Santa Ana's top news & views blog

Santa Ana's top news & views blog

Category Archives: Mark McLoughlin

Will the new City Council support finishing the Santiago Creek bike trail?

Posted on by Posted in Angelica Amezcua, Bicycles, Carlos Bustamante, Civic Affairs, Claudia Alvarez, David Benavides, Health and Medical, Mark McLoughlin, Michele Martinez, Miguel Pulido, Parks and Recreation, Politics, Sal Tinajero, Santa Ana, Vince Sarmiento 16 Comments

How will the new Santa Ana City Council deal with the uncompleted Santiago Creek Bike Trail?  The trail is complete right now – except for a “missing link” – a 1/4-mile gap located in the Santiago Creek, between the 5 Freeway underpass and Flower Street.  The City of Santa Ana does not currently have a bike trail proposed in the missing link.

A grass-roots neighborhood organization, Neighbors for the Santiago Creek Bike Trail, was formed to further the goal of a bike path in the “missing link” along Santiago Creek. Once the bike trail is completed, our neighborhoods will have ready access to adjoining trails. The Neighbors for the Santiago Creek Bike Trail want open space and the ability to connect to these outlying bike trails, shopping centers and communities either by biking, jogging or hiking. Continue reading→

Pulido is beating Benavides by a larger margin than he beat Amezcua in 2010

Posted on by Posted in 2012 Elections, Alfredo Amezcua, Angelica Amezcua, Cecilia Iglesias, Charles Hart, Civic Affairs, Claudia Alvarez, David Benavides, Education, Elections, Eric Alderete, Estela Amezcua, George Collins, Lupe Moreno, Mark McLoughlin, Miguel Angel Briseno, Miguel Pulido, Myriam Tinajero, Politics, Rob Richardson, Santa Ana, SAUSD, Valerie Amezcua, Vince Sarmiento 7 Comments

Santa Ana Mayor Miguel Pulido is currently leading his closes challenger, Santa Ana Council Member David Benavides, by over 12,000 votes. Pulido has 27,068 votes, or 48.2% of the ballots versus 14,982 votes, or 26.7% of the ballots for Benavides.  There were four other mayoral candidates this year, including George Collins, Roy Alvarado, Lupe Moreno and Miguel Angel Briseno. 

Pulido beat Alfredo “Al” Amezcua two years ago, in 2010, by just under ten thousand votes. Pulido got 21,588 votes, or 49.5% of the ballots, in 2010, versus 11,689 votes, or 26.8% of the ballots, for Amezcua, according to Smart Voter. There were three other mayoral candidates in 2010 – Alvarado, Collins and Charles Hart. Continue reading→

Update: Alvarez still leading over McCloughlin, in the RSCCD Area 5 election

Posted on by Posted in 2012 Elections, Claudia Alvarez, Dave Chapel, Education, Mark McLoughlin, Santa Ana 9 Comments

Update: Alvarez is still ahead of McLoughlin, by 117 votes, at 9:30 pm on Saturday night, Nov. 10.

Santa Ana Mayor Pro Tem Claudia Alvarez is still leading as ballots continue to be counted, in her race against Mark McLoughlin and David Chapel, for Area 5 on the Rancho Santiago Community College District’s Board of Trustees.

Currently Alvarez has 4,429 votes versus 4,362 for McLoughlin and 3,198 for Chapel.  There are a lot of votes left to count, according to the OC Voter Registrar: Continue reading→

Santa Ana Election results – Pulido far ahead and Amezcua winning in Ward 3!

Posted on by Posted in 2012 Elections, Alfredo Amezcua, Bond Measures, Brett Franklin, Cecilia Iglesias, Charles Hart, Civic Affairs, Claudia Alvarez, Dave Chapel, David Benavides, Democratic Party, Elections, Eric Alderete, Estela Amezcua, George Collins, Jose Hernandez, Mark McLoughlin, Measure GG, Miguel Pulido, Myriam Tinajero, Nelida Mendoza-Yanez, Politics, Rob Richardson, Roman Reyna, Santa Ana, SAUSD, Shane Barrows, Shane Ramon Barrows, Steve Rocco, Thomas Gordon, Tony Tapia, Vince Sarmiento 1 Comment

Two winners – Mayor Miguel Pulido and President Barack Obama

As expected, Santa Ana Mayor Miguel Pulido is winning handily tonight.  The O.C. Voter Registrar has posted the early returns, which are absentee ballots. Here are some of the evening’s highlights:

