Local Democrats Elect New Leader

ORANGE — Embattled incumbent Jim Toledano withdrew his candidacy for chairman of the county Democratic Party on Monday, and one of his chief critics was elected to the post.

With Toledano’s withdrawal, former party Vice Chairwoman Jeanne Costales beat middle school teacher Margaret “Meg” Robinson for the two-year post as leader of the county’s 418,000 registered Democrats.

Toledano, 52, an Irvine lawyer, said he believed he would not be effective in a second term as chairman, but would continue to be active in party politics.

“I think it’s fair to say I was not particularly successful,” he said. “A lot of what I wanted to do got lost in the infighting.”

Costales, 60, of Lake Forest, who had resigned last May in protest over Toledano’s leadership, shook hands with him Monday night and pledged to bring the party together.

“I will work very hard to be a unifying force for the Democratic Party,” she said.

The vote by the Democratic Central Committee was not disclosed.

Costales was among the leaders of an anti-Toledano faction that had tried to oust him in May over his handling of party money. The vote then was 34 to 22 in favor of his ouster, but Toledano survived because party bylaws require a two-thirds majority to recall the chair.

After the failed recall, Costales resigned, saying she could not work with a chairman she did not trust. Treasurer David Levy also resigned.

The controversy began when Toledano accepted a $10,000 campaign contribution on the party’s behalf in the March primary. Toledano, 52, spent it without authorization--a violation of party bylaws--on a last-minute mailer for congressional candidate Jim Prince and Assembly candidate Lou Correa. Prince finished third in his race; Correa ran unopposed.

The check was from Paul LaPrade of Arizona, who is married to Prince’s sister, Debra Lee LaPrade. It may have violated campaign finance laws, because the LaPrades already had reached their contribution limits on the Prince campaign.

Toledano has said he made a mistake in not consulting party officials and said he did not know Debra LaPrade was Prince’s sister.

But Costales has questioned his ethics and said she has broad support in the party.

Robinson, the current vice chairwoman, has not directly criticized Toledano. She emphasized her leadership experience as co-chair of the Eleanor Roosevelt Democratic Club, a gay and lesbian group.