MGO Democratic Club Endorsements for the March 5, 2024 Primary Election
US Senate – Barbara Lee
US Congress District 12 – Lateefah Simon
State Senate District 7 – No Consensus
State Assembly District 14 – Buffy Wicks
State Assembly District 18 – Mia Bonta
Proposition 1 – Behavioral Health Services Bond – YES
Alameda County Board of Supervisors District 4 – No Consensus
Alameda County Board of Supervisors District 5 – No Consensus
Alameda County Board of Education Area 2 – Angela Normand
Alameda County Board of Education Area 3 – Ken Berrick
Superior Court Judge, Office #12 – No Consensus
Oakland City Auditor – Michael Houston
Measure A: Alameda County – Civil Service Examination Notification Period – YES
Measure B: Alameda County – Recall Process Changes – YES
Measure D: Oakland – Gann Limit Increase – YES
Watch Recording of State & Federal Candidate Forum HERE
Watch Recording of Local Candidate & Measures Forum HERE
January Endorsement Meetings & Membership Renewal
Dear MGO Members and Friends:
We will be having our endorsement meeting for the March 2024 Primary Election on the following dates:
Tuesday, January 9, 2024, from 7:30-9pm
- Proposition 1 – Behavioral Health Services Program and Bond Measure
- US Senate
- Congressional District 12
- State Senate District 7
- Assembly District 14
- Assembly District 18
Register/join the 1/9 meeting at: https://us02web.zoom.us/meeting/register/tZIlce6sqTgoHt0HDs0Z8cUuBixfXdpbLfGn
Tuesday, January 23, 2024, from 7:30-9pm
Candidates
- Alameda County Board of Supervisors District 4
- Alameda County Board of Supervisors District 5
- Alameda County Board of Education Area 2
- Alameda County Board of Education Area 3
- Superior Court Judge, Office #12
- Oakland City Auditor
Ballot Measures
- Alameda County – Recall Process Changes
- Alameda County – Civil Service Examination Notification Period
- Oakland – Gann Limit Increase
Register/join the 1/23 meeting at: https://us02web.zoom.us/meeting/register/tZYlcO6uqz4rH9ONQFNf3EYSn28_5vGczCbS
After each meeting, members will be sent an electronic ballot for our endorsement vote. A candidate must receive at least 60% of all votes cast to be endorsed.
A list of candidates and the text of the ballot measures can be found at https://www.acvote.org/election-information/elections?id=251# Note that filing has been extended for some of the elections.
Membership Dues can now be paid using ActBlue
We thank Nancy Sidebotham for her many years of service as MGO Treasurer. Alfred Twu is taking over as the new MGO Treasurer.
New members joining the Club for the first time shall acquire voting rights 20 days from the date of their joining. Lapsed members of the MGO whose dues are not more than two years in arrears shall acquire voting rights immediately upon payment of the current years dues.
