Santa Ana Councilwoman Michele Martinez made an interesting announcement this morning on her Facebook page, “Good Morning! I wanted to share some great news with all of you. In the next week or so I will officially declare my candidacy for the 69 Assembly District. Michele Martinez.”
I have been tracking this story for weeks. For awhile it looked like Councilman Vince Sarmiento was going to run but his wife put the kibosh on that. Then it looked like Councilman Sal Tinajero was going to run – but now it is Martinez who is going to run for Assemblyman Jose Solorio’s 69th Assembly District, when he terms out in 2012.
Martinez is the most liberal member of the Santa Ana City Council. She has grown up a lot since first getting elected, as an underdog, back in 2006.
If you recall, Martinez ran against a whole bunch of candidates including Mayor Miguel Pulido’s pick, an undercover Republican named Tino Rivera and former Parks and Rec Commissioner Tish Leon. The candidate who almost won Ward 2 that year was Com Link Chairman Evangeline Gawronsky. Martinez beat her by less than 800 votes, according to Smart Voter.
Food for thought – if Pulido had backed Gawronski instead of Rivera, who went on vacation in Hawaii DURING his campaign, it is likely that Martinez would have lost the election.
One more Rivera story – I ran into Rivera’s wife Bertha at a Com Link meeting. Boy was she angry. I remember she told me that Tino was going to win and then I would be shut out of City Hall, or something whack to that effect. Well, we know how that worked out. Where is Tino today?
As for Martinez, she really is a great role model for young ladies in Santa Ana. Martinez grew up in rough circumstances and she also had to contend with dyslexia, but she was saved by teachers and principals who mentored her through the rough times.
She graduated from CSUF, I think last year, and is now planning on getting a Masters degree in public health, if I recall correctly, but that my have to be put on hold as she is definitely headed for Sacramento.
The only guy standing in her way is OC Labor’s Political Director, Julio Perez. Remember when Dick Cheney was supposed to find someone to serve as George W. Bush’s Vice President – only to pick himself? That is Perez. Well, now that a very liberal, very pro-union Democratic candidate is in the race it is time for Perez to get out of the race. Why waste labor money fighting someone who is already on your side?
I would by the way back Perez 100% if he were to challenge Republican O.C. Supervisor Janet Nguyen instead. But he won’t.
So Perez is going to waste a ton of labor money trying to defeat Martinez – and I guarantee he won’t come close. His base is in Anaheim, not Santa Ana. He has never run for anything before. His campaign is D.O.A.
Martinez may be young but she will do a great job. She has worked hard in NALEO (the National Association of Latino Elected Officials) and in the Southern California Association of Governments (SCAG). Martinez knows Mayors and Council Members all over the state and all over the U.S.
Martinez may be a liberal but she also knows how to sound moderate when she has to. Click here to read her campaign statement from her 201o Council reelection campaign.
A friend of mine asked me today, what about the Republicans? What about them? There candidate in 0210, Robert Hammond, got less than 35% of the vote, according to Smart Voter. The 69th won’t be going red anytime soon.
What will really be interesting is who will be appointed to replace Martinez when she moves on to Sacramento? My money is on former Councilwoman Lisa Bist. I think she will be coming back to the Council and Measure D ought to let her run again in 2014.
With the new lines for the district the next rep will come from the Anaheim area.
Too bad, there could have been two Latino districts.
Well for the next ten years Santa Ana will need to get use to sitting in the back of the bus.
Wrong Cook. Here is the latest map – note that Santa Ana dominates the district:
I am sure that if she wins it will make no difference on anything as it made no difference while on the council.
She is classical chick who gravitates around the moron mongoloids.
I am sure that Pulido will finance her campaign just to get her out of the council.
“For awhile it looked like Councilman Vince Sarmiento was going to run but his wife put the kibosh on that.”…… Hmmmmm
Do not believe that for a minute Zorro.
Sarmiento is enormously insecure individual and would not survive a defeat.
