In an Apparent Turn Around, Dickinson Looks to Switch Endorsement

February 13, 2014 | Although he has not formally declared his entry into the race for the District Four Seat of the Elk Grove City Coun...

February 13, 2014 |

Although he has not formally declared his entry into the race for the District Four Seat of the Elk Grove City Council against fellow Democrat, Elk Grove Planning Commissioner Nancy Chaires, Steve Ly sent a press release this afternoon with what appears to be an endorsement from a former implied supporter of Chaires.

Steve Ly appears to have captured Roger Dickinson's endorsement.
Ly, a first term Elk Grove Unified School District trustee, disclosed today that Assembly Member Roger Dickinson (D-Sacramento) will be attending his community picnic on Saturday where Ly is expected to formally announce his candidacy and pick up Dickinson's endorsement.

Although Dickinson never formally endorsed Chaires, at a campaign event last year for Elk Grove Mayor Gary Davis, who is also supporting Ly, Dickinson heaped praises on Chaires and suggested she was in line for the appointment to the seat Davis occupied at the time. 

After Davis was elected Mayor, Chaires did seek appointment to the District Four seat that Davis vacated. In what became a contentious battle pitting Davis and Council Member Jim Cooper against fellow council members Steve Detrick and Pat Hume, Chaires' appointment stalled.

One of the factors cited by Detrick and Hume that kept them from appointing Chaires was Dickinson's coronation of her. Ironically, Ly appeared before the council to endorse Chaires

So with Dickinson's eminent endorsement of Ly, battle lines in the races for the Elk Grove City Council, Ninth Assembly District and Sixth State Senatorial District have been drawn.

On one side is Chaires, who has the endorsements of Ninth Assembly candidate Jim Cooper and Sixth State Senatorial District candidate Dr. Richard Pan. On Ly's side is Davis and Dickinson, who is running against Pan. The only missing piece in this puzzle is the other Democratic Ninth Assembly District candidate, Sacramento City Council Member Darrell Fong.

The battle lines have been drawn - the next public skirmish in this intra-party battle will likely be fought at the March Elk Grove-South County Democratic Club meeting where an endorsement vote for Chaires and Ly has been tentatively scheduled. Given the quickly swollen membership of the Elk Grove club, it ought to be interesting to see how this political battle plays out.   





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9 comments

Strange Bedfellows said...

No surprise here when Steve Ly filed his candidate intention papers and then signed with Capitol Campaigns, the same campaign consultant Roger Dickinson uses, as does Gary Davis. And with Richard Pan endorsing Nancy Chaires, the writing was on the wall that the Dickinson would flip flop over to the other side.

Nancy Chaires is a very smart woman, has the experience and has paid her dues on the Elk Grove Planning Commission. Ly is jumping from office to office.

The voters of Elk Grove deserve a new city council member who is dedicated and will stay put until the seat is at least warm. Ly may say he will stay for four years; but we certainly can’t count on his word, can we? He made that same promise to the people who voted him to the school board.

Anonymous said...

Sure lets pick someone who only wants to play the political party game which is make decisions based on party affiliation and future office and not what's in the best interest of the city. No thanks. Paying dues to party cronies until you get to run does not warrant a vote.

Lynn said...

What the city really needs are independents who are not connected with party lines....new blood. Wait; automatically deserve to be on city council because one has paid their dues by serving/volunteering to be on the planning commission. This does not make sense to me....This is not an endorsement of any candidate....However I would suggest that someone who has served on planning commission and voted; well reviewing the past voting history would give an indication of their direction and voting pattern to be continued on City Council. My suggestion; get from the candidate a vision and a plan that is beyond sound bites. For instance; we all know safety is important, good schools are important, good neighborhoods....ask why and how? When and what? For instance....civic center...how would you? What about expanding the city boundaries? Bottom line; local elections were suppose to be non-partisan....hmm....wonder..just what if...we had which Elk Grove Resident instead of which Party?

Anonymous said...

Where there is smoke there is fire. The same people managing the campaigns of Dickinson, Davis and Ly? Talk about Sacramento politics trying to take a bite out of Elk Grove. Also, many of us still remember that Dickinson was against becoming a city so he could still pull the strings as a county supervisor.

Thomas A. Anderson said...

Yes, Dickinson did come out against the city's incorporation because, as you suggested, he wanted to keep pulling the strings. Likely since he is a career politician and no doubt there was some financial interest along the way.

Nonetheless, would we have had to fight the SOI battle if we remained unincorporated? The county had set the boundaries and the main proponents, money people that is, were all for incorporation. Why? It would easier and cheaper to pay off a group of handpicked stooges in Elk Grove than in Downtown Sac. Local control, really?

Are we really any better off with the crew of obtuse yahoo's cooking up schemes to feed their egos. In fact their ego's are like the universe - constantly expanding.

Yes we do have more police on the streets, but exclusive of that, are we any better off?

Coffee Bean said...

Pablo and the Latino Caucus isn't gonna take this lying down. Storm clouds on the horizon!

Phil Meeker said...

So I think the question here is, "What did Nancy Chaires say or do that ticked off Roger Dickinson?" Did she fail to bow to Dickinson at the proper time and in the proper manner? This reads as retaliation against Chaires for some perceived slight or failure to do what Dickinson wanted.

Phil Meeker said...

Additionally, Steve Ly pledged to fulfill his four-year term on the EGUSD Board. A bit more than a year after being elected he's on to the next big thing? In my opinion that shows a lack of integrity and a lack of respect for those he represents.

I'm not a Chaires fan, but I will vote for her if a better candidate doesn't presents themselves.

Also, at this point I will not being voting for Gary Davis or Steve Ly. In my opinion, Davis has aligned with someone who has demonstrated a lack of character and integrity. What is it they say, "Actions speak louder than words." Davis, Dickinson and Ly are "screaming" with their actions, therfore it's time for them to go.

Anonymous said...

Dickinson had little credibility with me before, but now, even less. Gary, your alignment with Dickinson and Capitol Campaigns has become a liability to your waning reputation. Your inexplicable loyalty to Ly, who's overly ambitious goals are questionable, will tarnish your integrity. But, hey, hopefully your clan has your back.

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