2025 Recap

LBDC RECOGNIZED ON IT’S 80TH YEAR ANNIVERSARY!

1945 - 2025

It was a Big Year for LBDC!

LBDC Membership Chair Carrie Reynolds set our goal to increase membership to 300 in 2025.  We exceeded it!!  We held 12 monthly meetings with exceptional speakers including 2 meetings for our Members in Good Standing, where we elected 6 Club Reps who will vote at the Pre-Endorsing conference, and voted to support three candidates in the first round of the pre-endorsement process.  LBDC’s Past President Peggy Wolf led the charge on the design and launch of our new LBDC Website with the assistance of LBDC’s former Website Chair Ann Marie McKay.

We had a diverse lineup of speakers addressing pressing issues. Author Angela Denkar discussed the dangers of  U.S. white nationalism, Tim Hartshorne focused on aiding those threatened by ICE arrests, and Marc Fisher, Associate Editor at the Washington Post, highlighted current media challenges and the re-shaping the news. We welcomed elected officials Dave Min, Katrina Foley, and Katie Porte and Lauren Johnson Norris gave an update on the 2025 DPOC organization.  LBDC Vice Chair Chuck Hasse delivered a standing ovation presentation on gerrymandering and the implications of Prop 50.  We wrapped up the year with candidates for AD-72 and SD-36.

A special fundraising event for the DPOC was held on

October 11th. LBDC’s Secretary Lara Horgan hosted

the event featuring DNC Vice Chair Malcolm Kenyatta.  

LBDC’s social media exceeded all expectations and our followers continue to grow exponentially.  LBDC's Social Media Chair Joe Moreno worked tirelessly connecting with the DNC and the Newsom Prop 50 Campaign providing LBDC with real-time information and  created valuable content reaching Democrats not just in Laguna Beach, but across the county, state and country.  This is no small feet and we are grateful for Joe’s dedication to making our social media a key component of our mission to elect Democrats.

With our mission to get all Democrats to vote in this special election, our team of canvassers, mailers, and phone bankers succeeded in a 69% Democratic Turnout in Laguna Beach.  LBDC’s Outreach Co-Chair Deb Young and LBDC member Ginger Osborne team knocked on over 1400 doors!!  We teamed up with other Democratic clubs in CA-47 organizing a volunteer recruitment event in Newport Beach featuring Lt. Governor Eleni Kounalakis, city council members and club leaders, and worked with CADEM and the DPOC for a statewide coordinated Get Out The Vote campaign.

LBDC’s voice was loud and clear in 2025.   LBDC’s Protest Team led by Outreach Co-Chair Mary Carter hosted/co-hosted 6 large protests on Main Beach and throughout Laguna.  Our NO KINGS protest in June was the largest single protest in Laguna Beach.  We teamed up with our fellow Dem Clubs, Indivisible and 50501 managing 7 miles of protesters from Crystal Cove to Crown Valley Parkway for the statewide California Strong: Hold the Line protest in September.  

Supporting Laguna Beach is  always a priority and we held our annual Food Drive for the Laguna Food Pantry where LBDC’s new Website Chair Cecilia Gonzales provided raffle tickets to everyone who dropped off food, for the chance to win a Christmas Wreath created by LBDC’s Secretary Lara Horgan.  LBDC Member Sarah Besso was the winner!   LBDC also joined with the Neighborhood Congregational Church to co-host the Laguna Beach Community Thanksgiving dinner.What began as a passion project has evolved into something more. We’re proud of where we’ve been and even more excited for what’s ahead. What sets us apart isn’t just our process—it’s the intention behind it. We take time to understand, explore, and create with purpose at every turn.