Ellen Tauscher's Endorsements - 2006

Identifying existing bases of support and changing their minds.  That's how any campaign manages to defeat an incumbent.  In a Democratic Primary, perhaps it's a bit more difficult, or perhaps it's just that the tactics have to be reinvented.  Many institutional groups (NARAL, Sierra Club, etc.) are just blindly endorsing Democratic incumbents whenever and wherever they can.  It requires changing the fundamental mindsets of people and groups who want a united Democratic front and are opposed to a system of regular primary challenges.  It requires taking on the conventional wisdom of every single Democrat in this country that's terrified of risking a single inch and, particularly in California, it requires cracking the California Democratic Party's iron insistence on picking the nominee before the primary (except of course, for governor, or for cases in which we beat them).  So who endorsed Ellen Tauscher in 2006?  This is the list we're starting from.  These are the minds we'll need to change, or at least be able to contend with.  What can we gather and how can we attack this?

The full endorsement page for Ellen Tauscher's 2006 congressional campaign is still up and running on her website here. Looking through it quickly, several things jump out. One, that certainly is an impressive looking list, both in volume and content, to a casual eye. Lots of Democrats, lots of organizations representing good sorts of people and ideas, lots of well-meaning folks.

A more careful look reveals a few other things. For one, they're ALL institutional. No community leaders, no local party officials, no organizers, nobody without clout related to fundraising and ballot boxes. Who cares what goes on in the community. Also, some notable names missing. Senator Barbara Boxer doesn't make the list. Nancy Pelosi or the 32 other Congressional California Democrats aren't mentioned either. For that matter, not a single member of the House of Representatives or national figure outside of Senator Dianne Feinstein. Then there are other nice little maneuvers, like listing the Vice Mayor of Fairfield ahead of the Mayor of Fairfield. Not sure how that one played in Fairfield City Hall, but I'd imagine better in some parts than others. So here's the full list, I would venture that it probably isn't too early to think about how to come at this, whether in any primary that CA-10 may see or anywhere else.

Elected Officials

Dianne Feinstein,Senator, United States Senate
Phil Angelides, State Treasurer, State of California
Cruz Bustamante, Lt. Governor, State of California
John Garamendi, State Insurance Commissioner, CA Department of Insurance
Bill Lockyer, Attorney General, California Department of Justice
Steve Westley, State Controller, State of California
Tom Torlakson, Senator- 7th District, California State Senate
Loni Hancock, Assembly Member- 14th District, California State Assembly
Lois Wolk, Assembly Member- 8th District, California State Assembly
Federal Glover, Supervisor, District 5, Cotra Costa County Board of Supervisors
John Vasquez, County Supervisor, Solano County
Gary Stanton, Sheriff/Coroner, Solano County
Jim Davis, City Council Member, City of Antioch
Donald Freitas, Mayor, City of Antioch
Michael Smith, Councilmember, City of Dixon
Janet Abelson, Mayor, City of El Cerrito
Jan Bridges, Councilmember, City of El Cerrito
Jack Batson, Vice Mayor, City of Fairfield
Harry Price, Mayor, City of Fairfield
Christopher Stokes, Mayor, City of Isleton
Carl Anduri, Councilmember, City of Lagayette
Lorraine Dietrich, Councilmember, City of Livermore
Marjorie Leider, Vice Mayor, City of Livermore
Laura Abrams, Councilmember, City of Orinda
Bill Judge, Mayor, City of Orinda
Victoria Smith, City Council Member, City of Orinda
Amy Worth, Councilmember, City of Orinda
John Hanecak, City Council Member, City of Pleasant Hill
Michael Harris, Councilmember, City of Pleasant Hill
Pete Sanchez, Vice Mayor, City of Suisun
Kathy Hicks, Mayor, City of Walnut Creek

Vanessa Crews, President, Acalanes Union High School District Governing Board
Dennis Goetsch, Superintedent of Schools, Antioch Unified School District
Joyce Seelinger, School Board Member, Antioch Unified School District
Shana Levine, School Board Member, Dixon Unified School District
Kim Poole, School Board Member, Dixon Unified School District
Amy Swanson, School Board Member, Dixon Unified School District
Anne Griffin, Vice President, Fairfield Suisun Unified School District
Kathy Marianno, School Board Member, Fairfield Suisun Unified School District
Gary Ebrhart, School Board Member, Mt. Diablo Unified School District
Dennis Fay, School Board Member, Orinda Unified School District
Pat Rudebusch, School Board Member, Orinda Unified School District
Paul Gardner, Governing Board Member, San Ramon Valley Unified School District
Rob Kessler, Superintedent of Schools, San Ramon Valley Unified School District
Ray Silva, School Board Member, Solano County Office of Education
Dave Brown, School Board Member, West Contra Costa Unified School District

Beverly Lane, Director, East Bay Regional Park District
Ted Radke, Director, East Bay Regional Park District
Christine Monsen, Executive Director, ACTIA

Organizations

AFSCME California
Alliance For Retired Americans
California Federation of Teachers
California Labor Federation
California Organization of Police and Sheriffs
California School Employees Association
California State Employees Association
California Teachers Association
California Teamsters Public Affairs Council
Citizens for Global Solutions
Contra Costa Central Labor Council
International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers, Local 302
National Association of Social Workers
National Organization for Women Political Action Committee
National Women’s Political Caucus
NARAL Pro-Choice America PAC
Planned Parenthood Action Fund
Public Employees Union, Local One
Service Employees International Union
Sierra Club
The Vacaville Reporter