ADEM Day Has Arrived! OJB Recommendations for State Democratic Party Delegates and (Eventually) Results!

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Karaoke is only part of what happens at a state Democratic Party convention.  From left, Oni Yumul and Jeff LeTourneau (my brothers-in-law) and the late, great, and dearly missed Michael Kinslow probably singing something awful like “The Greatest Love of All” at the 2014 convention, Mike’s last.  Also singing but not shown, thank God: Greg Diamond.  Note: it’s not all fun and croons; convention delegates also vote on important resolutions, officer elections, and endorsements..

Coming up today statewide (at least if you’re reading this relatively early on Saturday, January 7) are the Democratic Party’s  “ADEM”s — Assembly District Election Meetings.  (I have no idea how Republicans elect their state convention delegates, but I imagine that it involves masked couriers at 3 a.m. bringing to the homes of the chosen invitations written on parchment in blood.  This could be incorrect.  I’m pretty sure, though, that the Libertarian party lets the market decide.)

As previously explained in this backgrounder, if you’re a Democrat, or willing to re-register as one, you can come and vote within the Assembly District where you live.  Times and locations are listed below.  Also below, the endorsements of the “Progressive Slate” — which seems to be largely composed of still-pissed-off Bernie Sanders supporters (like me and Vern) trying to do something constructive, as well as OJB’s overlapping but not identical recommendations, because some very good OC Democrats did support Hillary.  (Or, conceivably, Martin O’Malley.  But not likely.)

State Delegates are, as you may glean from the title, as selected from Assembly Districts.  Each Assembly District will send 7 women and 7 men to the convention, one of whom will also be appointed to the State’s Executive Board (which meets an extra two times per year.)  Orange County has six Assembly districts in their entirety — #s 65, 68, 69, 82, 73, and 74 — and one, #55, that is shared with the eastern San Gabriel Valley and the city of Chino Hills.  Anywhere between all and none of the AD 55 delegates could come from Orange County.)

Here is the info you need, by district.  (Links on the District Numbers are to Progressive Slate pages.)  We hope to see Democratic OJB readers well-represented at these meetings today!  (Or, depending on when you read this, we hope that you went.)  Any registered Democrat living in the district is eligible to vote. On-site voter registration is available for those not registered as Democrats.  You can visit our previous story for links to lists of all male, female, and E-Board candidates.

AD 55:

Candidate Speeches Begin: 9:30am
Registration & Voting Begin: 10:00am-12:00pm
Counting of Ballots Begins: TBD

Location:  Applebee’s Restaurant
21625 Valley Blvd., Walnut, CA 91789
Cross streets/landmarks: Valley Blvd. and Grand Ave.

Progressive Slate Recommendations: Only Michael Hsu signed up — and OJB endorsed him before he did!

OJB Endorsements:  E-Board Member: Michael Hsu.
Females: Sanobar Baig, Carole Levers, and Brandy Carter!
Males: Michael Hsu.  (For people saying “ohhhhh, and why not Nick Anas?”: we presume that he will get a seat via election to an open AD55 seat on the DPOC.)

AD 65:

Candidate Speeches Begin: 9:30am
Registration & Voting Begin: 10:00am
Counting of Ballots Begin: TBD

Location:  UFCW Local 324 Union Hall
8530 Stanton Ave., Buena Park, CA, 90620
Cross streets:  Stanton Ave. and Crescent Ave.  Room is on the second floor, but there is an elevator.

Progressive Slate Recommendations: ANTONIA ALARIO (Bernie Volunteer and former Dem Party office holder), RASHAD AL-DABBAGH (Community Activist), AHMAD ZAHRA (Filmmaker), MIRVETTE JUDEH (Community leader and activist)

OJB Endorsements:  E-Board, Mirvette Judeh.
Women: Glenda Flock, Ada Briceño, Jeanine Robbins, and Mirvette Judeh.
Men: Stephen Weissbart, Rashad al-Dabbagh, Aaruni Thakur, and Ahmed Zahra.

(Heeyyy, why aren’t we endorsing Connor Traut?  We find young Connor to be amassing too much power too quickly.  He’s just 22 or so and is a school board Chair and likely.  He doesn’t have to take over the entire world before he’s 25!  For now, we like him more than we do power-sponge Jordan Brandman, but we need to figure out where he’s coming from — and we need to hear what he tells lots of different people when he doesn’t expert them to compare notes.)

AD 68

Candidate Speeches Begin: 9:30am
Registration & Voting Begin: 10:00am-12:00pm
Counting of Ballots Begin: TBD

Location:

Teamsters Local 952
140 S. Marks Way, Orange, CA 92868
Cross streets or landmarks: Chapman and Marks Way

Progressive Slate Recommendations:  NICHOLAS SEIDER (Student and Sen. Sanders DNC Delegate), SETH GROSSMAN (Community Activist), SAMILA AMANYRAOUFPOOR, (Ex. Bernie Delegate, Community Activist, Current AD 68 Delegate)

OJB Endorsements:  E-Board, Sherri Loveland (she’s not always aligned with OJB, but as President California’s National Women’s Political Caucus and an ardent environmentalist, she truly deserves to be on the state E-Board.)
Among women, Christina Avalos, Sherri Loveland, Samila Amanyraoufpoor, Naz Hamid, and it would be hard not to support Loretta Sanchez.
Among men: Edward Garza, Mani Kang, Iyad Afalqa … and … we must be true to our commenters, so John Paul Lucas.  (Note: one well-known DPOC member is running here, which we were specifically asked not to do.)

