Eu to Invade Flores Turf Again to Raise Campaign Funds

Although Secretary of State March Fong Eu says she rarely pays attention to Republican challenger Joan Milke Flores, the four-term Democratic incumbent will take her campaign into Flores’ own back yard once again this weekend, the second such foray in less than three weeks.

About 500 people, including elected officials from across the South Bay, are scheduled to attend a fund-raiser for Eu on Saturday night at Union Hall on C Street in Wilmington.

The “Hawaiian Unity Luau Extravaganza” is expected to raise about $25,000 for Eu’s reelection effort against Flores, who represents the Harbor area on the Los Angeles City Council.

Forescee Hogan-Rowles, secretary of the California Democratic Party and an organizer of the event, said Eu’s supporters “wanted to make sure that her opponent knows she is alive and well and her constituents “are committed to her and they will support her with their votes.”

Hogan-Rowles added: “We specifically wanted to do something in (Flores’) district. We wanted to make a statement.”

The $25-per-person event is sponsored by several local Democratic clubs and labor organizations, including the Los Angeles County Building and Construction Trades Council and the Teachers Assn. of Long Beach.

Hogan-Rowles said the event is intended to show “strong grass-roots” support for Eu in the South Bay and Long Beach areas. The official list of supporters names numerous local politicians, including Rep. Glenn Anderson (D-Long Beach), state Sen. Ralph Dills (D-Gardena), Assemblyman Willard Murray (D-Paramount), Torrance Councilman George Nakano, Redondo Beach Councilman Ron Cawdrey, Gardena Councilman Mas Fukai, and Carson council members Juanita Millender-McDonald and Mike Mitoma.

Eu was last in Wilmington on Sept. 17 to address a group of residents leading an effort to break away from Los Angeles and establish an independent city. The visit was not an official campaign event, but members of the group, which is highly critical of Flores, said they invited Eu specifically to embarrass the councilwoman.

Flores will be campaigning in central California on Saturday, and a campaign aide said Thursday that she is not concerned about Eu’s appearance to Wilmington.

“This is a statewide campaign,” said deputy campaign manager Dora B. Kingsley.