Local businessman Ignacio Velazquez said he plans to throw his
hat into the state assembly ring in the hopes of representing the
28th District in 2006, and believes a strong business background
will aid in his campaign efforts.
Hollister – Local businessman Ignacio Velazquez said he plans to throw his hat into the state assembly ring in the hopes of representing the 28th District in 2006, and believes a strong business background will aid in his campaign efforts.
Assemblyman Simon Salinas, D-Salinas, is vacating the seat next year and plans to run against incumbent Senator Jeff Denham for the 12th District Senate seat. And while the primary entrance deadline is still two months away, Velazquez marks the third person to officially announce their candidacy for Salinas’ seat.
Velazquez will vie for the republican nomination with fellow candidate Bob Perkins, executive director of the Monterey County Farm Bureau, and both men will duke it out on the campaign trail with democratic Watsonville City Councilwoman Ana Ventura Phares.
Salinas Mayor Anna Caballero also is considering running for the seat, but has yet to announce her candidacy.
Velazquez, owner of The Vault Restaurant in downtown Hollister, believes his 20 years of experience as a business owner will set him apart from the other candidates. Velazquez will run his campaign on a “common sense” platform focusing on efficient spending, education reform and law-and-order policing.
“Rather than seeking ways to spend money, we need to find ways to keep more of our own money,” he said. “We need to take care of our cities and counties instead of letting the state spend our tax dollars as they see fit.”
