Ellen (Yes, the Famous One) Helps a Eureka City Council Candidate

Jeannie Breslin and Ellen DeGeneres

Jeannie Breslin and Ellen DeGeneres. [Composite of a photo of Breslin provided by her and a photo of DeGeneres Attribution: © Glenn Francis, www.PacificProDigital.com]

The story of how Ellen DeGeneres came to help Jeannie Breslin run for Eureka City Council Ward 3 starts with a dog and ends with a shoe.

To begin with, you need to know that Jeannie Breslin raised Bedlington Terriers and one of her puppies went to actress Portia de Rossi who later became Ellen DeGeneres’ partner.

According to Breslin, she and de Rossi became friends. “When I decided to run, I sent her information cards…,” she explained to us.

Jeannie Breslin

Shoes signed by Ellen were donated to Breslin’s campaign. [Photo provided by Jeannie Breslin]

In a post online, Breslin wrote, “Both Portia and Ellen are excited for me and happy to see me running for Eureka City Council. Ellen has donated these hand signed Ellen DeGeneres Tennis Shoes and 4 Tickets 🎟🎟I🎟🎟 to the Ellen DeGeneres show to be auctioned off as a fundraiser towards my campaign, Jeannie Breslin For Eureka City Council 2018.”

In spite of having a celebrity supporter, Breslin knows she isn’t a shoe-in. Breslin said that she is planning to work hard both as a candidate for Ward 3 and, if she wins, as a Councilmember. “I have been heavily involved in this community for 17 years,” she told us. “I have spent many a night in front of City Council.”

Breslin touts her experience as a consultant for Boeing on a joint venture program with NASA for the Star Station One Institute Nasa. “I worked and I raised my son,” she said.  Now, she said, she has time to give back to her community. She explained, “I am a woman. I am aging. I just turned 61. I have the time and energy to help.”

Breslin, who is behind the I Like Eureka Facebook page, loves the area. She says that from the moment she saw Eureka when she was 16, she was intrigued. Then, when she moved here 17 years ago, she says she thought, “Boy, I just landed in the good stuff.” And, she said she has fallen more in love over the years. “It is everything I envisioned,” she explained. “It’s our woods, our forests, our ocean… Eureka…we have everything!”

Breslin is against the needle program as currently administered in Eureka. She wants to see a needle exchange program.

As a former marketing person and a self-described problem solver, Breslin wants to bring a fresh look to issues facing the city. “I would love to go for a walk on the [Hikshari’] trail…I don’t feel safe to do that as a woman. I want to feel safe in our community…” She believes more law enforcement could help, but not in the old model of cops in cars. ” I love creative solutions.,” she said and she suggests more law enforcement in a way that is picturesque. “A mounted patrol unit in Old Town and on the Trail could help,” she suggested. “Whether that is a park ranger or a cop or an ex–vet…Everyone likes a horse. Maybe the horses could be stabled at the Blue Ox.”

Breslin could quickly wear out her Ellen shoes running for Ward 3 as the incumbent is sort of Councilmember Natalie Arroyo (Arroyo used to be Ward 5 before the recent redrawing of the districts) as well as another candidate, John Fullerton. In any case, a race that starts this early with celebrity schwag will certainly be interesting.

Live in Eureka and don’t know what Ward you are in now that the district has been redrawn? Check out this map. 

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scott zwierlein
Guest
scott zwierlein
6 years ago

Please no!

Veteran's Friend
Guest
Veteran's Friend
6 years ago

Isn’t Portia Ellen’s wife?

Georganne Ross
Guest
Georganne Ross
6 years ago

Thank you for the news about Ellen DeGenere’s donation to Jeannie Breslin’s campaign. Do you think you could find a better photo to represent Ellen next time? Her eyes don’t always look that way. Just a suggestion.

Paul Jensen
Guest
Paul Jensen
6 years ago
Reply to  Kym Kemp

Here’s one

Chairokee
Guest
Chairokee
6 years ago
Reply to  Georganne Ross

And when she’s sleeping they dont look the way you want either, do they? Thanks kim for the work you do, ross can watch her show and get an eye full!

