The L.A. Democratic Party Establishment Doesn’t Want Any Zohran Mamdani’s Out Here

When Topanga progressive leader and dyed-in-the-wool Berniecrat Dorothy Reik was elected to the Los Angeles County Democratic Party Central Committee, she didn’t just win— she won with the most votes anyone else got… ever.

Last week, that same county Democratic Party held a snap election to select their delegates to the California Democratic Party Executive Board. Dorothy has been on that board for eight years… but the local party hack who chairs the party now, Mark Ramos, manipulated the vote to make sure to get rid of her. Sounds Republican? Don’t be naive; corrupt establishment Democrats are every bit as corrupt as corrupt establishment Republicans. No difference there— not a bit. It’s all about power and silencing anyone who might disrupt their cozy insider game, especially someone with the guts to challenge the machine from the left. Dorothy plays nice with these people but she’s a trouble-maker from way back.

Here is how it worked this time— and from what I’ve been able to learn, it’s not how it has been done before!  The members of the Policy Committee— who are all indebted to Ramos for their appointments— who wanted to be on the Executive Board were put on a “slate.”  The rest of the thirty slots were filled by what the LACDP admitted to Dorothy were “demographic” choices to round out the slate. Numerous insiders have told me that the members of this slate were required to promise to “vote the slate” and make calls and send emails to others telling them to do the same. They were given Google lists of members to paste in their emails and to call. They also had to end their one-minute speeches with the words "Vote the Slate"!!!  

Remember— 40,000 people voted for Dorothy to represent them on the L.A. County Democratic Party when she first ran…  a record that still stands.

One hundred (of three hundred eligible voters) actually registered to vote! Members of the slate already had 30 votes each (except for a few members because some of the slate members who broke their promises) so the chance of Dorothy winning was virtually zero, just like Ramos wanted it. To even be viable in the race she had to buy the membership list— which slate members got for free!— for over $1,200! 

In past years members of the LACDP made informal slates. Some had more weight than others. Dorothy told me she won her first race without being on a slate. The second time, she was on the chair's slate but she wasn’t given any instructions. Both times the timelines were much longer so the candidates had time to call members and ask for their votes.  

So what is going on? Clearly, the L.A. Democratic Party is purging progressives and insurgents! After the Mamdani election that mission became even more important than it usually is. The LACDP body voted to give each member the membership list.  The aforementioned Policy Committee voted to overrule the membership and charge for the list— a charge most member couldn’t afford. That kept progressives from reaching out to each another pr lobbying members they didn't know personally.

Membership in the EBoard, which has become a dog and pony show, is more a burden than anything else— three meetings a year that require travel and hotel rooms to accomplish nothing thanks to new rules— but being in the room with electeds  can have its benefits. I told Dorothy that she can still go (go as an observer) and get that benefit but she told me that “maybe it's time to stay home.”  

Even Mamdani couldn't have won in a fixed race like this! 

Dorothy Reik with Ted Lieu