Salwan avoids removal from Alameda County Dem Central Committee

Howard Terminal EIR meeting set; Gamesmanship in SD10; AD20 money race

Fremont Councilmember Raj Salwan on Wednesday night making his case against calls to remove him from the Alameda County Democratic Central Committee.

—TENSE NIGHT—Fremont Councilmember Raj Salwan avoided removal from the Alameda County Democratic Central Committee on Wednesday night, and later narrowly avoided censure after a tense, nearly three-hour debate on his support for Fremont Mayor Lily Mei’s state Senate campaign.

Salwan was brought up on charges by LGBT central committee members and allies for violating the committee’s recently approved bylaw that prohibits its members from endorsing candidates who have been found to have disparaged the LGBT community.

Using this bylaw, Alameda County Democrats formally sanctioned Fremont Mayor Lily Mei last fall for past anti-LGBT actions Harvey, including her opposition as a school boardmember to Harvey Milk Day. Last May, Salwan endorsed Mei’s campaign for this year’s 10th State Senate District race.

Salwan argued forcefully that the central committee’s bylaw, approved on Sept. 1, was not intended to be retroactive. Salwan said he formally endorsed Mei’s state Senate campaign on May 11, 2021. “I have made no new endorsement or action that would run afoul of those amendments,” Salwan said. Others concurred with Salwan and described him as a “good Democrat” that has long supported the party’s efforts in Fremont.

Few questioned Salwan’s credibility as an Alameda County Democrat or whether he harbored anti-LGBT views. “This is not about whether Salwan is a good Democrat or a homophobe. It’s about whether he broke the bylaw,” said Andy Kelley, a member of the central committee.

“Are we going to stand with the rule and standards that we set for ourselves?” asked Melissa Shuen-Mallory, one of the central committee members who issued the charges against Salwan. “It hurts. It sucks,” said Lance Kwan, another who charged Salwan. “I’m really angry as this body has understood Mei is homophobic.”

The threshold for removing a central committee seat is high. A two-thirds majority of those voting is required. As the meeting unfolded, it appeared the threshold was not likely to be met. A motion by Pamela Drake, a central committee member from Oakland, asked to pull the removal item and replace it with a move to censure Salwan, an action that only requires a simple majority to pass. But acting chair Igor Tregub ruled the item out of order. The opinion was later overruled by a vote of the body. Hindered by 11 abstentions, the motion to censure narrowly failed, 19-16.

MORE IN THIS ISSUE: What’s next in the AC Dems saga? | More allegations made against Salwan | Date set for Howard Terminal EIR | SD10 Gamesmanship | Campaign Finance Spotlight: AD20 | Datebook |