Former Santa Ana Council Member Brett Franklin continues to lead in polling for Ward 3, despite the fact that there are quite a few candidates running for that seat, including Planning Commissioner Eric Alderete, who has amassed a vast warchest – largely from contributors who don’t live in Santa Ana.

How is Franklin doing it? I asked him that the other day and he offered an anecdote.  He ran into a lady at the supermarket the other day.  She was a Latina and she seemed somehow familiar to him.  She approached Franklin and said that she and her family voted for him via absentee ballot.  Apparently she remembered going to the same school as Franklin, in the fifth grade!

That’s Franklin’s secret weapon.  He was born and raised here in Santa Ana, while Alderete was born and raised in East Los Angles, and he has been living here perhaps six years at most.

Franklin runs into old friends and associates everywhere in town!  And he has incredible name I.D., as a two term past Council Member.

The son of a U.S. Marine jet pilot and a registered nurse, Franklin, graduated from Santa Ana pubilc schools, including Santiago Elementary, Willard Intermediate, and Santa Ana High. He earned a Bachelor’s Degree in Business from Westmont Christian College. He met his wife Rossette while attending language school in Costa Rica. She worked as a teacher’s aide for disabled children in the SAUSD and now cares for their children, ages 6 and 10.

Franklin has run a successful realty business in Santa Ana for more than 25 years. Alderete works for a bank not located in Santa Ana. Franklin’s local business experience matters in a city that continues to suffer economically. And Franklin has been an employer and job-creator here, while Alderete is a lawyer.

And one more important fact to note.  Franklin is out there walking precincts every day of the week while his dad tends the shop.  Alderete is a corporate lawyer.  He can’t walk every day.  He is as such being outworked by Franklin.

Franklin has also stood up against the dreadful and unethical PBID tax.  Alderete has dodged this issue.  Franklin is also opposing the tax increases on our November ballot – and Alderete is supporting them.  Even worse, Alderete has climbed in bed with the godfather of Santa Ana’s so-called “gay mafia,” Don Cribb.  That is just awful as Cribb has a long history of advocating against our city’s immigrants and the Latino community.

For these and many other reasons I am endorsing Franklin for Ward 3.  I have previously endorsed another candidate, Park Santiago Neighborhood resident Shane Ramon Barrows and I am standing by that endorsement as well.  These are the top two candidates for Ward 3, in my opinion, and of the two Franklin has a real shot at winning.

Alderete may yet turn out to be a good leader.  But this is an election, not an anointment.  Alderete has to earn this victory and so far he simply hasn’t.  That he has opted to support disastrous mayoral candidate David Benavides is yet another reason that I cannot support him.

We have four voters in my house and none of us will be voting for Alderete.