Category Archives: Endorsements

Congratulations to our Endorsed 2024 Candidates for Benicia Mayor & City Council

Dear members and supporters –

The Progressive Democrats of Benicia (PDB) are proud to announce their endorsements for the upcoming City Council and Mayoral elections. Following a thorough and engaging interview process with all candidates, the club’s voting membership has made their decisions.

Endorsements

After interviewing Democratic candidates for Benicia City Council Christina Gilpin-Hayes, Trevor Macenski, and Franz Rosenthal, the PDB membership has voted to endorse

  • Christina Gilpin-Hayes
  • Trevor Macenski (Incumbent)

The club also interviewed Mayor Steve Young, who is seeking re-election. Members voted overwhelmingly to endorse Mayor Young for re-election.

The club also interviewed Mayor Steve Young, who is seeking re-election. Members voted overwhelmingly to endorse Mayor Young for re-election.

(From left to right: Endorsed candidates for City Council Christina Gilpin-Hayes and Trevor Macenski, and endorsed candidate for Mayor Steve Young. Photos supplied by candidates.)

The club membership also authorized contributions to endorsed candidates.

The Progressive Democrats of Benicia congratulate the endorsed candidates and thank everyone who participated. Visit their websites at ChristinaForBenicia.com, TrevorMac.com, and ReElectYoungForBenicia.com to learn more about their campaigns, sign up to volunteer, and donate.

The Endorsement Process

The presentation started with the candidates sharing brief introductions before joining a wide-ranging discussion covering critical issues facing Benicia, including industrial health and safety, Benicia’s future as a refinery town, housing challenges, City budget shortfalls, and potential ways to address those shortfalls. After the candidates answered a few prepared questions, members, supporters, and viewers were able to engage in a lively Q&A.

“We’re incredibly proud of not just the program the club put on, and not just the candidates who all rose to the occasion, but also our members and supporters,” said Kathy Kerridge, Chair of the Progressive Democrats of Benicia. “It’s their commitment to the democratic process that brought us all together for a packed Zoom meeting on a Monday night, to learn more about the candidates and real Benicia issues. More than sixty people showed up to take part, and the recording is now available on our website so even more undecided voters will have a chance to watch it.”

Thank You…and Don’t Forget to Vote!

The Progressive Democrats of Benicia wish to thank the candidates for the time they spent with us. As we look toward the future, the club encourages all Benicia residents to stay informed, get involved in local politics, and exercise their right to vote in the upcoming elections. In preparation, don’t forget to check your voter registration at the Secretary of State website (voterstatus.sos.gov). There, you can verify your mailing address for mailed ballots, confirm your party registration, and more.

More Exciting Endorsements Ahead

The Progressive Dems will next meet at 7pm on Wednesday, September 4, over Zoom, to interview Benicia School Board and Solano Community College Board candidates, and hear about the ballot measures Benicia will be voting on in November. This meeting is free and open to the public, regardless of party registration or city of residence, and a recording will be posted for this meeting as well.

Learn how to join the Sept. 4 endorsement meeting and find more information about the Progressive Democrats of Benicia here on progressivedemocratsofbenicia.org. Dues are $30/year and you must be a registered Democrat to join as a full member. (Non-Democrats are welcome to attend public meetings.)

 

 

                         – Kathy Kerridge, PDB Chair

Benicia City Council Candidate Forum

The Democratic candidates for Benicia City Council (in alphabetical order, and pictured from left to right) are Christina Gilpin-Hayes, Trevor Macenski (Incumbent), and Franz Rosenthal (website coming soon to franzforbenicia.com). (Photos provided by candidates.)

Here is a recording of the Zoom interviews and Q&A with the candidates:

Click the image to be redirected to the Zoom recording, or copy and paste https://us02web.zoom.us/rec/share/Eb0FsqjG6SEAsR_Lo05aZo_U9TKbMmFmOY_tzMyHhmgnJ4hZR1zYrne2pwTviR8m.KVxpcj108Nr66wKV into your browser.

Below are  links to the following information provided by the candidates:

Christina Gilpin-Hayes Answers to Endorsement Questions

Trevor Macenski Bio

Franz Rosenthal Bio

Franz Rosenthal Answers to Endorsement Questions

Voting in PDB’s Endorsements

As a quick reminder, only current PDB members may participate in a subsequent online poll to select which candidates the club should endorse.  Additionally, members have to have been members for sixty (60) days to become eligible to vote.  To learn more about membership in PDB, and to find more information about this upcoming forum, including the Zoom link, visit progressivedemocratsofbenicia.org.

Our Next Meeting – MONDAY, August 26

MEMBER MEETING
MONDAY, AUGUST 26, 2024, 7:00 PM

ZOOM MEETING

___________________________________________________________________________

Dear members and supporters—

The Progressive Democrats of Benicia (PDB) will host a candidate forum on Monday, August 26, at 7pm via Zoom (sign-in details are below and on our website).   But before we get into that, please save the date for our next endorsement meeting.

Save Wed. 9/4 for Next Endorsements

Please save 7pm on Wednesday, September 4 for our next endorsement meeting.   We will hold it over Zoom.   We will be interviewing Benicia School Board and Solano Community College Board candidates, and hearing about the ballot measures Benicia will be voting on in November.  

This is an important meeting,  and very early as well as not on our usual schedule, so please save the date if you would like to participate!  

The Zoom information for our meetings is the same every month so you can copy and paste the link below in your calendar for 8/26 AND 9/4.  

Monday, August 26 Benicia City Council Endorsements

Monday’s virtual event, which is free and open to all regardless of city of residence or political party, will feature interviews with four Democratic candidates vying for local office.

This is YOUR opportunity to engage with local Democratic candidates and gain insights into their positions on key issues affecting Benicia.  We ask that you share this notice to your family, friends and network so you can all hear directly from the candidates as you make up your minds for the November ballot.  Everyone is welcome.

Zoom Details

The link and sign-in information for most PDB membership meetings in 2024 is below. 

Topic: PDB General Meeting
Time: August 26, 2024 07:00 PM Pacific Time (US and Canada)

Join Zoom Meeting
https://us02web.zoom.us/j/86273821941?pwd=WktDazJLaTJHVTBPNWd3dzlXaGd2Zz09

Meeting ID: 862 7382 1941
Passcode: 528756

One tap mobile
+16699006833,,86273821941#,,,,*528756# US (San Jose)
+16694449171,,86273821941#,,,,*528756# US

We look forward to seeing you Monday, August 26 at 7:00 pm via Zoom!

Get to Know the Candidates!

The Democratic candidates for Benicia City Council (in alphabetical order) are Christina Gilpin-Hayes, Trevor Macenski (Incumbent), and Franz Rosenthal (website coming soon to franzforbenicia.com). (Photos provided by candidates.)

Benicia’s incumbent Mayor Steve Young), who is seeking reelection, will also be requesting PDB’s endorsement.

The forum will include a series of prepared questions for the candidates, followed by an opportunity for attendees to participate in a Q&A session.  Learn more about the candidates before the forum by clicking their names or images to visit their websites.  PDB is a chartered Democratic club and may only endorse Democratic candidates, per our by-laws.

Have You Checked Your Voter Registration?

While we have your attention, don’t wait until the last minute to find out there are issues with your voter registration!  If you haven’t voted in a long time, if you moved and want to make sure your registration is exactly as it should be, or if you’re just double-checking, you can check your registration at the Secretary of State’s website.  This website also gives you helpful information like your polling location, language preference and more.

Check Your Voter Registration! (CA)