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Category Archives: Thai Viet Phan

Council Member Phan will defend her vote for rent control and just cause eviction at a Town Hall meeting on Nov. 13

Posted on by Posted in Civic Affairs, Rent Control, Santa Ana, Thai Viet Phan 3 Comments

Santa Ana City Council Member Thai Viet Phan, who represents Ward 1, is hosting a Town Hall meeting on Saturday, Nov. 13, from 1 to 3 p.m. at the Newhope branch of the Santa Ana Public Library, located at 122 N. Newhope St.

The Town Hall meeting will focus on Phan’s support for the Santa Ana Rent Control Ordinance and the Just Cause Eviction Ordinance.

The California Apartment Association is currently working on a signature gathering campaign in order to put a measures on the ballot so the residents can vote on these ordinances. If the referendum qualifies, the Santa Ana City Council will have two choices: Rescind the ordinances or put them on the ballot.

Tenants United of Santa Ana is having a cow over the signature gathering effort but just a few months ago they were asking their supporters to sign a petition to “let the voters decide the future of rent control in Santa Ana.”

“The California Apartment Association and a coalition of business groups, local housing providers and residents, believe the City Council rushed to impose these laws without any meaningful outreach to the community, analysis, or understanding of their impacts on the city’s finances or housing stock,” said Victor Cao, CAA’s senior vice president of local public affairs.

The city developed its proposals in secret meetings and with zero stakeholder outreach. The City Council also had to redo its initial vote on the measures because of alleged violations of the Brown Act, California’s primary open meetings law.

Santa Ana’s rent control proposal is stricter than those in Los Angeles, San Francisco, Santa Monica, and even Berkeley.

Some of the troublesome provisions in the rent control and just-cause proposals:

  • Rent increases capped at 80% of local inflation rate (CPI) or 3%, whichever is less
  • A limited and strict petition process for owners to get a higher rent increase.
  • Just cause eviction requirements starting on the 31st day of tenancy.
  • Prohibiting evictions of households with students during the school year.
  • Requiring the district attorney to prosecute an individual in order to evict for criminal activity.
  • Mandating higher relocation assistance payments to households beyond what’s in state law.
  • Undetermined and unlimited fees on landlords to fund the program development, implementation, and enforcement. Most cities with this type of program charge landlords over $100/unit.

Phan ran for her City Council seat with no opposition from the local Vietnamese American community. Our sources tell us that her constituents are furious at her decision to back rent control and just cause eviction. There is already talk of challenging her in Ward 1 when she runs for reelection in a few years. That is why she is hosting this Town Hall meeting. It is however highly unlikely that she will be able to mollify her upset constituents.

New Santa Ana Mayor, City Councilmembers take office

Posted on by Posted in Civic Affairs, Jessie Lopez, Johnathan Ryan Hernandez, Santa Ana, Thai Viet Phan, Vince Sarmiento Leave a comment

SANTA ANA, Calif. – The City of Santa Ana’s first new Mayor in 26 years and three new City Councilmembers took office on Tuesday, Dec. 8, 2020.

Mayor Vicente Sarmiento will serve a two-year term through 2022. Councilmember Thai Viet Phan representing Ward 1, Councilmember Jessie Lopez of Ward 3, and Councilmember Johnathan Ryan Hernandez of Ward 5 will each serve four-year terms through 2024.

The installation took place during a virtual special City Council meeting with a prerecorded Oath of Office and video celebration highlighting messages from the new City leaders, words of congratulations from their supporters and community members, and a musical tribute from the Santa Ana Unified School District arts program.

Mayor Sarmiento is believed to be the first Bolivian American Mayor in the United States and Councilmember Phan is the City’s first Vietnamese American Councilmember.

Mayor Sarmiento noted that he and the three new Councilmembers were all either born or raised in Santa Ana.

“We are literally the sons and daughters of Santa Ana, genuinely home-grown products of the City,” he said.

The new City Council’s first official action was to unanimously elect Councilmember David Penaloza of Ward 2 as the new Mayor Pro Tem. The new Councilmembers also join Councilmember Phil Bacerra of Ward 4 and Councilmember Nelida Mendoza of Ward 6.

