Clairemont Democratic Club

Hello, Clairemont Democrats!

Our next club meeting will start at 7:00pm on Tuesday, March 13 at Elijah’s Restaurant (7061 Clairemont Mesa Blvd., San Diego, CA 92111). Join us a little early at 6:00pm to eat dinner and network with fellow Democrats!

We will welcome two guest speakers: Samuel Tsoi from the Welcoming San Diego project, and Joe LaCava from the NO position of the SoccerCity proposal.

Samuel Tsoi is the assistant director for the 21st Century China Center at the UC San Diego’s School of Global Policy & Strategy, where he manages communications, events, and development initiatives to promote policy-relevant research and constructive discourse on U.S.-China relations. He is also a RISE Urban Leadership Fellow, partnering with leaders across sectors to advance immigrant integration through Welcoming San Diego.

Prior to moving to California, he held roles in advocacy, community engagement, and media relations in Massachusetts government and legislative affairs. Samuel is a graduate of Gordon College (BA) and the University of Massachusetts Boston (MS) and has completed advanced studies at Boston University and Harvard Kennedy School. He has published articles on urban development, leadership, and Asian American affairs. Samuel and his wife Amanda, a public school teacher, are raising two daughters in San Diego.

Joe LaCava is a Democratic Party activist and prominent advocate of community participation in the city’s planning process. He graduated from San Diego State University and is owner of LaCava Consulting. He is the former chair of the San Diego Community Planners Committee, the umbrella organization to the city’s 42 community planning groups, and was briefly a candidate for San Diego City Council in 2016. He currently serves on the eBoards of the Democrats for Environmental Action and Citizens Coordinate for Century 3 (C-3). Joe is a member of several democratic clubs including Clairemont, has been appointed to several city boards, and sits on several coalitions focusing on housing and transit.

As I mentioned previously, if you have suggestions or ideas about meeting topics or event types that you’d like us to host, please email them to me or visit our Facebook page.

MEMBERSHIP RENEWALS! Club dues were due in January! If you would like to join, or renew your club membership ($20 dues), please do so on our membership page. You may also renew at the meeting. Or, if you would prefer to mail a check, here is our PO Box information:

Clairemont Democratic Club
PO Box 178846
San Diego, CA 92117

It is our shared responsibility to ensure that people are informed, educated, and not mystified by stage craft, economic bribery or the feeling of helplessness. We have so many exciting things in store for our Clairemont Democratic Club members. We look forward to seeing each and every one of you at one (but hopefully all) of our meetings and events.

Hello, Clairemont Democrats!

Our next club meeting will start at 7:00pm on Tuesday, February 13 at Elijah’s Restaurant (7061 Clairemont Mesa Blvd., San Diego, CA 92111). Join us a little early at 6:00pm to eat dinner and network with fellow Democrats!

MEMBERSHIP RENEWALS! Club dues were due in January! If you would like to join, or renew your club membership ($20 dues), please do so on our membership page. You may also renew at the meeting on January 9th. Or, if you would prefer to mail a check, here is our PO Box information:

Clairemont Democratic Club
PO Box 178846
San Diego, CA 92117

Our guest speaker will be Dr. Alan Gin, Associate Professor of Economics at University of San Diego.

As I mentioned previously, if you have suggestions or ideas about meeting topics or event types that you’d like us to host, please email them to me or visit our Facebook page.

Our San Diego County Democratic Party is hosting their first-ever gubernatorial debate on Thursday, February 22nd! Don’t miss this rare opportunity to see the top 4 candidates onstage together:

• Lieutenant Governor Gavin Newsom,
• former Los Angeles Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa,
• former Superintendent of Public Instruction Delaine Eastin, and
• State Treasurer John Chiang.

For more information, check out the event on the party’s website here.

It is our shared responsibility to ensure that people are informed, educated, and not mystified by stage craft, economic bribery or the feeling of helplessness. We have so many exciting things in store for our Clairemont Democratic Club members. We look forward to seeing each and every one of you at one (but hopefully all) of our meetings and events.

Stephen “Steph” Groce, Clairemont Democratic Club President

Hi Clairemont Democrats,

It feels like just yesterday we were celebrating the turning of the year into 2017, but here we are at the start of 2018! 2017 felt like the longest year that any of us have ever experienced, and 2018 is shaping up to feel the same.

However, building on the energy and excitement of our club’s participation and successes in 2017 led by Dr. Jen Campbell as our club President, I take the helm and our newly elected Board will have large shoes to fill! I am confident that our 2018 Board is up for the challenge of continuing our club’s soaring success!

This is such an exciting year for all of us as we make history with an experienced Executive Board, a powerhouse of seasoned politically focused members working together for the greater good of our ever-growing Democratic club.

We have started 2018 on a high note by hosting our first meeting of the year earlier this month. The Labor 101 presentation, which discussed the history of Unions and our very own San Diego Union efforts in combating support of the Executive branch of the government, was attended by several members and guests at Elijah’s Restaurant.

New Democratic Club Presidents & Central Committee members being sworn-in

In 2018, our Board is focused on providing our members with new learning opportunities that apply to our #BlueWave2018 movement and common focus of maintaining a free, fair, open, safe, and inclusive environment for our Democrat peers, our neighbors, and our communities. We are hopeful that these learning opportunities will keep our members and guests ahead of the curve for the ever-changing environment.

This year we aim to increase membership participation by hosting unique events, collaborative meetings, morning coffee events, participation in after work mixers hosted by other Dem clubs or community organizations. We are in the midst of a storm and the weather does not appear to be clearing until later this year in November, however the storm will pass and our club will remain at the wheel of change and support.