ThinRedLine
Guest
ThinRedLine
6 years ago

Anybody who breeds dogs should be forced to kill 1 dog at the pound for every puppy they produce. Portia is a “dedicated vegan”, she can come help humanely kill the mutts.

Dog steaks? How bout, instead....
Guest
Dog steaks? How bout, instead....
6 years ago
Reply to  ThinRedLine

I got a better idea:
Instead of killing, breeders are required to SPAY OR NEUTER all but two of them before any sales/give away happens. This would help keep breeding dogs out of homes that are not prepared to end up with more dogs.

Entertainment Professional
Guest
Entertainment Professional
6 years ago

Jeannie sounds like a skilled and dedicated person to be a Supervisor. Hope she gets good and equal exposure.
On one film I worked on, I spent considerable time with Ellen. She is a real, kind (powerful) person. I recall talks where she was just like my close friend. So, I am not surprised that she is making a kind donation.
One correction, Kym. I understand that after decades of needing to couch a gay person’s lover as their “partner”, as in, ‘actress Portia de Rossi who later became Ellen DeGeneres’ partner’, Portia is actually Ellen’s wife.

Charles Van Buskirk
Guest
Charles Van Buskirk
6 years ago

To add to the confusion of changing ward boundaries, the map is mislabeled. It shows California Street has a break in it just north of Henderson. It appears the street names are overlain about two blocks west of where they should be. Check with the county elections department to determine which ward you are in.

John Fullerton
Guest
John Fullerton
6 years ago
Reply to  Kym Kemp

Kym the city took down that proposed wards map about a month ago. Now all they have is a tiny map that is hard to see the streets.

I have been told the County Elections Office is reworking the precincts as some precincts cross ward boundaries and it will be March before an official list by ward is available.

I don’t have any Hollywood TV stars supporting me but if you ever want to interview me just let me know.

john
Guest
john
6 years ago
Reply to  John Fullerton

Here is the map I found. Is it correct?

http://www.ci.eureka.ca.gov/civicax/filebank/blobdload.aspx?BlobID=13583

I found it at;

http://www.ci.eureka.ca.gov under City Council, dropdown to Ward Map

John Fullerton
Guest
John Fullerton
6 years ago
Reply to  Kym Kemp

I will call “Harry” and ask him LOL.

The map you found is the current map they have up. The other one was much better it was up from November to early January. The old one you could put the address in the Q box and the map would show you where it falls in the ward map.

John Fullerton
Guest
John Fullerton
6 years ago
Reply to  Kym Kemp

Sounds good to me. I will send you my contact info.

Mary Mary Quite Contrary
Guest

The biggest issue your commenters see is the picture used of ED and whether Portia is ED’s “wife!” This candidate can’t win the election on her own merits so hauling in a tired Hollyweird lib hack to buy the position?? Is ED going to come up and cry on cue to gain sympathy for her?? Are we going to have a “bought and paid for” election by people outside Eureka who don’t have a clue about us?? I can hear Breslin’s campaign slogan now “Sell A Puppy, Get a Council Seat!” (You honestly think Breslin didn’t know what she was doing when she contacted Portia??? If it was innocent, she wouldn’t have accepted the help, $$!!)
Optics are everything.
So are the new Ward lines which means people I didn’t elect get to make laws that govern me…. That’s a big issue!

Calm down
Guest
Calm down
6 years ago

That’s a far cry from whats happening here. Are you a fox news reporter? Cuz you sound like it, completely missing the info in the article and inferring your own meaning. I highly doubt Ellen has any vested interest in our local politics.

In reality every candidate gets assistance from someone with money, here in humboldt its mainly been from the good ole boy network and big companies like mercer-fraser, and the money is usually gotten at “fundraising” dinners and such. Lots of behind the scenes stuff and a lot of it at the Carson house where none of us regular folk are allowed to go.

To me this shoe donation is the equivalent of someone donating an item to a non-profit or school for a raffle. All candidates fundraise.
At least this woman’s campaign is being clear about how they got this item.
Ellen just did her show honoring people making a difference where they live. This is just a part of that.

