The same day Salud Carbajal positioned campaign signs in the windows of his new State Street headquarters, he all but secured an endorsement from the state Democratic Party in the race for the open congressional seat. The pre-endorsement bolsters his already-sturdy, deep-pocketed campaign against Democratic chief rival Helene Schneider.
Last Saturday, 83 percent of the 24th District’s Democratic Party delegates voted for Carbajal while just 10 percent backed Schneider. Eight percent selected “no endorsement.” Bill Ostrander, who is known as the campaign finance reform candidate, received none. Delegates are appointed by state and federal elected officials or represent clubs in the county’s Democratic Party.
Carbajal far exceeded the 70 percent required to receive the pre-endorsement, a decision very difficult to reverse. (Had he won 50-70 percent, an endorsing caucus would have made a decision at the February party convention.) A state party spokesperson said nearly 100 percent of endorsed candidates advance to the general election. Given June’s open primary, that candidate could face another Democrat.