Pasadena elections (Photo Graphics Dept.)
PASADENA – ColoradoBoulevard.net:
On April 13, 2022, The Democrats of Pasadena Foothills (DPF) announced endorsements for Pasadena City Council and Pasadena City College Board of Trustees, following 5 days of polling its members.
By News Desk
Seventy-nine percent of FDP members voted between April 9 and 13.
Endorsements are as follows:
Pasadena City College
- Pasadena City College Board of Trustees Area 1 – Sandra Chen Lau
- Pasadena City College Board of Trustees Area 3 – Steven Gibson
- Pasadena City College Board of Trustees Area 5 – Kristine Kwong
- Pasadena City College Board of Trustees Area 7 – Alton Wang
City Council
- Pasadena City Council District 3 – Brandon D. Lamar
- Pasadena City Council District 5 – Jess Rivas
- Pasadena City Council District 7 – Jason Lyon
PCC Board of Trustee endorsements went to challengers
Notably, all PCC Board of Trustee endorsements went to the challengers, with the exception of Area 1 where Sandra Chen Lau is running unopposed. The Board and membership of DPF heard a great deal of discontent from faculty and students about much of the incumbent board. As recently as April 11, the PCC Academic Senate voted 17 to 12, with 3 abstentions, to support a resolution of no confidence in PCC Superintendent-President Erika Endrijonas. The resolution also points the finger at the Board of Trustees.
Rescinding 2020 endorsement of Felicia Williams
Additionally, the Democrats of Pasadena Foothills considered recent revelations that District 2 City Councilmember Felicia Williams was a registered Democrat at the time of her 2019-2020 campaign, picking up key endorsements from Democratic institutions, including the L.A. County Democratic Party, the Arroyo Democratic Club, and Democrats of Pasadena Foothills. In spite of the fact that Pasadena City Council is a non-partisan office, these endorsements would not have been available to Williams had she not been a registered Democrat at the time. Then, ten days before being sworn in, Williams changed her voter registration to No Party Preference (NPP).
In a press release to our newsroom, DPF stated: “There is nothing wrong with being registered NPP, however Williams went to some lengths to present herself to her base and official party entities as a Democrat. In addition, Williams has taken some very unpopular and un-Democratic votes in her first two years. In March 2021, Williams joined the three conservative members of the Council as the deciding vote that killed hero pay for grocery store workers. Then, last Fall, Williams served on a three-person ad hoc committee (including Mayor Victor Gordo and Councilmember Steve Madison) that recommended that Pasadena lift the state-imposed $4,900 per person campaign contribution limits in the city. These and other decisions, combined with her less that transparent change of party affiliation led an overwhelming majority of DPF members to vote to retroactively rescinded our 2020 endorsement of Felicia Williams for Pasadena City Council.”
Ryan Bell, President of Democrats of Pasadena Foothills said:
While this move is only symbolic, I think the message from our membership is clear. We are not happy with her voting record or her decision to change her party affiliation after securing the Democratic endorsements she likely felt were crucial to her election.
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