(C) Daily Kos
This story was originally published by Daily Kos and is unaltered.
. . . . . . . . . .
Top Comments: California State Democratic Convention 2025 [1]
['This Content Is Not Subject To Review Daily Kos Staff Prior To Publication.']
Date: 2025-06-01
Here at Top Comments we strive to nourish community by rounding up some of the site's best, funniest, most mojo'd & most informative commentary, and we depend on your help!! If you see a comment by another Kossack that deserves wider recognition, please send it either to topcomments at gmail or to the Top Comments group mailbox by 9:30pm Eastern. Please please please include a few words about why you sent it in as well as your user name (even if you think we know it already :-)), so we can credit you with the find!
About a month ago, I was approached by the president of our local Democratic club to act as a proxy for a another club member who was a delegate to the California Democratic Convention, and I said yes. I had no idea what events would take place or what my duties would be, but I was willing to help out however I could. It turns out the convention in this off-year is crucial to vetting candidates who will run in the mid-terms next year. So the convention took place this weekend in Anaheim, and I just got back home. I thought I would give you an account of my experiences.
Turns out, the experience was similar to NetRoots Nation, but on a somewhat smaller scale. There were caucuses for particular constituencies and issues, not unlike panel discussions, but interspersed with office-holders and candidates sharing their opinions, achievements and support for the issues or constituencies at hand. There were also two general session on Saturday where an array of politicians spoke, including a couple of big surprises. There were also delegate votes, mostly pro forma, but that was what I was there to do. When I registered for the convention, I signed up for the LGBTQ Caucus and the Environmental Caucus. Both turned out to be great experiences.
More below the fold.
I caught a ride to Anaheim with another delegate, and we shared a hotel room. Credentialing went reasonably smoothly, but it was odd wearing a lanyard with somebody else’s name on it.
My first substantial experience, on Friday, was the meeting of the Environmental Caucus, handily chaired by erstwhile kossack RLMiller (the first time I’ve been in the same room with her, as far as I know). Indeed, Miller was the only person at the convention I knew for certain was connected to Daily Kos. Whether intentionally or serendipitously, the caucus meeting managed to collect the full list of environmental issues facing the west, starting with climate change, but then relating that to fossil fuel subsidies and abuse of cap-and-trade, the danger and futility of CO 2 sequestration, environmental racism, utilities trying to hobble renewables, the California wildfires, the homeowners’ insurance crisis, the housing crisis, the coming water crisis, forrest clearcutting and environmental degradation, into a single constellation where each issue is related to all the others. Among substantial actions, attendees were asked to contact their state legislators were: Support for S. B. 540, which, according to CALCCA, will “lower energy bills, improve grid reliability, and reduce pollution while retaining control over California’s procurement, environmental, reliability, and other public policies”; Oppose S. B. 712, which exempts vehicles 35 years old or older from standard biennial smog checks; And oppose A. B. 942, which, according to the website Vote Solar, “would retroactively change legally binding contracts held by over a million solar customers across the state—threatening core consumer protections and undermining public trust in state oversight.”
On Saturday, I attended the LGBTQ Caucus, co-chaired by Shay Franco-Clausen and Ryan Trabuco. There are 14 elected members of the LGBTQ Caucus in the California Legislature, and more than 200 elected to local offices in the state. Despite such a strong record, trans people in particular are in a panic as MAGAs in more conservative areas of the state have been emboldened by Trump’s win last November to push an anti-trans agenda. A number of anti-trans bills, having to do with sports participation, education, and incarceration, though none have passed as yet. The LGBTQ Caucus stands resolute to make sure these bills never become law. State Senator Scott Weiner asserted that, beyond trans people, MAGA will target the rest of the LGBTQ coalition, as MAGA regards same-sex relations to be in the same category of “unnatural” as the mere existence of trans people. The common theme was “We’re not going back.”
Also on Saturday were two general sessions consisting of speeches by elected officials, candidates, union leaders, and others. The highlights were: a surprise visit by Cory Booker, U. S. Senator from New Jersey, who gave a barn-burner of a speech that he said was inspired by a dream he had had the previous night; Malcolm Kenyatta, Representative in the Pennsylvania State House, Adam Schiff, U. S. Senator from California (who, to my surprise, used the word “fuck” during his speech—he never seemed the kind of guy to do that), and as the closer, Tim Walz, Governor of Minnesota and Democratic Vice Presidential candidate in 2024.
Through the caucuses and the general session came a parade of candidates for the party nominations for Governor, Lieutenant Governor, and various offices in state and federal legislatures. There were so many candidates for both Governor and Lieutenant Governor that I despaired of being able to choose who I wanted to be the nominees for these offices. However, my mind was made up during the speech given by Toni Atkins during the LGBTQ Caucus. She has served in both the California Assembly (including as speaker from 2014 to 2016) and the State Senate (including as president pro tempore from 2018 to 2024). She is also a lesbian. Her dedication to serving the state is clear, and she has my vote. I think she has a good chance at winning as long as a more well-known candidate does not big-foot their way into the race. (Kamala Harris seems to be looking toward another run for president in 2028 and will take a pass on the governorship of California. I haven’t heard much out of Katie Porter recently.)
The rest of the convention was something of a comedown. There was the election of State Party Chair, Co-Chairs, and Regional Directors, but the outcomes of these elections was not a surprise. On Sunday morning, the last session consisted mostly of introducing the new leadership team for the California Democratic Party, and voice votes for resolutions and rule changes. Then we all went home.
It was an interesting experience, and I wouldn’t mind doing it again if called to do so.
Top Comments (June 1, 2025):
No nominations or highlights tonight.
Top Mojo (May 31, 2025):
Top Mojo is courtesy of mik! Click here for more on how Top Mojo works.
[END]
---
[1] Url:
https://www.dailykos.com/stories/2025/6/1/2325470/-Top-Comments-California-State-Democratic-Convention-2025?pm_campaign=front_page&pm_source=latest_community&pm_medium=web
Published and (C) by Daily Kos
Content appears here under this condition or license: Site content may be used for any purpose without permission unless otherwise specified.
via Magical.Fish Gopher News Feeds:
gopher://magical.fish/1/feeds/news/dailykos/
