DP/SFV endorses picks for state elections

by Nazbanoo Pahlavi

This week's Sun Community Newspapers www.suncommunitynewspapers.com

The Democratic Party of the San Fernando Valley (DP/SFV) drew a large turnout for its executive board meeting at the State Building Auditorium in Van Nuys on March 3.

Fifty-nine voting members representing 22 democratic clubs decided whether to approve the endorsement calendar set forth by the endorsement committee for the California state ballot in June.

Several candidates were present, including 40th Assembly District hopefuls Stuart Waldman, Bob Blumenfield and Laurette Healy. Assembly member Lloyd Levine, who is running for State Senator Sheila Kuehl’s seat in the 23rd district, was also present, as well as Carole Lutness, a candidate in Santa Clarita’s 38th district.

The group voted to pull both Waldman and Levine for further discussion. Recording Secretary Damian Carroll cited Waldman’s longtime involvement with DP/SFV, opposition to the Iraq war and support of independent re-districting as items in his favor.

“There’s a difference between a candidate who has been with the grassroots for a decade and a half and a candidate – a very nice candidate – who frankly introduced himself to us maybe within the last year,” said Carroll.

Bob Blumenfield, an opponent of Waldman’s who is a District Director for Congressman Howard Berman, has already picked up several key endorsements including House Speaker Nancy Pelosi and Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa.

Those who spoke against Waldman’s endorsement said it would split the DP/SFV body. “I think for the good of DP/SFV, the best thing we can do is do no endorsement at all,” said Roz Teller.

The motion to endorse Waldman was upheld with a 42-15 vote.

The endorsement of Assembly member Lloyd Levine inspired pointed discussion between his supporters and those of former Assembly member Fran Pavley. “Fran has not been around DP/SFV,” criticized Lyn Klein.
Outspoken opponents to the Levine endorsement were the presidents of the Malibu and Pacific Palisades Democratic Clubs, who cited Pavley’s environmental protection forays as key items in her favor. Levine’s endorsement was upheld with a 42-12 vote.

Eric Bauman, Chair of the Los Angeles County Central Committee of the California Democratic Party, gave an update on the “double bubble” from the February 5 primary election, in which independent and decline-to-state voters needed to punch in a separate bubble when casting Democratic Party ballots.

Bauman said 47,000 additional ballots were counted, with Sen. Hillary Clinton winning 50.1 percent of those votes to Sen. Barack Obama’s 42 percent. Asked whether the results would affect the state’s primary outcome, he said, “We’re checking it out on a congressional district level – it doesn’t look like it.”

Ilene Haber, who will run the national DP/SFV campaign office this fall, stressed the importance of voting in the November general election.

“We have been given a sacred responsibility, and that is not just to represent the top of the democratic ticket, but that is to represent the entire state of California and to run a red-to-blue campaign like this country has never seen,” Haber said.

Members will attend the California Democratic Party Convention in San Jose at the end of March where DP/SFV will vote on the party’s final platform.