Since I am not in a district that is up for election, I don’t receive any campaign mailers, but a couple have been brought to my attention by others.

There are “Vote for the Green Team” themed mailers paid for by SEIU Local 1021 and IFPTE Local 21 supporting the RPA candidates. Two are copied below for Gayle McLaughlin and Claudia Jimenez.

They both are headlined, “stop the coal candidate.”

The mailer featuring Claudia Jimenez targets Vinay Pimple, who actually served on the City Council and has as good an environmental record as any RPA candidate.

There was not a single environmental vote taken during Vinay’s City Council tenure where he voted differently from RPA members, including items involving coal and petcoke. Vinay’s campaign has taken no contribution from Levin Terminals this cycle.

Neither has Vinay’s campaign received money from the California Apartment Association (CAA).

Vinay has also supported Kids First.

On the other hand, Jimenez and McLaughlin are supported with huge expenditures by SEIU 1021 and IFPTE 21, which represents all City employees except Fire and Police. Why do they want RPA candidates elected? To preserve the special treatment of these union members at a time when the City budget is $6 million in the red.

Moving to District 5, the mailer includes a logo of the Contra Costa Young Democrats, implying an endorsement. The Contra Costa Young Democrats have issued a Cease and Desist demand, as follows:

CEASE & DESIST: East Bay Working Families, an IE, has falsely included our logo, implying our endorsement, on a recent mailer to voters in Richmond City Council District 5.
We did NOT - and could not - endorse Gayle McClaughlin, she is not a registered Democrat and did not apply for our endorsement. In fact, we (as well as the
Democratic Party of Contra Costa County)  endorsed Ahmad Anderson.

We demand all organizers of this independent expenditure to immediately cease and desist their use of our trademark, logo and name, as well as any other communications implying that the Contra Costa Young Democrats endorse Gayle McLaughlin. If they fail to comply we will explore all our legal options.

Thank you,

The Contra Costa Young Democrats Board
CC: Gabriel Haaland, Sandor Straus, SEIU Local 1021, Frances Hsieh, Katie Ricklefs (DPCCC)

Figure 1 - McLaughlin mailer includes unauthorized logo of the Contra Costa Young Democrats and falsely states that Ahmad Anderson will roll back coal legislation, keep the city from implementing Kids First and weaken protection for renters.


Figure 2 - Mailer supported by SEIU Local 1021 and IFPTE Local 21


Figure 3 - Jimenez mailer includes unauthorized logo of the Contra Costa Young Democrats and falsely states that Vinay Pimple will roll back coal legislation, keep the city from implementing Kids First and weaken protection for renters.


Figure 4 - Mailer supported by SEIU Local 1021 and IFPTE Local 21