by Calitics Editorial Board [courtesy of Calitics - Front Page]

This is our first attempt at endorsements on a broad scale in the legislature.  It is not comprehensive, we simply don't have the resources to get to every seat. But, we tried to get to most of the competitive seats.  We'll provide a bit of commentary on some of these over the flip. State Senate races tomorrow, and Congressional races on Wednesday. But, today, Assembly races:

AD-08: Mariko Yamada

AD-10: Alyson Huber

AD-15: Joan Buchanan

AD-27: Emily Reilly

AD-37: Ferial Masry

AD-40: Laurette Healey

AD-78: Any Democratic candidate other than Auday Arabo.

AD-80: Manuel Perez
AD-08: Mariko Yamada

Chris Cabaldon has run a textbook 20th Century campaign. He has a good resume and the institutional support.  Yamada has a solid resume of her own but can also claim the support of much of the grassroots.  She is also a tireless advocate of single payer healthcare. We support Yamada as the more progressive candidate.

AD-10: Alyson Huber

We have respected Ms. Huber for a while, and she continued to impress on the Calitics podcast. AD-10 is a district that is rapidly blue-ing, so we have a shot in this open seat.

AD-15: Joan Buchanan

[courtesy of California Progress Report]

By Sharon Kyle
Publisher
LA Progressive

Even if you don’t know anyone who is listed as a potential delegate, attend a caucus this Sunday and vote. Let’s make April 13th a date that goes down in California Political History. The locations are listed here. Caucuses open at 2 p.m. and you must be in line by 3 p.m. in all locations.

Last week, a dear friend introduced me to a young activist who happens to be running to be an Obama delegate to the National Democratic Convention. My friend had spoken fondly of the young activist on several occasions, telling me of the many progressive causes she had volunteered to support. When the activist and I met, she asked if I had any tips on how she might achieve the coveted honor of being a delegate at the convention. I told her I was the wrong person to ask. But after she pressed me, I thought for a moment and recollected a personal experience I had had just two years ago.

[courtesy of The California Majority Report]

State Senator Mark Ridley Thomas got a major boost with the endorsement of the LA County Democratic Party yesterday in the hotly contest LA County Supervisor District 2 Race.

"The Los Angeles County Democratic Party proudly and overwhelmingly has endorsed State Senator Mark Ridley-Thomas for Los Angeles County Supervisor in District 2 to replace retiring Supervisor Yvonne B. Burke in the June 3, 2008 election," reports LA County Dem Chair Eric Bauman. "Mark has been a teacher, civil rights activist, LA City Council Member, State Assembly Member, State Senator and most importantly, a tireless advocate for our community and its hardworking families for many years. He will continue to stand up for Democratic values as our Supervisor. He has the experience to tackle the key issues in our community -- from preventing crime and gang violence to creating jobs to leading the fight for better healthcare. Mark is a problem-solver and coalition-builder who will work hard to build a better quality of life for the residents of District 2."

Ridley-Thomas is in a tight fight with the more conservative Bernard Parks for the seat.

[courtesy of The California Majority Report]

Thank God. Sacramento's uninspiring Democratic Mayor Heather Fargo will have a race for re-election.

Former NBA star Kevin Johnson, an education reform crusader and neighborhood improvement activist, will be facing off against Fargo. Johnson is more than just a big name athlete with a fat checkbook; he's an honest, committed, and smart leader that the city desperately needs. Fargo's ho-hum leadership has made Sacramento "the little city that couldn't" -- a town with much potential but with a mayor that's more comfortable as a city council member than a leader.

Johnson has put together a talented team of Democratic backers. They include consultant David Townsend and much of the city's top tier Democraic leadership. Alex Traverso, communications director for Assemblymember Lloyd Levine, is expected to handle press duties.

Image courtesy Sacramento Bee.

by Sheri Divers [courtesy of Blog for America]

Building on the momentum of the 2006 electoral victories and the DFA Training Academy in March, Democracy for America (DFA) returns to Houston as a part of its national Four Steps to Victory Tour: Building a People-Powered America with Chair Jim Dean and Houston City Council Member Melissa Noriega on Thursday, October 4 at Kobain’s, 33 Waugh Drive at 6:30pm. 

Councilwoman Noriega is enthusiastically supported by members of Democracy for America Texas. The Four Steps to Victory Tour brings together the progressive activists (who are already doing amazing work in their state) and empowers them with the tools to win in 2007 and 2008. DFA Chair Jim Dean and Councilwoman Noriega are scheduled to discuss people-powered politics. 

“We're building a movement of progressive Americans working to take our country back. With a little over a year until America elects a new President, there are a lot of actions we can take right now to make victory happen. In Texas alone, we have state and local races, gubernatorial campaigns, a presidential primary and an upcoming Senate race. We have to power to get active, get connected, get smarter, and become progressive leaders,” said Democracy for America Chair Jim Dean.

Currently, DFA has trained over 10,000 activists across America leading to over 500 electoral victories at all levels of government. These DFA members will strategize at the national Four Steps to Victory Tour as it travels across the country.

by Sheri Divers [courtesy of Blog for America]

Congresswoman Juanita Millender-McDonald passed away late Saturday from cancer.  A mighty Democrat with a backbone, she will be missed:

Rep. Juanita Millender-McDonald, a Democrat whose House district encompassed Compton, Carson, much of Long Beach and parts of South Los Angeles, died of cancer Sunday. She was 68 and had served in Congress since 1996.

The onetime Carson City Council member and state legislator capped a precedent-setting career earlier this year by becoming the first African American woman to head the House Committee on Administration, which oversees federal elections and the House's day-to-day operations.

The committee doles out room assignments and sets the office budgets for House members and the committees on which they serve — duties that, within the confines of Capitol Hill, make it a key panel.

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