they will be advancing to the General Election in November:

• Michael Gates for Attorney General

• Tony Strickland for State Senate District 36

• Gracey Van Der Mark for State Assembly District 72 Leisure World voters can vote for all of these candidates. The Orange County Supervisors meeting of June 9 was also discussed at club meeting. Nearly 130 residents of Supervisory District 1 spoke at the budget hearing meeting. At issue was the $3.7 million dollars recovered from the theft by convicted former Supervisor Andrew Do and whether it should be returned to District 1 residents as intended or just added to the general fund. Club members Anne Calvo and Hope Horning spoke at that hearing and offered their insight on the matter.

The America First Republican Clubs meets on the third Wednesday of every month. The club information booth is open on the third Monday and Wednesday of the month in front of Clubhouse 6 from 9-11 a.m. Club volunteers are eager to answer any questions and provide information about club activities. The club’s mission is to educate, engage, and activate members in their duty as citizens, including working to elect like-minded candidates to local, state, and federal offices. The club information booth will return to its Monday, Wednesday and Friday schedule in September in advance of the November General Election.

The club’s next meeting is on July 15 in Clubhouse 3, Room 2, with a social time starting at 4:30 p.m. and the business meeting at 5. Members are asked to bring their favorite treats to share.