Democratic Club
by Mary Larson
LW contributor
Last week, Leisure World residents joined voters from around the state in a resounding victory for Gov. Gavin Newsom in the Republican-initiated recall election. According to the Sept. 15, 5 p.m. report from the Orange County Registrar of Voters, LW Democrats and their supporters cast 486 more “No on the Recall” votes than votes supporting the recall.
A closer look at the available statistics is even more revealing. There are currently 367 more registered Republicans than registered Democrats in Leisure World (2,999 Republicans and 2,632 Democrats). In addition, there are over 1,000 residents who are registered without declaring a party affiliation.
In comparing these Leisure World registration statistics to the actual voting in the Sept. 14 election, it becomes obvious that LW voters not affiliated with either of the two major political papers voted primarily with the Democrats in opposition to the recall of the governor. The 2,802 LW votes cast in support of Gov. Newsom was actually 230 higher than the number of registered Democrats in the community. In contrast, the 2,316 Leisure World vote in support of the recall was 683 less than the number of registered Republicans.
The recall could end up costing the state of California more than $300 million, according to the Secretary of State.
••• LW Democratic Club members came together via Zoom for its regularly scheduled monthly meeting on Sept. 15. This meeting— held only one day after the defeat of the efforts to recall the governor—featured a speaker who warned members about another possible recall effort.
During the meeting, Marlys Davidson, president of the Los Alamitos USD School Board, reported that efforts are underway to try to recall three of the board members. If this recall does materialize, it will be on the November 2022 General Election ballot. All costs involved in conducting this recall would have to be paid for by the school district.
Davidson spoke passionately of her concerns about efforts to recall local school boards and city council members across the nation. She expressed the view that this was a part of a larger plan to get conservative voters vested in coming to the polls in 2022 with the hope of taking back Congress and establishing stronger footholds in states across the nation.
She also outlined events that lead to the Los Alamitos Board unanimously adopting elective ethnic studies for its high school students as well as social justice standards as guideposts for instruction through 12th grade.
The Democratic Club will report further on these issues in subsequent news releases.
••• LW Democrats and supporters who are interested in more in-depth, up-to-date reporting on the issues can subscribe to the club’s electronic newsletter. There is no charge, although readers are also encouraged to join the club if they are not already members. Email democraticclubsblw@gmail.com or call editor Mary Larson at (562) 296-8521 to subscribe.
