We've seen a number of fine diaries from hekebelos, dday, and soyinkafan describing their candidacies and caucuses to elect delegates to the California Democratic Party State Convention, which will be held in SD in April (and apologies to everyone I left out). Here’s the report from the 64th AD.
This district is a weird red one. It is a gerrymandered U-shape, which means that when the eastern half of the district (Palm Springs area) wants to meet with the western half of the district (Riverside area), we generally end up at a geographically central point that is not in the district at all (map). It is also a district that has been essentially abandoned by the CDP. We do not receive any strategic, tactical, or material support from Sacramento.
Follow me to the other side and see how this will change.
First, we elected a great slate of people who are progressive and get things done. Only two of us blog here on the Daily Kos (if you want to call what I do blogging—lots of one-line comments and a measly three diaries in two years. My husband-UCRJames, is a little more prolific), but a good proportion are Democracy for America people. Other newly elected delegates are active members of the Democrats of Greater Riverside, and also Elle, President of the Democrats of the Desert, the largest Democratic club east of LA.
I was disappointed at the low turnout, but Elle convened the caucus and did a great job of keeping the meeting running smoothly. There were five women on the ballot and seven men. The five women were elected by default, and then we took a nomination from the floor. There were seven male candidates. In a strange twist of events, three of them were not elected because they did not show up for the caucus. Those three tied for last place in the first vote, so then the floor was opened up and new nominations were taken for the last two places. Then we took a second vote between all five (old and new) nominees, and the two new nominees won.
And here, for posterity’s sake, is the speech that I never got to give:
My name is Marci and I am running for delegate from the 64th Assembly District.
Speaker Nancy Pelosi. I love saying that.
We owe out current majority in large part to Howard Dean’s 50 State Strategy. He always says that it is a mark of respect to ask voters for their consideration, no matter where they live. Because of the 50 State Strategy, Democrats picked up seats in many places where we thought we could never win.
However, California seems to be trending in the opposite direction. The CDP has written off the Inland Empire as too red and not worthy of attention. As delegate, I will work to make sure the CDP does not write off any part of California, and that it develops its own 58 County Strategy.
As to my qualifications, if elected, this would be my second term as delegate. I am a member of the Democracy for Riverside Steering Committee, a precinct captain, and Chair of the Elections Committee for the Democrats of Greater Riverside. I respectfully ask you to consider these qualifications when you cast your vote.
See you in San Diego!