Mayor John D’Amico’s decision to host a campaign launch event on Dec. 7 for City Council candidate Joe Guardarrama provoked grumbling from other candidates and accusations that he was endorsing one candidate over the 10 others.
D’Amico responded by saying that he was willing to host an event, albeit not necessarily at his home, for any candidate.
Now two challengers have taken him up on the offer. D’Amico confirmed that he will host an event for Larry Block on Jan. 11 at a location to be decided, and that he will host an event for Lauren Meister, at a date and location not yet determined. Meister is a former Planning Commissioner who was essentially fired by D’Amico when she refused to step down so that he could appoint his longtime advisor John Altschul to the commission.
Guardarrama, a lawyer who is a former member of the city’s Planning Commission, has been a friend of D’Amico for some 18 years. D’Amico said that friendship is why he agreed to host the event at his home, stressing that he wasn’t involved in putting together the guest list or paying for the event. The guest list included heavyweights from the political establishment such as Steve Afriat, the lobbyist and campaign consultant, and Altschul. D’Amico and Guardarrama share the same campaign consultant — Renee Nahum.
D’Amico is one of 11 candidates for three seats on the Council in the March 3 election. The other incumbent in the race is John Heilman, the city’s longest serving Council member, who has had a fraught relationship with D’Amico. D’Amico told WEHOville that Heilman has not, as yet, asked the mayor to host a campaign event for him.
I miss the days before D’Amico became such a woos when he would actually respond and post here on wehoville. but i guess he’s too busy hosting fundraisers and bending over for afriat
@Lynn, LOLOLOLOL! Thanks, I need that!
D’Amico & Heilemann likely will easily win reelection because of the # of candidates. It is in the interests of both for there to be as many viable candidates as possible. When each votes, he might actually only vote for himself, since both are running against all other 10 of the candidates, and why give a vote to someone who might beat you?
Also- I predict that Joe will meet the same fate that Horvath did…defeat. Not because either of them were bad candidates but because their friends on the city council continue to overstep. Let these candidates run their own campaigns!!!!!!
D’Amico has created a mess. He would like to people to believe he’s a advocate for ALL the residents of the city, but he’s just like every other councilmember…entrenched in over-development politics. Why can ‘t he just announce he is supporting Joe???????? Why is that so hard????? Can someone please beat him in the March 3 election???? It was a mistake on our part that he was ever elected. But we have an opportunity to rectify that mistake in just a few short months.
I’d like to attend the one he will be hosting for John Heilman
of course Afriat will be there. there’ll be food and lots of opportunity to get his clients to buy off the candidates in exchange for their votes if/when they win. Miester and Block should steer clear of Dumico. he’s toxic
It’s silly season… again
LOL