San Leandro Democratic Club
The San Leandro Democratic Club (SLDC) is a grassroots organization chartered with the Alameda County Democratic Central Committee. The mission of the SLDC is to promote Democratic Party participation, support Democrats for elected office, work towards the platform and ideals of the Democratic Party, and increase the number of Democrats in San Leandro and surrounding cities through voter registration.
The SLDC meets every fourth Thursday of the month – except August and November – at 6:30 pm. Due to the pandemic we currently meet on Zoom; however, meetings normally take place in the Trustee room of the San Leandro Main Library. A typical meeting has a theme with featured speakers, followed by discussion of items important to the local community and club business. Apart from monthly meetings, the SLDC hosts debates for city office, endorses candidates for local office, volunteers in the community, organizes actions for democratic goals, and drafts and endorses resolutions for the state Democratic Party. The public is cordially invited to attend a meeting before formally joining the club!
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Latest News
March General Meeting – March 23, 2023
The March General Meeting will be held at 6:30 pm on Thursday, March 23 in the Trustee’s Room at the San Leandro Main Library. Featured speaker will be newly elected Councilmember Xouhoa Bowen. She will share her plans and aspirations for her first year and first term of office. Out of respect for our members, masks are preferred for this meeting. The public is welcome.
February General Meeting on February 23, 2023 – Featuring Councilmember Pete Ballew
During February’s General Meeting, Councilmember Pete Ballew brought us up to date on various city activities. Meeting was held at 6:30 pm via Zoom. This was the registration link: http://tiny.cc/gkh4vz.
January General Meeting on January 26, 2023 – Meet the Mayor
During January’s General Meeting, new San Leandro Mayor Juan Gonzalez III outlined his plans and aspirations for San Leandro. Meeting was held at 6:30 pm via Zoom. This was the registration link: http://tiny.cc/c8l3vz.
Holiday Cheer Meeting on December 8
The San Leandro Democratic Club will hold its annual Holiday Cheer virtual meeting on Thursday, December 8, 2022 beginning at 6:00 pm. We will celebrate the holidays and welcome some of our newly elected leaders to share their future plans. Follow this link to register: http://tiny.cc/kjf1vz. Hope to see you then.
October Meeting Adjourned for Voter Participation
The Executive Board met last week to consider the agenda for October’s general meeting. We recognize that you are all very busy and many of you are actively engaged in various campaigns. With this in mind, we decided to cancel this month’s meeting to free up time for the important work that you are doing to support our endorsed candidates and/or one or more of the proposition measures that are on the ballot.
Weekly Digest
To further provide help for the campaigns, this week we are launching a weekly digest of activities available to support our candidates. We have notified the campaigns and have invited them to send us notifications of their events by Tuesday afternoons which we will publish by email to you, our membership, each Thursday until election day.
Statement on Los Angeles City Council
The San Leandro Democratic Club Executive Board calls on LA City Councilmembers Kevin de León and Gil Cedillo to follow former City Council member Nury Martinez and take full accountability for their anti-Black, anti-Indigenous, anti-Oaxacan, homophobic and discriminatory words and actions, or lack thereof, and resign from office.
Mayor Debate Available to View
On August 20, 2022, the San Leandro Democratic Club hosted a debate for city hall candidates at the main library. This is the mayoral debate between Lee Thomas, Juan Gonzalez, and Bryan Azevedo.
Results of City Council and Mayor Endorsement Forum
After attendance of more than 100 people virtually and in-person, results are in for the club endorsements of city hall positions.
District # 1
Celina Reynes – votes received met the threshold for endorsement
District #3
Victor Aguilar – votes received met the threshold for endorsement
District #5
Xouhoa Bowen – votes received met the threshold for endorsement
Mayor
No candidate received the votes required to meet the threshold for endorsement thus no endorsement will be granted.
Thank you to all who participated!
School Board and Other Local Government Positions Meet and Greet, September 22, 2022
The club will meet in September to hear from candidates for the San Leandro School Board and other local government races including Ora Loma Water District and AC Transit. While this is not an endorsement forum, it will be an opportunity to learn more about the candidates and their policy positions. Please join us on Zoom, September 22, from 6:30-8 pm.
City Council and Mayor Endorsement Forum, August 20, 2022
A very important forum for San Leandro residents will take place at the Karp Room in the Main Library from 1-5 pm on August 20, 2022. At this forum, members will hear from the candidates for city council and the candidates for mayor, be able to ask questions in advance, and then vote on endorsements. As usual, the public is welcome to attend, but only people who have joined as members and paid the membership dues before July 28 will be able to vote for the endorsements. While this is an in person event, there is a Zoom attendance option as well http://tiny.cc/7lfvuz. Please join us for this engaging forum!
General Meeting on July 28, 2022
The club will meet in July to review the endorsement results, meet and greet city council and mayor candidates for the November election, and attend to club business. Join us on Zoom at http://tiny.cc/7astuz
Endorsement Results District Attorney and Assembly District 20
After a forum featuring the final candidates for District Attorney and Representative for State Assembly District 20, the San Leandro Democratic Club voted to endorse Pamela Price and Liz Ortega. Thank you to all the participants!