Before being elected Mayor, Sarmiento served as a Councilmember from 2007 to 2020. He is an attorney who received his bachelor’s degree from UC Berkeley and his law degree from UCLA.

“Santa Ana is one of the largest cities in the largest state in our union,” Mayor Sarmiento said. “We must conduct ourselves as such and be bold in our aspirations but never again ignore the needs of those most vulnerable among us.”

Councilmember Phan was born near a refugee camp in Thailand after her parents fled the devastation of the Vietnam War. Her family settled in Santa Ana in 1989. A city attorney, she received her bachelor’s degree from UCLA and her dual law/master of public policy degree from USC.

“I know we have a lot of work ahead of us, whether it’s to address the COVID-19 pandemic and its effects on our community, addressing the homelessness crisis, or dealing with the lack of affordable housing, I know we’ll work together to arrive at positive solutions for all,” Councilmember Phan said.

Councilmember Lopez was born and raised in Santa Ana and attended local public schools. She received her bachelor’s degree from Cal State Long Beach and is a community health worker.

“When I decided to run for office, my desire was rooted in commitment of wanting something better for my neighbors as much as I wanted it for my own family,” Councilmember Lopez said. “I firmly believe that policy is a tool to implement equity on a systemic level.”

Councilmember Hernandez was born and raised in the Artesia Pilar neighborhood, is a product of Santa Ana Unified School District and graduated from Santa Ana High School. He is a community health worker who works with children and previously worked in gang prevention and reentry.

“I understand the excellence that exists within our community, and I plan on helping invest and develop more of it,” Councilmember Hernandez said. “From the rich cultural history, from the black community to the brown community to the API (Asian and Pacific Islander) community that have brought people together, I believe this community is a community that is worth investing in.”

The City Council installation and celebration video can be viewed at https://youtu.be/ZT5NE6x6vPA

What we can expect from the new Santa Ana City Council members?

Posted on by Posted in 2020 Elections, 2022 Elections, Civic Affairs, David Penaloza, Jessie Lopez, Johnathan Ryan Hernandez, Miguel Pulido, Nelida Mendoza, Phil Bacerra, Politics, Santa Ana, Thai Viet Phan, Vince Sarmiento 3 Comments
Phil-Bacerra-and-Thai-Viet-Phan

Santa Ana voters have elected Councilman Vicente Sarmiento to replace termed out Miguel Pulido as Mayor and three relatively young council members: Thai Viet Phan, in Ward One, Jessie Lopez in Ward Three and Johnathan Ryan Hernandez in Ward Five.

What can we expect from this new City Council? They will be working with Council holdovers David Penaloza in Ward Two; Phil Bacerra, in Ward Four; and Nelida Mendoza, in Ward Six.

Will there be a new City Council Majority? The most liberal Council members include Sarmiento, Lopez, Hernandez, Penaloza and Phan. Bacerra is more of a moderate and you can say the same for Mendoza.

The City Council Members will differ when it comes to law enforcement. Penaloza, Mendoza and Bacerra have been supported by the Santa Ana Police Officers Association in the past and the POA also contributed to PACs that helped Phan this year. Sarmiento, Lopez and Hernandez will likely be at most odds with the POA even though Sarmiento voted for their massive pay increase a couple years ago.

Lopez told the O.C. Register that she would support an independent police commission with subpoena powers and investigative authority. Hernandez, Phan and Sarmiento also said they also would take a look at creating an independent police oversight commission – an idea rejected by previous councils.

Phan, Hernandez and Sarmiento told the O.C. Register that they would take a closer look at issues affecting youth, low-income residents, families and the city’s immigrant community, including those who are undocumented.

Hernandez also told the O.C. Register that he wants to bring rent control to the city, providing more funds for libraries and community centers, and prioritizing youth and family services.

We cannot discern much about Phan’s plans from her campaign website as it does not know her opinions on any specific issues. However we do know that she is an attorney for a major law firm that provides legal consultation to cities in Southern California. She will come to the City Council with more knowledge about municipal affairs than most new City Council members.

