(March 14, 2008) -- LB Democratic Club members gathered at the Bixby Knolls IHOP on Thursday night (March 13) for their endorsement meeting to choose their favored Dem candidate in the 54th district LB-area Assembly race.

Two members of LB's City Council -- Vice Mayor Bonnie Lowenthal and Councilwoman Tonia Reyes Uranga -- are on the June 2008 Dem primary ballot, seeking to succeed term-limited incumbent Assemblywoman Betty Karnette (D, LB). (The winner of the June primary advances to a November 2008 election against a Repub and nominees of other parties).

Among 75 LB Democratic Club members casting secret ballots, Vice Mayor Bonnie Lowenthal received 55 votes; Councilwoman Tonia Reyes Uranga received 17 votes; and three ballots were voted as no endorsement.

Asked for reaction, Vice Mayor Lowenthal told LBReport.com: "This was really a wonderful victory because the Long Beach Democratic Club has been around a long time and having two strong Democratic candidates, I'm very proud of receiving 73% of the votes. I'm so pleased that people that I respect tremendously have given their confidence to me, that I can win and that I should win and that I'll be their next Assemblymember."

Reached for her reaction, Councilwoman Reyes Uranga said, "I've won two other Democratic group endorsements, including Progressive Democrats who voted 29-6 for me, and now Bonnie has won one. When I walked in and saw that she'd filled the room with her familymembers and staffs and their familymembers, I realized perhaps I should have brought my aunts and uncles too."

Prior to the vote, each candidate was given the opportunity to speak for about 10 minutes; we weren't present but we're told that it was respectful without any major rhetorical explosions; Vice Mayor Lowenthal was confident and gracious; Councilwoman Reyes Uranga was polite and took a few pokes at Lowenthal.

Among those attending (presumed Lowenthal supporters, titles for ID): Councilwoman Suja Lowenthal, spouse Daniel Lowenthal; Vice Mayor Lowenthal's Chief of Staff Niki Tenant; State Senate 25th dist. candidate Roderick Wright. Among presumed Reyes Uranga supporters (titles for ID): State Senator Jenny Oropeza (D., southbay) and Councilwoman Reyes Uranga Chief of Staff Ray Pok.

The vote of LB Democratic Club members present was conducted by secret ballot.

LB Democratic Club President James Johnson said Club members were eligible to vote if they'd been members for more than a month and said the event was "what I'd call real 'small d' democracy. It didn't take $250 to get into this room; it was free. You could come and ask [both candidates] questions...It's about people talking to their politicians one on one."

Among those celebrating the results [titles for ID]: Sam Hall, District office representative for State Sen. Alan Lowenthal; Vice Mayor Bonnie Lowenthal, City Hall Diversity and Economic Opportunity Officer Jesse Johnson. Observing: LB Democratic Club President James Johnson.

We asked Councilwoman Reyes Uranga about a poll, conducted by the Lowenthal campaign and previously reported by the Press-Telegram, showing Vice Mayor Lowenthal with a substantial lead among voters districtwide. A Lowenthal campaign supporter subsequently told us that the poll, conducted across the 54th Assembly district [not just LB] in February showed that if an election were held at that time, 30% of respondents indicated they'd vote for Bonnie Lowenthal with 20% leaning her way, while 8% indicated they'd vote for Reyes Uranga with about 3% leaning toward her; 34% were unsure whom to support; the poll involved 400 households in LB, PV and San Pedro with results basically same throughout the district.

Councilwoman Reyes Uranga replied. "Name recognition is one thing, but when voters start to evaluate Bonnie and me as candidates, it'll be a totally different story." She added, "This is typical strategy by Parke Skelton [veteran area campaign manager, being used by the Lowenthal campaign] to release a poll they ran and pretend the election is over and they've won."

What about Bonnie's endorsements? "Look at my list of endorsements," Reyes Uranga shot back.

What's happens next? Within the Party apparatus, Dems hold a "preconvention" this weekend prior to their statewide convention March 28-30 in San Jose. A candidate receiving 70% of the delegate vote at the preconvention can get on a Party consent calendar to receive the statewide Party endorsement. If there's less than 70% approval at the preconvention, a caucus of local Party faithful takes place, and its choice gets the Party's endorsement (and resources that come with it).

Then, it's up to Dem voters in the 54th Assembly district...who in June will have the ballot choice of either Vice Mayor Lowenthal or Councilwoman Reyes Uranga. The winner progresses to the November 2008 race against a Republican (and candidates of other parties) in the Dem-drawn, Dem-majority district (which includes a fair number of independent voters).

Less than a year ago in June 2007, a local Dem Party caucus in connection with the special election to succeed the late Cong. Juanita Millender-McDonald (D., Carson-LB) endorsed Senator Jenny Oropeza (D., southbay) over then-Assemblywoman Laura Richardson (D., Carson-LB). Asked for her comment on that day, Assemblywoman Richardson told us that the race had just begun. She went on to energize her own support base and prevailed in a multi-candidate special election.

"This isn't a coronation, it's an election," Councilwoman Reyes Uranga said, adding "Democrats have a choice. This is about democracy, and I'm a Democrat."