The Santa Ana City Clerk has determined the order in which the candidates for the City Council will appear on the November ballot, as follows:
PREFIX/NAME/FIRST NAME/HOME ADDRESS/HOME ZIP/BALLOT DESIGNATION
Mayoral Election
The Santa Ana City Council voted 7-0 last night to place a measure on the November General Election ballot that will give them a pay raise and allow them to raise more money from companies and contractors who do business with or in our city. This means they want to be able to vote on matters that affect local businesses then hit them up right away for campaign cash. Some might call that pay to play.
Several Council Members are up for re-election in November including David Benavides, Michele Martinez and Sal Tinajero. Do they really think that advancing a self-serving measure like this will incline the voters to vote for them again? Continue reading
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
David Benavides doesn’t pose with his wife anymore
Updated: Just checked. Still no mention of David Benavides’ wife or family on his campaign website. What is up with that?
I still remember when Santa Ana Council Member David Benavides first ran for the City Council, in 2006. Go back and look at his Smart Voter page and you will see that he proudly described himself as a “Husband of a Santa Ana school teacher, dad of a 4yr old daughter & 6mo old son.”
But take a look at Benavides’ mayoral campaign website and you will find no mention whatsoever of his family. And his campaign Facebook page also makes no mention that he is married and that he has kids. His Council Facebook page likewise omits any mention of his family, as does his personal page. Click on his “profile pictures” and you get several face shots of Benavides – and no family pictures. Even his official City Council bio omits any mention of his wife and children. Continue reading
City of Santa Ana, Downtown Orange County Community Alert:
JOIN US FOR NATIONAL VOTER REGISTRATION DAY REGISTER TO VOTE TODAY!
SANTA ANA, CA (September 24, 2012) – On September 25, 2012, volunteers, civic groups, and organizations from all over the country will “hit the streets” for National Voter Registration Day. This single day of coordinated field, technology and media efforts will create pervasive awareness of voter registration opportunities–allowing us to reach tens of thousands of voters or more who we could not reach otherwise. Continue reading
For Immediate Release: September 20, 2012
Contact: Lynn Norris, (714) 921-1181
Santa Ana Mayor Miguel Pulido Announces Key Endorsements for his Re-Election Campaign
Mayor’s High Name Recognition, Plus Accomplishments & Key Endorsements will Lead Him to Victory
Santa Ana – Today Santa Ana Mayor Miguel Pulido announced major endorsements in support of his re-election campaign this November. His new list of endorsements now includes: Continue reading
The Orange County Lincoln Club PAC has endorsed Tea Party Republican Charles Hart for the Santa Ana City Council, even though he is a government worker, but ignored small businessman George Collins, the OC GOP-endorsed candidate for Santa Ana Mayor, and Lupe Moreno, the Minuteman who is also running for Santa Ana Mayor.
They also inexplicably blew off newly minted Republican Karina Onofre, who is running for Ward 5 against the DPOC-endorsed Roman Reyna, but they did endorse Cecilia Iglesias for the SAUSD School Board. Continue reading
I am hearing that Santa Ana Council Member Vince Sarmiento appears to be having buyer’s regret when it comes to upstart Santa Ana mayoral candidate David Benavides. Apparently Sarmiento has told others that while he has endorsed Benavides he is not actively campaigning for him. But the damage is done – endorsing the clueless, bumbling Benavides is simply inexcusable.
Sarmiento is running for re-election this year, in Santa Ana’s Ward 1, against Estela Amezcua, a Santa Ana educator. She is not related to Al Amezcua, the failed Santa Ana mayoral candidat who, like Sarmiento, is also backing Benavides. Continue reading
Little did Santa Ana Ward 3 candidate Shane Ramon Barrows know when he sent us an op-ed about the SAPD and the city budget that it would become our top post today, but that is exactly what happened.
Now we would like to extend this opportunity to any political candidate running for office here in Santa Ana. Send us your opinion articles and accompanying graphics and we will post them, without any editorial comment.
This offer is available to any political candidate running for office in Santa Ana – even if you are not a candidate I am supporting. Continue reading
Miguel Angel Briseño for Mayor
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contact: Jackeline Reyes, Campaign Manager, (714) 584-8972
MAYORAL CANDIDATE MIGUEL ANGEL BRISENO TO HOLD COMMUNITY EVENT
On Friday, September 7, 2012, Mayoral Candidate Miguel Angel Briseño will hold his first community event for his campaign. This will be Briseño’s public announcement of his candidacy for mayor of the city of Santa Ana. Continue reading
Apparently the Orange County Democratic Party Central Committee endorsed the following Santa Ana candidates yesterday:
A surprise candidate filed for the SAUSD School Board at the last minute – a “customer service administrator” named Robert Allen. I have no idea who he is, and I don’t care – the fact is that his presence on the ballot gives us a chance at long last to boot to SAUSD Trustee Rob Richardson.
Richardson recently told the O.C. Register that he is okay with 20% of our schools having API scores under 700. That alone is reason to get rid of Richardson – but consider that Richardson engineered an illegal 33% pay raise, as an Orange County administrator, that the Board of Supervisors revoked last year, according to the Voice of OC. They also took away Richardson’s County car. Continue reading
I have no other view than to promote the public good. – George Washington.
There is a time for everything and it struck me today that the time for me to run again for the SAUSD School Board is not this November. Now that was not a decision I came to rashly, but one that I arrived at after much thought.
We need change at the SAUSD School Board, now more than ever. There is only one open seat – and two incumbents are up for reelection. Right now we have several decent challengers, including: Probation Officer Valerie Amezcua, Social Worker Myriam Tinajero, Parent and Businesswoman Ceci Iglesias. If one or more of them are to win, and possibly take out incumbents Rob Richardson and/or Jose A. Hernandez, then I must exit this race – or risk splitting the Latino vote further, which would only benefit Richardson, who, in my opinion, really needs to go. Continue reading
Santa Ana Council Member Sal Tinajero has dropped out of the Santa Ana Mayor’s race. The remaining candidates include:
UPDATE: Cecilia Aguinaga will not be running for the SAUSD School Board after all this year. She was considering it but family committments are taking precedence this time around and she is concerned that too many candidates are running. I ran into her tonight at the fundraiser for Santa Ana City Council candidate Eric Alderete. Aguinaga received a nice ovation when Council Member Sal Tinajero introduced her to the audience. If she runs in 2014 she will surely be a top candidate for the SAUSD School Board.
My two favorite Cecilias have pulled papers to run for the SAUSD School Board. Cecilia Aguinaga and Cecilia Iglesias are both political veterans and more importantly they are moms – and our School Board definitely needs more moms!
Aguinaga almost won back in 2006, losing to Audrey Noji by less than a thousand votes according to Smart Voter. She ran again in 2008 and was just barely edged by Valerie Amezcua, by 2.5% of the vote, according to Smart Voter. This time I think she can pull it off. Continue reading