Politics & Government

Lifelong Eagle Rocker Aspires to be Elected as Delegate to the Democratic National Convention

To increase participation in local as well as national politics, five aspirant to the DNC are supporting each other while also competing for the public's vote.

On Sunday, April 29, Democrats across California will be participating in an exercise aimed at ensuring that they are part of the elaborate process of electing the future president of the United States.

To that end, they will cast votes to elect district-level delegates, who, in turn will represent the district at the Democratic National Convention in Charlotte, NC, in September.

In Los Angeles, from 1 p.m. to 5 p.m., registered Democrats are scheduled to gather at a building that houses the offices of the Service Employees International Union (SEIU) located on 1545 Wilshire Blvd., where they will elect three men and three women to send to the DNC from the newly drawn 34th Congressional District, which encompasses Northeast L.A., including Eagle Rock. (Before the latest round of redistricting that followed the 2010 U.S. Census, Eagle Rock was in the 31st Congressional District.)

Find out what's happening in Eagle Rockwith free, real-time updates from Patch.

Among those in the race to become a delegate from our district are five people who have established public-service credentials and a sense of cooperation that may yet become a model for nonpartisan politics on both the state and national levels.

Topping the list of aspiring delegates is Mark Gonzalez, a lifelong Eagle Rock resident and a familiar figure in the neighborhood. A member of the California Democratic Party, Gonzalez worked until recently as a field deputy to Assembly Member Anthony Portantino. Gonzalez is now a senior field rep to the speaker of the California Assembly, John Perez.

Find out what's happening in Eagle Rockwith free, real-time updates from Patch.

Others include Alex De Ocampo, a philanthropic affairs manager for the Women's Self Worth Foundation and the Saban Family Foundation; Mary Rose Ortega, a veteran LAUSD teacher; Mark Vargas, an LAUSD personnel commissioner; and Hanna Yoon, an attorney and director in a local real estate company.

All five contestants have decided to support each other’s candidature for the DNC in September. In fact, they will throwing a tacos-and-soda party for their supporters at 1 p.m. Sunday on 1541 Wilshire Blvd., just a few stores from the voting venue.

View the attached PDF for further details about the five candidates for the DNC delegation.


Get more local news delivered straight to your inbox. Sign up for free Patch newsletters and alerts.

We’ve removed the ability to reply as we work to make improvements. Learn more here

More from Eagle Rock