An Orange County Superior Court judge has ruled that Santa Ana City Councilwoman Claudia Alvarez may not run for a fourth council term, according to the Voice of OC. I have also confirmed this with my own sources – Alvarez’ political career is over – or is it? She can still run for Mayor of Santa Ana, although that is not likely as Mayor Miguel Pulido supported her attempt to run again. And she could run for the Santa Ana Unified School District’s Board of Education, or for the Rancho Santiago Community College District’s Board of Education.
The unfortunate side affect of this ruling is that it decreases the chance that an opponent to Pulido will arise. If someone does challenge him then Alvarez will likely run for Mayor and count on a vote split putting her in office, particularly if one of her male colleagues opts to run against Pulido. Her defeat in this lawsuit likely means Pulido will sail to an easy victory in November. Continue reading