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About Welead OC
Welead OC recruits and trains Progressive Democratic women to run for city councils and school boards, with a focus on Women of Color and women living in under-represented communities.
Women! Progressive Women Democrats! Our County is evolving, slowly, from a citadel of conservativism to a community of diversity and inclusivity --- the change is gradual but deliberate.
Choose and commit to be the change in 2022.
Welead OC Fall Candidate Development Series Beginning Thursday, September 16, 2021. Applications Now Being Accepted.
The 2020 election cycle proved to be Welead OC's most successful yet. 75% of our candidates became city council and school board members -- 58% are People of Color.
Welead OC Women Democratic candidates, activists and those seeking positions on campaigns, develop the confidence to hone their political instincts and skills.
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WHAT WELEAD OC ALUM SAY
This changed my life. It prepared me and taught me how to make effective change while working on a campaign.
The role playing, story telling and group exercises were the most helpful.
The program is STELLAR and I learned everything I needed to know to run my campaign.
Pamela Braunstein
Trustee
Capistrano Unified School District 3
Class - Spring 2019
Pamela, in her first run ever for elected office, toppled Capistrano Unified School District President, Jim Reardon, first elected in 2012, 56.25% - 43.75%
Dr. Vicki Calhoun
Trustee
Fullerton Joint Union High School District 5
Class - Fall 2019
Dr. Vicki Calhoun is the first ever African American to serve in Fullerton city Government.
Diana Lee Carey
Trustee
Huntington Beach Union High School District
Inaugural Welead OC Class - 2015
Diana Lee Carey is one of Welead OC's first candidates when the program launched in September 2015. She was first elected to the HBUSD in 2018 and is up for re-election in 2022. Diana is a former Westminster City Councilmember.
Rose Espinoza
Mayor
La Habra City Council
Inaugural Welead OC Class - 2015
Mayor Espinoza was elected in 2020 to serve her fifth term to the La Habra City Council and her fifth term as Mayor. She was one of Welead OC's very first candidates in September 2015.
Rebecca "Beckie" Gomez
Councilmember
Tustin City Council
Trustee
OC Board of Education
District 1
Class - Spring 2016
In 2020 Rebecca "Beckie" Gomez was elected to the Tustin City Council, where she previously served from 2010 until her term expired in 2016. She was then elected to the OC Board of Education, re-elected in 2020 and is currently the only serving Democrat.
Richard Hurt
City Councilmember
Aliso Viejo City Council
Class - Fall 20
Richard is serving as the first African American elected official in the city of Aliso Viejo. A first-time candidate, Richard was one of eight candidates to fill three seats.
Farrah Khan
Mayor
Irvine City Council
Class - Spring 2016
Mayor Khan was first elected to the Irvine City Council in 2018. In 2020 the voters of Irvine elected her Mayor. In a four-way race, Mayor Khan received 47.56% of the vote. She is the first Muslim woman to be elected in
Orange County.
Jessie Lopez
Councilmember
Santa Ana City Council
Ward 3
Class - Fall 2019
In her first run ever for elected office, Jessie Lopez was one of five candidates vying for one seat. Jessie came up on top beating #2 by almost 8 percentage points.
Ana Page
Trustee
Orange Unified School District
Area 3
Class - Summer 2020
A first-time candidate, Ana won OUSD Area 3 seat with more than 54,000 votes and with almost 58% of the vote.
Cottie Petrie-Norris
Assemblymember
74th AD
Class - Summer 2017
In her first bid for elected office in 2018, Assemblymember Petrie-Norris emerged from a 5-way Primary to advance to the General Election, where she flipped the 74th AD from Red to Blue, beating the GOP Incumbent
52.7% - 47.3%. A Democrat had not held the seat since 1978. Assemblymember Petrie-Norris is the first woman to hold the seat. She was re-elected in 2020.
Welead OC Alum Electeds
Welead OC Alums
Candidates. Activists. Campaign Professionals
Meet Welead OC's Alum --- accomplished, empowered and emboldened leaders.
Click below and enjoy the tour!
Congratulations Welead OC 2020 Candidates!
Danett Abbott
Candidate
Orange City Council
District 3
Danett is a first-time candidate and the first candidate to run in the city of Orange's District-Held elections.
Pamela Braunstein
Elected
Trustee
Capistrano
Unified School District
District 3
Pamela, a first-time candidate, beat the incumbent by 12.5%.
Dr. Vicki Calhoun
Elected
Trustee
Fullerton Joint Union
High School District
Dr. Vicki is serving as the first-ever African American in Fullerton city government.
Rose Espinoza
Elected
Mayor
La Habra
City Council
Mayor Espinoza has been elected to serve her fifth term as a member of the La Habra City Council & her fifth term as Mayor.
Pauline Hale
Candidate
Mission Viejo City Council
Pauline, LGBTQ, and first-time candidate, ran with 8 other candidates. She came in fourth for two seats against candidates with higher name ID.
Richard Hurt
Elected
Aliso Viejo
City Council
Richard is serving as the first African American elected official in the city of Aliso Viejo. A first-time candidate, Richard was one of eight candidates to fill three seats.
Jessie Lopez
Elected
Santa Ana
City Council
Jessie is a first-time candidate. She was one of five candidates for one seat and was the highest vote getter with 34% of the vote.
Ana Page
Elected
Trustee, Area 3
Orange Unified School District
Ana is a first-time candidate. She won with 58% of the vote.
Jeanine Robbins
Candidate
Anaheim
City Councl, District 4
Jeanine is a longtime Anaheim Activist. She is a first-time candidate and while not successful this time around, Jeanine will continue her phenomenal community work.
Oscar Rodriguez
Candidate
Huntington Beach
City Council
Oscar is a first-time candidate and was one of fifteen candidates vying for three seats. Oscar came in fifth ahead of former councilmembers and an Assemblymember.