Report: Area Democrats gaining on Republicans

This story appeared in the Antelope Valley Press May 23, 2001.

By LISA WAHLA
Valley Press Staff Writer

Though the month of May marks the midpoint between November elections, it's anything but downtime for Antelope Valley Democrats determined to improve their voter registration figures.

Since the November election, area Democrats have increased their lead in Palmdale to 1,077 registered voters, according to figures released May 18 from the Los Angeles County Registrar-Recorder's office.

In November, the Democratic lead in Palmdale was 819.

In Lancaster, Republicans still outnumber Democrats, but their lead has narrowed from 4,944 to 4,737.

"We're finding friends in a lot of strange places," said Sandy Corrales, president of the Democratic Club of the High Desert. "It seems like some kind of tidal wave is coming. Whether it's six months or a year or five years, I don't know, but I think the monopoly of the past needs to examine some of its efforts and recognize that the Antelope Valley is changing on a daily basis."

Democratic leaders attribute the gains to an aggressive voter registration campaign involving dozens of volunteers. They also point to changing Valley demographics, with a swelling Hispanic population that typically registers as Democratic.

Corrales said club members are registering voters every weekend, at community events, outside retail stores and at club headquarters at 45038 Yucca Ave., Lancaster.

"Basically, our club is committed to going to where the voters are, where the general public is, to get our message out," Corrales said. "The response has been very positive ... our message of Democratic values and candidates is resonating."

Area Republicans say they aren't too worried about the shifting numbers, and they aren't giving up Palmdale to the opposition.

A key local Republican pointed out that the 36th Assembly District contains the most Republicans in all of L.A. County.

"We're a juicy target," said Randy Hall, chair of the 36th Assembly District Republican Central Committee. "When they're using their Iowa guns and we're just plugging away, we're really doing excellent."

Corrales said members have recently staked out spots at the Supermercado Vallarta to reach Latino voters, while club headquarters are open Saturdays with volunteers available to help people with registering.

Corrales and Lynda von Husen, the club's vice president, say volunteers are re-registering some Republicans as Democrats.

"Frankly, the Bush administration is helping us," von Husen claimed.

She cited his recent energy plan, his withdrawing from the Kyoto agreement on global warming, concerns about the budget and denying contraceptives to federal employees as reasons some Republicans are re-registering as Democrats.

"I think a lot of people have been surprised at how quickly the Bush administration has sought to implement its agenda despite having no clear mandate" from the electorate, she said.

As of May 18, Democrats accounted for 39.2% of the 99,812 registered voters in both cities and Republicans accounted for 42.8%.

At the beginning of November, before the presidential election, Democrats held 38.9% of the 96,777 voters registered in both cities, while Republicans held 43.2%.

Between Nov. 1 and May 18, the number of Democrats in Palmdale increased 4.4% while the number of Republicans in Palmdale increased 3.2%.

During the same time, the number of Democrats in Lancaster increased 3.4% while the number of Republicans in that city increased 1.6%.

Corrales said her club tracks the monthly figures through the registrar's office, and recently released a report called "A Month in the Life of the Antelope Valley's Changing Voting Patterns."

The report detailed the numbers between April 4 and May 9, showing Democratic increases in Palmdale and Lancaster, while Republicans showed no change in Lancaster and actually lost ground in Palmdale.

In Palmdale, the number of registered Republicans during that month dropped from 18,942 to 18,929.

Hall and other Republican leaders say they also are continuing their voter registration drives, staking a spot at the mall once a month and manning booths at community events.

"The Democrats are just getting us all excited and making us want to get out there and go for it," said June Spencer, president of the Antelope Valley Republican Assembly. "I don't look at Palmdale as lost to the Democratic Party by any means."

Valley Press Staff Writer Bob Wilson contributed to this story.