To join or renew your membership for 2024, please go to https://secure.actblue.com/donate/mgodemsmembership
Metropolitan-Greater Oakland Democratic Club
Presenting Local Government–Keeping It Accountable–Promoting Democratic Values
MGO Democratic Club Endorsement for the November 2023 Special Election
Oakland School Board, District 5: Jorge Lerma
Metropolitan-Greater Oakland (MGO) Democratic ClubTuesday, September 19, 2023 Program Announcement:Oakland School Board District 5 Special Election Candidate Forum
  Featuring Candidates Sasha Ritzie-Hernandez and Jorge Lerma |
| Dear MGO Members and Friends: Join us on, Tuesday, September 19 at 7:30pm for our candidate forum for the Oakland School Board District 5 Special Election. This election is to fill a vacancy on the Oakland school board, and will be held this November, with ballots mailed to voters in October. Both candidates running, Sasha Ritzie-Hernandez, and Jorge Lerma, have confirmed that they will be attending. Candidates will give opening speeches, take questions from the audience, and conclude with closing speeches. Tuesday, September 19, 2023 – 7:30pm Register/Join the Zoom Meeting at https://us02web.zoom.us/meeting/register/tZAtcO-upjouHNxSE6aLIZJHeaZTOVJo1GO1#/ After the meeting, members will be sent an electronic ballot for our endorsement vote. New members joining the Club for the first time shall acquire voting rights 20 days from the date of their joining. Lapsed members of the MGO whose dues are not more than two years in arrears shall acquire voting rights immediately upon payment of the current years dues. A candidate must receive at least 60% of all votes cast to be endorsed. Metropolitan-Greater Oakland Democratic Club Presenting Local Government–Keeping It Accountable–Promoting Democratic Values |
Metropolitan-Greater Oakland (MGO) Democratic Club Tuesday, May 23, 2023 Program Announcement: A Presentation on Reparations with Alameda County Supervisor Nate Miley
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| Dear MGO Members and Friends: Join us on Tuesday, May 23 at 7:30pm for a presentation on Reparations with Alameda County Supervisor Nate Miley. In the MGO tradition, there will be time for questions and answers. Tuesday, May 23, 2023 – 7:30pm Register/Join the Zoom Meeting at https://us02web.zoom.us/meeting/register/tZAlcu6hpzssGtSU5KkMNrOftSaDrNLx2kJl#/registration Metropolitan-Greater Oakland Democratic Club Presenting Local Government–Keeping It Accountable–Promoting Democratic Values |
Metropolitan-Greater Oakland (MGO) Democratic Club April 11, 2023 Program Announcement: Updates from Oakland City Council District 4 Councilmember Janani Ramachandran
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| Dear MGO Members and Friends: Join us on Tuesday, April 11 at 8:15pm for updates from Oakland City Council District 4’s new councilmember, Janani Ramachandran. Janani Ramachandran is a public interest attorney who has dedicated her life to empowering communities and fighting for responsive government institutions. A graduate of Stanford University and Berkeley Law, she has worked at various legal nonprofits, and served on the board of violence prevention nonprofits across Oakland. She is a Commissioner on the California Commission for API American Affairs, and previously served on the City of Oakland Public Ethics Commission. She is an East Bay native, and a former professional musician. Janani is the youngest person elected to Oakland’s City Council, as well as the first South Asian and first LGBTQ woman of color to serve on Oakland City Council. In the MGO tradition, there will be time for questions and answers. Tuesday, April 11, 2023 – 8:15pm – Note the later start time Register/Join the Zoom Meeting at https://us02web.zoom.us/meeting/register/tZIkdemgqTgrGtHA34Afy6CQbVwhk_VSEqoq#/registration Metropolitan-Greater Oakland Democratic Club Presenting Local Government–Keeping It Accountable–Promoting Democratic Values |
Metropolitan-Greater Oakland (MGO) Democratic Club March 14, 2023 Program Announcement:A Conversation with Libby Schaaf, Former Oakland Mayor and Current Director of Emerge California
