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Election Day, March 5, 2024 is just under three months away. The deadline to qualify for the ballot was last Friday, December 8. The Chamber is offering information about the candidates and ballot measures for our members and the community. The Chamber does not endorse individual candidates. We provide a brief overview of the candidates and links to their campaign website (if available). This is the first in a series of articles about the March election primary. Let’s begin with the candidates for Santa Cruz city council seats. Here is a link to the City Council districts: Santa Cruz City Council Districts. The candidates are listed as placed on the Santa Cruz County Register of Voters page. https://votescount.santacruzcountyca.gov/Home/Elections/March5,2024PresidentialPrimaryElection/ContactCandidatesMarch2024.aspx City of Santa Cruz Council Candidates District 1 Dave Tannaci His statement from his campaign website: “I’ve had a diverse range of experiences, including work in Food Service, Education, Child Development, Healthcare, Construction, and Wildlife Biology, which has culminated in my current role at the City of Santa Cruz Water Department. My education and field experience as a Biologist have given me a deep understanding of Environmental Justice and Sustainability, which are vital issues in our community. I’m committed to preserving our environment for future generations and ensuring that Santa Cruz remains a sustainable and vibrant place to live.” You can read more about him here: https://tannaciforsantacruz.com/. Gabriela Trigueiro Campaign statement: As a candidate for Santa Cruz City Council District 1 “I am uniquely qualified to serve our community and I would be honored to earn your vote. As a single mom raising a 6-year old son in rental housing, I know firsthand the difficulty of balancing family and work in a community where housing affordability is constantly out of reach. I understand the hard choices working parents make each day, and I will be a tireless advocate for affordable housing that aligns with our community character. As Executive Director at Big Brothers Big Sisters of Santa Cruz County, I understand the importance of supporting youth. I will work closely with trusted community organizations to ensure essential city services are allocated responsibly to help empower the next generation.” https://www.votegabriela.org/ District 2 Sonja Brunner “For over 30 years I’ve been proud to call Santa Cruz my home. I’d like to bring my unique background, experience and perspective to the Santa Cruz City Council for a second term. I hope you’ll join my campaign and support my re-election to City Council, District 2, on March 5, 2024! During my years in Santa Cruz I have demonstrated my love for the community by working hard to support and advocate for all residents. Looking ahead at some of the priority issues you have shared, they include childcare options and affordability, racial and social equity, public health and safety, climate change, housing needs, and ensuring economic sustainability for people, and local and small independent businesses and artists. I am committed to creating even more opportunities to make housing affordable and accessible, especially for supportive housing, service workers, city workers, and middle income earners. I am prepared to bring my lived experience to support each of these issues, to work collaboratively to support our community and find sustainable solutions.” https://www.sonjabrunner.org/ Hector Marin “My lived experiences as a Latino that was raised by a working class, very-low income migrant family exemplifies the mantra of “Yes, We Can, Sí Se Puede”. Born in Anaheim and raised in Santa Ana, California, the housing market of Orange County was expensive to a point where we were gentrified out of the poor neighborhoods of Santa Ana, moving into the suburbs of Moreno Valley, a predominantly Black and Latino small town in Riverside County. Throughout my time in Riverside County, I attended community college and studied Political Science, and got involved through several political endeavors, such as the Bernie Sanders Campaign in 2016 and the Emerging Leaders Council of the City of Moreno Valley. I also had leadership experience as a high school student (Class of 2015), serving as an AVID undergraduate student body president in my Freshman year in high school. As a Latino youth, I always knew that local political engagement was vital to the preservation of our ecology and democracy.” https://www.hectorforsantacruz.com/ District 3 Shebreh Kalantari-Johnson “As a Santa Cruz City Councilmember, Shebreh is a leading voice for today’s most pressing needs: • public safety • homelessness and housing • children, youth and families • economic vitality and recovery • environmental stewardship • health and public health Shebreh currently serves on the following: Chair of the County Metro Board, Regional Transportation Commission, West Cliff Restoration AdHoc Committee, Housing Element Subcommittee, Community Action Board Inc., Youth Action Network, Sugar Sweetened Beverage Subcommittee, Health in All Policies Committee, Community Programs Committee, and the Outdoor Dining Subcommittee. With expertise in public health, education, and social services, Shebreh has brought over $40 million over the last 17 years to support essential services in the greater Santa Cruz area. Shebreh also co-founded Impact Launch, a national social enterprise that supports public and private entities to work more effectively for equitable and sustainable outcomes. Shebreh provides grant writing, policy consultation, strategic planning, and project management to nonprofits and county departments on a variety of issues including juvenile justice, youth homelessness, substance use prevention, childcare, and immigration rights. As a private citizen, she serves on the Central California Alliance for Health Commission, Dignity Health Grants Committee, and recently concluded service to the Community Health Trust of the Pajaro Valley.” https://www.shebreh.org/ Joy Schendledecker “My experience in twenty years of community organizing has taught me to never make assumptions about people, to watch and listen carefully before jumping in, and that gardens bring out people’s most