Santa Ana's top news & views blog

Santa Ana's top news & views blog

Category Archives: 2012 Elections

Will Solorio endorse Daly for a job at the Clerk-Recorder’s office?

Posted on by Posted in 2012 Elections, Democratic Party, Elections, Jose Solorio, Michele Martinez, Orange County, Politics, Santa Ana 7 Comments

It looks like Orange County Clerk-Recorder Tom Daly will be holding a fundraiser on Oct. 19, at Original Mike’s in Santa Ana.  He is expected to announce his campaign for the 69th Assembly District at this event.

I am also hearing that Assemblyman Jose Solorio will be endorsing Daly at this event – even though he has also endorsed the leading candidate to replace him, Santa Ana Councilwoman Michele Martinez.

Why would Solorio undermine the value of his endorsement, such as it is, by endorsing two candidates?  Simple.  He is angling for a job. Continue reading→

Could Tran defeat Supervisor Nguyen in 2012, if the County goes bankrupt?

Posted on by Posted in 2012 Elections, Elections, Janet Nguyen, Loretta Sanchez, Orange County, Politics, Public Safety, Republican Party, Santa Ana 3 Comments

The honeymoon might be over between Van Tran and Janet Nguyen

If the County of Orange declares bankruptcy – again (due in part to Assemblyman Jose Solorio’s vote to take away $48 million in state funding, from the County), will that open the door for former Assemblyman Van Tran to challenge incumbent Supervisor Janet Nguyen, in the First District?

Tran has very high name I.D., due to his run for Congress last year.  He did not beat the incumbent, Loretta Sanchez, but he garnered a lot of press, both negative and positive.

Nguyen, on the other hand, fumbled last year’s Black April event, in Little Saigon, angering her Vietnamese-American voter base, and then endorsed Meg Whitman, which turned out to be an epic fail with her Latino constituents. Continue reading→

Team Pulido and Solorio publicly endorse Michele Martinez at her fundraiser

Posted on by Posted in 2012 Elections, Alfredo Amezcua, Carlos Bustamante, Democratic Party, Elections, Jose Solorio, Michele Martinez, Politics, Sal Tinajero, Santa Ana, Vince Sarmiento 43 Comments

When OC Labor Political wannabe Julio (Wholio?) Perez held his fundraiser this month it turned into a reunion of the sad sacks who failed to elect Alfredo Amezcua last year, when he got thoroughly trounced by Santa Ana Mayor Miguel Pulido.  In stunning contrast tonight, Santa Ana Councilwoman Michele Martinez was ringed by the entire Pulido political machine – including Assemblyman Jose Solorio, who enthusiastically endorsed Martinez.  So what do you think?  Will the failed Team Amezcua beat Team Pulido?  LOL!  Not in our lifetime…

Martinez and her supporters met at Chapter One: the Modern Local, a newish restaurant over on Broadway and 3rd.  Santa Ana Council Members David Benavides, Vince Sarmiento, and Sal Tinajero showed up to publicly announce their support for Martinez – and so did several Santa Ana Planning Commissioners, including Eric Alderete, Sean Mill and Mario Turner. Continue reading→

Updated: Michele Martinez to kick off her Assembly campaign on 9/22

Posted on by Posted in 2012 Elections, David Benavides, Democratic Party, Elections, Jose Solorio, Michele Martinez, Miguel Pulido, Politics, Sal Tinajero, Santa Ana, Vince Sarmiento 14 Comments

Santa Ana Council Member Michele Martinez has officially announced her candidacy for the 69th Assembly District, in an email I am reproducing below.  She is also hosting a Candidacy Announcement Kick-Off event on Thursday, September 22nd.  Click here to RSVP on Facebook.

Martinez’ candidacy announcement cited the support of numerous elected and appointed officials, including Assemblyman Jose Solorio; OUSD Trustee Diane Singer; Santa Ana Mayor Miguel Pulido; and Santa Ana Council Members David Benavides, Vince Sarmiento and Sal Tinajero.

Mayor Pulido sent out a personal endorsement of Martinez today: Continue reading→

Durkeegate Update: The FBI freezes the DPOC’s bank accounts

Posted on by Posted in 2012 Elections, Democratic Party, Elections, Jose Solorio, Loretta Sanchez, Michele Martinez, Orange County, Politics, Santa Ana 9 Comments

UPDATE: Democratic Party Chair Frank Barbero says the FBI has frozen bank accounts connected to Orange County’s Democratic Party, according to NBC News.