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| Dear MGO Members and Friends: Libby Schaaf, who served as mayor of Oakland from 2015 to 2022 and is now the current interim director of Emerge California, will join us to talk about Emerge’s history, accomplishments and goals. According to its website, Emerge California has trained and recruited over 800 women Democratic women leaders to run for elected office since 2002. It claims to have over 200 alums currently serving in elected positions. They include California’s Lieutenant Governor Eleni Kounalakis, State Controller Malia Cohen, State Assemblymember Mia Bonta whose district includes Oakland, and San Francisco Mayor London Breed. We also invited Mayor Schaaf to share her personal views about the general direction and paths she would like to see Oakland take over the next few years. In the MGO tradition, there will be time for questions and answers. Tuesday, March 14, 2023 – 7:30pm Register/Join the Zoom Meeting at https://us02web.zoom.us/meeting/register/tZYlc-yqrz4jEt1_omCRlgXo-H4UIZ9M62y8 Metropolitan-Greater Oakland Democratic Club Presenting Local Government–Keeping It Accountable–Promoting Democratic Values |
Metropolitan-Greater Oakland (MGO) Democratic Club January 31, 2023 Program Announcement: A Presentation by Rob Boston, Senior Advisor at Americans United for Separation of Church and State
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| Dear MGO Members and Friends: Have you been following the political thunderstorms from the Religious Right? Have you watched its intense efforts to twist and diminish our country’s Constitutional values? Are you watching women being forced to endure pregnancies they don’t want? Have you watched gays and lesbians being refused service in public accommodations, Jewish couples prevented from adopting children from Christian-run adoption agencies, or non-believers subjected to or embarrassed by school prayer? Do you want to know the best ways to stop this Religious Right assault and its post-Roe contours? On January 31 at 7:30pm MGO is proud to host a virtual presentation by a speaker with some answers: Rob Boston. Rob is Senior Advisor at Americans United for Separation of Church and State (AU) and Editor of Church & State, AU’s monthly membership magazine. AU is a 75-year-old civil rights organization with over 75,000 members. It is the country’s only organization dedicated solely to defending the separation of church and state. Join us! Tuesday, January 31, 2023 – 7:30pm Register/Join the Zoom Meeting at https://us02web.zoom.us/meeting/register/tZIkduGgqDMqH9OYRwBYyMn413jzhfBZpGS8 Metropolitan-Greater Oakland Democratic Club Presenting Local Government–Keeping It Accountable–Promoting Democratic Values |
2022 General Election Endorsements
Dear MGO Members
Thank you for participating in our endorsement votes! Here are the Metropolitan Greater Oakland Democratic Club’s endorsements for the local elections in the November primary:
Oakland City Council, District 2: Nikki Fortunato Bas
Oakland City Council, District 4: Janani Ramachandran
Oakland City Council, District 6: Kevin Jenkins
AC Transit At-Large: Alfred Twu
EBMUD Ward 3: Marguerite Young
Peralta Community College Board, Area 5: Saleem Gilmore
Peralta Community College Board, Area 7: Seth Steward
Measure D (Open space initiative) YES
Measure H (Oakland schools parcel tax extension) YES
Measure Q (Affordable housing authorization) YES
Measure R (Gender neutral language) YES
Measure S (Noncitizen parent voting in school board elections) YES
Measure T (Progressive Business Tax) YES
Measure U (Bond measure for housing, streets, and facilities) YES
Measures Y (Parcel tax to fund the Zoo) YES
Prop 1 – Yes
Prop 26 – No
Prop 27 – No
Prop 28 – Yes
Prop 30 – Yes
Prop 31 – Yes
No candidate met our threshold for endorsement (60%) for Oakland school board districts, 2, 4, and 6, AC Transit Ward 3, or Peralta Area 3.
The Metropolitan-Greater Oakland Democratic Club (MGO) is the oldest Democratic club in Oakland, and has been involved in Oakland politics and public policy for over 60 years.
