By Doug Miller
But he vowed he will run a primary campaign against the three people who received the party's blessing, Councilman Leonard Remo, Denise Tangney and Robert Tepper.
Kelly was first elected to the council in 1999 to a two-year term. In 2001 he led the Democratic ticket to victory over current councilmembers Jim Hennessy, Tom Sofield and Mona Goodman. He was the top vote-getter.
But at a special caucus of the Long Beach bloc of delegates to last week's convention, Kelly only received nine votes out of the 60 cast.
The lack of support is in retaliation for the 2003 election, when Kelly endorsed the Republican party's coalition slate of Hennessy, Sofield and Mona, which eked out the upset and took control of the council. The result was that several Democratic committee members with city hall jobs were fired.
The party has since reorganized, and former state senate candidate Joshua Ketover, who lost to Dean Skelos in the last election, has taken over as leader. Ketover replaced former Council Vice President Scott Nigro as leader, who served for just one year after Eugene Cammarato stepped down. November's election will be the city's first without Cammarato as a leader since he took over from Kevin Braddish in 1993.
"The old leadership showed up and corralled the committee members to vote a particular way," Kelly said. "That room does not reflect the members of the Democratic Party who live in Long Beach. This is the same group that was so ineffective in the 2003 election and they haven't done anything to improve themselves since."
But Ketover questioned Kelly's motives for attacking his own party's leadership.
"I'm a little bit disappointed in Denis," Ketover said. "We worked together two Mondays ago before the City Council budget hearing, going over his concerns and discussing our strategy. Then less than 24 hours later he called and said if I didn't anoint him with the nomination, he would tell anyone who would listen that I'm not really the leader and Gene's really running the organization. So he's making good on his threat."
But Kelly said Ketover had called him seeking advice on the budget, and that he was trying to be a team player.
"I hoped Josh Ketover would be an effective leader," Kelly said. "I was trying to help him, give him support as a leader ... Josh knows I have been the most outspoken Democratic [elected official] in the city."
Ketover dismissed Kelly's charges.
"I'm available to the public every Wednesday night and every Saturday morning up at [Democratic] headquarters," Ketover said. "Anyone who says they ever saw Gene there with me, I'll buy them a steak dinner."
Dem primary in 4th L.D., too
Kelly's campaign will not be the only race with a Democratic primary, which will be held Sept. 13. The delegates from the 4th Legislative District voted unanimously to support attorney Robert Solomon to challenge Republican Denise Ford, but Lindell school teacher and Library Board Trustee Warren Vegh will be joined by Oceansider Jerry LaMonica in challenging Solomon.
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