passionate opinions. I put my career on partial-pause for many years to take care of my children, but even during that time I stayed involved in civic life, including 2 years of service on the local primary school Board of Governors while living in London. Since running for mayor of Santa Cruz last year, I have completed the Conflict Resolution Center’s Community Mediation Training and completed a complex multi-media gallery installation for the “What’s Home: Creative Listening Across Differences” project. I was also elected to be an Assembly District Delegate to the California Democratic Party.” https://joyforsantacruz.com/#about-joy District 5 Susie O’Hara “A life-long public servant, Susie has spent the last 17 years in Santa Cruz raising three daughters alongside her husband, Matt, a UCSC history professor. Fifteen of those years were spent working for the City of Santa Cruz, first as an appointed Water Commissioner, then as an engineer for the Water Department, and finally as a program manager, analyst, and executive in the City Manager’s Office. During her long tenure at the City, Susie worked alongside over 20 Councilmembers, witnessing highly effective, but sometimes less than effective, local governance. She learned that our City thrives when leaders work towards consensus, bring their personal convictions but are open to listening to their colleagues’ perspectives, and work to understand all of their constituencies, especially the voices of those historically underrepresented.” "Susie’s personal convictions are shaped by her experiences raising her daughters in Santa Cruz, working for and on behalf of the City, and having strong ties to the university. She has worked with nearly every sector in town, serving on school and environmental nonprofit boards, County mental health and substance use disorder commissions, and running programs to address homelessness and drug-related recidivism. Having moved to the university in 2020, Susie lives among UCSC’s on-campus students, and, having her own college-aged daughters, knows the challenges facing recent arrivals to UCSC as they integrate into the campus and greater community.” https://www.voteforsusie.com/bio Joe Thompson “Joe is the youngest of five children and has lived in California their entire life. They have had to support themselves during and after high school, these experiences largely formed Joe’s political opinions. While working at Starbucks, Joe helped unionize workers there. Joe is a strong supporter of housing, and supports the building of social, affordable, and sustainable housing. Joe will accomplish this by redeveloping sites, unused plots, or other accessible sites near transit hubs and pushing policy development to ensure developers are paying their fair share to benefit the Santa Cruz community. Joe has a strong emphasis on climate policy, believing that the city needs to be proactive and prepare for future climate disasters, and ensure water access and availability as the climate changes. As well as supporting working with indigenous communities to protect their land. Joe believes that all workers should have a living wage in Santa Cruz and be able to have job security. Joe advocates for expanding education of and resources available to workers about unfair labor practices as well as being a strong supporter of unions. Joe supports local businesses and promises to fight back against multi-billion dollar corporations coming into the city.” https://votejoethompson.com/get-to-know-joe
Election Day, March 5, 2024 is just under three months away. The deadline to qualify for the ballot was last Friday, December 8. The Chamber is offering information about the candidates and ballot measures for our members and the community. The Chamber does not endorse individual candidates. We provide a brief overview of the candidates and links to their campaign website (if available).
This is the first in a series of articles about the March election primary. Let’s begin with the candidates for Santa Cruz city council seats. Here is a link to the City Council districts: Santa Cruz City Council Districts. The candidates are listed as placed on the Santa Cruz County Register of Voters page. https://votescount.santacruzcountyca.gov/Home/Elections/March5,2024PresidentialPrimaryElection/ContactCandidatesMarch2024.aspx
City of Santa Cruz Council Candidates
District 1
Dave Tannaci
His statement from his campaign website: “I’ve had a diverse range of experiences, including work in Food Service, Education, Child Development, Healthcare, Construction, and Wildlife Biology, which has culminated in my current role at the City of Santa Cruz Water Department. My education and field experience as a Biologist have given me a deep understanding of Environmental Justice and Sustainability, which are vital issues in our community. I’m committed to preserving our environment for future generations and ensuring that Santa Cruz remains a sustainable and vibrant place to live.” You can read more about him here: https://tannaciforsantacruz.com/.
Gabriela Trigueiro
Campaign statement: As a candidate for Santa Cruz City Council District 1 “I am uniquely qualified to serve our community and I would be honored to earn your vote. As a single mom raising a 6-year old son in rental housing, I know firsthand the difficulty of balancing family and work in a community where housing affordability is constantly out of reach. I understand the hard choices working parents make each day, and I will be a tireless advocate for affordable housing that aligns with our community character.
As Executive Director at Big Brothers Big Sisters of Santa Cruz County, I understand the importance of supporting youth. I will work closely with trusted community organizations to ensure essential city services are allocated responsibly to help empower the next generation.” https://www.votegabriela.org/
District 2
Sonja Brunner
“For over 30 years I’ve been proud to call Santa Cruz my home. I’d like to bring my unique background, experience and perspective to the Santa Cruz City Council for a second term. I hope you’ll join my campaign and support my re-election to City Council, District 2, on March 5, 2024!
During my years in Santa Cruz I have demonstrated my love for the community by working hard to support and advocate for all residents.