UPDATE: Kang is done: Irvine mayor Sukhee Kang says his bank account shrunk from $20,000 to $700. Kang opened a second account in July to fund his run for congress, but it is missing about $25,000, too, according to NBC News.

UPDATE: O.C. Register reports that Democratic candidates may not be able to replace their stolen campaign funds. Continue reading→

Santa Ana Political Chismes: Did Nguyen prod Bustamante to attack Alvarez?

Posted on by Posted in 2012 Elections, Carlos Bustamante, Claudia Alvarez, David Benavides, Janet Nguyen, Orange County, Santa Ana 12 Comments

When Santa Ana Councilman Carlos Bustamante ran for reelection, in 2008, he was fully supported by Santa Ana Mayor Pro Tem Claudia Alvarez.  In fact he even sat next to her during the campaign debates – and she would help him with what to say as he was usually over his head.

Why then did Bustamante turn on Alvarez this week – and try to use the Code of Ethics to remove her from the position of Mayor Pro Tem, and from the OC Water Board?

An insider I know, who is about a third-tier member of the Usual Suspects, confided to me yesterday that the reason that Bustamante turned on Alvarez is simple – Supervisor Janet Nguyen put him up to it. Continue reading→

Carlos Bustamante’s last stand was an epic fail

Posted on by Posted in 2012 Elections, Carlos Bustamante, Civic Affairs, Politics, Republican Party, Santa Ana 4 Comments

Does Santa Ana Council Member Carlos Bustamante realize he is up for reelection next year?  He sure isn’t acting like it.  He went off on the Latino residents and businessmen who showed up to yesterday’s City Council meeting.  But that wasn’t all.  Here is a review of Bustamante’s strange utterances at the Council meeting:

  • He said taxes put his father out of business.  Then he said that he supports the PBID – a tax that may yet put more fathers out of business.
  • He said we need to not perpetuate the racial issue.  Then he said that he has experienced racism and that his parents were born in Mexico.
  • He also threatened to raise taxes if the PBID goes away. Continue reading→

Santa Ana Political Chismes – will Daly announce his 69th A.D. campaign today?

Posted on by Posted in 2012 Elections, Anaheim, Democratic Party, Elections, Michele Martinez, Orange County, Politics, Santa Ana 2 Comments

Daly and his fellow overpaid government worker pals…

I just got a tip that O.C. Clerk-Recorder Tom Daly is going to be announcing his campaign for the 69th Assembly District today.  The timing makes sense as this will allow him to take the stage at the O.C. Labor Day event, at the Santa Ana Zoo, and pimp for votes.

Daly was the Mayor of Anaheim back in the 90’s.  In his last campaign, in 1998, he beat Bob Zemel, a Republican, by 54% to 40%, according to Smart Voter.  He ran on a platform of hiring more cops, not raising taxes and “beautifying and revitalizing” Anaheim – which is Usual Suspect code for getting rid of the poor and the immigrants.

Has Daly done a good job as O.C. Clerk-Recorder?   Continue reading→

The O.C. Democratic Foundation to host a redistricting panel lunch on 8/30

Posted on by Posted in 2012 Elections, Democratic Party, Elections, Entertainment, Politics, Santa Ana Leave a comment

Join the Orange County Democratic Foundation for a detailed overview of the final release of new state district maps for Orange County at their August luncheon, on Tuesday, August 30, from 12:00 pm – 2:00 pm, at the Center Club in Costra Mesa, located at 650 Town Center Drive.

After considerable interest from their members as to what the new maps will mean for Orange County and their current local officials, they have invited a panel of redistricting professionals to give us a complete review of the process and lay out in detail what the new districts look like for the county. Continue reading→

O.C. Supervisors add Fountain Valley’s Viet voters to Nguyen’s 1st District

Posted on by Posted in 2012 Elections, Elections, Fountain Valley, Janet Nguyen, Latinos, Orange County, Politics, Republican Party, Santa Ana, Vietnamese 5 Comments

The O.C. Board of Supervisors approved by a 4-1 vote a redistricting plan this week, that was put forward by Board Chairman Bill Campbell.  The plan moves a portion of Fountain Valley north of Warner Avenue from the Second District to the First District, according to the Fountain Valley Patch.  The plan was opposed by the Fountain Valley City Council and by Supervisor John Moorlach, whose district got chopped up in the process.