Once I met him in the council chambers restroom vomiting based on his fear that he will not get reelected after his appointment.
It took me about 5 min. to restore his confidence in himself so he can walk out from the restroom on his own.
The dominate population of Santa Ana doesn’t vote.
Santa Ana dominates the 1st district of the county and the Latino candidate came in 4th behind 2 Viet’s and a white man.
The pendulum is swinging back the conservative way and with the help of BS term limits knocking out the best Latino candidates from staying in office, the rich white republican men will be back the claim those 3 districts back into the Orange Curtain fold. (#34, #69, #47) (or whatever number they become under the new lines)
cook,
You forgot to mention that the Latino was a LAME Republican named Carlos Bustamante. Voters in Santa Ana figured that out and took a pass. I can’t blame them.
What about Laura Cunningham???? She speaks mexican!
Of course that was a joke, and naturally, I’ll take a ration of shit for beating on Matt’s wife……BUT:
What ever happened to this dude? Is it not suspicious that he SUDDENLY disapears from the blogesphere, announcing his retirement here:
http://reason.com/blog/2011/04/07/stivic-stymied-in-finale-of-fi#commentcontainer
But mentions NOTHING on the blogs he founded.
Why did the boys challenging him notate this?
What about OCWEEKLY, where his a favorite target
Rumors abound: Trying to work for Rubio, a new lucrative job, a “influential” member of the OCGOP telling him to pipe down, Lying on the resume (Vern Nelson “ASSURES” us thats not so….
just the same, for a guy who talked so much sh*t for so long……….What happened?
KENLAYSNOTDEAD says:
August 9, 2011 at 9:22 pm
What about Laura Cunningham???? She speaks mexican!
SHE ALSO SPEAKS AMERICAN!@#$?????. DOES SHE KNOW ARAB,CANADIAN OR PUERTO RICAN?
Tino Rivera has a Temp Agency on 17th Street in Santa Ana. I heard Tish Leon is answering phones as a receptionist now.
Hey Dr. L,
That was Laura’s statement when she signed on to be an outreach director for PROP 8.
She (and the MULTI-MILLION DOLLAR COALITION who paid her) published widely that she was iminently capable because she spoke: “MEXICAN”.
I recived an EMAIL today that asked me to “stand down” on Jubal. I just might based on the contents.
Just what California needs is another liberal helping to run it into the ground. You seem to be so focused on what race someone is and you call Republicans racist.
Wouldn’t it be nice to get someone to run for office that just wants to do the right thing for the people, all of the people (white, brown, green, purple).
California has been destroyed by the Democratic party (not that the Republicans are much better). We need people who just do the right thing. Guess that will never happen.
With all due respect, Gov. Schwarzenegger had a lot to do with our state’s problems – and he was and is a Republican.
Please, this state started its fall under Jerry Brown. No, not now, the first time. Schwarzenegger had great plans in his head or at least he thought so, then he ran into the reality that the Democrats are in control.
Remember who makes the laws, its not the Governor. The Democrats destroyed this state paying off the unions and all the others they owed for the piles of campaign money.
That Democrats have controlled the assembly since 1970 with the exception of 1995-1996 and they have controlled the state senate continuously since 1970.
If you want to blame anyone for the mess we are in today, ask the party that has been in charge for 41 years.
Insanity: doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results. – Albert Einstein
Obviously the people of California are insane. Maybe it is time to try something different.
I think term limits have been a real issue as well. We have today the lamest Legislature of any state – and neither party can say otherwise. They are all to blame.
But I assure you that Martinez will be more effective than Perez or Daly.
As to having the lamest legislature, I certainly agree. It is in part term limits and the fact that those who seek office do so because they seek power. Neither party seems to have a clue as to how to run a state.
What made George Washington great was the fact that he did not want the job. He reluctantly served the people.
The people voted for term limits because they thought they would have a better shot at getting a government that is there to serve.
If you put each of them in prison for voting on anything that has a conflict with money they have received, that would also help. If we did that I would guess we might not have anyone left in Sacramento.