{"id":6918,"date":"2026-05-16T15:04:27","date_gmt":"2026-05-16T15:04:27","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/siliconvalleymovingpost.com\/?p=6918"},"modified":"2026-05-16T15:04:27","modified_gmt":"2026-05-16T15:04:27","slug":"in-an-orange-county-assembly-race-a-fight-brews-over-who-can-endorse-the-democratic-candidates","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/siliconvalleymovingpost.com\/?p=6918","title":{"rendered":"In an Orange County Assembly race, a fight brews over who can endorse the Democratic candidates"},"content":{"rendered":"
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What\u2019s in a name? When it comes to endorsements in an Orange County Assembly race this year, that might matter.<\/p>\n

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A fight erupted this week in the race for California\u2019s 68th Assembly District over two clubs listed as endorsers by Santa Ana Councilmember Jessie Lopez. Among a bevy of organizations cataloged on the website were \u201cAnaheim Democrats\u201d and \u201cSanta Ana Democratic Club.\u201d<\/p>\n

The problem, according to the Democratic Party of Orange County: Those two clubs are not chartered with the official state or county party.<\/p>\n

So the party sent a cease and desist letter to Lopez dated Wednesday, telling her to remove the clubs from campaign materials or the DPOC could \u201cpursue appropriate legal and administrative remedies, including referral to the California Democratic Party, the FPPC, and any other appropriate authority.\u201d<\/p>\n

Lopez is one of three Democrats in the four-candidate race for California\u2019s 68th Assembly District. The Democratic Party has endorsed Santa Ana Mayor Pro Tem David Penaloza, whose campaign blasted a news release about the cease and desist Thursday.<\/p>\n

Lopez, in an interview, said she was \u201chappy to comply\u201d with the county party\u2019s request, and by Thursday, both groups were scrubbed from her campaign website.<\/p>\n

Still, she disagreed with the demand that she could not list two groups on her website simply because they included the word \u201cDemocrat\u201d in their names.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe\u2019re not here to fight with our local party. We\u2019re here to be collaborative,\u201d Lopez said. \u201cBut there\u2019s a reason the local clubs are wanting independence of what they can do and who they can support.<\/p>\n

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\u201cI strongly disagree that any candidate seeking to represent a community is barred from engaging or hearing from that community.\u201d<\/p>\n

In its letter, the DPOC said bylaws of the state and county party say only the California Democratic Party and the duly authorized county central committees possess the authority to charter Democratic clubs.<\/p>\n

The Anaheim club, it said, lost its charter in 2024 and is no longer recognized by the DPOC. The Santa Ana group also is not a chartered club recognized by either the DPOC or state party. Neither group appears among the more than two dozen listed on the DPOC\u2019s website.<\/p>\n

In its letter, the county party said \u201cthe representation of endorsements from organizations that are not duly chartered may raise serious concerns regarding compliance with California campaign and disclosure laws, including potential issues under the jurisdiction of the Fair Political Practices Commission.\u201d<\/p>\n

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Vern Nelson, who runs the Anaheim club, doesn\u2019t dispute that his group is no longer chartered with the party.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe never told everybody we were chartered. No one asks about or knows what charters are,\u201d Nelson said.\u00a0\u201cWe\u2019re a club of Democrats in Anaheim. They don\u2019t own any of those words.\u201d<\/p>\n

The DPOC has twice sent Nelson\u2019s group cease and desist letters \u2014 one dated in March 2025 and another in April 2025. The letter said the club should stop \u201cusing the words \u2018Democrat,\u2019 \u2018Democratic,\u2019 or \u2018Dem\u2019 in the name of your club orany associated materials.\u201d<\/p>\n

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Nelson said the group considered the request but ultimately \u201cthought about it and laughed,\u201d and still call themselves the \u201cAnaheim Democrats Club.\u201d Some 50 people attend meetings, Nelson said, and more than 200 are on its mailing list. Lately, they\u2019ve been advocating for rent control measures in Anaheim, he said.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe are a club. We are in Anaheim. We\u2019re Democrats,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n

Florice Hoffman, chair of the DPOC, said including non-chartered Democratic clubs could confuse the average voter into thinking a candidate is backed by the \u201cofficial\u201d party.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe only one that can endorse is the California Democratic Party,\u201d Hoffman said. \u201cPutting those logos on her website makes it seem like the Democratic Party is endorsing her, to the average person.\u201d<\/p>\n

Political parties aren\u2019t trademarked, Jason Mills, a spokesperson for the DPOC, said in an email. The DPOC, though, noted California elections code does prohibit an organization from using a political party in its name \u201cto directly or indirectly solicit funds\u201d with the implication that they are \u201cfor the use of that political party.\u201d<\/p>\n

Now that the groups are removed from Lopez\u2019s website, Hoffman considers the issue with Lopez \u201cresolved.\u201d<\/p>\n

But the latest kerfuffle over who can officially call themselves a Democrat underscores an already contentious \u2014 and expensive \u2014 race for the 68th Assembly District.<\/p>\n

Lopez is backed by various labor groups, including the Service Employees International Union, and unions representing healthcare workers and educators, among others.<\/p>\n

Penaloza is endorsed by the California Democratic Party as well as various public safety unions, the California Teachers Association and Assembly Speaker Robert Rivas, among others.<\/p>\n

Republican Mayra Ruiz and Democrat Shannon Wingfield also are running for the seat, which covers communities in Anaheim, Orange and Santa Ana. Assemblymember Avelino Valencia, D-Anaheim, is running for a state Senate seat.<\/p>\n

As Politico reported earlier this week, two tech-related super PACs have dumped nearly $2 million into the race, backing Penaloza.<\/p>\n

According to the latest campaign financial data provided by the secretary of state, Penaloza raised more than $136,000 this year through mid-April and reported $163,000 cash on hand.<\/p>\n

Lopez reported raising nearly $163,000 during that same time period and has almost $257,000 cash on hand. Ruiz reported $3,380 cash on hand after raising $8,400 this year; Wingfield did not have a report on Cal-Access, the state\u2019s campaign finance site.<\/p>\n

As of the secretary of state\u2019s April tally, 48.21% of voters in the district are registered Democrats, 23.6% are no party preference and 22.07% are Republicans.<\/p>\n

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