March Club Update

At the final meeting that will be held at El Arco Iris restaurant (ICYMI, it is being sold), on Weds. March 15, NELA Dems voted to endorse Jimmy Gomez for Congress.

All democratic candidates were invited to participate. Five candidates returned their candidate surveys by the deadline to be considered (Jimmy Gomez, Yolie Flores, Sandra Mendoza, Sara Hernandez, and Ricardo de la Fuente)

With 84% of the vote, Jimmy Gomez is the pick of the Northeast Democratic Club.  Best of luck, Jimmy – we are with you!

VOLUNTEER FOR JIMMY- Club members who want to volunteer for the Jimmy Gomez campaign can sign up here.  We will also keep you updated with special opportunities and requests from the campaign.

VOTE: The primary for this race is on April 4, 2017.

(See an album of photos by Al C. Strange from the endorsement meeting on our Facebook page)

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El Arco Iris has been a wonderful friend to our club for many years. We encourage you to go enjoy a meal and support the business, opened in 1964, during its final weeks.  Thank you El Arco Iris. You will be missed.

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The next club meeting is Wednesday April 19.  We will be in touch with location details, since as mentioned above, we have said a fond goodbye to El Arco Iris.

At the April 19 meeting, we will discuss items of business including:

• a presentation by the California Clean Money Campaign, regarding AB 14, the California Disclose Act, authored by Assemblymember Jimmy Gomez (D-Los Angeles) and Marc Levine (D-San Rafael.)
• Volunteer / organizing opportunities
• Upcoming September club fundraiser
• POSSIBLE CD1 ENDORSEMENT.  As of today, it appears that no candidate has achieved more than 50%+1 vote in the March 7 primary election for Council District 1. Ballots are still being counted and final results are expected early next week, but it appears there will be a runoff between the two top voter getters, Gil Cedillo and Joseph Bray-Ali.  NELA Dems did not endorse either candidate in the primary election as no candidate achieved the required 60% threshold for a club endorsement.  Club rules allow consideration of an endorsement in a general election if no candidate is endorsed in the primary or if the endorsed candidate does not advance to the general.  We will keep you posted on the results coming from the LA County registrar.  As always, new club members who want to vote must be dues-paying members for 30 days prior to an endorsement meeting.  Existing / renewing members may renew their dues at the endorsement meeting and vote.

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February was a busy month for the club.

On Wednesday Feb. 22 co-hosted (with numerous other clubs) a debate amongst candidates vying to become our next Congressmember.

Then, on Thursday Feb. 23 our club hosted a panel forum at the Center for the Arts, Eagle Rock about the very important Measure S on the March ballot. The club voted afterwards, and while the majority of voting members voted against the measure the 60% thresh hold was not achieved for an endorsement.  As you probably know, the measure did not pass at the polls on March 7.