IMPORTANT INFORMATION
- To request our endorsement, complete the Endorsement Request Form.
- Endorsements of candidates and ballot measures are one of the most important components of our advocacy work. Stonewall is committed to supporting LGBTQ and feminist candidates as well as an open, transparent, and thorough endorsement process. We invite comments to help us improve our process.
- Stonewall endorses in a wide variety of races at all levels of government but does not typically endorse outside of Los Angeles County. In some cases, the Club may make exceptions for LGBTQ+ candidates, in races with a compelling reason to “flip” a seat from Republican to Democratic control, or where the LGBTQ+ community is a vested stakeholder.
- To see our endorsements from previous election cycles, visit our Historical Endorsements.
THE ENDORSEMENT PROCESS
1. Candidates or campaigns seeking Stonewall's endorsement must initiate the process by completing the Request for Endorsement Form. The Club does not solicit candidates for endorsement, but the Endorsement Committee may reach out to candidates in races that the Club has identified as important.
2. Eligible candidates will be sent an Endorsement Questionnaire related to the candidate's detailed policy positions, experience, and goals in office.
3. Once the questionnaire is completed and submitted, the Endorsements Committee typically schedules interviews of all of the candidates in a race with a panel of Stonewall members. The panel makes a recommendation as to which candidate to endorse at the next General Membership meeting.
4. At the General Membership, Stonewall members in good standing will vote to either accept the recommendation or endorse another candidate. Endorsement requires a 60% vote of the General Membership. Learn more about the endorsement voting process during the General Membership meeting.
CONSENT CALENDAR
In some cases, the Endorsement Committee may decide to forego the traditional endorsement process. This can happen when the Committee elects to hold a Candidate Forum or when it determines a candidate is uncontroversial and appropriate for the "Consent Calendar," which offers an expedited endorsement of a candidate without formal questionnaires and interviews. Candidates can be placed on the consent calendar for a variety of reasons, such as the candidate being an incumbent with a strong record and no Democratic challenger. Members still must approve the consent calendar at the General Membership Meeting, at which time they will also have the opportunity to sever items from the consent calendar and entertain a more full debate on a race.
VOTE STACKING
In order to prevent vote stacking, a tactic in which candidates purchase memberships directly before an endorsement vote in order to essentially purchase the endorsement, the Club has instituted a 56-day waiting period from the time a member purchases their membership until they are eligible to vote on any Club business, including endorsements.
SERVING ON THE ENDORSEMENTS COMMITTEE
Any member of the Stonewall Democratic Club in good standing may participate in our Endorsements Committee and in our interview panels of candidates. We are always seeking to build diverse panels of our members. Participation is encouraged, even if a member has never participated in an endorsement interview before. To serve on our Endorsement Committee, members should contact the Club's Political Vice President.