BY NORAH SHEPPARD-HUTCHINS
Daily Post Staff Writer
A Menlo Park City Council candidate’s ad is being criticized by a San Mateo County Democratic Party leader as “sleazy” and “misleading.”
The ad that is coming under fire was posted on candidate Laura Melahn’s social media pages that said she is endorsed by “Six former mayors. The Fire Board. The Democrats.” Melahn saying she is endorsed by “The Democrats” makes it seem like she got the San Mateo County Democratic Party’s endorsement, which is untrue, according to Maryann Moise, a vice chair of the county Democratic Party.
Melahn is running against Charlotte Reed to replace Betsy Nash to represent District 4, the Allied Arts and parts of central Menlo Park. The San Mateo County Democratic Party released a statement on Tuesday clarifying it has endorsed Reed.
“This is baseless and a distraction from important issues. I’ve always been clear about who my endorsements are from,” Melahn said Thursday (Oct. 22).
Melahn said she has never claimed to be endorsed by the San Mateo County Democratic Party, but does list an endorsement from the Democratic Municipal Officials, which is a national association of elected mayors, city council members and school board members.
‘Sleazy tactics’
Moise said she had never heard of the association before and believes the ad was intentionally misleading.
“Laura Melahn’s sleazy tacties to mislead voters that she got the endorsement both cheapens the SMC Dems endorsement and makes a mockery of our long and laborious process to recruit, invite, schedule, interview and choose the best candidates,” Moise said in an email to the Post.
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