Salinas and Watsonville mayors at South County Democratic Club
meeting
Gilroy – Two Democratic candidates vying for the 28th District Assembly seat will come to Gilroy this weekend in hopes of distinguishing themselves among local voters.
Salinas Mayor Anna Caballero and Watsonville Councilwoman Ana Ventura Phares will speak at the monthly gathering of the South County Democratic Club. The meeting, which is open to the public regardless of political affiliation.
Mark Moore, president of the South County Democratic Club, hoped the event would help local residents distinguish between the candidates.
“They’re both attorneys. Both have been active within their cities. Both have gotten a lot accomplished. They have similar political positions on a lot of things,” Moore said. “It’s going to be hard to differentiate.”
The two will face off in a June primary to decide who will represent the Democratic party in November, when voters choose a replacement for Assemblyman Simón Salinas. The Democrat from Salinas was considering a run for state senate against incumbent Jeff Denham, but he recently changed tack and instead announced a bid for the Monterey County Board of Supervisors.
The 28th Assembly District includes portions of four counties: 17 percent of voters reside in San Benito County, 45 percent in Monterey County, 24 percent in Santa Clara County – including unincorporated areas east of Gilroy – and 14 percent in Santa Cruz County.
The race for the 28th District seat lost a candidate this week when Republican Bob Perkins announced he would drop out of the field, leaving Hollister businessman Ignacio Velazquez as the sole GOP candidate.
Perkins, executive director of the Monterey County Farm Bureau, said that his efforts would be better spent in Monterey trying to defeat a slow-growth initiative expected to be on the ballot this summer, rather than campaigning for the June 6 primary election.
Moore predicted that whoever wins the Democratic primary would go on to become the next assembly member, based on the Democratic majority in the district.
“The November election will be hotly contested,” he said. “But I believe both our candidates our superior.”
Candidates Speak
– What: 28th Assembly District
Democratic Candidates
– When: 10am Saturday
– Where: 3385 Hecker Pass Road