Endorsement Forum for Board of Supervisors Alameda County on May 7 via Zoom
The candidates running for the Board of Supervisors, District 3, will appear and discuss their candidacies at our Zoom forum on May 7, 1-3pm. Participating candidates are: Surlene Grant, David Kakishiba, Rebecca Kaplan and Lena Tam. The Forum resulted in an endorsement for Rebecca Kaplan
General Meeting on May 26 Via Zoom, 6:30 PM
The general meeting will discuss endorsement procedures, upcoming business, and plans for the remainder of the calendar year. Please join us on Zoom @ http:tiny.cc/a9wruz .
March 31 Meeting In Person at Library, Arrive at 5:30 PM, Starts Promptly at 6:00 PM
Hear from the candidates vying for the Assembly District 20 seat. This meeting will take place at the San Leandro Library in the Karp Room on March 31, at 6:00 p.m (please arrive at 5:30 p.m. as it will start promptly), and will be our first in person meeting of the last two years! Even more importantly, those who attend will be able to cast their vote for an endorsement of one of the AD 20 candidates: Jennifer Esteen, Shawn Kumagai, or Liz Ortega.
General Meeting on February 24, at 6:30 p.m.
The San Leandro Democratic Club will be hosting a virtual meeting on February 24th at 6:30 p.m. to meet local Democrats and learn more about the upcoming elections for City Council, State Assembly and so much more! Follow this link to register: http://tiny.cc/0apouz.
Results of Club Elections
Congratulations to our new officers! All positions except the Member at Large will serve two year terms. Thank you to everyone who came to our club elections. We are looking forward to an excellent year ahead with strong leadership.
General Meeting and Club Elections on January 27 at 6:30 pm
The San Leandro Democratic Club will hold their January General Meeting where they will elect officers for the 2022-24 term. You must be a member in good standing and present at the meeting to vote. Follow this link to register and join. The candidates for office are the following:
President Ed Hernandez
Vice President Corina Lopez
Secretary Leslie Robertson
Treasurer Monique Stevenson
Membership Director Jim Prola
At Large Nick Sermeno
At Large Diana Prola
Holiday Party on December 16 at 6:30 pm
Spread holiday cheer with the San Leandro Democratic Club! Our annual holiday party will take place on December 16 at 6:30 pm via Zoom. Some of the activities include gratitude sharing, trivia, and hilarious political carols. Dress up, grab a delicious drink, and be merry.
Call for Nominations
Any club member in good standing can nominate a member for an officer position like President, Vice President, or Membership Coordinator. Nominations are due November 22. Email Monique per the flyer below with a nomination or question. Serving as an officer is a great way to serve the community, advance democratic values, and improve leadership skills!
Enjoy Thanksgiving!
For November, the SLDC will be in recess. Have a great Thanksgiving and be ready to celebrate the cheer of the season at our Holiday Party on December 16.
Meeting Featuring City Councilmember Fred Simon, October 28, 2021, at 6:30 pm
The featured guest speaker for our October meeting is City Councilmember Fred Simon. Topics will include police oversight and mental health response. Additional guest speakers include Miss Addie Kitchen, Steven Taylor’s grandmother; Celina Reynes, SLATE advocate and candidate for city council; and Jenna Hewitt King, a 2020-2021 Teach Plus California Policy Fellow who teaches English at Amador Valley High School in Pleasanton. Please join us for an informative discussion and the opportunity to ask questions directly to our representatives. The meeting will take place via Zoom at http://tiny.cc/5smkuz
Meeting Featuring Vice Mayor Victor Aguilar, September 23, 2021, at 6:30 pm
The SLDC September meeting will feature Vice Mayor Victor Aguilar. He will discuss his achievements in city council, vision for the city, and answer questions from the audience. The meeting will start promptly at 6:30 pm due to the Vice Mayor’s schedule. Please join us by registering for the meeting at: https://tiny.cc/yg8juz
Weekend of Action, August 28-29, 2021
Opportunities abound this weekend to participate in democracy and support democratic candidates. We are featuring support for the crucial NO on the governor recall campaign with numerous actions found at CADEM. What is more, the AD18 special election ends August 31, so supporters of Mia Bonta and Janani Ramachandran still have plenty of opportunities to get out the vote and increase turnout.
Democracy requires participation!
Club Will Be In Recess for August
Enjoy summer vacation and come back in September with a renewed vigor for democracy and civic engagement!
Meeting Featuring Councilmember Ballew, July 22, 2021, at 6:30 pm
The San Leandro Democratic Club will hold its July General Meeting via ZOOM. Our special guest speaker will be Councilmember Pete Ballew. Following his presentation, we will open the floor for a Q & A session. Please join us by registering for the meeting at: https://tiny.cc/465
Meeting to Celebrate Pride, June 24, 2021, at 6:30 pm
Please join the San Leandro Democratic Club to celebrate LGQTBIA+ Pride month! Our featured guest speakers at the monthly meeting include Lavender Seniors of the East Bay, Bay Area Lesbian Archives, and Rainbow San Leandro. This meeting will take place on Zoom: http://tiny.cc/b5aytz
