PAC

Businesses for a Better San Clemente Political Action Committee (BBSCPAC)

State and Local Candidate Endorsement and Contribution Policies

PAC Board

Board members of the PAC shall be selected pursuant to the bylaws of the San Clemente Chamber of Commerce.

Endorsement and Contribution Criteria

1)      The PAC Board may recommend endorsements and campaign contributions to support candidates for San Clemente City Council, other local offices encompassing the City of San Clemente, State Assembly, State Senate, Board of Equalization, and other California Statewide elected offices.

2)      The PAC shall give priority to local candidates who directly represent the business community of San Clemente.

3)      Prior to endorsing or contributing to any candidate, the Chamber may consider any of the following:

a.       Incumbency (which shall not automatically be considered an advantage);

b.      Leadership, including demonstrated commitment to the business community, pro-business voting record (if the candidate has previously held public office), and advocating for business interests;

c.       Electability, including voter information, other candidates in race, name recognition, endorsements, ability to raise money and campaign plans;

d.      Information from the Chamber’s political contacts;

e.       Candidate campaign reports;

f.       Publicly available materials such as campaign websites and literature.

4)      No candidate shall be endorsed without completing a PAC questionnaire.

5)      The Chamber makes endorsements and contributions without regard to the political party affiliation of candidates.

Procedure for Endorsements and Contributions

1)      The PAC Board shall meet no later than 90 days prior to any election for San Clemente City Council or another local office that encompasses the City of San Clemente. 

a.       If the PAC Board is considering an endorsement or contribution in any other election, it shall meet no later than 90 days prior to that election.

b.      At this meeting, the PAC Board shall devise and adopt a timeline to prepare the questionnaire to be provided to candidates, discuss a preferred schedule for candidate interviews, and schedule a meeting to vote on endorsement or contribution recommendations in that race. 

c.       The PAC Board shall also designate a PAC Board member or Chamber staff member to inform the candidates that the PAC is considering an endorsement, distribute the questionnaires, and finalize arrangements for candidate interviews.

2)      The candidate questionnaire shall be reviewed and modified, if appropriate, prior to every election to ensure that it contains questions related to issues important to the Chamber.

3)      Only candidates who complete and sign a Chamber questionnaire may be interviewed.

4)      Interviews may be held via telephone or in person by at least two PAC Board members;

5)      At the conclusion of the candidate interviews for any office, the PAC Board shall vote on endorsement and contribution recommendations in that race.

a.       The PAC Board may recommend an endorsement, a contribution, both, or neither.

b.      Generally, the PAC Board should only recommend a contribution to a candidate who it also recommends for an endorsement.

c.       The PAC Board may recommend multiple endorsements in any particular race.

6)      The PAC Board shall inform the Chamber Board of Directors of its recommendations.  The Chamber Board of Directors may veto any recommendation upon a two-thirds vote of the Chamber Board.  This vote must occur within 5 days of the PAC Board’s recommendation, but may be made by electronic mail, telephone, or other method that does not strictly adhere to the meeting requirements of the Chamber Board.  If the Chamber Board does not veto the PAC Board’s recommendation within 5 days, it shall become the official position of the Chamber.

7)      All candidates participating in interviews shall receive thank-you letters and shall be informed of the Chamber’s endorsement in his or her race.

Campaign Reports

The PAC Treasurer shall ensure that the PAC files all required campaign disclosure reports with the appropriate filing officers on a timely basis.