Lopez does offer up her priorities on her campaign website and they include:

  • HOUSING: Residents deserve leaders who take real action and address their needs. Jessie will work to enact protections for renters and build coalitions with local leaders to produce better housing options.
  • HOMELESSNESS: It’s also apparent that the homelessness crisis is a housing crisis. We can no longer use old solutions and expect new results. We cannot add new shelters to our Santa Ana community. We must work in collaboration with other cities and the county to maximize the benefits of the resources we already have.
  • TRANSPARENCY & CO-GOVERNANCE: City politics works best when it embraces the people’s voices in decision-making at every level. Jessie’s priority is to ensure that the community members of Santa Ana are heard and supported in all decision making processes. She believes this can be accomplished by continuing her work engaging the community by hosting accessible local events, town halls, and virtual meetings.
  • SAFE & VIBRANT SANTA ANA: Santa Ana deserves an equitable budget that reflects our community’s investment in our future — our youth — while still respecting the beauty that our city has to offer including our parks, our museums, and our vibrant neighborhoods. Jessie will promote a safe Santa Ana by investing in programs that enhance our quality of life.
  • SUPPORTING YOUTH PROGRAMS: As one of the youngest cities in the nation, Jessie believes it is our responsibility to build the leadership we wish to see and create opportunities for everyone to participate in shaping the future of our city.

Hernandez also posted his Issues on his campaign website:

  • ADDRESS HOMELESSNESS – As an experienced social worker, Johnathan understands some of the challenges that those experiencing homelessness face. He will prioritize resources for rehabilitation programs and maintain strong relationships with local leaders for a comprehensive plan to advocate for affordable housing.
  • INVEST IN OUR YOUTH – The City of Santa Ana has more young people ages 13 to 24 than any other city in Orange County. Johnathan is committed to supporting young people and providing opportunities in education, civic engagement, and career development so they can reach their full potential.
  • IMPROVE QUALITY OF LIFE – Johnathan is dedicated to ensuring our neighborhoods are safer and more inclusive for all families to thrive. He will increase outreach efforts for more transparency and actively promote community-based solutions that put residents first, not special interests.
  • PROTECT THE ENVIRONMENT – Open space and clean parks are essential services. Community lands belong in community hands, and Johnathan will work to ensure that public spaces are maintained for the benefit of the community, not outside developers who only care about making a profit.

I have noticed that, since the election, more homes appear to be for sale in Santa Ana. One has to wonder if we will see a trend of more people giving up on Santa Ana and leaving as a result of this election.

The new City Council members will have four years to figure things out before they have to run for reelection but Sarmiento will only have two years as the Santa Ana Mayor has two-year terms. That means Sarmiento will have to start raising money right away for his next campaign and he will have to restrain himself and be more moderate or risk attracting more candidates to oppose him in 2022.

The Santa Ana City Council must figure out what to do with our homeless problem and the huge number of drug addicts roaming and causing chaos in our city. They must also contend with the ongoing COVID-19 crisis and shore up an economy that has ruptured as so many businesses have shuttered or are now on life support.

Who will lead this new City Council? Sarmiento is not know for being a vocal leader. Nor is Mendoza. Bacerra has a chance to take up that role but he must also deal with the fact that in two years Mendoza will have to run again and she lives in the same ward as Bacerra. Thus the first order of business for the new Santa Ana City Council may be to redraw the ward maps, using the new data from the U.S. Census, so Mendoza and Bacerra can be placed in different wards.

Developer dark money backing Thai Viet Phan for Ward One

Posted on by Posted in 2020 Elections, David Penaloza, Phil Bacerra, Politics, Real Estate, Ryan Ogulnick, Santa Ana, SAPOA, Thai Viet Phan 3 Comments

We already posted about the Santa Ana Police Officers Association money that is funding mailers for the Thai Viet Phan campaign for Ward 1 of the Santa Ana City Council. Now it turns out there are more special interests jumping on board her campaign, as reported on the Santa Ana Stands Up Facebook page.

Phan’s backers include the Chase Family, which led the gentrification charge in downtown Santa Ana that displaced quite a few Latino-owned companies; and phan has also received contributions from McWhinney, the developer that aimed to buy off the Willowick Golf Course in a closed session, with little community input.

