Los Angeles Times Covers Lt. Governor Race 2018
...Plenty of candidates are lining up to take Newsom’s place, making it the hottest statewide contest outside of the governor’s race. The biggest potential wild card is Senate President Pro Tem Kevin de León (D-Los Angeles), who has stockpiled $1.6 million in a campaign committee for lieutenant governor. But he is not actively running, and all indications are that De León has his eyes on another office, though it’s not clear which one. That’d be good news for the top contenders in the field. Those in the race include former Richmond Mayor Gayle McLaughlin, an independent who casts herself as the “Bernie Sanders of the East Bay.”...
Gayle McLaughlin leaving Richmond council to run for lieutenant governor
RICHMOND — Councilwoman Gayle McLaughlin is stepping down to fully focus on her campaign for lieutenant governor, she announced in a statement read to the City Council at the close of its meeting Tuesday.
Her resignation will be effective after the July 18 council meeting.
“Our nation is in a catastrophic free-fall, and the Trump administration is dragging the world down with it,” McLaughlin’s statement read in part. “With the help of corporate-funded policy-makers, corporations are boldly grabbing all the resources they can, dismantling every small protection gained by the people of our nation over the years.”
Under the city’s charter, the council will have 60 days, or until Sept. 16, to appoint someone to fill the seat vacated by McLaughlin’s resignation, Mayor Tom Butt announced.
The last time the council filled a vacancy was in Feb. 2015, after Butt had vacated his council seat and become mayor the previous month. The council ultimately appointed Vinay Pimple, who then ran for a full term in November 2016, but lost.
McLaughlin, dubbed by her campaign as “the Bernie Sanders of the East Bay,” had announced her candidacy earlier this month.
“While Wall Street controls our federal government and the planet burns with unprecedented heat, 28 million Americans are thrown out of health coverage,” her statement read Tuesday continues. “And the same law that takes away our health care gives another $30 billion in tax cuts to the wealthiest one percent.
“Public education is being privatized, the EPA eliminated, millions of workers are threatened with deportation, racists are emboldened, and our police forces are militarized,” the statement continues. Wall Street and the banks are set free from the limited restrictions imposed by the Dodd-Frank Act and continue their predation on the American people.”
McLaughlin served two terms as Richmond’s mayor, elected in 2006 and reelected in 2010. She was first elected to the council in 2004 as a member of the Green Party. She was again elected to the council in 2014 when her second term as mayor expired. She is a co-founder of the Richmond Progressive Alliance, which enjoys a majority on the Richmond council.
She faces a crowded field of potential candidates, six of whom had formally declared their intention as of this week.
Gayle McLaughlin Stepping Down from Richmond City Council to Run Fulltime for Lt. Governor of California and Organize Grassroots Groups
PRESS RELEASE
Richmond, California, June 27, 2017 -
Richmond city councilmember and former mayor Gayle McLaughlin announced today that she will step down from her seat on the council to fully focus on her organizing campaign for the office of Lieutenant Governor of California.
McLaughlin is running with the goals of "putting people first, organizing corporate-free local groups throughout the state, and giving voters the choice of a corporate-free candidate."
McLaughlin, called the Bernie Sanders of the East Bay, made theannouncement at the end of the June 27 Richmond City Council meeting. McLaughlin said, "Our nation is in a catastrophic free-fall, and the Trump administration is dragging the world down with it. With the help of corporate-funded policy-makers, corporations are boldly grabbing all the resources they can, dismantling every small protection gained by the people of our nation over the years. While Wall Street controls our federal government and the planet burns with unprecedented heat, 28 million Americans are thrown out of health coverage. And the same law that takes away our healthcare gives another $30 billion in tax cuts to the wealthiest 1%. Public education is being privatized, the EPA eliminated, millions of workers are threatened with deportation, racists are emboldened, and our police forces are militarized .Wall Street and the banks are set free from the limited restrictions imposed by the Dodd-Frank Act and continue their predation on the American people."
"People are frustrated everywhere and at a loss. The times are ripe for organizing," she added. McLaughlin has been visiting residents of cities throughout California, from San Diego to Redding, encouraging everyone to develop local political power. Many communities are beginning to form corporate-free, inclusive, multi-party, grassroots organizations that run corporate-free candidates for local office following the Richmond Progressive Alliance (RPA) model. During her visits, McLaughlin shares the experiences that made Richmond's transformation under her leadership a success.
"California is resisting a bit more, but nothing is guaranteed for people unless we organize. The insurance companies and big-pharma just killed this year's effort for single payer universal health care. California Assembly Speaker Anthony Rendon demonstrated once again what happens when you elect a representative who is not corporate-free. Corporate money is both toxic and addictive, and our democracy needs to get clean and sober."
McLaughlin said that her organizing campaign is being done with Richmond in mind and heart; many statewide policies affecting Richmond can only change with statewide pressure coming from many cities, communities, and coalitions of labor unions, community organizations and corporate-free organized activists.
McLaughlin has served nearly thirteen years on the Richmond City Council (2004-2017), eight years (2006-2014) as Richmond mayor. Her last day in office will be July 18th, 2017. "I'm leaving city government in good hands," she said as she expressed her gratitude to the City Council and the residents. "Richmond is much better now."
For more information visit: www.gayleforcalifornia.org
For press coverage of previous years (2007-2017)
visit: www.gayleforcalifornia.org/gm_media_2007_2016
For more information, contact: [email protected]