Democratic Party and Local Elections

The letter (Nov. 11) by Patricia A. Gazin criticizing the Democratic Party for involvement in the Hermosa Beach municipal election ignored the fact that political parties, as well as other groups, have a right to offer and work for candidates in a nonpartisan race.

Her vague and broad complaint was an insult not only to the Democratic Party but to the democratic process.

Both the Democratic and Republican parties worked for a candidate in the Hermosa Beach campaign. This is not “meddling”; it’s part of the American democratic tradition.

The Beach Cities Democratic Club, the local group of Democrats, endorsed Jeanette Jones in the Hermosa Beach election. We believe she would do an excellent job of representing the people of Hermosa Beach, even though she has been an involved resident for a shorter time than some of the other candidates. We are proud of her campaign and hope she will run again. And we will continue to offer and support candidates for local office we believe will represent our communities well.

Ms. Gazin’s complaint was not specific, but could have been sparked in part by a slate mailer sent by an organization outside the Democratic Party that included Jeanette Jones and two other candidates who opposed Proposition 174. While that was not our mailer, we do believe that voters read campaign material with a critical eye and that they make intelligent decisions based on more than one source of information.

And we believe that voters need plenty of information, and good candidates to choose from, to bring changes needed to improve all of our lives.

GLENDA McCARTHY

Redondo Beach