Turns out McWhinney has also been lining the pockets of the Garden Grove City Council Members, hoping to convince them to see Willowick to them. However the Willowick Golf Course was not sold because the Garden Grove City Council violated the Surplus Land Act.

Garden Grove City Council Member Kim Nguyen endorsed Phan today and that figures as Nguyen has sided with McWhinney.

Other contributors to Thai’s campaign include Nguyen’s boyfriend, Santa Ana City Councilman David Penaloza and other special interest groups.

The puppet master making all these arrangements is Santa Ana City Councilman Phil Bacerra.

Bacerra, who is half-Filipino, was the first Asian-American elected to the Santa Ana City Council in decades. I cannot blame him for trying to get another Asian-American onto the City Council as well but getting dark money from scurrilous developers is the wrong way to do it.

We have endorsed Cynthia Contreras for Ward One.

Ward One City Council candidate Thai Viet Phan is getting support from the police union

Posted on by Posted in 2020 Elections, Cynthia Contreras, Jeffrey Katz, Mark McLoughlin, Politics, Santa Ana, SAPOA, Thai Viet Phan, Vic Mendez 1 Comment
Mailer hits Thai Viet Phan for being anti-police

The Santa Ana Police Officer’s Association (POA) has made some bizarre picks in this year’s Santa Ana City Council race. You would think they would be backing candidates that support law enforcement, but then you would be wrong.

My sources tell me that the real goal of the Santa Ana POA is to get City Council candidates elected who will then roll over for them and keep giving them more raises and benefits.

Thai Viet Phan Facebook ad

One of those candidates appears to be Ward One City Council candidate thai Viet Phan. My sources tell me that the Santa Ana POA is paying for her Facebook ad, seen above, via a PAC. Here is the money trail:

But Phan’s detractors are hitting back with tough mailers nailing her for her anti-police agenda. She is a liberal and can be expected to side with the anti police movement in our city. But the POA is backing her despite that agenda because apparently they think they can count on her to keep their money flowing. That is apparently what really matters to them.

We suspect that Phan’s sponsor on the City Council, Phil Bacerra, had a lot to do with the POA support for Phan as they supported him too.

Mailer hits Thai Viet Phan for being anti-police

By the way you won’t find any mention on Phan’s campaign website about how she plans to fight crime in our city.

We have endorsed Cynthia Contreras for Ward One. You will find her positions on all the issues on her campaign website.

Vic Mendez

Another candidate the Santa Ana POA is backing, that is a real head-scratcher, is Vic Mendez in Ward 5. He is apparently a car salesman with zero experience in our community while the incumbent in Ward 5, City Councilman Juan Villegas, has worked in law enforcement for over 30 years!

We have endorsed Villegas – he is hands down the best candidate in Ward 5 and he is consistently a safe voice of wisdom on our City Council.

Over in Ward 3, which sprawls across north Santa Ana, the Santa Ana POA is backing the low-energy Mark McLoughlin while leading candidate Jeffrey Katz, an attorney and neighborhood leader, is the one with an actual plan to deal with crime. Councilman Bacerra is also backing McLoughlin – and that makes two POA supported City Council candidates with Bacerra’s fingerprints on them.

Katz has our full support in Ward 3.

The POA has not been overt in the Mayor’s race but my sources tell me they prefer the affable Jose Solorio and the surly Claudia Alvarez.

We prefer the leading mayoral candidate, Ceci Iglesias, who along with Juan Villegas voted against the POA’s last huge contract, which placed a huge financial burden on the City of Santa Ana.

Spotlight on the Santa Ana City Council Ward 1 candidates

Posted on by Posted in 2020 Elections, Civic Affairs, Cynthia Contreras, Elections, Politics, Roman Reyna, Santa Ana, Thai Viet Phan, Tony Adame Leave a comment

The Santa Ana City Council elections in November will be the first time we get to vote for our Council candidates by Ward. In Ward 1 that means the voters in that ward will only be voting for the Ward 1 candidates. As is the case in the other wards, we have a pretty strong mix of candidates to pick from this year, in Ward 1.

Tony Adame is a pretty clever businessman who has made a fortune selling goopy Suavecito hair care products made here in Santa Ana. The biggest knock on Adame is his lack of civic experience and his affiliation with convicted felon Roman Reyna.

