There are many important local races on the Nov. 3 ballot, and we’re striving to help the community get to know the candidates, in our news coverage — including a package published today — and our streaming network, The Buzz, which televised our series of forums for candidates in local races. You can view them on demand at buzzscv.com.
City Council, 2nd District
Denise Lite brings a much-needed dose of new blood to the council. While her election would represent a changing of the guard, she is already experienced in local governance, having served on the Santa Clarita Planning Commission, which handles issues relating to development and land use.
In her professional life she is an attorney, and in her political life she pushes back against the establishment and the status quo. Those who represent the establishment and the status quo don’t like that very much, as exemplified by the downright dirty politicking that has targeted her with false allegations. This has manifested itself in artificial intelligence-assisted hit mailers, race-baiting and even letters to the editor sent to The Signal under fake names. We caught them and didn’t run them. A side note to one of the well-connected writers responsible: We’re withholding your name. But we know who you are.
Santa Clarita doesn’t need that kind of dirty politics.
Lite’s most significant opponent, Gloria Mercado-Fortine, is a longtime local leader and public servant who has done a great deal of good for the community. But Lite represents more of the fresh start Santa Clarita needs.
City Council, 4th District
Four years ago, when we endorsed Laurene Weste for another term, we expressed hope that, in 2026, a new crop of leaders would emerge so Weste could pass the torch, having served on the council since 1998. But she should hang onto that torch for now. Weighing Weste’s accomplishments against those of her opponents, it’s clear she remains the best choice.
We’ve been critical of Weste on several occasions during her most recent four-year term, notably for her role in the city’s deliberations over the Hartwell project in Newhall. But also during those same four years, Weste was perhaps the biggest driving force on one of the city’s most important transactions since Santa Clarita was founded in 1987: the acquisition of the historic William S. Hart Park. There’s no denying Weste’s passion for protecting open spaces and historical sites. She brings valuable institutional knowledge to the council, and will continue to do so for the next four years.
City Council, 5th District
In District 5, Bob Khalsa is the candidate who best represents the values we believe are paramount for Santa Clarita. While council races are technically nonpartisan, Khalsa has notably drawn endorsements from Republicans and Democrats alike.He’s lived in Canyon Country since 1998. He served 23 years in the Indian Air Force as a fighter pilot, instructor and squadron commander, then embarked on a new career as a commercial pilot for Air India, Atlas Air and United Airlines. He then became a real estate agent and started his own brokerage in 2007.
“I believe in addressing issues rather than partisan politics, prioritizing safety in homes, community, schools, businesses and streets; traffic, responsible development, property rights, and fiscal accountability,” he wrote in his candidate profile.
His background in business, and his common-sense approach to governance, make him a sensible choice for District 5.
Also running in District 5, nonprofit executive Kelvin Driscoll has appeal. While our political views and his do not align, he is intelligent and engaging. Political views aside, our biggest worry about Driscoll is the extent to which his rhetoric focuses on the needs of his district, and his district only. While we get the need for that — to a point — Santa Clarita still has a five-member council whose members are obligated to look out for the best interests of the entire city. We’re not big enough, at least not yet, for such a district-focused approach.
If Driscoll is elected, we’d ask that he bear that in mind.
40th Assembly District
If we were discussing broad, national political issues and philosophies with Pilar Schiavo, we would be hard-pressed to find common ground. And we’ve been sharply critical of some of her votes in which she marched in lock-step with Sacramento Democrats. Those differences are real, and they remain.
But … She’s effective. She’s present. She pays attention to our community. She gets things done on issues that are often less about partisan politics than they are about helping her district, or groups like small businesses and veterans, for whom she shares the same soft spot we have.
And on one of the biggest issues vexing this valley, the environmental disaster at the Chiquita Canyon Landfill, she has shown considerable leadership. When the issue arose, we suspected Schiavo’s interest was mainly driven by political opportunism. But she stuck with it, and persistently acted as a voice for a community that needed one. She authored two bills on the issue, one of which, the Landfill Safety Act, is now law. She grew close to people in the communities most impacted by the landfill, and became their most vocal and influential advocate.
Let’s not forget, too, the political reality of the Democrat supermajority in Sacramento. Who will most effectively represent the Santa Clarita Valley in the Legislature? Some of our conservative friends will not love this take, but we believe it’s Schiavo. While we hope for a more balanced California Legislature in the future, considering the present-day political realities, we believe the 40th Assembly District will be best served if it continues to be represented by Pilar Schiavo for the next two years.
That brings us to her opponent, Rickey Hayes. We like Rickey. We agree with him more on national issues than we do Schiavo. He’s a self-described “doer” who prides himself on rolling up his sleeves and getting things done. To hear Rickey tell it, he’s going to go to Sacramento and entirely change the way things are done there. It’s not realistic, but we like his gumption.
Come to think of it, we could use a Rickey Hayes on the City Council. Dare we say, that would have been a better place for him to start. He’s a veteran — we appreciate his service — and a former law enforcement officer who has also worked as a lineman. He’s real, and we need more “real” people in public life.
While we are not endorsing Rickey Hayes for the state Assembly this year, we hope we will have another opportunity to endorse him. Perhaps in the 2028 City Council election?
