In the always interesting California Assembly District 50 race, new developments are once again unfolding that make us wonder what's happening behind the scenes among local Democratic leaders.

Last week, as WeHo News reported, both Democratic candidates Richard Bloom and Betsy Butler, who are battling each other in the AD 50 race, failed to win an endorsement from the West Hollywood/Beverly Hills Democratic Club. The political group is going to consider that again in September.

Now, the West Hollywood-based Stonewall Democratic Club has pushed back its endorsement vote for AD 50. What's going on here?

As we pointed out in a recent LA Weekly feature story about the hotly contested AD 50 race, these endorsements have little to do with the actual substance of a candidate.

Instead, it's a numbers game.

Whoever “stacks” an endorsement meeting with the most supporters wins. That's it. A careful examination of a candidate's stance on the issues doesn't matter one whit.

We suspect West Hollywood/Beverly Hills and Stonewall Democrats are now figuring out the numbers, not if Bloom or Butler is the best candidate based on the issues — and how in the coming weeks they can make things work best for their preferred candidate.

We're keeping our eye on how things play out. Voters in AD 50, which is one of the most liberal and wealthiest political districts in the country, will have their say in November.

Contact Patrick Range McDonald at pmcdonald@laweekly.com.

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