What Adame is lacking in civic experience is exactly what Cynthia Contreras brings to the table. She has served on the Santa Ana Planning Commission and has been involved in many campaigns over the years. As an Orange County Probation Officer she understands criminals but also knows what it takes to help them to go straight. Contreras recently announced that former U.S. Representative Loretta Sanchez has endorsed her City Council campaign.

Thai Viet Phan is an attorney with a huge law firm that specializes in municipal law. Her personal story is compelling as her family fled from Vietnam and Phan was raised by a single mom after her dad died of an illness. Phan, like Contreras, has experience on the Santa Ana Planning Commission. Phan recently announced that she was endorsed by Indivisible OC 48.

Thomas Gordon

Thomas Gordon has been involved with the Santa Ana neighborhood associations for years. He is known for his work against graffiti, in particular. He has also been elected a few times to the OC Republican Party Central Committee.

We are very happy, in particular, that two very competent and skilled women are running for Ward 1. For whatever reason few women have succeeded in getting elected to the Santa Ana City Council over the years. Perhaps this year we will see a woman get elected to represent Ward 1.

On paper Phan has the edge as Ward 1 was reconfigured this year to include much of Santa Ana’s portion of Little Saigon, on the west side. However a recent scandal that ensued after an Orange County Democratic Party Vice Chair posted comments in favor of Vietnamese dictator Ho Chi Minh could cause some blowback to Phan, who is a registered Democrat. We hope not as she is not in any way affiliated with the Vice Chair in question, who has since resigned his post with the party.

New Santa Ana is launching a live podcast starting on August 19

Posted on by Posted in 2020 Elections, Civic Affairs, Elections, Podcasts, Politics, Santa Ana, Thai Viet Phan Leave a comment

The New Santa Ana blog had 19,000 views back in 2009, when we first started covering Santa Ana. The last four years we have had over one million views per year and this year we are already at 1.8 million views. Now for something new! On August 19th at 6 9.m. we will be hosting our first live podcast. Our show is called Santa Ana Political Chismes.

Our first podcast will feature Thai Viet Phan, a Santa Ana Planning Commissioner who is running for Ward One on our City Council.

In the next few weeks we hope to interview more of our City Council and Mayoral candidates. If you are a candidate and would like to be in our new podcast show click here to contact me.

Save the date! Click here to join our live podcast on August 19 at 6 p.m.

All the candidates who have filed to run for the Santa Ana City Council or for Mayor this November

Posted on by Posted in 2020 Elections, Cecilia Iglesias, Civic Affairs, Claudia Alvarez, Cynthia Contreras, Danny Vega, Elections, George Collins, Janelle Welker, Jeffrey Katz, Jessie Lopez, Johnathan Ryan Hernandez, Jose Maduena, Jose Solorio, Juan Villegas, Laura Perez, Mark I. Lopez, Mark McLoughlin, Politics, Santa Ana, Thai Viet Phan, Tony Adame, Vince Sarmiento Leave a comment

I am encouraged by how many candidates have pulled papers to run for the Santa Ana City Council this November. This will be a very different election as the current pandemic will prevent candidates from walking door to door. Because this is a Presidential election we can also expect a higher voter turnout than usual. This is also the first time that Mayor Miguel Pulido will be on the sidelines as he has termed out after over 20 years in office.

Here are the candidates who have pulled papers so far:

Ward One

Ward Three

Ward 5

Mayor

Note – Just because these candidates pulled papers doesn’t mean they will actually run for office in November. They have pulled papers and for now that is it. Eventually the filing period will close and we will know for sure who will be on the ballot in November.

Council Member Iglesias is losing the Santa Ana City Council Recall Election in early results

Posted on by Posted in 2020 Elections, Cecilia Iglesias, Elections, Gerry Serrano, Nelida Mendoza, Santa Ana, Thai Viet Phan Leave a comment

The O.C. Voter Registrar has posted the early results in today’s Santa Ana City Council Recall Election and it is not looking good for Santa Ana City Councilwoman Cecilia Iglesias. The Recall Election is succeeding so far with almost 56% of the votes in favor of the recall. The No side is over 2,000 votes behind the Yes side.

