NAACP Branch 1034 hosts City Council Candidates Forum

On August 28, the NAACP Branch 1034 Southwest Riverside County held a City Council Candidates Forum at the Lake Elsinore Cultural Center. Candidates were invited from seven of the nine Southwest Riverside County cities which the local NAACP branch represents: Lake Elsinore, Murrieta, Temecula, Menifee, Wildomar, Perris and Norco. This event provided candidates an opportunity to speak to their constituents – outlining their values and positions. It also provided an opportunity for citizens to hear directly from their city council candidates.

Mary Venerable, Political Action Chair for the branch, initiated and led the planning for the event. Known as the Matriarch of the branch, Mary has held numerous officer and chair positions with NAACP Branch 1034 over the decades. She has presided over several candidate forums in that role. As her planning began last winter, she invited each city council candidate who would be on the ballot this November to the August forum. Of those invited, 10 candidates were able to attend.

On August 28, the community gathered to hear from: Eric Faulkner, Temecula; Sue Evans, Temecula; Dameon Greene, Menifee; Bridget Moore, Mayor of Wildomar; Michael Vargas, Mayor of Perris; Marvin Andrade, Lake Elsinore; Javier Rubalcaba, Murrieta; Veronica Langworthy, Wildomar; Elizabeth Vallejo, Perris and Dillon Wemple, Norco.

Branch President Myles Ross welcomed everyone to the event and led the Pledge of Allegiance. Rosie Brady, Branch Secretary, invited citizens to join the NAACP Branch 1034 as a way to be involved in making a difference in the community. Mary Venerable shared the general format of the evening and introduced Jennifer Palo, Branch Communications Chair, as the moderator for the event.

Each candidate was given five minutes to share their platform. This was followed by a break and a question and answer session in which audience members provided written questions for the candidates which were read and answered. In conclusion, each candidate had a 2-minute slot to share their closing statements. A time of refreshments and connecting followed the successful and informative event.

The NAACP Branch 1034 invites all community members to join our group. We are a non-partisan organization which aims to further understanding and civility in our public discourse. Please visit the NAACP Branch 1034 website for more information. We represent the communities of Lake Elsinore, Murrieta, Temecula, Corona, Norco, Canyon Lake, Wildomar, Menifee and Perris. We welcome everyone to get involved. naacpbranch1034.org

The mission of the NAACP is to achieve equity, political rights, and social inclusion by advancing policies and practices that expand human and civil rights, eliminate discrimination, and accelerate the well-being, education, and economic security of Black people and all persons of color.