Councilman Bob Kellar on Thursday endorsed new City Council candidate Jason Gibbs in his run to take one of three incumbent seats in the Nov. 6 election.
Kellar went to the podium at Gibbs’ campaign kickoff event at Sand Canyon Country Club to throw his support behind the “pro-family, pro-safety and pro-fiscal responsibility” candidate.
“He’s a good man,” Kellar said Friday. “I’m impressed with this man. We keep talking in this city about how we need to get new blood involved with our community. We need young people, and we’ve got a great opportunity in this young man.”
Gibbs, 37, planted roots in Santa Clarita in 2012 when his wife began a career at Boston Scientific. He sits on the Measure EE Citizens’ Oversight Committee for the Saugus Union School District, and is deputy director of West Coast Operations for GP Strategies Corp.
He will be one of several challengers seeking to unseat incumbents Councilman Bill Miranda, Mayor Pro Tem Marsha McLean and Mayor Laurene Weste, who have announced bids for re-election.
Kellar said he felt very strongly about getting young people involved with city leadership, and did not intend his endorsement to be a slight against McLean, Weste or Miranda.
“I think we’ve been a good team, working together,” he said. “But that doesn’t take away from the fact that — what are we gonna do? Die at 90 with the same people on City Council? That’s not a good plan. We need some young people to work with the community as we continue to move forward in this city. Whatever the people’s desire is, I’m perfectly comfortable with it.”
So far Logan Smith, Brett Haddock, Diane Trautman, Lee Uber and Chris Werthe also announced City Council bids.
Weste and McLean were most recently elected in 2014, and Miranda was appointed in 2017 to fill the term of Assemblyman Dante Acosta. Weste has served on the council since 1998 and McLean has served since 2002.
Santa Clarita residents interested in running in the 2018 election may file their paperwork starting July 16. The deadline for applications is Aug. 10, unless an incumbent doesn’t file for the race, in which case it would be extended.