Surprisingly the leading candidate to replace Iglesias, should the Recall prevail, is Nelida Mendoza, who lost to Iglesias in the 2018 Ward 6 election. Mendoza has been serving as a Trustee on the Rancho Santiago Community College District’s Board of Education. She currently has 42% of the vote and is leading Thai Viet Phan by about one thousand votes.

The Voter Registrar will update these results by tomorrow night.

I don’t believe the No side will be able to catch up. As this was a mail only election presumably most of the ballots were turned in a while ago.

The clear winner in this election, besides Mendoza, is Gerry Serrano, the President of the Santa Ana Police Officers Association. He did not back Mendoza in 2018 but presumably she will cater to him now as will most of the rest of the City Council.

Serrano will now look to replace termed out Santa Ana Mayor Miguel Pulido with a candidate of his choosing in the upcoming November election. Right now that looks to be City Councilman Jose Solorio.

Iglesias by the way is already running for Mayor. While the Recall results are a bitter pill to swallow I believe she will continue her Mayoral campaign. She may benefit from the vote split between Solorio and his Council colleague Vince Sarmiento, who will be fighting for the same voters.

What will happen after the Santa Ana Recall Election?

Posted on by Posted in 2020 Elections, Cecilia Iglesias, Elections, Nelida Mendoza, Santa Ana, Thai Viet Phan 2 Comments

The Santa Ana Recall Election is coming up soon, on May 19. Not long after that we will find out if Santa Ana City Councilwoman Cecilia Iglesias will be able to stay in office.

If the Recall Election prevails Iglesias will be removed from office. The top candidate in that election will replace her. The Recall Election you see has two elements to it. First – do you approve of the Recall? And secondly, who should replace Iglesias if the Recall passes?

If Iglesias is removed from office she will still be on the ballot in November as she is running for Mayor of Santa Ana.

If Iglesias stays in office she will still be on the ballot in November.

Iglesias will be the only fiscal conservative on the ballot in November. And she will, at this point in time, be the only woman on the ballot. Her odds of winning are very high.

The Recall Election will cost taxpayers $700K and there is no telling how much money the Santa Ana Police Officers Association is going to end up spending to try to recall Iglesias. But in the end what will likely happen is Iglesias will move on to the Mayor’s office.

Nelida Mendoza

If the Recall Election succeeds and Iglesias is removed from office then it is likely that Thai Viet Phan will replace her. I don’t think Nelida Mendoza has a chance. She is not running much of a campaign. And the only other candidate, Angie Cano, is not raising or spending any money on her campaign.

I do not however expect the Recall Election to succeed. We just saw a similar Recall campaign fail in the City of Westminster. The pandemic has resulted in a mail only election. Turnout will be super low. How that pans out we will not know until after the election, but rest assured the turnout will be historically low.

WIll Iglesias’ supporters vote? Or will the police union prevail with their odd coalition of union hacks, leftist partisans and NIMBYs?

In either case buckle up. This election is just a precursor to what is sure to be a very interesting Mayoral race in November.

The O.C. Democrats endorsed Phan, not Mendoza, for the Santa Ana City Council

Posted on by Posted in 2020 Elections, Cecilia Iglesias, Civic Affairs, Elections, Labor, Nelida Mendoza, Politics, Santa Ana, Thai Viet Phan Leave a comment

The ongoing Santa Ana Recall Election against Santa Ana City Council woman Ceci Iglesias has become a fairly partisan campaign, with the full endorsement of the Democratic Party of Orange County.

However the local Democrat powerbrokers did not endorse Nelida Mendoza, a Rancho Santiago Community College Trustee, to replace Iglesias on the Santa Ana City Council.

Who did the Democratic Party of Orange County endorse to replace Iglesias? Well they sure weren’t going to endorse conservative candidate Angie Cano. The Democratic Party of Orange County endorsed Thai Viet Phan.

The campaign to recall Santa Ana City Councilwoman Ceci Iglesias is in the end exactly what it appears to be. It is a partisan attempt by the Democratic Party of Orange County, in cahoots with the Santa Ana police officers’ union and the embittered public school teachers that fought against Iglesias when she was an SAUSD Trustee, to remove from office a duly elected City Council Member because they don’t agree with her politics.