Metropolitan-Greater Oakland Democratic Club
Presenting Local Government–Keeping It Accountable–Promoting Democratic Values
Sept 20 Peralta College Board Candidate Forum
| The Metropolitan-Greater Oakland (MGO) Democratic Club Invites You to Attend our Peralta Colleges Endorsement Meeting Tuesday Evening September 20, 2022, 7:30-9:00 p.m. Zoom Link: https://us02web.zoom.us/meeting/register/tZcucOispjoiHtOINKu_Tv9NTinUcOCR5l6j See Appearance Schedule Below |
| Dear Members and Friends of MGO,You are invited to join our candidate endorsement night on Sept 20, 2022 election. We are inviting Peralta College candidates who are running for positions on the Schedule that appears below. As there have been many candidate forums for Mayor of Oakland, we are not having our own forum. You may wish to watch the one of the many other ones, such as the one by the League of Women Voters on October 3. Alfred, I don’t see this event on the League’s announcement of upcoming events. Are you sure of this date?Additionally, we are not scheduling the discussions on local and state ballot measures until the voter information information guides have been mailed out and members have had time to review them. Below is the tentative schedule for the Sept 20 zoom meeting, which lists all candidates who have filed papers. 7:30 –7:40 Welcome and Meeting Plan (10 min) 7:40-8:00 Peralta Colleges District 3 Louis Quindlen Tarrell Gamble 8:00-8:20 Peralta Colleges District 5 Cindi Reiss Saleem Gilmore 8:20-8:40 Peralta Colleges District 7 Seth Steward Sheweet Yohannes 8:40 –9:00 Discussion MGO can only endorse candidates who are currently registered members of the Democratic Party. By requesting to be included as a speaker you are confirming your current Democratic Party registration. To accept this invitation, reply here to Gary Sirbu, e-address gsirbulaw@aol.com. You should at the same time register for this event by clicking on the zoom registration link at the top of this invitation. That will ensure you have access from the beginning of the program. |
The Metropolitan-Greater Oakland (MGO) Democratic Club and The Alameda County Democratic Lawyers’ Club Invite You to Attend their Joint Candidate Zoom Endorsement Meeting Tuesday Evening August 23, 2022, 7:00-9:15 p.m.
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| The recording of the 8/23 meeting can be viewed here: https://www.facebook.com/mgodems/posts/pfbid0jt9vAABhjY5R7W22u6o85WorrrtMrURFq3fSvcoFQNUry78wzZX8wxsfBfWNqw7Zl The following candidates participated, see below for timestamps at which each section begins 11:08 Oakland City Council District 4: Janani Ramachandran & Nenna Joiner 28:33 Oakland City Council District 6: Kevin Jenkins & Nancy Sidebotham 43:44 Oakland City Council District 2: Nikki Fortunato Bas & Harold Lowe 55:30 Oakland School Board District 2: David Kakishiba & Jennifer Brouhard 1:09:43 Oakland School Board District 4: Pecolia Hudson-Manigo, Mike Hutchinson, & Nick Resnick 1:24:51 Oakland School Board District 6: Valerie Bachelor, Kyra Mungia, & Joel Velasquez 1:41:32 AC Transit At-Large: Alfred Twu & Joel Young 1:54:26 AC Transit Ward 3: Stewart Chen & Sarah Syed 2:09:29 EBMUD Ward 3: Marguerite Young & Mark Seedall The Metropolitan-Greater Oakland (MGO) Democratic Club, The Alameda County Democratic Lawyers’ Club, and Black Women Organized for Political Action (BWOPA) Oakland-Berkeley Chapter, Invite You to Attend their Joint Candidate Zoom Endorsement Meeting Tuesday Evening August 23, 2022, 7:00-9:15 p.m. Zoom Link: https://us02web.zoom.us/meeting/register/tZItcuCgqjkjE9Qn2JTv1EE_fkxHtOgto5Um See Appearance Schedule Below Dear Members and Friends of MGO, ACDLC and Black Women Organized for Political Action, Oakland-Berkeley Chapter (BWOPA) MGO and ACDLC are honored that Black Women Organized for Political Action Oakland-Berkeley Chapter BWOPA) has joined us in hosting this event. All of us invite you to attend our joint candidate endorsement night on August 23, 2022 election. We are inviting all Democratic Party candidates who are running for positions on the Schedule that appears below. Candidates for Mayor of Oakland will be