  • Mayor Miguel Pulido has a whopping 7,454 votes – David Benavides only has 3,676 votes.  George Collins is nipping at Benavides’ heels with 2,523 votes
  • In a shocker, the unknown schoolteacher Angelica Amezcua is leading in Ward 3, with 6,637 votes, while Santa Ana Planning Commissioner Eric Alderete has 5,097 votes and former Council Member Brett Franklin has 4,172 votes.  It is early yet but if this trend continues then Franklin has a good shot as the Latino vote in Ward 3 is clearly split.  There are however three candidates splitting up the white vote – Charles Hart, Shane Barrows and Steve Rocco. Continue reading→

Who will win in Santa Ana’s elections on Tuesday?

Posted on by Posted in 2012 Elections, Bond Measures, Brett Franklin, Cecilia Iglesias, Civic Affairs, David Benavides, Elections, Eric Alderete, Estela Amezcua, Jerry Hayden, Jose Solorio, Karina Onofre, Loretta Sanchez, Mark McLoughlin, Measure GG, Miguel Pulido, Myriam Tinajero, Nelida Mendoza-Yanez, Orange County, Politics, Rob Richardson, Roman Reyna, Santa Ana, SAUSD, Tony Tapia, Travis Allen, Troy Edgar, Valerie Amezcua, Vince Sarmiento 2 Comments

Santa Ana Mayoral challenger David Benavides wasn’t on the ballot two years ago, as he had no opponent for his City Council seat.  The last time he appeared on the ballot was six years ago, back when he still mentioned his wife and family on his fliers and websites.

So it was a daunting task for Benavides to ramp up his name I.D. this year in a few short weeks, having announced his mayoral campaign rather late in the game.

As such I think he is going to be toast on Tuesday, Nov. 6. But what about the other races? Who will win?  Comment here with your picks, including estimated vote percentages and whoever gets the closest will win a free banner ad on our blog for one month, for the business or non-profit of their choice.

Here are my predictions: Continue reading→

Rancho Santiago Community College District Trustees support tax increase

Posted on by Posted in 2012 Elections, Dave Chapel, Education, Elections, Mark McLoughlin, Politics, Santa Ana, Taxes Leave a comment

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: November 5, 2012

Contact: Judy Iannaccone , Director, Communications , Phone: (714) 480-7503, e-mail: iannaccone_judy@rsccd.edu

Rancho Santiago Community College District Trustees Support Prop 30, Oppose Prop 38

(Santa Ana)—At a regularly scheduled meeting of the Rancho Santiago Community College District (RSCCD) Board of Trustees on October 8, the trustees voted in favor of a resolution in support of Proposition 30, the Schools and Local Public Safety Protection Act. Continue reading→

Our SAUSD School Board and RSCCD Board endorsements

Posted on by Posted in 2012 Elections, Art Pedroza, Cecilia Iglesias, Claudia Alvarez, Dave Chapel, Education, Jose Hernandez, Mark McLoughlin, Myriam Tinajero, Santa Ana, Tony Tapia 6 Comments

After hearing SAUSD Board of Education candidate Ceci Iglesias affirm her support for the Dream Act at last night’s Santa Ana School Board forum, I have decided to endorse her after all.  I am also endorsing Myriam Tinajero and  Jose Alfredo Hernandez.

Iglesias is a single mom and a social worker.  She ran for Congress as an independent a few years ago.  She is against tax increases and a firm believer in our kids.  Tinajero is also a social worker and she is the sister of former SAUSD Trustee Sal Tinajero.  Sal is also currently a Council Member here in Santa Ana.  Lastly, I am backing Hernandez, who is an immigration lawyer, because of his support for our current SAUSD Superintendent, Thelma Melendez de Santa Ana. Continue reading→

Mark McLoughlin goes full raza in his campaign for the RSCCD Board

Posted on by Posted in 2012 Elections, Education, Loretta Sanchez, Mark McLoughlin, Politics, Santa Ana 24 Comments

Overheard: “Is this guy the Colonel from KFC?”

One of the funniest campaign mailers I have ever seen arrived in my mail box today, from Mark McLoughlin, a Rancho Santiago Community College District Trustee who is running for re-election in Area 3.  He went full raza!

