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Santa Ana's top news & views blog

Category Archives: Myriam Tinajero

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→

Can two Latinas in Santa Ana save the OC GOP from itself?

Posted on by Posted in 2012 Elections, Brett Franklin, Cecilia Iglesias, Charles Hart, Democratic Party, Latino Leaders, Latinos, Lupe Moreno, Myriam Tinajero, Orange County, Politics, Santa Ana 11 Comments

Now OC GOP Chairman Scott Baugh is singing a different tune – in the wake of the overwhelming defeat of the Republican Presidential nominee, Mitt Romney, by President Barack Obama. I saw Baugh on Rick Reiff’s post-election TV show and he admitted that the GOP better figure out immigration. That is the message that both Iglesias and Onofre are now espousing as well.

Iglesias was victorious in her campaign for the SAUSD School Board. In fact she defeated two Democrats – Valerie Amezcua and Myriam Tinajero, who were supported by liberal SAUSD Trustee John Palacio and by the unions. Continue reading→

The new Santa Ana Council leader is incoming Mayor Pro Tem Tinajero

Posted on by Posted in 2012 Elections, David Benavides, Elections, Eric Alderete, Estela Amezcua, Julio Perez, Michele Martinez, Miguel Pulido, Myriam Tinajero, Politics, Roman Reyna, Sal Tinajero, Santa Ana, Valerie Amezcua, Vince Sarmiento 16 Comments

Santa Ana Council Member Sal Tinajero got out of the way when his colleague, Council Member Michele Martinez, wanted to run for the 69th Assembly District.  And he stepped aside when his colleague, Council Member David Benavides, wanted to run for Mayor this year.

Well, Martinez and Benavides were at the helm of the so-called “Santa Ana Spring,” even as it went into a death spiral.  Most of Team Benavides lost.  Now at last its Tinajero’s turn. Continue reading→

Palacio to blame for Amezcua’s loss in the SAUSD School Board race

Posted on by Posted in 2012 Elections, Cecilia Aguinaga, Cecilia Iglesias, David Benavides, Education, Estela Amezcua, John Palacio, Myriam Tinajero, Politics, Republican Party, Rob Richardson, Roman Reyna, Sal Tinajero, Santa Ana, SAUSD, Term Limits, Vince Sarmiento 15 Comments

Valerie Amezcua

Regardless of whether or not you are a supporter of Valerie Amezcua, the daughter of failed Santa Ana mayoral candidate Alfredo Amezcua, you have to feel bad for her.  She almost won a seat on the SAUSD School Board four years ago, barely losing to Roman Reyna, who vacated that seat this year and is now moving on to Ward 5 on the Santa Ana City Council.

Two years ago Amezcua had a chance to run again, and to build on her success in the 2008 election.  But SAUSD Trustee John Palacio, who now considers himself to be a political consultant, got in the way.  He prevented her from running out of fear that she might beat him.  There were only two seats up in 2010, Palacio’s and that of his fellow incumbent, Audrey Noji.  Palacio ended up keeping everyone out of that race, except for me.  I was sickened to see that no Latinos were challenging Noji so I ran and lost by only 1,400 votes, with no campaign budget.  Palacio ended up endorsing Noji. Continue reading→

Team Benavides stumbles as Pulido and Alvarez win

Posted on by Posted in 2012 Elections, Angelica Amezcua, Claudia Alvarez, David Benavides, Elections, Estela Amezcua, John Palacio, Karina Onofre, Michele Martinez, Miguel Pulido, Myriam Tinajero, Politics, Rob Richardson, Roman Reyna, Santa Ana, SAUSD, Valerie Amezcua, Vince Sarmiento 12 Comments

The Team Benavides consultant, John Palacio, lost his tug of war with Mayor Pulido

What a night.  To sum it up, Mayor Miguel Pulido won easily.  Over in the RSCCD Area 5 race his longtime ally, Claudia Alvarez, also won.

What about Team Benavides?  Well, David Benavides got beat, badly.  So did Eric Alderete, in Ward 3, by an unknown candidate, Angelica Amezcua, who barely campaigned.  And while Vince Sarmiento won in Ward 1, he did so barely over another unknown candidate, Estela Amezcua.  The one guy in the Benavides cabal who won with a big margin was Roman Reyna, in Ward 5. 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→

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→

Our Santa Ana Voter Guide for the Nov. 6 election

Posted on by Posted in 2012 Elections, Civic Affairs, Claudia Alvarez, Elections, Estela Amezcua, Jose Hernandez, Jose Moreno, Karina Onofre, Loretta Sanchez, Measure GG, Miguel Pulido, Myriam Tinajero, Politics, Santa Ana, SAUSD, Shane Barrows, Shane Ramon Barrows 32 Comments

There are quite a few key races coming up in the November 6, 2012 General Election, here in Santa Ana.

I have written dozens of posts in recent weeks about many of the candidates for the City Council, the SAUSD School Board, and the Rancho Santiago Community College District.  After much deliberation, here are my endorsements:

Santa Ana City Council: Continue reading→

Gay rights organization endorses David Benavides for Mayor of Santa Ana

Posted on by Posted in 2012 Elections, David Benavides, Elections, LGBT, Myriam Tinajero, Politics, Rob Richardson, Santa Ana, SAUSD 5 Comments

ECCO, one of the leading gay rights organizations in Orange County, announced today that their Political Action Committee has endorsed only one Santa Ana candidate – David Benavides, who is running for Mayor against incumbent Mayor Miguel Pulido.