Honestly people this is a pretty silly thing to get all up in arms about!
Where were you when the DA was married to a board of supe member and they along with the sheriffs were basically hired by MAXXAM to do their bidding??? Now that was some serious big money outside influence that left our economy in ruins, young women with permanent eye damage and filled our rivers with silt.

Pat
Guest
Pat
6 years ago
Reply to  Calm down

Calm Down, anything that goes against your interpretation of the truth must be a “Fox News ” person, like Fox News watchers are in one category, How shallow are you. Your mind set is so stupid, it is like the person who said, Lets cut down all the Redwoods so we don’t have to hear about it any more. Or the problem here on earth is there are to many ” White People ” go stand in the corner and put your nose against the wall, or you will lose you nap time. people are judged by what they say, if you have not heard.

Guest
Guest
Guest
6 years ago
Reply to  Pat

Must be painful to be without a sense of humor.

Hmmmmm!
Guest
Hmmmmm!
6 years ago

Well, *Some*body sure is contrary today!

Bunsley Rubber
Guest
Bunsley Rubber
6 years ago

You couldn’t pay me enough to go to that show!

Honeydew Bridge C.H.U.M.P.
Guest
Honeydew Bridge C.H.U.M.P.
6 years ago

I always thought Ellen was a woman, but how can she have a wife? Doesn’t she live in the US? I didn’t think this was even possible or did I read something wrong in the article?

I’m not getting this at all.

Honeydew Bridge C.H.U.M.P.
Guest
Honeydew Bridge C.H.U.M.P.
6 years ago
Reply to  Kym Kemp

Actually Kym, I looked it up and same sex marriage is legal now. I had no idea this happened, but it’s real. Not being into mainstream media, haven’t had a tv since Reagan’s first term, these things can sneak up on a person.

I even got the Ellen woman mixed up with Riki Lake, maybe I need to buy a tv to keep up on popular culture, more going on besides Live Leak and 4 chan.

Bonnie
Guest
Bonnie
6 years ago
Reply to  Kym Kemp

For California, make that 2008. (And I think he’s tryin’ to fool ya’.)

Lost Croat Outburst
Guest
Lost Croat Outburst
6 years ago
Reply to  Kym Kemp

I give anyone points for honesty in their “handle.” He doesn’t call himself “Honeydew Bridge CHARMER” and trolls have traditionally lived under bridges.

Lost Croat Outburst
Guest
Lost Croat Outburst
6 years ago

It’s amazing. You don’t have to swear on a bible anymore for public office. A Koran will do or the Manhattan phone book. The Supreme Court declared sodomy to be Constitutionally protected which was an answered prayer of the Boston Arch Diocese. An openly stupid, rude, vicious, woman-abusing cretin can be President! Yeah, man, a lot of jelly has gone through the donut since your chumpdom reign was inaugurated.

Dot
Guest
Dot
6 years ago

This is an interesting and unique story. Thanks for sharing it.
If you are not looking for a specific breed, such as a Bredlington Terrier, please consider getting a dog from one of the several excellent shelter/animal rescue organizations we have locally. And make sure you get your pets neutered. There are far too many orphaned and homeless pets.
And if you disagree with Ellen deGenerese’s lifestyle or dislike her show, remember she’s not the one running for office.
If any celebrities wanted to donate to a local cause fundraiser I was involved in I would consider it a generous gift, as I do for the donations from various local businesses that help support so many non-profits, medical needs, political and other fund-raising events.
This is a sweet story. What matters at the ballot box is what the candidate wants to achieve for their constituents. And that’s another story, not this one.

...
Guest
...
6 years ago

When and where is this auction for those tickets?

Imelda Marcos
Guest
Imelda Marcos
6 years ago

What size are the shoes?

Entertainment Professional
Guest
Entertainment Professional
6 years ago
Reply to  Imelda Marcos

With your user name and the comment, that’s funny! Maybe YOU should have your own TV show! 😉

Mrs. T
Guest
Mrs. T
5 years ago

Breslin for third ward, I don’t think so.
Lets vote for someone who has real experience.