Memorial Day Bash roundup

Saturday turned out to be rather warm. Nevertheless, Democrats from around the area – Norfolk, Portsmouth, Chesapeake, Virginia Beach and Suffolk – braved the heat to come out in support of our candidates at my 2nd Annual Memorial Day Bash. We made sure to have plenty to drink to compensate 😉

House Democratic Caucus Chairman Brian Moran, who represents Alexandria, made the trip down and offered a few words of advice and encouragement, both to the rank and file Democrats assembled and to the candidates. Joe Bouchard, our candidate in the 83rd, gets the prize for hanging out the longest 🙂 He was there almost from the beginning and stayed through the end. And this was after he knocked on some doors that morning. Candidates Bob MacIver (82nd), Bobby Mathieson (21st), and Henry Light (79th) also came to the event.

Since I live in the 87th House district and the 6th Senate district, I made sure to emphasize to my neighbors in attendance our current delegate, Paula Miller, and our next senator, Ralph Northam 😉 I think the loudest applause during the introductions, though, went to the senior senator from Norfolk’s 5th district, Yvonne Miller.

It was good to see Norfolk Clerk of Court George Schaeffer, former candidates David Ashe and Keela Boose and former Virginia Beach councilwoman Louisa Strayhorn. Arriving after the introductions were made were Delegate Adam Ebbin (who won last year’s award for traveling the fartherest) and Virginia Beach Commissioner of the Revenue Phil Kellam.

Thank goodness someone reminded me about tallying the results of the presidential straw poll. Barack Obama was the top vote getter (25 votes), with Bill Richardson & Hillary Clinton tied for second place with 20 votes apiece. (I’ve since misplaced not only the slip of paper with the vote tally on it but also the straw poll ballots themselves so I’m doing this from memory 😦 ) And yes, there were a few votes for Al Gore.

After expenses, I’m expecting this year’s event to raise about $1,200 for our six Democratic nominees in contested races in the region. Not bad for a holiday weekend fundraiser. And I understand that some campaign volunteers were signed up, too. 😉

A big shout out to all of the folks who helped to make this happen: Jason, Andrew, Domenic, Lauriston, Betsy, Carol, Anna, Pat, Karen, Sarah, Jeanette and Ann. Thanks, guys. It couldn’t have happened without you.

I think everybody had a good time. And planning for next year’s event is already underway. Go ahead and mark you calendars now for Saturday, May 24, 2008. Maybe we can get a presidential candidate here if we start working now 😉