ECCO coordinated Orange County’s efforts to pass state laws that: prohibit discrimination against Gays and Lesbians; establish a domestic partner registry; and give students an added level of protection in school, according to their website.  They also have been involved in the fight against Prop. 8, which made gay marriage illegal in California. Prop. 8 passed overwhelmingly in Santa Ana. Continue reading→

Sanchez and Correa endorse Tinajero for the SAUSD School Board

Posted on by Posted in 2012 Elections, Education, Elections, Loretta Sanchez, Lou Correa, Myriam Tinajero, Politics, Santa Ana, SAUSD 14 Comments

Congresswoman Loretta Sanchez and State Senator Lou Correa are proud to join other local leaders in supporting Myriam Tinajero for the Santa Ana Unified School District School Board.  Sanchez and Correa, longtime advocates for Santa Ana schools and students, understand that in order for our schools to thrive we need the best and brightest people leading the way.  That is why they support Myriam Tinajero.

Along with Sanchez and Correa, Myriam has garnered the endorsements of the following community leaders and organizations: Continue reading→

Tinajero versus Amezcua?

Posted on by Posted in 2012 Elections, Alfredo Amezcua, Cecilia Iglesias, Democratic Party, Education, Elections, John Palacio, Jose Hernandez, Myriam Tinajero, Politics, Republican Party, Rob Richardson, Sal Tinajero, Santa Ana 15 Comments

Myriam Tinajero

Ballots are arriving now in the mail for this November’s General Election.  Here in Santa Ana we are voting for three Trustees on the Santa Ana Unified School District’s Board of Education.

Incumbents Rob Richardson and Jose A. Hernandez are running for re-election – and SAUSD incumbents never lose.  They have both been endorsed by the Santa Ana Educators Association.  There is one open SAUSD seat as Trustee Roman Reyna is leaving the School Board after only one term, to run for the Santa Ana City Council, in Ward 5.

There are several challengers running for the Reyna seat on the SAUSD School Board.  The top candidates include Myriam Tinajero, who is the sister of former SAUSD Trustee and current Santa Ana Council Member Sal Tinajero; Orange County Probation Officer Valerie Amezcua, who lost four years ago to Reyna; and former Congressional candidate Cecilia Iglesias, who recently became a registered Republican and subsequently disavowed the Dream Act. Continue reading→

Benavides’ supporters caught betraying his ally, Alderete

Posted on by Posted in 2012 Elections, Alfredo Amezcua, Charles Hart, David Benavides, Democratic Party, Elections, Eric Alderete, John Palacio, Miguel Pulido, Myriam Tinajero, Politics, Republican Party, Sal Tinajero, Santa Ana, Valerie Amezcua, Vince Sarmiento 32 Comments

Valerie Amezua, David Benavides and company – but no Eric Alderete

Santa Ana mayoral candidate David Benavides and his supporters would like us to think that he represents some kind of revolution, but in truth he is working with Santa Ana’s Usual Suspects – the mostly Republican, angry, older anti-Latino busy bodies that ran City Hall for far too long.

The Usual Suspects are the folks who passed laws against drying your laundry in the backyard; who limited garage sales to four per year; who worked to get rid of jobs – targeting those who deliver printed marketing materials to homes and those who stand on street corners twirling signs to build up local businesses.  These are the gentrifiers who bemoan the fact that Santa Ana became a Latino majority city and who put bear locks on their trash cans to keep the homeless from collecting their bottles and cans. Continue reading→

Palacio and Amezcua are driving the so-called “Santa Ana Spring”

Posted on by Posted in 2012 Elections, Alfredo Amezcua, David Benavides, Democratic Party, Elections, Eric Alderete, John Palacio, Miguel Pulido, Myriam Tinajero, Politics, Roman Reyna, Sal Tinajero, Santa Ana, SAUSD, Valerie Amezcua, Vince Sarmiento 17 Comments

It has become increasingly obvious that the so-called “Santa Ana Spring” is actually a collection of Santa Ana politicians with different axes to grind, who have come together as their mutual petty hatreds have temporarily converged.  This alliance is a shaky one at best.

The drivers of this movement are failed Santa Ana mayoral candidate Al Amezcua, who resigned from the Rancho Santiago Community College District’s Board of Education a few years ago, after he got caught living outside of the area he was elected to represent; Santa Ana Unified School District John Palacio, who survived the recall of his close friend and ally Nativo Lopez; Santa Ana Councilman Vince Sarmiento – who is bitter because he didn’t run for the 69th Assembly District and who has designs on the Santa Ana Mayor’s office; Santa Ana Council Member Michele Martinez, who was soundly defeated by Santa Ana Mayor Miguel Pulido back in 2008 – and who did poorly again this June as a candidate for the 69th Assembly District; and Council Member David Benavides, who is embroiled in a controversy regarding allegations of infidelity and divorce. Continue reading→

The Orange County Democratic Party endorses Benavides for Mayor

Posted on by Posted in 2012 Elections, David Benavides, Democratic Party, Elections, Eric Alderete, Myriam Tinajero, Politics, Santa Ana, Valerie Amezcua 44 Comments

Apparently the Orange County Democratic Party Central Committee endorsed the following Santa Ana candidates yesterday:

  • Loretta Sanchez for United States Congress (Re-Elect)
  • Councilman David Benavides for Mayor
  • Eric Alderete for City Council
  • Valerie Amezcua and Myriam Tinajero for the Santa Ana Unified School Board
  • Jose Solorio, Nelida Yanez and Mark McLoughlin for the Rancho Santiago Community College District’s Board of Education Continue reading→