A crowd of about 80 people was in attendance for our August endorsement forums at El Cerrito High School. ECDC Executive Vice President Greg Lyman moderated five sessions, and the ECDC made the following candidate endorsements:
- Tony Thurmond – Assembly District 15
- Al Miller – Stege Sanitary District
- Dwight Merrill – Stege Sanitary District
- John Marquez – Contra Costa Community College Board
The club made no endorsement in the West Contra Costa School Board race. Seven candidates and two surrogate speakers attended the forum, and the resulting vote split meant that no candidate achieved the 60% threshold required to earn the club’s endorsement.
In the West Contra Costa Healthcare District race, no candidates attended the forum, and on the endorsement ballot no candidate crossed the 60% threshold.
Following some procedural votes the club unanimously voted to endorse
- Andy Katz – East Bay MUD
Finally, the club considered El Cerrito’s proposed extension of Measure R, and voted to endorse the Yes position. Following a member inquiry, the ballot measure language can be found on the Contra Costa elections website.
- Yes on El Cerrito Measure R
The club will consider endorsements in additional races, including El Cerrito City Council and Kensington PPCSD, at the Aug 26 and Sep 23 club meetings.