DOWNEY - Councilman Luis Marquez, his wife Alma, and Downey public works commissioner Marybeth Vergara were elected as delegates to the Democratic Party State Central Committee for the 58th Assembly district.Voting took place two weeks ago. The Democratic State Central Committee is the official legislative body of the California State Democratic Party. Its duties include approving the party's platform and endorsing Democratic candidates for office. A large part of the committee's membership is determined by elections held every two years in each Assembly district. Candidate slates endorsed by Marquez and former Assemblyman Tony Mendoza won 23 of 24 available committee seats representing the 57th and 58th Assembly districts and both of the executive board representatives in those two districts. In the 57th Assembly district, the slate endorsed by Marquez and Mendoza swept all 12 available seats. In the 58th, the Marquez/Mendoza slate won 11 of 12 delegate seats. "I am truly honored to have been elected along with a great group of people that are part of our slate and will have input in the direction of the State Democratic Party," Marquez said in a statement. "I look forward to working closely with former Assemblyman Tony Mendoza in representing our cities." Mendoza said the election results "are a reflection of the community's desire for progressive leadership and a rejection of the 'pay for play' politics that have too often been a major characteristic of our area's representation in the state legislature."

********** Published: January 24, 2013 - Volume 11 - Issue 41