The San Diego County Democratic Party is supporting an unprecedented 140 local candidates on the November 6 ballot -- nearly twice as many as the Party endorsed in the last midterm cycle. Against the backdrop of a historically divisive presidency that has sparked progressive activism from coast to coast, the local Democratic Party's current candidates are also particularly diverse, with many newly engaged in electoral politics: 65% are non-incumbents, 55% are women, and at least 35% are people of color. Also, for the first time ever, nonpartisan voters outnumber Republicans in San Diego County. Democrats now lead with 36% of all local voters, followed by nonpartisans at 30% and Republicans at 29%.
Read More“After a year of weekly protests, grassroots organizing, and growing progressive momentum throughout the 49th Congressional District, Rep. Darrell Issa is calling it quits. By declining to run for re-election, one of the wealthiest members of Congress is acknowledging he can’t win the seat he has held for 17 years. Credit and thanks for this feat should be broadly shared -- not only by the activists who continued their vigorous campaign against Issa in 2017, but also by everyone who worked throughout 2016 to make this the closest House race in the country."
Read More"An elected city politician leaked inside information to help downtown developers fleece the taxpayers. Then he tried to cover it up. This is the definition of public corruption. While the legal consequences of Councilmember Chris Cate’s betrayal of the citizens of San Diego as an elected official have yet to be determined, the City Attorney’s demand is even more urgent now than it was in June. Chris Cate has proven that he is unfit for office and cannot be trusted to faithfully represent the interests of the people of San Diego. He must resign from the City Council immediately and end his campaign for reelection next year."
Read MoreAfter Republican Bonnie Dumanis announced her plan to run for the San Diego County Board of Supervisors in District 4, San Diego Democratic Party Chair Jessica Hayes issued the following statement: “Voters are tired of the GOP status quo in County Government, and they will reject Republican Bonnie Dumanis’ record of failure, deception, and corruption. San Diegans aren’t looking for a candidate that cuts shady backroom deals, colludes with foreign campaign donors, and used a 'murdered daughter as a campaign prop.'"
Read MoreWe extend our deepest condolences to the families of the victims of the tragedy that was the hateful and divisive march in Charlottesville, Virginia on Saturday, especially the family of Heather Heyer, a white woman who died at the hands of a white man who was showing his support of white supremacy. Their logic is as flawed as their morality. We held a press conference with our Democratic elected officials, including State Senator Toni Atkins, and State Assemblywoman Toni Atkins, on Tuesday, August 15th, 2017 at 9:30am in front of the Balboa Park Cultural Cottages, to speak further about this weekend’s tragedy and our plans to defeat the rise of hatred and those Republicans who have enabled this horrific behavior.
Read MoreThe healthcare bill revealed by Senate Republicans today contains drastic cuts similar to the bill that passed last month in the House of Representatives, which local Reps. Darrell Issa and Duncan Hunter voted to support. The Senate bill -- which aims to overhaul one-sixth of the U.S. economy -- was crafted in secrecy and is being rushed through to a vote. Like the House version, it would increase costs for consumers, reduce the benefits that are guaranteed in all healthcare plans, and give hundreds of millions of dollars in tax cuts to the wealthy and insurance companies.
Read MoreSan Diego County Democratic Party Chair Jessica Hayes issued the following statement after San Diego Mayor Kevin Faulconer's recent budget veto: “In a stunning display of a Trump-sized temper tantrum, the Mayor of San Diego put the special interests of the wealthy over his own citizens when he vindictively slashed council district budgets from San Ysidro to La Jolla as a punishment to his political opponents. He seized money from the people to accumulate the $5 million dollars for a special election for a private development project."
Read MoreAmerica was rocked June 14 by two unrelated mass shootings on two different coasts.San Diego County Democratic Party Chair Jessica Hayes has issued the following statement: “As San Diegans and all Americans pause yet again in reflection and solidarity for the victims of today's mass shootings, we must be resolute in our commitment to never normalize these horrific acts. Instead, we must renew our dedication to adopting policies aimed at ending the prevalence of gun violence in America."
Read MoreWithin a day of the local mass shooting last Sunday, San Diego Police officials made statements dismissing race as a factor in the shooter's motivation. San Diego County Democratic Party Chair Jessica Hayes has made the following statement: "Less than 24 hours after the attack, San Diego Police Chief Shelley Zimmerman declared emphatically there was no evidence of a hate crime in the shootings in La Jolla. The Police Chief made this unequivocal pronouncement despite statements by witnesses present that a white woman went to render aid to the mother of three who lost her life, but was told by the shooter to leave her alone, and this woman was not shot."
Read MoreSan Diego County Democratic Party Chair Jessica Hayes has issued an open letter to the local legal community, calling for applicants for the soon-to-be-open District Attorney position who commit not to run for that office as an incumbent in 2018 or endorse any candidate who does: “Inside the all-Republican coterie of our county level elected officials, there is a long and sordid history of early retirements followed by the Board of Supervisors’ appointment of a hand-picked successor," reads the letter, posted here. "The appointee then has an enormous advantage running for office as the incumbent."
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