OC Political

We’re live from the OC GOP Central Committee for early endorsements tonight. Regular endorsements will be in September, and late endorsements will be in October.

The calendar of candidates for early endorsements tonight are below (the Central Committee can move a candidate from the consent calendar to Endorsements Committee to be brought back to Central Committee on September 1):

• Hon. Mike Munzing, Aliso Viejo City Council
• Steve Lodge, Anaheim City Council, District 1
• Wendy Shrove, Capistrano Unified School District, Area 1
• Hon. Jim Reardon, Capistrano Unified School District, Area 2
• Laura Ferguson, Capistrano Unified School District, Area 3
• Hon. Stephen Mensinger, Costa Mesa City Council
• Hon. Allan Mansoor, Costa Mesa City Council
• Lee Ramos, Costa Mesa City Council
• Hon. Bruce Whitaker, Fullerton City Council
• Hon. Steve Jones, Garden Grove Mayor
• Patrick Brenden, Huntington Beach City Council
• Hon. Christina Shea, Irvine City Council
• Hon. Laurie Davies, Laguna Niguel City Council
• John Mark Jennings, Laguna Niguel City Council
• Hon. Jerry Slusiewicz, Laguna Niguel City Council
• Hon. Dwight Robinson, Lake Forest City Council
• Hon. Jim Fisler, Mesa Water District, Division 2
• Hon. Duane Cave, Moulton Niguel Water District, District 6
• Hon. Mark Murphy, Orange City Council
• Hon. Tony Beall, Rancho Santa Margarita City Council
• Hon. Carol Gamble, Rancho Santa Margarita City Council
• Hon. Allan Bernstein, Tustin City Council
• Austin Lumbard, Tustin City Council
• Hon. Charles Puckett, Tustin City Council
• Kimberly Ho, Westminster City Council
• Hon. Gene Hernandez, Yorba Linda City Council
• Tara Campbell, Yorba Linda City Council

Ballot measures being considered tonight are:

• Sales Tax Increases – Endorse the “Oppose” Position
  • Measure HH – Fountain Valley 1% Sales Tax Increase
  • Measure JJ – La Palma 1% Sales Tax Increase
  • Measure SS – Westminster 1% Sales Tax Increase

• Bond Measures – Endorse the “Oppose” Position
  • Measure K – Brea-Olinda Unified School District $148 Million Facilities Bond
  • Measure M – Capistrano Unified School District $889 Million Facilities Bond
  • Measure N – Centralia Elementary School District $49 Million Facilities Bond
  • Measure O – Fountain Valley School District Facilities Bond
  • Measure S – Orange Unified School District $288 Million Facilities Bond
  • Measure T – Westminster School District $76 Million Facilities Bond

The following candidates applied for early endorsements, but are being deferred to Endorsements Committee to return to Central Committee on September 1:

• Mark Lopez, Anaheim City Council, District 5
• Lyn Semeta, Huntington Beach City Council
• Anthony Kuo, Irvine City Council
• Dale Cheema, Irvine City Council
• Hon. Dean Grose, Los Alamitos City Council
• Hon. Jeff Thomas, Municipal Water District of Orange County, Division 6
• Mike Glenn, Newport Beach City Council, District 5
• Lee Lowrey, Newport Beach City Council, District 5
• Will O’Neill, Newport Beach City Council, District 7
• Steven Nguyen, Rancho Santiago Community College District, District 5

Speeches from Supervisor Andrew Do, Bryan Shroyer on behalf of Assemblywoman Young Kim, and Tara Campbell on behalf of Senate candidate/Assemblywoman Ling-Ling Chang were followed by Volunteer of the Month recognition.

Endorsements should be underway shortly.

7:49 PM: OC GOP Chairman Fred Whitaker gives remarks regarding party efforts for the November elections.

He speaks of the re-election bids of Congressman Darrell Issa, Assemblyman Travis Allen, and Assemblyman Matthew Harper.

