The votes are still coming in but on the Central Committee races, it’s pretty much over. Of the DPOC’s current leadership team, voters sent a message that the Party ought to consider when they install the next round of its leadership team.
DPOC Treasurer Florice Hoffman was the highest vote-getter among the current leadership team, finishing second in AD-68.
Chair Ada Briceno finished a solid sixth in AD-65.
West Vice Chair Victor Valladares also finished sixth in AD-72.
Party secretary Luis Aleman was well out of the running in AD-69 but will likely be selected as an alternate by his college friend Gio Chavez so he can continue as secretary.
North Vice Chair Jeff LeTourneau was 7th in AD-55, a position he won by default in 2016 because their weren’t six candidates. So unless he finds someone to make him an alternate, he’s out. It’s going to be tough for Party leadership to retain him as Bylaws Vice Chair and Resolutions Vice Chair based on the will of the voters.
Central Vice Chair Betty Valencia finished 9th in AD-68; she is a candidate for Orange City Council in November, meanwhile Melissa Fox and Eugene Fields were able to leverage their assembly candidacies to grab a Central Committee seat.
There were a number of surprises of longtime members not elected. All good people too. And their voice will continue to be heard via the Democratic Clubs. I’d encourage newly elected members to seek them out for advice and guidance. There’s a lot of people with great institutional knowledge of the local party’s interworkings and its history; take advantage of this knowledge-base.
The voters elected lots of new members, many who are people of color, and younger. It’s amazing what a Trump election in 2016 has done for those who want to affect positive change in the party and did so by running and winning Central Committee seats. I offer congratulations and best wishes. Please start coming to the party meetings, familiarize yourself with the party bylaws, and start making new connections. You’re not just the future of the party but your voice is the present as well.
And these new Central Committee members ought to push for new leadership in key seats for the DPOC to reflect what the voters said on Primary day. Leadership that applies rules evenly to every member and moves the party forward to the important work of electing Democrats in 2020 and beyond. There’s great energy in the party.
Clearly, Victors vocal activism edged him in. Nobody running against him besmirched his obvious VERY PUBLIC failings. Let’s be clear, this man is facing a child abuse charges, which he has dragged out for nearly 16 months. If this was honestly and openly discussed he would have gone the way of Jeff and Greg.
Additionally surprising was the poor showing by Mirevette Judah, part of the LeTourneu / Briceno cabal. But, I think her negative comments and backstabbing of Farrah Kahn did not sit well with some.
But, lets be honest, most rank and file have NO idea who these people are which in reality makes their poor showing that much more dramatic.
Your editorial is spot on. Time to end the divisiveness that current leadership has fostered, and come together as DEM’S.
That Victor hasn’t paid Child support since 2018? But tells his oldest son how much he loves him? Narcissist.
If Victor owes child support, he should pay it. If he has friends supporting his “innocence” here, theyneed to step up and tell him to pay his child support. If Victor somehow skates from these charges, if I were his kids birth mom, I’d deny him access to the boys until he’s paid his child support. If Victor is an employee of Bernie for President, withhold hi earnings for child support. The boys are grade school; at some point they are high school and will know if they’re father put them first or not. Time is running out for Victor to do the right thing