Osborn Capitalizes on Mayor's Outburst

Torie Osborn doesn't seem too upset about the  from West Hollywood's mayor last week.

In fact, Osborn, a longtime Santa Monica resident, is now asking viewers of the video showing Mayor John Duran interrputing her speech at last Wednesday's West Hollywood-Beverly Hills Democratic Club endorsement meeting to pay up.

A recent campaign email titled "VIRAL VIDEO: WeHo Mayor Threatens Me" includes the tagline, "Click here to see the video—and help us turn this shocking incident into a campaign opportunity," linking directly to Osborn's ActBlue fundraising page.

Next to the embedded 57-second YouTube clip, a message on the page reads: "Watch the video on the right, and then donate $3 below to help us fight these attacks and advance our grassroots momentum!"

By the time the 50th Assembly District candidate won the endorsement—at the end of the nearly three-hour meeting last week—Duran could no longer contain his frustration. Storming out and wagging his finger, he said, “West Hollywood will not forget this,” plus a few choice words.

Osborn is backed by many of the local Democratic clubs, but has come under attack from opponents who accuse her of stacking the votes in her favor. She has asked members of her campaign to join the clubs, which Duran has said taints the process.

“We’re in it to win it. I have a grass-roots army that’s working with me... ," she told Patch after the WeHo meeting. "People joining clubs in order to vote for who they vote for is part of the grass roots. It just is part of the tactics. People do it all the time. I’m proud of my troops.”

• Related:

"Unfortunately, our club was overrun with outsiders and we were not able to make an endorsement through a fair and transparent process with an open and honest exchange of ideas," Duran told the Huffington Post.

There are three Democrats vying for to represent Santa Monica, Malibu, West Hollywood and Beverly Hills, in the newly created 50th Assembly District.

• Related:
• Related:
• Related:
• Related: