Sixty votes separated Eric Bauman and Kimberly Ellis in a contentious election last Spring to become Chair of the California Democratic Party. In an unusual move, many of the Black delegates, and sitting Black elected officials chose to support Bauman over Ellis. Bauman even stopped attempts by Ellis to audit the 3,000 votes cast in the election.
Bauman has resigned his post, in disgrace, after using Trump like tactics, “grabbing men by their genitalia” and delegates must select a new chair next at the party’s annual convention in May 2019.
2UrbanGirls has learned from a noted political consultant that the Black elected officials and their selected delegates are seeking to block Ellis from winning.
“Behind the scenes Blacks are preparing to keep Ellis out of the seat and encourage someone else to run, to continue pushing the party’s platform that Bauman has laid out”.
The party’s current platform heavily involves ensuring the LGBTQ community continues to be recognized and supported via legislation on the local, state and federal level.
The party made no official statements available on their website on: allegations of party donor Ed Buck being accused of injecting drugs into Gemmell Moore, former Asm. Sebastian Ridley-Thomas resignation due to claims of sexual misconduct, nor did they mention the handful of current Assembly members (Asm. Cristina Garcia, Asm. Autumn Burke and Bob “Huggy Bear” Hertzberg) who were found to have #MeToo related accusations levied against them. The party said nothing because their leader was behaving in the same capacity.
The only person Bauman publicly spoke against was former Asm. Raul Bocanegro saying:
“Nobody should go to work and be in fear…because a bully or harasser is coming,” he said.
The CA Democrat Party is currently full of hypocrites and its time we have leadership that has integrity and doesn’t use their power to harass members of the party, their staff and anyone else looking to move up the ranks of leadership.
2UrbanGirls further asked the consultant who Black elected officials are looking to make the party chair and they confidently responded former Sen. Isadore Hall III.
The party chair seat could be used to appease Hall, who may have to stop his current plan to run for the Los Angeles City Council District 10 seat to accommodate Supervisor Mark Ridley-Thomas who is expected to formally announce his intentions sooner than later.