DOD MEMBERS WILL VOTE ON DOD ENDORSEMENTS FOR LOCAL CANDIDATES AT A SPECIAL MEETING ON SEPT. 14The Democrants to present to the DOD membership for your votes to endorse. NOW, WE NEED YOU!

We will meet on Monday, September 14th, 4-5pm, at the Palm Desert Library to review and discuss recommendations, and to VOTE!

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DEMOCRAT CANDIDATES WHO ARE RECOMMENDED FOR DOD ENDORSEMENTS VOTE PRESENTED BY THE DOD ENDORSEMENTS COMMITTEE & BY THE DOD BOARD OF DIRECTORS

City of Palm Springs, City Council District #3: Ron DeHarte

City of Cathedral City, City Council District #3: Christina Gordon

City of Cathedral City, City Council District #4: Rick Saldivar

City of Cathedral City, City Council District #5 Antonio Baciu

City of Palm Desert, City Council District #4 Jonathon Polly

City of La Quinta, City Council at large Julian Herrera

City of Indio, City Council District #2 Waymond Fermon

City of Coachella, Mayor *dual endorsement Denise Delgado & Frank Figueroa

Coachella Valley USD, School Board Area #1 Loretta Perez

 

NOTES
We did not consider candidates in every local race for the following reasons:

• Candidates considered must be registered Democrats in the jurisdiction

• Some candidates did not request a DOD endorsement

The DOD Endorsements Committee was chaired by Priscilla Richardson.

• Eleven committee members who are current DOD members and voters in ten local cities plus in unincorporated Riverside County served on the Endorsements Committee.

 

WHO IS ELIGIBLE TO VOTE AT THE DOD ENDORSEMENTS MEETING

• Members in Good Standing for more than sixty (60) days

• Members in Good Standing must be present at noticed vote meeting

• The endorsements vote meeting is Monday, Sept. 14th, 4-5pm, at the Palm Desert Library community room - PLEASE ATTEND!

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RSVP for September 14th endorsements meeting:  https://www.desertdemocrats.org/event-details/dod-members-vote-meeting-local-endorsements-9-14-26-4-5pm  

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######### (Previously announced endorsements process details below only)

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2026 California General Election - DOD Endorsements Committee & Votes 
DOD Endorsements Committee Chair is Priscilla Richardson - prisrichardson75@gmail.com

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Democrats of the Desert - a California Democratic Council affiliate

(DOD is not associated with any county Democratic Party or with the CA Democratic Party)

• The committee will review and recommend participating candidates for local non-partisan offices.

• Candidates who have officially filed for election must apply (questionnaire linked here) and return their completed candidate questionnaire by 5pm on August 15, 2026.   

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• Candidate interviews on Zoom may be scheduled between August 23 and 25, 2026.

• Endorsement Committee members will review candidate questionnaires plus candidate websites and social media pages prior to interviews. 

• Endorsement Committee members will vote to recommend candidates of their choice for endorsement

  (or no candidates if the committee chooses) after all interviews are completed.

• Endorsement Committee recommendations will be noticed to the DOD board and will be voted upon by the DOD current Members in Good Standing at a special membership meeting - tentative meeting date is Monday, September 14, 2026, 4pm-5:30pm, location to be announced.

• Note - Endorsements Committee members who have a direct relationship with a candidate or candidate's campaign must recuse themselves from voting in that particular race. 

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Priscilla Richardson

DOD Endorsements Committee Chairperson

prisrichardson75@gmail.com or 442-454-5891 

NOTE: It is the candidate's responsibility to locate this process, timelines, questionnaire,
interview scheduling. It is not DOD's responsibility to locate you.

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November 2025 - void and irrelevant information as of January 2026:

DEMOCRATS OF THE DESERT ENDORSEMENTS PROCESS & TIMELINE FOR THE SOLE PURPOSE OF COMPLETING THE CLUB'S VOTES AT THE CADEM PRE-ENDORSEMENTS CONFERENCE to be held on 01/17/2026
* Per Democrats of the Desert bylaws which are posted on this website
DOD 2026 Endorsements Committee Chairperson:
- Priscilla Richardson, phone 206-419-0254, email pgscheldt@mindspring.com 
Timelines:  
- DOD 2026 Endorsements Interview Dates:  November 24 (none on this date) & December 1, 2025 on Zoom
- DOD 2026 Endorsements Committee Votes Date:  December 1, 2025 on Zoom
* For Zoom access to either meeting above, email marcie.maxwell@live.com by 5pm at least one day prior to that meeting date.  Only the committee and candidate scheduled will be unmuted, any and all other people present in these Zoom meetings must have their first & last name shown, their face must be visible, and no signs, no chats, and no unmuting will be allowed (and that attendee is subject to immediate removal from the meeting).
- DOD Members In Good Standing Vote on Committee Recommendations on
December 13, 2025 at Democrats of the Desert meeting, 2-4pm, Embassy Suites Palm Desert
Note:
- DOD member delegates selected as Voting Representatives for DOD in the CADem Pre-endorsing Conference process are required to vote for the DOD endorsed candidates.
- Voting Representatives will cast the club's votes between 1/17/2026 and 1/24/2026.
Note:
- The sole purpose of these endorsements is to direct the DOD Voting Representatives votes to be cast in the CaDem Pre-endorsing Conference. This sole purpose endorsement outcome shall not be publicized or used in any way by the candidate(s) as it is not official beyond the Pre-endorsing Conference votes.
- DOD may consider local candidates at a later date as this current process will only consider the candidates in races that CADem includes in the Pre-endorsing Conference.
* The races considered in this timeline are only AD-36, AD-47, CD-48.
Candidates:
- It is the candidate's responsibility to locate this process, timelines, questionnaire, interview scheduling. It is not DOD's responsibility to locate you.
- The required candidate questionnaire is linked here - DOD 2026 CANDIDATE QUESTIONNAIRE 
- You can also request a copy by email from the DOD Endorsements Committee Chair.
- Return your completed questionnaire not later than 5pm on November 25, 2025 by email to both pgscheldt@mindspring.com and marcie.maxwell@live.com.