In the final month of campaigning before the November 6 election, the 47th Congressional District is aflurry with endorsement announcements from both sides of the race, including Republican City Councilmen Gary Delong, who called another press conference at the Maya Hotel Thursday to address No Labels’ recent endorsement of his candidacy. The announcement comes almost a week after DeLong grabbed the cell phone of a Democratic tracker after a debate at CSULB, an incident that has brought criticism to the businessman’s campain.
Lisa Borders, co-founder of No Labels, awarded Gary DeLong a seal of approval as a problem solver, commemorating DeLong’s commitment to valuing every voice in the community as she says is demonstrated by his work in corporate and small business and his dedication to public service.
“I offer this problem-solver seal of approval…that identifies him as one who is willing to work with anyone, who is willing to take the best ideas, vet them, and leverage them for his community,” said Borders.
No Labels is a national grass-roots organization, consisting of Democrats, Republicans, and Independents. They hope to advance the country by entering into political discussions and drafting legislation, where politicians leave their labels at the door in order to find the best solutions to the country’s biggest challenges, regardless of political ideology. Their motto: “We want our government to stop fighting and start fixing.”
“I am a registered Republican,” DeLong said. “I always have been. I agree with the Republican Party on many things, and there are things that I disagree with the Republican Party on. My commitment to the people is that I will do what I think is best and what I think reflects the voters of the 47th District.”
No Labels is also a major advocate for the No Budget, No Pay Act, which is a bill that would delay Congressmen from receiving their congressional paycheck if the budget decisions are not made on time. DeLong is a proponent of this bill, and there are also 92 members of Congress in support.
“One of the highest priorities of a member of Congress is to pass the budget,” Delong said, “and if they don’t pass a budget, then they shouldn’t get paid. I support that very strongly today as a member of our country, but more importantly, I will support that very strongly when I’m a representative of the United States Congress.”
Gary DeLong says he is resting some of his campaign on his open-mindedness, his ability to reach across the aisle and make the decisions he believes are the best for the people. And he hopes the No Labels seal will help vet his claims.
When asked why he still needs the Republican label, he explained, “I agree with the Republican Party on many things. My financial conservatism is very clearly republican in our country. I think they have a good plan to get the country moving again—that’s my private sector background—create good jobs for America, and I think those are the goals of the republican party, and I’m very proud to support that direction.”