May 2017 Monthly Meeting Minutes
34th District Democrats
Monthly Membership Meeting
5/10/17
The Hall at Fauntleroy
- Meeting called to order at 7:02 by Chair David Ginsberg
- Pledge of Allegiance
- Recognition of VIPs and Elected Officials:
- Pete Holmes – Running for re-election, Seattle City Attorney
- Running for his third term as Seattle City Attorney, requests the 34th’s endorsement
- Bob Hasegawa – Current State Senator, 11th Legislative District, running for Seattle City Mayor
- Update: Special Session of the State Legislature is likely.
- Requests the 34th’s endorsement in his Mayoral bid
- Dow Constantine – King County Executive
- Requests the 34th’s endorsement in his re-election bid
- Joe Fitzgibbon – State Representative for the 34th, Position 2
- Let’s help to Flip the 45th!
- John Urquhart – King County Sheriff
- Requests the 34th’s endorsement in his re-election bid, does not want to see the Sherriff’s department slide backwards, referencing the Stranger Slog article about the King County
- Sheriff’s deputy who was fired for contaminating a homeless person’s water bottle with pepper spray
- Eileen Cody – State Representative for the 34th, Position 1
- Judge David Mann – Washington State Court of Appeals Division 1
- Requests the 34th’s endorsement in his re-election bid
- Lorena González – Seattle City Council Position 9, At Large.
- Requests the 34th’s endorsement in her re-election bid
- Joe McDermott – King County Council Chair
- Update on the Veteran’s and Human Services Levy. It expires at the end of the year, he will push to both maintain and extend it
- Liz Giba – North Highline Fire Commissioner
- Requests the 34th’s endorsement in her re-election bid
- Nancy Tosta – Burien City Council, Position 5
- Requests the 34th’s endorsement in her re-election bid
- Lisa Herbold – Seattle City Council District 1
- Update: Current focus is passing a city-wide income tax. She is working with Trump-proof Seattle to write a smart, bulletproof plan that will get rid of our regressive sales tax. She is hoping for a full council vote in late July
- Pete Holmes – Running for re-election, Seattle City Attorney
- Approval of the Minutes – (M)oved, (Seconded) and (P)assed
- Adoption of the Agenda – MSP
- Chairs Report –
- The April Meeting’s Endorsement vote was illegal according to the bylaws. This was determined after a study of the bylaws and consultation with the County and State parliamentarians. Hence, the April endorsement vote for Seattle City Council Position 8 was invalid. A re-vote will be taken tonight. Candidates MUST attest that they are Democrats to be eligible for endorsement consideration
- Members who will be eligible to vote are those members who were:
- Members in good standing at the April meeting
- Members in good standing last year and who have paid their membership dues at tonight’s meeting
- State Committee Report –
- Lisa Plymate is confident that the State Party is in good hands with Chair Tina Podlodowski.
- Meeting format has been changed, and more time is being spent working rather than waiting.
- Lisa is on the Election and Endorsement Committees and Chris Porter is Co-Chair of the Affirmative Action committee. The Heroes’ Narrative from Fuse Washington is being utilized as it recognizes the value of messaging, and not just the recitation of facts and figures. We as a party need to take a page from the GOP’s playbook and create a narrative. The State Party budget has leapt from $2,000 to $17,000 a month. And, if someone is a good Democrat and is prepared to race, we as a party will support them, as EVERY RACE MATTERS.
- June first will kick off a summer of canvassing, where our PCOs will go door to door and just listen to the residents in their precincts.
- Chris reminded the membership to PLEASE mind their recycling, as too much trash lately has been mixed in with the recycling, thereby contaminating it and rendering it garbage
- Presentation on the Democracy Voucher program by Program Manager René LeBeau:
- Program goals are to increase the amount of campaign contributions and to increase the number of candidates running. 3 candidates have qualified for the program and 8 more are in the process of qualifying. There have been 3300 unique contributors and $200,000 paid out to candidates. The names of contributors and the amounts of their contributions are on the program’s website. June 2nd is the deadline for candidates to apply for them. A media announcement is forthcoming to inform which candidates qualified and the process for replacing lost vouchers
- Consideration of Primary Ballot Endorsements
- Seattle City Council Position 8
- Teresa Mosqueda, Jon Grant, (A point of information was raised asking if Jon Grant was a Democrat, which Chair advised would be taken up later), Hisam Goueli, Sara Nelson and No Endorsement were all moved and seconded for endorsement consideration. It was pointed out that a vote of No Endorsement would require 60% of the vote to pass. Hisam, Teresa and Sara all declared themselves to be Democrats. Jon Grant stated that he was not and removed himself for consideration, asking his supporters to vote No Endorsement
- Lisa Plymate spoke for Teresa Mosqueda.
- Peggy Tlapak spoke for Non Endorsement, which was ruled out of order by the Chair.
- Jimmy Haun spoke for Teresa
- Rachel Glass spoke for Hisam Goueli.
- No speakers against.
- Michael Matt Miller spoke for Sara Nelson.
- No speakers against.