And what politics are those? Iglesias is guilty of one thing – looking out for the local taxpayers in Santa Ana. We have an entire City Council that is in cahoots with the public employee unions. They will spend our city into bankruptcy – with the exception of Iglesias and Mayor Pro Tem Juan Villegas.

Nelida Mendoza

I suppose the only saving grace in this entire mess is that the Democrats endorsed Phan instead of Mendoza. Phan is a bright young lawyer while Mendoza is a longtime political hack. Replacing Iglesias with her would be a complete disaster for our city.

Remember by the way that the local Democrats also endorsed the recent recall in Westminster – and that one failed too.

Recall elections are low turnout affairs. My guess is that Iglesias’ supporters will vote and she will prevail. Even worse for her partisan enemies she will emerge from this recall election stronger than ever – and she is already running for Mayor in November. By trying to recall her they just might have made her an unstoppable juggernaut. She very well might end up replacing termed out Mayor Miguel Pulido. And she will, no doubt, remember those who stood against her…

Click here to join the No on the Santa Ana Recall campaign.

If the Santa Ana Recall Election succeeds our City Council could end up 33% Asian

Posted on by Posted in 2020 Elections, Asians, Cecilia Iglesias, Elections, Politics, Santa Ana, Thai Viet Phan, Vietnamese 6 Comments

The City of Santa Ana is 76.8% Latino, according to the U.S. Census. Only 11.8% of Santa Ana’s residents are Asians. But if the May 19 Santa Ana Recall Special election succeeds and Councilwoman Ceci Iglesias is recalled, the net result could be a Santa Ana City Council that is 33% Asian.

Phil and Wendy Bacerra

When Phil Bacerra won his City Council seat in 2018 he became the first Asian on the City Council in many decades. Bacerra, who is half Filipino, has recruited the leading candidate trying to win Iglesias’ seat. Her name is Thai Viet Phan and she has raised more money than the other candidates. I see her campaign signs all over north Santa Ana.

Phil Bacerra and Thai Viet Phan

If Iglesias is recalled and Phan wins then she and Bacerra will take a third of the Santa Ana City Council’s six seats. In a city that is almost 80% Latino we will have a City Council that is 1/3 Asian. That is pretty amazing when you consider that Asians make up less than 12% of Santa Ana’s residents.

If one more Santa Ana City Council seat was won in a subsequent election by another Asian candidate, just like that the Santa Ana City Council would be 50% Asian.

If all of this comes to pass it will be, no doubt, because so many of the City’s white voters have turned on Iglesias. About 9.4% of the city’s residents are white. That is not much but they vote and from what I am seeing in north Santa Ana many if not most of them are lining up with Phan against Iglesias.

Whether or not Iglesias can prevail in the Recall election will come down to one thing – will the City’s majority Latino population bother to vote in the May 19 Special Election? If they don’t, get ready for a City Council that is a third Asian. This will be a historic move away from the current almost all Latino City Council.

This article by the way is not an attempt to tell you how to vote. We are merely pointing out the fact that the upcoming Santa Ana Recall Election could end up having an incredible impact on our city. There have never been two Asians on our City Council at the same time. This could be a historic election.

Thai Viet Phan is leading in Santa Ana recall election campaign fundraising

Posted on by Posted in 2020 Elections, Angie Rosario Cano, Cecilia Iglesias, Elections, Nelida Mendoza, Santa Ana, Thai Viet Phan Leave a comment

Thai Viet Phan has raise the most money of all the candidates who are running in the upcoming May 19 Santa Ana Special Recall Election. Voters will be asked to decide on whether or not to recall current City Council Member Cecilia Iglesias. They will also be able to vote for a replacement. Here are the candidates:

Thai Viet Phan

Phan has raised over $8,500 dollars in campaign contributions. She also reported $1,000 in non-monetary contributions. Mendoza has raised about $3,000. Mendoza also loaned herself $5,000. Cano has not apparently raised any campaign money.