The flier is in Spanish and it erroneously states that McLoughlin is an educator. no he isn’t!  His opponent, Dave Chapel, actually is an educator.  McLoughlin is just a suit with zero experience as an educator. Continue reading→

Alvarez launches her RSCCD Board of Trustees campaign website

Posted on by Posted in 2012 Elections, Claudia Alvarez, Dave Chapel, Education, Elections, Mark McLoughlin, Politics, Santa Ana 9 Comments

Santa Ana Mayor Pro Tem Claudia Alvarez has launched her campaign website, for the Rancho Santiago Community College District’s Board of Trustees.

Her endorsements are impressive.  They include: Continue reading→

Revealed – Pulido busted Palacio’s unethical mentor back in 1990

Posted on by Posted in 2012 Elections, Alfredo Amezcua, David Benavides, Education, Elections, John Palacio, Lawyers, Mark McLoughlin, Miguel Pulido, Nelida Mendoza-Yanez, Politics, Rudy Montejano, Santa Ana, Valerie Amezcua 94 Comments

SAUSD Trustee John Palacio

To understand why SAUSD Trustee John Palacio hates Santa Ana Mayor Miguel Pulido so much you have to understand that Palacio is still mad that his best friend and mentor was booted off a local school board some years ago.  Wait a minute – I am not referencing the recall of former SAUSD Trustee Nativo Lopez, but rather the fall from grace and eventual resignation of former Rancho Santiago Community College District Trustee Rodolfo “Rudy” Montejano.

Long before Lopez was causing trouble in town, Montejano was the man.  An attorney, who graduated from UC Berkeley, like current Council Member Vince Sarmiento and Council candidate Eric Alderete, Montejano was quite the player back in the day – and Palacio was his number one lackey. Continue reading→

Alderete’s fundraiser attracted many of Santa Ana’s political players

Posted on by Posted in 2012 Elections, David Benavides, Democratic Party, Elections, Eric Alderete, Latino Leaders, Lou Correa, Mark McLoughlin, Michele Martinez, Nelida Mendoza-Yanez, Politics, Sal Tinajero, Santa Ana, Sean Mill, Vince Sarmiento 15 Comments

Santa Ana Ward 3 candidate Eric Alderete’s campaign held a fundraiser tonight at Chapter One: the Modern Local, in Downtown Santa Ana.  There were at least 80 attendees including quite a few elected and appointed officials.  These included:

  • State Senator Lou Correa
  • Santa Ana Council Members Sal Tinajero, Vince Sarmiento, Michele Martinez and David Benavides (who came to the event by himself)
  • Rancho Santiago Community College District Trustees Mark McLoughlin, Larry Labrado and John Hanna
  • Santa Ana Planning Commissioners Sean Mill, Sandy Nalle, Patrick Yrarrazaval and Mario Turner Continue reading→

Alvarez to run against Chapel and McLoughlin for the Rancho Board’s Area 5

Posted on by Posted in 2012 Elections, Claudia Alvarez, Dave Chapel, Democratic Party, Mark McLoughlin, Santa Ana 23 Comments

As I have been predicting for some time, Santa Ana Mayor Pro Tem Claudia Alvarez is running for the Rancho Santiago Community College District’s Area 5, which includes (as per the OC Political blog):

  • Fountain Valley north of Edinger Avenue
  • Garden Grove south of Garden Grove Boulevard between Harbor Boulevard and Euclid Street
  • Santa Ana north of 17th Street and west of Santiago Street
  • Santa Ana between Euclid Street and the Santa Ana River
  • Santa Ana north of Civic Center Drive between Bristol Street and Flower Street

McLoughlin and Chapel are of course toast.  Area 5’s voters break down like this – 33% are Latino, 27% are Asian and presumably the balance are white (41%.)  But Chapel and McLoughlin are going to split the white vote.  That should put Alvarez in the catbird seat. Continue reading→

Floral Park neighbors battle over RSCCD’s Area 5

Posted on by Posted in 2012 Elections, Dave Chapel, Democratic Party, Education, Ken Nguyen, Mark McLoughlin, Miguel Pulido, Politics, Santa Ana 1 Comment

Pictured: Rob Richardson, Mark McLoughlin, Carlos Bustamante and David Benavides

Rancho Santiago Community College District Trustees Mark McLoughlin and Dave Chapel both live in Santa Ana’s upscale Floral Park neighborhood and now, thanks to redistricting, they have to run against each other, in November, for the new Area 5.  One of them will lose and face the end of his political career.

Chapel complained about the redistricting in an email that the OC Weekly got a hold of.  But he could not stop progress.  The neat thing about the redistricting is that the Rancho elections are now area-specific.   Continue reading→