- Chas Redman and Dave Toledo spoke for No Endorsement, stating that it frees PCOs to door knock their conscience.
- Brooks Salazar spoke against No Endorsement, stating that’s not what the 34th is about.
- No other speakers in favor of No Endorsement
- Seattle City Council Position 8
- 8:00 Credentials Report, Balloting and Vote Tallying in process
- Meanwhile:
- Annie Phillips moved to have Nancy Tosta added to the Block Endorsement Slate. After some parliamentary back and forth, it was allowed.
- Martha Koester moved to have Liz Giba added to the Block Endorsement Slate.
- King County Councilman Dave Upthegrove arrives and is acknowledged.
- 8:06 – Vote tallying continues. Credentials report is given.
- 94 voting members present.
- Vote tallying concludes. Teresa Mosqueda wins the sole endorsement of the 34th District Democrats with 63.3% and 60 votes.
- In descending order, No Endorsement 22.3%/21 votes, 9.6/9 votes Hisam Goueli, and Sara Nelson 4.3/4 votes.
- 8:08 – Teresa thanks the membership
- Marcee Stone-Vekich moved that Stephanie Bowman be added to the Block Endorsement Slate.
- Final Block Endorsement Slate:
- King County Executive Dow Constantine
KC Sheriff John Urquhart
Seattle City Attorney Pete Holmes
Seattle Position 9 Councilmember Lorena González
KC District 5 Councilmember Dave Upthegrove
Burien City Councilmember Nancy Tosta
North Highline Fire Commissioner Liz Giba
Seattle Port Commissioner Stephanie Bowman
- King County Executive Dow Constantine
- All are endorsed.
- Port Commissioner Position 4 is brought up.
- A vote to sustain the Chair passes vs a motion to endorse Port Commissioner Position 4.
- Chairs decision is appealed and overruled.
- Max Vekich moved to endorse John Persak for Port Commission Position 4.
- Seconded.
- Patrick Wicklund moved to endorse Brooks Salazar for Port Commission Position 4.
- Seconded.
- Brooks Salazar moved to endorse Jacob Richardson for Port Commission Position 4.
- Seconded.
- John Persak spoke for himself and declared as a Democrat.
- Brooks Salazar spoke on time yielded by Patrick Wicklund and declared as a Democrat.
- Marcee Stone-Vekich spoke vs Brooks Salazar, pointed out that the ILWU works at, not for, the Port.
- Brought up that Brooks may have had an advantage over any opponents due to his role as PCO Committee Chair and access to member list. Ted Barker spoke for Brooks Salazar and stated that he was not contacted by Brooks regarding this matter.
- Jacob Richardson spoke on time yielded by Brooks Salazar and declared as a Democrat.
- 8:30 Paper ballot taken and votes tallied.
- John Persak has 45 votes 57.7%, followed by Jacob Richardson with 18 votes and 23.1% and Brooks Salazar with 15 votes and 19.2%.
- Runoff ballot is taken for Port Commission Position 4.
- Jim Matta, candidate for Burien City Council addressed the membership and requested their endorsement.
- John Persak wins endorsement with 52 votes and 69.3%. Jacob Richardson has 23 votes and 30.6%
- Port Commissioner Position #1
- Norm Sigler, Ryan Calkins, and John Creighton all were moved and seconded for endorsement. All were declared Democrats.
- Norm Sigler and Ryan Calkins both spoke for themselves.
- Ivan Weiss spoke for John Creighton.
- Justin Hersh spoke against John Creighton
- Vote was taken and tallied, Ryan Calkins wins sole endorsement, 48 votes and 71%. Norm Sigler had 15 votes with 22%, and John Creighton with 5 votes and 7%
- David Mann moved for endorsement for Washington Court of Appeals Position 1.
- Seconded.
- Peter Goldman spoke for him, no one against.
- Motion for Endorsement passed by acclamation
- Krystal Marks moved for endorsement for Burien City Council Position 7.
- Seconded.
- No other candidates, and endorsed by acclamation
- Pedro Orguin moved for endorsement for Burien City Council Position 1.
- Seconded.
- No other candidates, and endorsed by acclamation
- Jimmy Matta moved for endorsement for Burien City Council Position 3.
- Seconded.
- No other candidates, and endorsed by acclamation
- No additional endorsements put forth
- John Persak has 45 votes 57.7%, followed by Jacob Richardson with 18 votes and 23.1% and Brooks Salazar with 15 votes and 19.2%.
- No Old Business
- New Business
- Brooks Salazar running a class on how to use Vote Builder, Sundays from 1-2pm
- Treasurer’s Report
- 518 Members!
- $16,905.74 in the bank
- $700 raised at the Earth Day fundraiser
- $674 collected in Membership Dues
- Good of the Order
- Chris Porter with a reminder to sort recycling.
- Marcee Stone-Vekich reminded the membership to “Decline to Sign” Initiative 1552, which curtails rights for the Transgendered to use the restroom with which they identify.
- Ted Barker reminded the membership of the South King County Democrats Spaghetti Feed.
- 9:13 – Adjournment to Whisky West.
- Good of the Order
- 9:50 – Meeting Adjourned.