The redistricting benefited the Republican Party of Orange County, as there will now be more Vietnamese voters in the First District and presumably they will vote for the incumbent, Supervisor Janet Nguyen, in 2012. Continue reading→

Santa Ana Political Chismes: Will Brandman be the next O.C. Clerk-Recorder?

Posted on by Posted in 2012 Elections, Democratic Party, Orange County, Politics, Republican Party, Santa Ana 11 Comments

Jordan Brandman went to work for Tom Daly, the O.C. Clerk-Recorder, in January of this year, as his “Director of External Affairs.”  Yes, that sort of government job usually comes with a six figure salary.  Brandman was hired despite an Orange County hiring freeze, according to the Friends for Fullerton’s Future blog.

Daly is now thought to be running for the 69th Assembly District.  Does that mean Brandman, who is on the Anaheim Union High School District’s Board of Education, will be running to replace Daly, should Daly end up getting sent to Sacramento by the voters?

Never mind the fact that Brandman is not a Clerk-Recorder and he really has no experience at this sort of work, there are plenty of other reasons to oppose him. Continue reading→

Santa Ana Political Chismes: Tom Daly to run for the 69th A.D.

Posted on by Posted in 2012 Elections, Anaheim, Democratic Party, Elections, Jose Solorio, Michele Martinez, Politics, Santa Ana 13 Comments

The chisme has it that Orange County Clerk-Recorder Tom Daly is going to run for the 69th Assembly District, a seat currently held by Assemblyman Jose Solorio, who if memory serves correct employs Daly’s wife.

Daly is the former Mayor of Anaheim.  I am told that “business interests” want him to run as they don’t like OC Labor Political Director Julio Perez, who like Daly hails from Anaheim.

Where does that leave Santa Ana Councilwoman Michele Martinez?  She announced she was running this week. Continue reading→

Perez should drop out now that Martinez is running for the 69th A.D.

Posted on by Posted in 2012 Elections, california, Democratic Party, Elections, Jose Solorio, Michele Martinez, Miguel Pulido, Politics, Sal Tinajero, Santa Ana, Vince Sarmiento 15 Comments

Santa Ana Councilwoman Michele Martinez made an interesting announcement this morning on her Facebook page, “Good Morning! I wanted to share some great news with all of you. In the next week or so I will officially declare my candidacy for the 69 Assembly District. Michele Martinez.”

I have been tracking this story for weeks.  For awhile it looked like Councilman Vince Sarmiento was going to run but his wife put the kibosh on that.  Then it looked like Councilman Sal Tinajero was going to run – but now it is Martinez who is going to run for Assemblyman Jose Solorio’s 69th Assembly District, when he terms out in 2012. Continue reading→

Santa Ana continues to dominate redistricted 69th Assembly District

Posted on by Posted in 2012 Elections, Anaheim, Claudia Alvarez, David Benavides, Democratic Party, Elections, Jose Solorio, Latinos, Michele Martinez, Orange County, Politics, Republican Party, Sal Tinajero, Santa Ana Leave a comment

Santa Ana will continue to dominate the 69th Assembly District, in the latest redistricting proposal that is now headed for public comment.  The new district map includes all of Santa Ana, for the most part, and just a piece of Anaheim.

The Democrats ought to be able to hang on to this seat easily – and odds are that a Santa Ana Council Member will be following the incumbent, Jose Solorio, to Sacramento. Continue reading→

Will Silva and Solorio face off in the redistricted 34th State Senate District?

Posted on by Posted in 2012 Elections, 2014 Elections, california, Democratic Party, Elections, Jose Solorio, Orange County, Politics, Republican Party, Santa Ana 1 Comment

The final proposed redistricting of the 34th State Senate District is now headed for the public comment phase, but I doubt it is going to change much.  The new district has changed in shocking fashion. No longer does it stretch all the way up to Fullerton.  Instead it has grown westward and now includes a chunk of the coast, including Seal Beach and part of Huntington Beach.

The new district has a slight Democratic voter edge, according to the O.C. Register.  And it appears to include all of Little Saigon, including other communities with large Vietnamese communities in Fountain Valley and southwest Santa Ana. Continue reading→