The race for Santa Ana’s Ward 2 City Council seat presents voters with a stark choice between an incumbent running on his record and a challenger arguing that the city needs a different direction.
Incumbent Ben Vazquez, a public school teacher and current councilmember, is seeking reelection against Selica Diaz, a Santa Ana native, former Parks and Recreation Commissioner, community volunteer, and mother of four.
While both candidates say they want safer neighborhoods and a stronger city, their approaches differ significantly on issues ranging from housing and homelessness to policing and public safety.
Benjamin Vazquez: Running on His Record
First elected in 2022, Vazquez has established himself as one of the council’s most progressive voices. A longtime teacher in the failing Santa Ana Unified School District, he has focused heavily on housing affordability, tenant protections, immigrant services, homelessness outreach, and community investment.
His campaign highlights several accomplishments:
- Supporting rent stabilization and just-cause eviction protections.
- Expanding Quality of Life Team outreach services.
- Efforts aimed at reducing homelessness.
- Opening a new park in Ward 2.
- Supporting a new library center in Pacific Park.
- Expanding investments in youth and community programs.
Vazquez argues that these policies have helped working families remain in Santa Ana while improving quality of life throughout the city.
He has also received endorsements from several Democratic and labor-aligned organizations, including the California Working Families Party.
Selica Diaz: Offering an Alternative
Diaz is positioning herself as a community-focused alternative to the incumbent. According to her campaign, she is a lifelong Santa Ana resident who has spent more than two decades serving her community and previously served on the city’s Parks and Recreation Commission.
Her campaign centers on three primary themes:
- Public safety.
- Addressing homelessness.
- Improving neighborhood quality of life
Diaz has consistently emphasized that residents deserve safe neighborhoods and that the city should work more aggressively with Orange County to obtain resources needed to address homelessness. She has also advocated for expanding Quality of Life Teams citywide.
Her message is aimed squarely at residents who believe city government has not done enough to address neighborhood concerns, street disorder, and quality-of-life issues
Public Safety May Be the Defining Issue
Perhaps the clearest contrast between the candidates is on public safety.
Diaz has made public safety a central pillar of her campaign, arguing that police should have the staffing, training, technology, and resources necessary to keep neighborhoods safe. She frequently identifies public safety as her top priority.
Vazquez, meanwhile, generally frames public safety through the lens of prevention, outreach, housing stability, and community services. His campaign promotes investments in homelessness services, tenant protections, youth programs, and community-based solutions.
This philosophical difference has become a recurring point of criticism from some residents and public-safety advocates.
Throughout his tenure, Vazquez has often aligned with progressive policy positions that place greater scrutiny on law-enforcement powers, surveillance technology, and enforcement-focused approaches to homelessness. Critics argue that he has frequently opposed measures they believe would strengthen law enforcement’s ability to address crime, public disorder, and encampments. He even voted against letting the SAPD use drones to find and arrest criminals.
Supporters counter that his positions reflect concerns about civil liberties, over-policing, and the need to address root causes rather than relying primarily on arrests and enforcement.
As a result, the race is increasingly shaping up as a broader debate over Santa Ana’s approach to public safety.
Housing and Homelessness
Housing remains one of Vazquez’s strongest issues.
He points to his support for rent stabilization, tenant protections, and affordable housing initiatives as evidence of his commitment to helping working families remain in Santa Ana.
Diaz has focused less on rent-control policies and more on visible neighborhood impacts associated with homelessness, public safety, and city services. Her campaign emphasizes cleaner neighborhoods, responsive government, and stronger coordination with county agencies
Both candidates agree homelessness remains one of Santa Ana’s most significant challenges. The difference lies largely in how they prioritize solutions.
Experience vs. Change
Like many local races, Ward 2 ultimately comes down to continuity versus change.
Vazquez is asking voters to continue policies that he says have expanded community services, protected renters, improved parks, and delivered investments to the ward.
Diaz argues that Santa Ana needs a stronger focus on neighborhood safety, quality-of-life concerns, and responsiveness to residents. She presents herself as a fresh voice who can bring a different perspective to City Hall.
The Bottom Line
The Ward 2 race may be one of the most philosophically distinct contests on this year’s Santa Ana ballot.
Vazquez represents a progressive governing approach centered on tenant protections, homelessness services, community investment, and social programs.
Diaz is campaigning on public safety, neighborhood quality of life, and a belief that residents want a more responsive and enforcement-oriented approach to city government.
For Ward 2 voters, the question is straightforward: Has Santa Ana been heading in the right direction under Vazquez’s leadership, or is it time for a new voice in City Hall? The answer to that question will likely determine who represents Ward 2 for the next four years.
For us the choice is very clear. Selica Diaz has our full support and endorsement. Follow her on Facebook here.