invited to two later meetings. The date of the first, an in-depth informational meeting which MGO is currently planning, in coordination, with Make Oakland Better Now (MOBN!) the Oakland Chamber of Commerce, and the Oakland African American Chamber of Commerce, will occur on a date soon to be announced. That program will then be followed in by a separate meeting in September, where we will also discuss ballot measures. Candidates for uncontested Oakland and county races may also be invited to present at the members-only meeting. Below is the tentative schedule for the August 23rd zoom meeting, which lists all candidates who have filed papers. 7:00 –7:10 Welcome and Meeting Plan (10 min) Individual Candidate presentations, Five minutes per candidate. 7:10-7:20 Oakland City Council D4 Janani Ramachandran Lanenna “Nenna” Joiner 7:20-7:40 Oakland City Council D6 Kevin Jenkins Kenneth Session Nancy Sidebotham Yakpasua Zazaboi 7:45-7:55 Oakland City Council D2 Nikki Fortunato Bas Harold Lowe 7:55-8:10 School Board Dist 2 David Kakishiba Maximino Orozco Jennifer Brouhard 8:10-8:25 School Board D4 Pecolia Hudson-Manigo Mike Hutchinson Nick Resnick 8:25-8:40 School Board Dist 6 Valarie Bachelor Kyra Mungia Joel Velasquez 8:40-8:50 AC Transit At Large Alfred Twu Joel Young 8:50-9:00 AC Transit Ward 3 Stewart Chen Sarah Syed 9:00-9:10 EBMUD Ward 3 Mark Seedall Marguerite Young MGO can only endorse candidates who are currently registered members of the Democratic Party. By requesting to be included as a speaker you are confirming your current Democratic Party registration. To accept this invitation, reply here to Gary Sirbu, e-address gsirbulaw@aol.com. You should at the same time register for this event by clicking on the zoom registration link at the top of this invitation. That will ensure you have access from the beginning of the program. The Metropolitan-Greater Oakland Democratic Club (MGO) is the oldest Democratic club in Oakland, and has been involved in Oakland politics and public policy for over 60 years. It concentrates on issues relating to city and county government. (Demo Fun Fact: In the 1970s, as Senator William Knowland’s Republican dynasty drew to a close, MGO club members Mary Moore and John Sutter,were elected to the first majority-Democratic Oakland City Council. And Judge Lionel Wilson was elected Oakland’s mayor.) www.mgodems.org The Alameda County Democratic Lawyers Club (ACDLC) is one of the oldest Democratic clubs in Oakland, consisting of over 250+ lawyers and judges working and/or practicing law in Alameda county. The ACDLC and has been influencing local policy, laws and political races in Alameda County for over 50 years. www.alamedademlawyers.org The Oakland/Berkeley Chapter of Black Women Organized for Political Action’s (BWOPA) – a 501c4 organization – mission is to activate, motivate, promote, support and educate Black women about the political process, encourage involvement, and to affirm our commitment to, and solving, those problems affecting the African-American community. BWOPA was established in 1968 and today boasts nine (9) chapters throughout California with over 5,000 members, alliances and partners. www.bwopatileleads.org Other Upcoming Events Oakland Mayor Candidate Forum with MOBN (Make Oakland Better Now)in September, exact date and time TBDOakland Mayor, State & Local Ballot Measures Discussion and Endorsement Meeting September, exact date and time TBD. Will be online. |
MGO Endorsements for the June 2022 Primary
Dear MGO Members
Thank you for participating in our endorsement vote! Here are the Metropolitan Greater Oakland Democratic Club’s endorsements for the local elections in the June primary:
Alameda County Board of Supervisors, District 3: Rebecca Kaplan
Sheriff: Yesenia Sanchez
Oakland Measure C (Parcel tax extension for Library Funding): Yes
Congress: Barbara Lee
No candidate met our threshold for endorsement (60%) for County Superintendent of Schools or District Attorney.
The Metropolitan-Greater Oakland Democratic Club (MGO) is the oldest Democratic club in Oakland, and has been involved in Oakland politics and public policy for over 60 years.
