Portantino Launches Campaign Headquarter

Over 300 people gather at Portantino’s Pasadena headquarters.

PASADENA ”” The Anthony Portantino for State Senate campaign was overwhelmed Sunday as 300 friends, neighbors and activists joined #TeamPortantino for an old fashioned campaign kickoff rally.  So many people showed up that the speeches had to be moved to the office parking lot where the Pasadena Firefighters from Local 809 were grilling hundreds of burgers and dogs for the giant crowd.

Former Monrovia Mayor Mary Ann Lutz emceed the program which included speeches by State Treasurer John Chiang, Pasadena Mayor Terry Tornek, Burbank Mayor Bob Frutos, Glendale City Clerk Ardy Kassakhian and former Pasadena Unified School Board President Renatta Cooper.  In addition, about 30 local, in district, elected officials were joined by members of ANCA Western Region, SEIU, the Carpenters, UAW, UFCW, Teamsters, several past NAACP* Presidents, Democratic Clubs from across the district and hundreds of local neighbors.

“It was quite a day with so many friends there to help us prepare for the final 90 days of the campaign.  I was truly overwhelmed by the turnout. Thank goodness we were prepared and the rain held up till evening because there was no way we could have fit 300 people in our office. As I’ve said from the beginning of this journey, all politics are local and yesterday our local grassroots support made that statement better than I could have imagined. Thank you #TeamPortantino,”