7:54 PM: Whitaker gives an introduction to the endorsement procedures.

He says endorsements committee will meet August 24 and August 30 for a special Central Committee meeting on September 1.

7:58 PM: Whitaker reports that Garden Grove Councilman Steve Jones requested his endorsement for Mayor be considered at the Endorsements Committee. Motion passes unanimously.

Whitaker moves that Anaheim City Council Candidate Steve Chavez Lodge go to Endorsements Committee. Motion passes unanimously.

Baron Night notes that Irvine Council Candidate Dale Cheema had not submitted an application, so he is being removed from the Endorsements Committee agenda. No motion is needed.

8:00 PM: Thomas Gordon moves that Tustin Council incumbents Allan Bernstein and Chuck Puckett be sent to Endorsements Committee.

Gordon states that Bernstein and Puckett failed to endorse Robert Hammond for Orange County Board of Education against Tustin Councilwoman Beckie Gomez (D).

Brett Barbre states that Bernstein and Puckett are Republican incumbents in good standing with conservative records.

The motion fails, so Bernstein and Puckett remain on the calendar for the evening.

8:06 PM: Deborah Pauly moves that Huntington Beach Council Candidate Patrick Brenden be moved to Endorsements Committee especially in light of Huntington Beach Council Candidate Lyn Semeta being slated for Endorsements Committee and Brenden recently becoming a Republican. Motion passes unanimously.

8:08 PM: Tony Beall moves that Irvine Council Candidate Anthony Kuo be moved from Endorsements Committee to Central Committee because Kuo was erroneously sent to Endorsements Committee because no other Republican in good standing applied.

Whitaker rules it out of order and noted that Irvine Council Candidate Dale Cheema reregistered as a Republican last week.

Parliamentarian Kermit Marsh explains the rules behind Whitaker’s ruling.

Brett Barbre notes that MWDOC Director Jeff Thomas has applied for the endorsement while his opponent, Mission Viejo Mayor Frank Ury, has not.

Kathy Tavoularis questions why a brand new Republican can cause a Republican in good standing to be delayed to Endorsements Committee.

An unknown voice moves Christina Shea to the Endorsements Committee. The motion dies for lack of a second.

Secretary Peggy Huang appeals from the ruling of the Chair on the Kuo endorsement. The motion passes.

There is a unanimous voice vote in favor of the Beall motion to put Kuo back on tonight’s agenda.

8:21 PM: Thomas Gordon moves that Steven Nguyen for Rancho Santiago Community College District Trustee Area 5 be moved to tonight’s agenda from the Endorsements Committee agenda.

Brett Barbre moves that MWDOC Director Jeff Thomas be moved to tonight’s agenda from the Endorsements Committee agenda.

Someone moves that Huntington Beach Council Candidate Lyn Semeta be moved to tonight’s agenda from the Endorsements Committee agenda.

Deborah Pauly moves that Los Alamitos Council incumbent Dean Grose be moved to tonight’s agenda from the Endorsements Committee agenda.

Whitaker rules all four motions out of order.

Brett Barbre appeals the ruling of the chair.

After an impassioned speech by Parliamentarian Kermit Marsh about following the rules, Barbre withdraws the motion.

8:33 PM: The Central Committee votes unanimously to endorse the Republican nominees for Congress, the State Senate, and the State Assembly.

8:34 PM: Whitaker moves for passage of the entire list of candidates as amended.

Motion passes unanimously.

8:36 PM: Whitaker moves for passage of the list of three oppose positions on the sales tax increase measures.

Motion passes unanimously.

8:38 PM: Whitaker moves for passage of the list of six oppose positions on the school bond measures.

Motion passes unanimously.

8:39 PM: Various club announcements are being made.

8:48 PM: Whitaker adjourns in memory of former School Board Member/Assemblywoman/Senator/Supervisor/Secretary of Education Marian Bergeson.