Ladies and gentlemen (is that still appropriate to say?), it is election season! Candidates at all levels of government vying to be your representatives are beginning to channel their dollars and time into winning your sacred vote on Nov. 5!
Which, for the everyday voter, is often dreaded, as your inbox, mailbox, cellphone and favorite television programs are now filled with wonderful and warm messages from a host of political characters! Just yesterday I learned that Congressman Mike Garcia is bad for our kids (I guess being a veteran, respecting our Constitution, and showing up for his district is bad for kids). Assemblywoman Pilar Schiavo believes “everyone should feel safe in their communities,” which needs to include defunding the police! From her June 5, 2020, Twitter (X) post, if cops want to stand in solidarity with her, they need to quit their “F&No. @ING jobs.” (Exactly what communities want and need to feel safe, right Santa Clarita?)
Perhaps the most entertaining of all is the 23rd Senate District race, pitting former Assemblywoman Suzette Valladares against “Prosecutor” Kipp Mueller. Unlike Mr. Mueller, there is unquestionable evidence that Suzette was in fact an assemblywoman, whereas Mr. Mueller’s time as a prosecutor seems to be up for a judge to decide.
As County Deputy District Attorney Jonathan Hatami notes (who is irrefutably a prosecutor), “Law clerks and legal externs are not prosecutors.” Is this akin to calling yourself the Democratic presidential nominee but never actually being voted for in the primary? Probably not … but to quote Russell Crowe from “The Gladiator,” “ARE YOU NOT ENTERTAINED?!?”
Yes, Santa Clarita, get ready, as the days leading up to Nov. 5 will be a constant barrage of allegations, accusations, gaslighting, partial truths, and stories meant to pull at your heart strings, earn your vote, and paint a picture of a world full of doom if you don’t pick the right person.
While election season can be exhausting, nauseating, and exhilarating all at once, it is without a doubt one of the greatest honors we get to be a part of in America! The ability to elect our leaders, hold them accountable, and make them earn their job time and again should not be taken for granted. But for whom to vote?
This week I have you covered, Santa Clarita Republicans! This column, aside from having a few poor attempts at humorous quips and jests, also serves to announce the candidates in local non-partisan races who have earned the endorsement of the Santa Clarita Valley Republican party. Congratulations to the candidates below who received the endorsement (* or the recommendation) of the SCVGOP:
SCV Water Agency
• District 1 – Dan Masnada and Gary Martin.
• District 2 – Piotr Orzechowski and Ken Cooper.
• District 3 – Ken Petersen and Holly Schroeder*.
William S. Hart Union High School District Governing Board
• Trustee Area No. 1 – Aakash Ahuja.
• Trustee Area No. 4 – Erin Wilson.
Santa Clarita City Council
• District No. 1 – Tim Burkhart.
Saugus Union School District Governing Board
• Trustee Area No. 3 – Mark White.
Santa Clarita Community College District Board of Trustees
• Area No. 1 – Darlene Trevino.
• Area No. 2 – Scott Schauer.
• Area No. 3 – Fred Arnold.
• Area No. 4 – Sharlene Johnson.
Before signing off, there are two things I want to mention to the readers.
First, in case you missed it in The Mighty Signal, the District No. 3 race for City Council was cancelled, as I was the only candidate who filed to run and will be appointed to the seat after the November election. Thank you to all my friends, families and supporters leading up to this culmination, and thank you to my friend and fellow Signal Columnist Gary Horton for not getting his application to run turned in to City Hall in time!
Do not worry, though, Gary, I read your recent article and will get you a “Gibbs for City Council” flag that you can adorn your automobile with, and proudly display throughout Valencia and Saugus anyway!
Finally, while I congratulate all these candidates and wish them well, remember you are running to serve your entire community, not just your chosen political party affiliation. You have constituents from all walks of life, who may differ politically, economically, and socially from yourselves who will depend on you to always do what is right, regardless of any party or elected official endorsement you may receive.
Go out and earn the votes of your constituents and help keep Santa Clarita the amazing place we all call home.
Jason Gibbs is a member of the Santa Clarita City Council. “Right Here, Right Now” appears Saturdays and rotates among local Republicans.