Re full disclosure, BlueBeaumontBoyz is a supporter and friend of Greg Pettis for Assembly.
According to Richard Oberhaus, Campaign Director for the Greg Pettis for 80th Assembly District Campaign, as of yesterday, the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers (IBEW) Local 440 has now endorsed Pettis in his race to replace Bonnie Garcia. IBEW Local 440 has long been active in Coachella Valley politics and Progressive Democratic circles.
Chuck McDaniel, a IBEW Local 440 leader and activist, is also a co-leader of the newly formed Desert Hot Springs Democratic Club, is a member of the Riverside County Democratic Central Committee, and attended the recent Pettis Campaign for 80th AD website preview.
Garcia, aka Barfcia due to her various verbal indiscretions and embarrassments to the District, is currently termed out and, pending defeat of the proposed ballot initiative to extend term limits, cannot again run for re-election.
The good news for Proud Progressive Democrats is that the Coachella Valley is trending blue with recent wins by Steve Pougnet for Mayor of Palm Springs, by Rick Hutcheson in the Palm Springs City Council, by Karl Baker in the Desert Hot Springs City Council, by Greg Pettis in the Cathedral City City Council, by Craig Ewing in the Desert Water Agency, and No on C. Garcia barely won re-election in the last race against a little-known candidate, Steve Clute, who did not have the backing of all of the Democratic clubs because of his opposition to Marriage Equality.
In addition, Democrats now out-register Repugnants by 9% of the voters, i.e., 13,000 votes! The voter registration figures are also trending Democratic across the district from Desert Hot Springs, Palm Springs, and Cathedral City in the West Valley to Indio, Coachella, and even Rancho Mirage, La Quinta, and Palm Desert in Down Valley.
Pettis has a well-funded, well-oiled candidacy and has already outraised all of his competitors combined in FundRace 2008! In addition, Pettis already has endorsements from four of the local Democratic clubs, including the Pass Democratic Club, Desert Stonewall Democrats, Inland Stonewall Democrats, and San Diego Democratic Club.
Other labor organizations already endorsing Pettis include Building Trades of California, Cathedral City Professional Firefighters, and San Bernardino/Riverside Central Labor Council.