I believe in flying the flag of #TwoToneBlue because we have Dems who are focused on the Environment, Dems who are LGBTQ and fight for equality, Dems who are entrenched in Labor, Dems who focus on Immigration and Race equity, Dems who own their own businesses to be able to provide for their family, Dems who are moderate or centrist and believe that it will take all parties to find balance, Dems who are young, seniors, professionals, progressives or are focused on animals. At the end of the day, they are all Democrats and believe in being Blue regardless of their focus. #TwoToneBlue

If you have suggestions or ideas about meeting topics or event types that you’d like us to host, please email them to me or visit our Facebook page. It is our shared responsibility to ensure that people are informed, educated, and not mystified by stage craft, economic bribery or the feeling of helplessness. We have so many exciting things in store for our Clairemont Democratic Club members. We look forward to seeing each and every one of you at one (but hopefully all) of our meetings and events.

Hold Fast! It will be a wild ride,

Hello, Clairemont Democrats!

Our next club meeting will start at 7:00pm on Tuesday, January 9 at Elijah’s Restaurant (7061 Clairemont Mesa Blvd., San Diego, CA 92111). Join us a little early at 6:00pm to eat dinner and network with fellow Democrats!

MEMBERSHIP RENEWALS! We will all need to renew our club dues in January. If you would like to join, or renew your club membership ($20 dues), please do so on our membership page. You may also renew at the meeting on January 9th. Or, if you would prefer to mail a check, here is our PO Box information:

Clairemont Democratic Club
PO Box 178846
San Diego, CA 92117

Our guest speaker will be Nate Fairman from the San Diego Labor Democratic Club. Nate will give us a presentation on “Labor 101” and why it is critical to stand with our labor union allies, especially during this union-busting Trump administration.

Also, the nominating committee has the following slate for the Jan. 9 officer elections for our Clairemont Dem Club:

Stephen Groce – President
Rhoda Quate – Vice President
Debbie MacDonald – Secretary
Linda Carston – Treasurer

Only club members in good standing may vote. Nominations may be made from the floor at the meeting. Anyone else interested in running for these elected positions should let Dr. Jen know ASAP.

Other Board positions will be appointed by the Board. As of January:

Hospitality Chair – Mary Bradley-Fowler
IT Chair – Ryan Trabuco
Membership Chair – vacant
Political Action Chair – vacant
Photographer – Suzanne Hawkins
Past President – Jen Campbell, MD

Happy Chanukah, Happy Kwanza, Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!

Hello, Clairemont Democrats!

Our next club meeting will be Tuesday, November 14 at 7:00pm inside the meeting room at Elijah’s Restaurant, 7061 Clairemont Mesa Blvd.

We will host a forum for San Diego City Council, District 2. As you may know, Republican incumbent Lorie Zapf is utilizing a legal loophole in the City Charter to run for a THIRD term! The district includes West and South Clairemont (Bay Ho and Bay Park), Morena and west Linda Vista, Pacific Beach, Mission Beach, Ocean Beach, Midway, and Point Loma.

Democrats have a 10-point registration advantage, and there are more voters registered as No Party Preference than registered Republicans. In the 2016 Presidential Election, Donald Trump only received 30% of the vote, and did not win a single precinct in District 2.

Candidates who have publicly declared their intent to run have been sent the Questionnaire for possible endorsement. Only candidates who have returned the questionnaire will be considered for an endorsement. We will have time for talks from each candidate followed by a Q&A, and then a brief summation from each candidate. We will entertain a motion for endorsement and if approved, the candidates will leave the room while the Club members hold their discussion and vote, after which the candidates will be given the results.

If you have not yet paid your $20 dues for 2017, please do so on our membership page, or by the upcoming meeting by cash, check or credit card, or mail your check to: Clairemont Democratic Club, PO Box 178846, San Diego, CA, 92117. If you have need for financial forgiveness on these dues, please let us know!

Hello, Clairemont Democrats!

Our next club meeting will be Tuesday, October 10 at 7:00pm inside the meeting room at Elijah’s Restaurant, 7061 Clairemont Mesa Blvd.

We will host a forum for San Diego County Supervisor, District 4. As you may know, longtime Republican incumbent Ron Roberts is termed out and his seat on the Board is open. Republicans are running former District Attorney Bonnie Dumanis. The district, which includes all of Clairemont, has 2-1 voter registration in favor of Democrats.

Each candidate has been sent the Questionnaire for possible endorsement, which must be returned to us for consideration of endorsement. We will have a time for brief 5 minute talks from each candidate followed by a Q&A, and then a brief 1 minute summation from each candidate. We will entertain a motion for endorsement and if approved, the candidates will leave the room while the Club members hold their discussion and vote, after which the candidates will be given the results.

If you have not yet paid your $20 dues for 2017, please do so on our membership page, or by the upcoming meeting by cash, check or credit card, or mail your check to: Clairemont Democratic Club, PO Box 178846, San Diego, CA, 92117. If you have need for financial forgiveness on these dues, please let us know!

Hello, Clairemont Democrats!

Our next club meeting will be Tuesday, August 8 at 7:00pm inside the meeting room at Elijah’s Restaurant, 7061 Clairemont Mesa Blvd.

We will hear from Assemblymember Todd Gloria!

The club will also be considering 2018 friendly incumbent endorsements for Congressman Scott Peters and Assemblymember Todd Gloria for their re-elections.

If you have not yet paid your $20 dues for 2017, please do so on our membership page, or by the upcoming meeting by cash, check or credit card, or mail your check to: Clairemont Democratic Club, PO Box 178846, San Diego, CA, 92117. If you have need for financial forgiveness on these dues, please let us know!

Finally, at our September 12th meeting we will welcome 2018 candidate for the 77th Assembly District Sunday Gover, who will also discuss the state’s housing crisis.