AD 69:

Candidate Speeches Begin: 12:30pm
Registration & Voting Begin: 1:00pm-3:00pm
Election Portion Begin: 3:00pm
Counting of Ballots Begin: 3:00pm

Location:

Unitarian Universal Church
511 South Harbor Blvd., Anaheim CA 92802
Cross streets: Santa Ana St & Harbor Blvd.

Progressive Slate Recommendations: 

LEÓN CISNEROS (Community Organizer), IVAN ENRIQUEZ (Bernie Delegate, Government Student in College). BENJAMIN VAZQUEZ (Teacher), TISH LEON (Community Activist & Senior Advocate)

OJB Endorsements:  E-Board, Any of the Executive Board candidates would be excellent.  Three of them — Laura Kanter, Al Jabbar, and Martin Lopez — are too good to even implicitly advise against.  Listen to their speeches today and see which of the three has the time and money to devote themselves to this chore.
Among women: Tish Leon, Laura Kanter, Becca Edwards, Yenni Diaz, and Maria del Pilar Alatorre Valladarre.
Among men: Edward Garza, Martin Lopez, Al Jabbar, Rigo Rodriguez, Benjamin Vasquez, Julio Perez, and either Cisneros or Ivan Enriquez.  (That’s seven people for eight seats — sorry.  Maybe someone has dropped out — or will?)

AD 72:

Candidate Speeches Begin: 2:30pm
Registration & Voting Begin: 3:00pm-5:00pm
Election Portion Begins: 5:00pm
Counting of Ballots Begins:
 TBD

Location:

IAMAW District Lodge
5402 Bolsa Ave.
Huntington Beach, CA 92647
Cross streets: Bolsa Ave./Graham St.

Progressive Slate Recommendations: none submitted!

OJB Endorsements:  E-Board, Melanie Formosa (if she’s eligible, as she doesn’t appear on the women’s list, but she may qualify otherwise) although current member Trung Ta would be fine.
Among women: Gina Clayton-Tarvin (of course), Lynn Hua, Jen Siegert, and Monica Curca.  (Lots of other good choices are also available.)
Among men:  Mark Sheldon and Oscar Rodriguez.  (Some prominent party regulars will likely get seats even without our endorsement.  But do elect these two!)

AD 73:

Candidate Speeches Begin: 12:00pm
Registration & Voting Begin: 12:30pm-2:30pm
Election Portion Begins: 2:30pm
Counting of Ballots Begins: TBD

Location:

San Clemente Community Center, Fireside Room
100 N. Calle Seville, San Clemente, CA 92672
Cross streets: Avenida Del Mar & Calle Seville

Progressive Slate Recommendations: WILLIAM SUMMERVILLE (48th Congressional District Bernie Delegate)

OJB Endorsements:  E-Board,  Anne Cameron.
Among females: Anne Cameron, Jennifer Cunningham, Wendy Gabriella, Linda May (despite some clashes for much of the year online!), Octavia Tuohey and Grace Tuohey.
Among males: William Summerville, Scott Rhinehart, and Steve Stewart.

AD 74:

Candidate Speeches Begin: 10:00am
Registration & Voting Begin: 10:30am-12:30pm
Ballot Counting Begin: 12:30pm

Location:

Verano Place Commons
6529 Adobe Circle South, Irvine, CA 92617
Cross streets: California Avenue

Progressive Slate Recommendations:  CRAIG BEAUCHAMP (Bernie supporter, progressive democrat, and community activist), ANNE MOHR (CD 48 Elected Sanders Delegate), CASSIUS RUTHERFORD (Student Organizer & Young Democrat), KENNETH STAHL (Professor of Law), LAURA FEREJOHN (Volunteer worker bee for Bernie Sanders’ OurRevolution.com), MANUEL CHAVEZ (President of College Democrats at UCI and Community Volunteer), LOUISE STEWARDSON (Progressive Activist), SCOTT MCKOWN (Community Activist, Precinct Organizer)

OJB Endorsements:  E-Board, Anne Mohr
Among women: Craig Beauchamp (yes, she is one!), Anne Mohr, Mary Carter.  If you vote for those three, also consider Laura Ferejohn and Louise Stewardson.
Among men: Cassius Rutherford, Kenneth StahlGary Bennett, Manual Chavez, Matthew Nguyen and Scott McKown.


About Greg Diamond

Somewhat verbose attorney, semi-disabled and semi-retired, residing in northwest Brea. Occasionally ran for office against jerks who otherwise would have gonr unopposed. Got 45% of the vote against Bob Huff for State Senate in 2012; Josh Newman then won the seat in 2016. In 2014 became the first attorney to challenge OCDA Tony Rackauckas since 2002; Todd Spitzer then won that seat in 2018. Every time he's run against some rotten incumbent, the *next* person to challenge them wins! He's OK with that. Corrupt party hacks hate him. He's OK with that too. He does advise some local campaigns informally and (so far) without compensation. (If that last bit changes, he will declare the interest.) His daughter is a professional campaign treasurer. He doesn't usually know whom she and her firm represent. Whether they do so never influences his endorsements or coverage. (He does have his own strong opinions.) But when he does check campaign finance forms, he is often happily surprised to learn that good candidates he respects often DO hire her firm. (Maybe bad ones are scared off by his relationship with her, but they needn't be.)