The Wellstone Democratic Renewal Club released an email this morning from member Jack Kurzweil which read “My deep apologies for having messed up the email blast last night (reported here at Oakland News Now) . I’ve corrected it and sent it out again (please see below),” and what was presented was, in the case of the Oakland Mayoral Election, a dramatic change. Pamela Price is the Wellstone Democratic Renewal Club second choice in the Oakland Mayoral Election.
Wellstone picked Cat Brooks, but then said she was the “sole endorsement” and I was told by one member that no other candidate reached the threshold of enough votes to warrant a second choice – that changed.
The choice is, to this blogger’s opinion, an obvious dis to Oakland Mayor Libby Schaaf, who essentially was skipped over for the less experienced Price.
Thus, as opposed to, say, picking Cat Brooks first and then Libby Schaaf second, Wellstone went with the ranked choice voting strategy smartly established by Pamela Price, which is teaming with Cat Brooks and telling all to vote for her number one and then Cat Brooks number two, or vice versa – but in reverse:
Did Oakland Mayor Schaaf Strike The Wrong Tone In Reportedly “Angry” Presentation?
This can’t be let go of without brief review: a number of members said that Mayor Schaaf’s approach was, to sum up the reports, combative. After much discussion with Wellstone members I’ve talked to, it’s clear from this outcome that Mayor Schaaf rubbed the organization the wrong way at the endorsement meeting. Some may say “it’s her politics” but a good sales person can get an tiger to buy a kitten dinner, so I’m not buying that. Libby’s politics aren’t so far removed from Wellstone’s that this outcome should have been expected.
UPDATE: I reached out to Wellstone’ Pam Drake, who informed me that Pamela Price fell into a kind of middle-area where she received less than what is required to get a true majority and thus allow Cat Brooks to be the only candidate to gain an endorsement, as was reported in the first Wellstone email where “Cat Brooks” was the only candidate named, but more than the level needed to receive what’s called a “mention”. So, Pamela Price earned a mention – thus, Cat Brooks technically does not get a sole endorsement.
A sole endorsement means no other mention, period. That’s that – and that’s not what Cat Brooks received. Still, the development is interesting and potentially signaling the future. Especially since I have received word this week (and from someone close to the action) that the Alameda Democratic Party may elect to not endorse any candidate for Mayor of Oakland, and for the reason that there are “too many candidates”, but that would be a shock to this blogger.
This is what appeared in the email:
In our haste to get our endorsement results to you, we mad a few mistakes and omissions
Please see below for a corrected list.Wellstone Democratic Renewal Club
Endorsement Results from the August 26 Meeting
15th Assembly District – Jovanka Beckles
Oakland
Mayor – Cat Brooks, endorsed
Also recommended for 2nd choice in November: Pamela Price
City Council
District 2 – Nikki Bas
District 4 – Sheng Thao, endorsed
Also recommended for 2nd choice in November: Nayeli Maxson
District 6 – Loren Taylor, endorsed
Also recommended for 2nd choice in November: Natasha Middleton
Berkeley
City Council
District 1 – Igor Tregub
District 4 – Kate Harrison
District 8 – Mary Kay LaceySchool Board
Ty Alper, Ka’Dijah Brown, Julie SinaiBerkeley Auditor
Jennifer Wong
Stay tuned.