The Democratic Party delegates for the 10th Congressional district gathered either in person or via proxy to vote Saturday to determine if there would be a party wide endorsement in the upcoming open primary September 1st.
The rules require that a candidate receive 60% of the votes cast to get an endorsement. Considering that this is a party that vehemently opposes the 2/3 rule in California financial matters, that it requires a super-majority on its internal policies is rather amusing. However, that is a topic for another time.
The votes in an unofficial report came out as:
149 Mark DeSaulnier
74 Joan Buchanan
54 John Garamendi
-0- Adriel Hampton and Anthony Woods
8 either no votes or declined to vote.
285 Total
The results offer something for everyone:
- The DeSaulnier campaign could rightly claim a majority victory
- The Buchanan camp could claim a second place ahead of Garamendi
- The Garamendi campaign could tout that DeSaulnier did not get an outright endorsement,
- Hampton and Woods could claim that it was verification of their outsider status since the party elites and their proxies ignored them.
NB: It is doubtful that the percentages from above will be reflected in the actual results in the Open Primary of September 1st. There will be voters supporting Woods and Hampton. Also consider potential cross over votes from independents and minority parties (Republicans, Green, Libertarian, American Independents etc.). These voters may prefer to vote for one of the Democrats thus further fracturing the relative vote outcome.
{ 6 comments… read them below or add one }
Rob – the poll in May, from my understanding was done by the Garamendi campaign…hmmmm
Was that lesser party kinsmen or Klansmen?
Hear, hear children. Pay no mind to this “Cyberdog.” Our holy anointed Republican favorite son candidate will smite the heathen Democrats, and crush the Green, P&F, and AIP pipsqueaks as well as his lesser party kinsmen all, upon the Day of Prophecy, September 1.
And if that doesn’t work, there’s always Diebold.
Make that “favorable” rating, rather than “approval.”
In a May 09 poll, Garamendi was ahead of all other dems by several points. He also has an 80% approval rating. Who says DeSaulnier is a given?
DeSaulnier will get the most votes in the primary. He won’t get an out right majority because of the divided democratic field. Then he will crush the Republican in the run off election.