Tue. Oct 8th, 2024

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.

Sarmiento and his family are originally from Bolivia.  They have lived in and around Santa Ana since 1965, according to his bio. He attended John Muir Elementary, Sierra Elementary, and Willard Intermediate Schools. He now lives in a 1929 historic home in the Saddleback View neighborhood; three blocks from where he grew upHe is the principal owner of a law practice in Santa Ana, with his wife, Eva, also an attorney. They have three children, ages 13, 10, and 7.

According to a Sarmiento relative, his dad was orphaned along with his brothers (Vincent’s uncles) and suffered greatly as family members tried to survive during a bloody period of Bolivia’s history. During that time, people became pawns in politicians’ land grabs and anyone who challenged the government was instantly named a communist & imprisoned, if they weren’t murdered outright.

Some Bolivian families united and scraped together enough to send one son per family to the US. Vincent’s dad was among this first wave. These men worked long hours in Los Angeles restaurants as busboys, dishwashers and prep cooks — eventually choosing to settle in Orange County, apparently because the rolling farmland and clean air reminded them of home (moreso than the urban jungle of LA). Many years before Don Vicente Sarmiento (Vincent’s dad) acquired Festival Hall. He felt that there needed to be more diversity in OC cultural offerings and dedicated his venue to presenting Latino musical acts.  Don Vincente later died of an aggressive form of cancer, not long after being diagnosed.

Sarmiento attended public colleges (UCLA & Berkely) and was active in the Farm Workers movement, marching with Cesar Chavez in Delano. I can appreciate his education but am disappointed he would support a known immigrant basher, as Chavez and his brother were infamous for mistreating immigrants, who they saw as a threat to union wages.

Sarmiento is a smart guy – much brighter than Benavides, to be sure.  And many sources have told me that Sarmiento is the one who recruited Benavides to run against Pulido this year, to soften up the Mayor for an eventual run by Sarmiento in two years, in 2014.  I hope that is not true but my sources are legitimate and the intel looks good.  Sarmiento’s decision to recruit and back Benavides, however, looks bad, particularly since Pulido has always been so supportive of Sarmiento.

Sarmiento will no doubt win in November, but I won’t be voting for him.  Like Benavides he has voted lockstep with Pulido since he was first elected.  That these guys are now pretending to be some sort of revolution is laughable.  What they are is greedy for more power and that is something I simply won’t support.



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Art Pedroza Editor
Our Editor, Art Pedroza, worked at the O.C. Register and the OC Weekly and studied journalism at CSUF and UCI. He has lived in Santa Ana for over 30 years and has served on several city and county commissions. When he is not writing or editing Pedroza specializes in risk control and occupational safety. He also teaches part time at Cerritos College and CSUF. Pedroza has an MBA from Keller University.

By Art Pedroza

Our Editor, Art Pedroza, worked at the O.C. Register and the OC Weekly and studied journalism at CSUF and UCI. He has lived in Santa Ana for over 30 years and has served on several city and county commissions. When he is not writing or editing Pedroza specializes in risk control and occupational safety. He also teaches part time at Cerritos College and CSUF. Pedroza has an MBA from Keller University.

8 thoughts on “Sarmiento appears to regret backing Benavides, as he runs for re-election”
  1. As Claudia Gallegeos famously said in 2010:

    “Gimme another Gin, I’ll pay you on Tuesday”……..

    Just kidding. As The now “non-blogger, redistricting expert” said:

    “GAME ON” when speaking of the last failed attempt to unseat Pulido. Of course that was a failure.

    This does bode poorly for Vince, he is now closely associated with TWO philadering collueges. It wouldn’t surprise me to see vice back the bus over Benavides in the comming weeks when people start asking SERIOUS questions about his affairs.

    When a millionare dentist from OPrange Park Acres is your best hope for support, your campaign is doomed.

  2. Carpetbagger,

    Benavides doesn’t need me to win.He has the support of the diverse communities of Santa Ana, politicians, the majority council, labor, the OC Democratic Committee the Santa Ana Policeman’s Association amongst others.

    I have no involvement in his campaign. I just comment on a political witch hunt orchestrated by the Pulido strategists.

    Win or loose Benavides is with the majority council. the power is there….. not in the Mayor’s office.

    Benavides is a winner no matter what.

    I know this will upset to no end….calm down have some warm milk and rest.

  3. Benavides is a A-HOLE he cheated.

    Perez is a Carpetbagger he LIED.

    Thats all I am saying. I am not any of the folks you think I am.

    I hate rich f*ckers like you and Diamond interefereing.

    I am drunk, tired and happy.

    Go home old man.

  4. Tsk Tsk Tsk. From Sarmiento to SarMenso.

    It was Pulido who got him appointed to City Council and helped him with his political career. Now SarMenso’s ego is so big he’s decided to challenge the Mayor.

    What a dumb ass.

  5. I seen signs that say “VOTE AMEZQUA”…
    but do not say which election it’s for. Why signs that just say “VOTE AMEZQUA”??? If there are 3 ladies named Amezqua running in November then who is paying for those signs and why do they want to not say first name to get the credit?

  6. That is also so messed up that Sarmiento did Pulido wrong after he got him in Politics and took this little lawyer and gave him business too and he .
    That ain’t right. This cross-roader is not fooling anyone.

  7. You think only you and those you approve can state an opinion? You want to exclude rich f*uckers from the political process…….if an opinion differs from yours, in your opinion it is interfering??????

    What if people hate drunk,tired happy f*ckers interfering??????

    The USA is my home carpetbagger so I am home don’t want to go nowhere else. You seem to not embrace democracy wishing to exclude people from their right of free speech……..you should go home, not the USA we are home of the free here.

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