HOPE PREVAILS:  OBAMA VICTORY HAS LONG COATTAILS LOCALLY

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By Miriam Raftery

Democrats gathered at House of Blues await word on Presidential
race

On the night when most of America turned blue, Democrats gathered to celebrate
at the aptly-named House of Blues in San Diego.  Cheers greeted the historic
announcement that Barack Obama had just been declared the winner, becoming
the first African-American president in U.S. history.   Kristy Mundt,
president of the East County Democratic Club, exchanged high-fives with fellow
Democrats, passing out Obama stickers. Hope filled the air and flowed outside
onto streets flocked with revelers, where strangers embraced and even homeless
people grinned, offering thumbs-up signs.

“Congratulations to each of you—you each made a difference in
this amazing election,” Linda Armacost, president of the La Mesa-Foothills
Democratic Club told members in an e-mail soon after the victory.  Armacost
vowed to seize the wave of change by continuing the party’s momentum
through more voter registration, educating the public, recruiting and supporting
candidates, forming coalitions, and maintaining visibility in the community.   “We
Democrats have a presence now in East County…We will not be silenced.” 

Marty Block Volunteer Dorene Dias Pesta

In East County, where 52 of 56 local offices were previously filled by Republicans,
Democrats had already picked up 18 seats in local races before Election Day,
simply by running candidates unopposed. In past years, seats on local boards
and commissions often had no candidates running—and were later filled
through appointments by Republicans in power.  On November 4, Democrats
picked up additional seats including Mary Kay Rosinski on the Grossmont Community
College Board, George Gastil on the Lemon Grove City Council, and Marty Block,
elected to the 78th Assembly District.

Asked what his first legislative priority will be, Block told East County
Magazine
, “I’m looking at a CSU campus in the South Bay.”

Dan Ortiz of La Mesa, a volunteer on Block’s campaign, said turnout
was amazingly high.  “Usually when you check the polls, you find
only a few people in a precinct have voted,” he said.  “We
had 100% of our likely supporters actually vote. That’s unprecedented.” A
similar situation was reported in Lemon Grove, where a Gastil volunteer said
80% of Democrats had voted at a precinct he checked. 

Local Democrats celebrate upon announcement that Obama
won presidency.

La Mesa Councilman David Allan, who switched parties from Republican to Democrat,
received the most votes of any candidate running.  Republican Ruth Sterling
also won reelection.

In the City of San Diego, Democrats swept the City Council and School Board
races.  Victories by Marti Emerald, Sherri Lightner and Todd Gloria give
Democrats six of seven seats on the Council.  Democrats now occupy every
seat on the San Diego Unified School Board with the election of Dr. John Lee
Evans, Richard Barrera and incumbent Sheila Jackson.

“Locally, our success mirrored the Democratic victories across the nation,” Francine
Busby, past Democratic candidate in the 50th Congressional district, wrote
in her newsletter, The Buzz.  “We reaped the rewards of
our years of hard work by electing 52, a record number, of our endorsed candidates
in addition to those who won earlier due to lack of competition.” 

ECM reporter Joseph Rocha with newly elected Congressman
Duncan D. Hunter

Republicans’ biggest victory in East County was the election of Duncan
D. Hunter to replace his father as Congressman for the 52nd District.  “What
our job is going to be on the conservative side of things is to fight for national
security,” Hunter told ECM  reporter Joseph Rocha.  “We
are arguably going to have the most liberal administration we have ever had
in 50 years.  So I think what we are going to have to do to balance things
out is to keep the military strong, keep working on border security, and keep
giving the American entrepreneur a reason to be strong, to be creative, and
to use that entrepreneurial spirit to keep making money for himself and hiring
people, passing money down. I think that if we start overtaxing people, we
are going to lose that spirit,” he said.

Hunter added that he is honored to be chosen to represent the people of East
County. 

He praise the troops fighting in Iraq and Afghanistan, and also
expressed disappointment in the GOP for losing its conservative tradition—a
loss he faults for the party’s numerous defeats in the past few years.

Democrat Mike Lumpkin received 39.9% of the vote.  A note from his campaign
to supporters observed that Lumpkin received a higher percentage of the vote
than any other Democrat to run against a Hunter in this district. 

Among California’s remaining Congressional delegation, incumbents all
won reelection:  Democrats Bob Filner and Susan Davis, along with Republicans
Brian Bilbray and Darryl Issa.

Kristy Mundt, president of the East County Democratic
Club, celebrates
victory at House of Blues.

Democrat Carroll Boone failed to win election to the Grossmont Union High
School Board, where Republicans including reelected incumbent Priscilla Schreiber
and newly elected member Gary Woods.  Democrats Marge Carlson and John
Martes narrowly missed picking up a seat on El Cajon’s City Council,
where Jillian Hanson-Cox and Bob McClellan won reelection and Republican Bill
Wells was also elected. 

Republican Assemblyman Joel Anderson won reelection over Democrat Ray Lutz,
who attained 38.8% of the vote – higher than any Democrat in recent memory
in the still-largely Republican 77th Assembly District.

 Anderson told ECM he plans to reintroduce two bills vetoed
by Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger due to budget constraints.  The first
measure aims to improve voter transparency by requiring that voters receive
prominent notification that absentee ballots must be received (not mailed)
before Election Day.  The second measure focuses on Homestead Foreclosures, “so
if you’re going to go bankrupt, it protects homeowners’ equity,” he
said, adding that he is working with Democrats on co-sponsorship of the bills. 

Democrats, meanwhile, are gearing up “Blue Skies Over San Diego”,  a
dinner and dancing celebration slated for Inauguration Day on January 10th.


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