Nelida Mendoza

Phan also leads in individual campaign contributions. She has tallied over 30 individual campaign contributions. Mendoza has only listed five contributors.

Angie Cano

Phan has been involved in local Democratic Party politics for some time while Cano has been involved in local Republican Party politics.

Three qualify as Ward 6 City Council candidates in Special Recall Election

Posted on by Posted in 2020 Elections, Angie Rosario Cano, Cecilia Iglesias, Civic Affairs, Elections, Nelida Mendoza, Politics, Santa Ana, Thai Viet Phan Leave a comment

SANTA ANA, CA – Three people have been nominated as candidates for the Ward 6 City Council office designated to be filled if the recall of Councilmember Cecilia Iglesias is successful, Clerk of the Council Daisy Gomez announced.

The Special Municipal Election is to be held in the City of Santa Ana on Tuesday, May 19, 2020.

Nelida Yanez

The qualified candidates and their ballot designations are:

The candidates all submitted qualifying paperwork by the 5 p.m., March 5, deadline. The candidate names as listed will be the official order on the ballot as determined by a randomized alphabet drawing conducted by the Secretary of State’s Office on March 6.

If the recall should prevail, the winning candidate will serve the duration of the partial term ending Dec. 13, 2022.

The voting period for the Special Municipal Election will be from May 9, 2020, through May 19, 2020, at select Vote Centers. On Election Day, May 19, 2020, select Vote Centers will be open between 7 a.m. and 8 p.m.

The following are key dates for the May 19, 2020, Special Election:
• Public Review for Candidates’ Statement of Qualifications – March 6, 2020, through March 16, 2020
• Write-in Candidacy Filing Period Opens – March 23, 2020
• Last Date to Register to Vote – May 4, 2020
• Write-in Candidacy Filing Period Closes – May 5, 2020
• Select Vote Centers Open – May 9, 2020
• Election Day – May 19, 2020
• Deadline to Certify Election Results – June 18, 2020

Eligible Santa Ana residents can register to vote, check and update their voter registration status, and request a vote-by-mail ballot at https://www.ocvote.com.

For more information on the Santa Ana special election, please visit https://www.santa-ana.org/cc/city-elections and https://www.ocvote.com/vc/web/voting/current-election-information/city-of-santa-ana-special-recall-election.

Attorney and Democratic Party activist announces her campaign for the Santa Ana City Council’s Ward 6

Posted on by Posted in 2020 Elections, Civic Affairs, Elections, Thai Viet Phan 2 Comments

Thai Viet Phan, a woman who describes herself as a homeowner and long-time resident, has already announced her campaign for Ward 6 of the Santa Ana City Council, which will be up for grabs on May 19 when a Special Recall election will be held as the Santa Ana Police Officers Association tries to oust the Ward 6 incumbent, Ceci Iglesias.

Phan is Councilman Phil Bacerra’s Planning Commissioner. She will also be on the 2020 Primary Election ballot as a candidate for the Democratic Party of Orange County’s Central Committee.

Phan is an attorney at Rutan & Tucker. Phan received her Bachelor of Arts in Communication Studies from UCLA and her Master of Public Policy and Juris Doctor from USC. Phan was admitted to the California State Bar in 2016.

She was recently honored at the 46th Congressional District’s Women of the Year Award presented by Congressmember Lou Correa. She is backing Garden Grove City Councilwoman Kim B. Nguyen for the First District of the O.C. Board of Supervisors, which we will be voting on in the March Primary Election.

Here is Phan’s campaign announcement, from her Facebook page:

In light of recent news regarding the recall, I am stepping up and announcing my candidacy for Santa Ana City Council in the upcoming special recall election. As a homeowner and long-time resident, I am committed and ready to make the tough calls to keep our neighborhoods safe and ensure housing and economic development that benefits all residents. Over the coming months, I look forward to talking directly with voters across the City to advance innovative ideas and policies to truly make Santa Ana the Golden City for all.

Phan appears to be pro-abortion – which is quite a contrast to current Ward 6 Councilwoman Ceci Iglesias, who is an outspoken Pro-Life activist, as noted in this picture from Phan’s personal Facebook page:

You can learn more about Phan on her campaign website, here.