Metropolitan-Greater Oakland Democratic Club
Presenting Local Government–Keeping It Accountable–Promoting Democratic Values
MGO Meeting on Tuesday, April 12, 7:30 p.m. Primary Election Endorsement Meeting with the Alameda County Democratic Lawyers
| Dear MGO and Alameda County Democratic Lawyers Club (ACDLC) Members and Friends: The MGO Democratic Club and the ACDLC will be holding a joint candidate endorsement zoom meeting on Tuesday, April 12, 7:30-9:00 p.m. We invite you to attend and see and hear the public-spirited candidates who are making time to come and speak to us and answer questions. They are democracy in action. Please note, if MGO members wish to discuss the candidates after their presentations, we will go into club-separated closed members-only session with all candidates excluded. MGO Dues and Voting Rights Only paid-up members will receive ballots. They will be sent by email after the meeting. Our dues year began on January 1st. If you have not yet paid your dues, please go to our website, mgodems.org, and click on the “Join MGO” icon. (This is inapplicable to anyone in the midst of a two-year membership term.) We are inviting candidates for the following elections. – Board of Supervisors, District 3 – District Attorney – Sheriff – Alameda County Superintendent of SchoolsWe will also discuss the following ballot measure. – Oakland Library Parcel Tax Renewal MGO members will receive separate confidential e-ballots via OpaVote which will be returnable to their respective clubs on a deadline to be announced. ACDLC Dues and Voting Rights Please renew your ACDLC dues for 2022 ($25 payable via check to ACDLC [mail to: Guy Bryant, Treasurer, 5075 Hopyard Road, Pleasanton, CA. 94588 or make a payment using PayPal [Login to your PayPal account and send payment to contact@alamedademlawyers.org]). Only Dues paying members will be allowed to vote. Dues paying members will be emailed a link to the official Endorsement Ballot via OpaVote on or around April 12, 2022 and will have until 5:00 pm Friday April 15, 2022 to turn in their vote. Check payments must be received by April 12, 2022 to allow voting. New members may vote immediately upon payment of club dues. The meeting is open to the public. Invite a friend, neighbor or student. See you there! Gary Sirbu and Guy Bryant For MGO For Demo Lawyers This event will be from 7:30 p.m. to 9:00 p.m. Register/join the meeting at https://us02web.zoom.us/meeting/register/tZUlfuyorDoiGNAH-vic_gb9MLvgdx56L3Vi Call in number: 1 669 900 6833 Meeting ID: 818 9502 1824 The Metropolitan-Greater Oakland Democratic Club (MGO) is the oldest Democratic club in Oakland, and has been involved in Oakland politics and public policy for over 60 years. Metropolitan-Greater Oakland Democratic Club Presenting Local Government–Keeping It Accountable–Promoting Democratic Values Alameda County Democratic Lawyers The Alameda County Democratic Lawyers Club (ACDLC) is one of the oldest Democratic clubs in Oakland and has been influencing local policy, laws and political races in Alameda County for over 50 years. ACDLC has recently received statewide and national recognition from helping candidates like Kamala Harris and Eric Swalwell obtain their first major political endorsements. |
MGO Meeting on Tuesday, March 8, 7:30 p.m.
Updates on the 2022 California Democratic Party Platform
Hello MGO Members and Friends:
The 10-million member California Democratic Party is the nation’s largest statewide party. This weekend it is meeting online to vote on endorsements and update the final draft party’s 2022 platform. The document is impressive. You can review it at this link.
At our March 8th meeting MGO Vice President and California Democratic Party Executive Board member Alfred Twu will present the platform’s major highlights and after that we’ll have open discussion.
Hope to see you on zoom on Tuesday evening.
Gary
This event will be from 7:30 p.m. to 9:00 p.m. Register/join the meeting at https://us02web.zoom.us/meeting/register/tZEkd-mtrD4sE9cvJ642_2quQb48mENzzdDv
To join by phone: 1-669-900-6833
Meeting ID: 859 0052 5693
Passcode: 271208
The Metropolitan-Greater Oakland Democratic Club (MGO) is the oldest Democratic club in Oakland, and has been involved in Oakland politics and public policy for over 60 years.
Metropolitan-Greater Oakland Democratic Club
Presenting Local Government–Keeping It Accountable–Promoting Democratic Values
Metropolitan Greater Oakland Democratic Club 