- Mayor of Sana Ana: Vicente Sarmiento
- City Council District 1: Thai Viet Phan
- City Council District 3: Jessie Lopez
- Santa Ana Unified School District
Santa Ana
Santa Ana’s city government has a Mayor and six City Council members. City Council members establish city policy, pass ordinances, and vote on the budget. The Mayor proposes and administers the budget, appoints department heads, and oversees the administration of the city.
The current mayor, Miguel Pulido, has held the position for 26 years since 1994. Pulido is termed out in 2020 under the city’s new term limit laws.
In the 2020 elections, voters will elect the Mayor and City Council members for Wards 1, 3 and 5.
Mayor of Santa Ana
OCCET Action endorses Vicente Sarmiento for Mayor of Santa Ana.
Vicente Sarmiento is Santa Ana’s city councilmember and an attorney working with bankruptcy law and local nonprofits. He is the child of Bolivian immigrants.
His priorities include:
- increasing parks
- reducing homelessness
- providing more affordable housing for working families
- investing in youth programs
- supporting efforts to make our neighborhoods safer
Endorsements
Some of the individuals and organizations that endorsed Vicente Sarmiento include:
- Chispa
- Democratic Party of Orange County
- Desi Reyes, leader of Saddleback View Neighborhood Association
Santa Ana City Council Ward 1
OCCET Action endorses Thai Viet Phan for Santa Ana City Council Ward 1.
Thái Việt Phan is an attorney in a law firm and is the child of refugees of the Vietnam War. Phan serves in the Santa Ana Planning Commission, Vietnamese American Bar Association, and the Heritage Museum of Orange County.
Phan’s priorities include:
- promoting housing affordability by increasing non-luxury development and capturing in-lieu fees
- help small businesses and residents survive the Coronavirus crisis by increasing in-language outreach and balanced distribution of federal funds
- reform public safety, increasing trust in institutions
Endorsements
Some of the individuals and organizations that endorsed Thai Viet Phan include:
- Sharon Quirk-Silva, Assemblymember AD 65
- David Peñaloza, Santa Ana City Council Member – Ward 2
- United Food and Commercial Workers (UFCW) Local 324
- PIVOT – The Progressive Vietnamese American Organization
Santa Ana City Council Ward 3
OCCET Action endorses Jessie Lopez for Santa Ana City Council Ward 3.
Jessie Lopez is a community health advocate at the non-profit Latino Health Access, engaged to various local groups and initiatives to improve the community.
Lopez’s priorities include:
- building and protecting affordable housing
- a just and equitable city budget that invests in the youth
- expanding open spaces, especially in marginalized communities
Endorsements
Some of the individuals and organizations that endorsed Jessie Lopez include:
- Vicente Sarmiento, Santa Ana City Councilmember
- Working Families Party of California
- Service Employees International Union (SEIU) Local 721
- Planned Parenthood
Santa Ana Unified School District
The Santa Ana School District has five board members, elected at-large by voters in the district. The Board appoints a superintendent and sets overall directions and establishes policies.
The School District does not include the portion of the city of Santa Ana to the west of the Santa Ana river. Also, it includes portions of Irvine and Costa Mesa.
In the 2020 elections, voters will elect three board members; of the six candidates, the three with the most votes will be elected.
Santa Ana Unified School District Board
OCCET Action endorses Alfonso Alvarez for Santa Ana School Board.
Alfonso Alvarez works in the social service field ensuring that children are supported and have the opportunity to receive quality education and succeed in their goals. Alvarez is a current board member of the Santa Ana School Board, running for reelection.
Alvarez’s priorities include:
- continue to support students to learn while facing the COVID-19 crisis, with a focus on providing food for students, mental health, and support for students who are homeless.
Endorsements
Some of the individuals and organizations that endorsed Alfonso Alvarez include:
- Santa Ana Teachers Union
- California School Employees Association Chapter 41
- Santa Ana Educators Association
Santa Ana Unified School District Board
OCCET Action endorses Carolyn Torres for Santa Ana School Board.
Carolyn Torres is a teacher at Dale Junior High School in Anaheim, and an activist and community organizer.
Torres’ priorities during the pandemic include:
- ensuring that students have access to the needed technology
- ensuring that educators have the training they need
- ensuring that classified staff can work in a safe environment.
Endorsements
Some of the individuals and organizations that endorsed Carolyn Torres include:
- Santa Ana Teachers Union
- Planned Parenthood
- Walter Muneton, Garden Grove Unified School Board President
- California School Employees Association Chapter 41
Santa Ana Unified School District Board
OCCET Action endorses Rigoberto Rodriguez for Santa Ana School Board.
Rigoberto Rodriguez is a professor at California State University – Long Beach with three decades of activism. He is the child of Mexican immigrant farmworker parents.
Rodriguez’s priorities include:
- delivering quality and equitative education to all students
- ensuring students are holistically well
- providing an inclusive curriculum, including ethnic studies.
Endorsements
Some of the individuals and organizations that endorsed Rigoberto Rodriguez include:
- Santa Ana Educators Association
- Community Action Fund of Planned Parenthood of Orange & San Bernardino
- California School Employees Association Chapter 41
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