Looking ahead at some of the priority issues you have shared, they include childcare options and affordability, racial and social equity, public health and safety, climate change, housing needs, and ensuring economic sustainability for people, and local and small independent businesses and artists. I am committed to creating even more opportunities to make housing affordable and accessible, especially for supportive housing, service workers, city workers, and middle income earners. I am prepared to bring my lived experience to support each of these issues, to work collaboratively to support our community and find sustainable solutions.” https://www.sonjabrunner.org/
Hector Marin
“My lived experiences as a Latino that was raised by a working class, very-low income migrant family exemplifies the mantra of “Yes, We Can, Sí Se Puede”. Born in Anaheim and raised in Santa Ana, California, the housing market of Orange County was expensive to a point where we were gentrified out of the poor neighborhoods of Santa Ana, moving into the suburbs of Moreno Valley, a predominantly Black and Latino small town in Riverside County.
Throughout my time in Riverside County, I attended community college and studied Political Science, and got involved through several political endeavors, such as the Bernie Sanders Campaign in 2016 and the Emerging Leaders Council of the City of Moreno Valley. I also had leadership experience as a high school student (Class of 2015), serving as an AVID undergraduate student body president in my Freshman year in high school. As a Latino youth, I always knew that local political engagement was vital to the preservation of our ecology and democracy.” https://www.hectorforsantacruz.com/
District 3
Shebreh Kalantari-Johnson
“As a Santa Cruz City Councilmember, Shebreh is a leading voice for today’s most pressing needs:
• public safety
• homelessness and housing
• children, youth and families
• economic vitality and recovery
• environmental stewardship
• health and public health
Shebreh currently serves on the following: Chair of the County Metro Board, Regional Transportation Commission, West Cliff Restoration AdHoc Committee, Housing Element Subcommittee, Community Action Board Inc., Youth Action Network, Sugar Sweetened Beverage Subcommittee, Health in All Policies Committee, Community Programs Committee, and the Outdoor Dining Subcommittee. With expertise in public health, education, and social services, Shebreh has brought over $40 million over the last 17 years to support essential services in the greater Santa Cruz area.
Shebreh also co-founded Impact Launch, a national social enterprise that supports public and private entities to work more effectively for equitable and sustainable outcomes. Shebreh provides grant writing, policy consultation, strategic planning, and project management to nonprofits and county departments on a variety of issues including juvenile justice, youth homelessness, substance use prevention, childcare, and immigration rights. As a private citizen, she serves on the Central California Alliance for Health Commission, Dignity Health Grants Committee, and recently concluded service to the Community Health Trust of the Pajaro Valley.” https://www.shebreh.org/
Joy Schendledecker
“My experience in twenty years of community organizing has taught me to never make assumptions about people, to watch and listen carefully before jumping in, and that gardens bring out people’s most passionate opinions. I put my career on partial-pause for many years to take care of my children, but even during that time I stayed involved in civic life, including 2 years of service on the local primary school Board of Governors while living in London. Since running for mayor of Santa Cruz last year, I have completed the Conflict Resolution Center’s Community Mediation Training and completed a complex multi-media gallery installation for the “What’s Home: Creative Listening Across Differences” project. I was also elected to be an Assembly District Delegate to the California Democratic Party.” https://joyforsantacruz.com/#about-joy
District 5
Susie O’Hara
“A life-long public servant, Susie has spent the last 17 years in Santa Cruz raising three daughters alongside her husband, Matt, a UCSC history professor. Fifteen of those years were spent working for the City of Santa Cruz, first as an appointed Water Commissioner, then as an engineer for the Water Department, and finally as a program manager, analyst, and executive in the City Manager’s Office.
During her long tenure at the City, Susie worked alongside over 20 Councilmembers, witnessing highly effective, but sometimes less than effective, local governance. She learned that our City thrives when leaders work towards consensus, bring their personal convictions but are open to listening to their colleagues’ perspectives, and work to understand all of their constituencies, especially the voices of those historically underrepresented.”
"Susie’s personal convictions are shaped by her experiences raising her daughters in Santa Cruz, working for and on behalf of the City, and having strong ties to the university. She has worked with nearly every sector in town, serving on school and environmental nonprofit boards, County mental health and substance use disorder commissions, and running programs to address homelessness and drug-related recidivism. Having moved to the university in 2020, Susie lives among UCSC’s on-campus students, and, having her own college-aged daughters, knows the challenges facing recent arrivals to UCSC as they integrate into the campus and greater community.” https://www.voteforsusie.com/bio
Joe Thompson
“Joe is the youngest of five children and has lived in California their entire life. They have had to support themselves during and after high school, these experiences largely formed Joe’s political opinions. While working at Starbucks, Joe helped unionize workers there.
Joe is a strong supporter of housing, and supports the building of social, affordable, and sustainable housing. Joe will accomplish this by redeveloping sites, unused plots, or other accessible sites near transit hubs and pushing policy development to ensure developers are paying their fair share to benefit the Santa Cruz community.
Joe has a strong emphasis on climate policy, believing that the city needs to be proactive and prepare for future climate disasters, and ensure water access and availability as the climate changes. As well as supporting working with indigenous communities to protect their land.
Joe believes that all workers should have a living wage in Santa Cruz and be able to have job security. Joe advocates for expanding education of and resources available to workers about unfair labor practices as well as being a strong supporter of unions. Joe supports local businesses and promises to fight back against multi-billion dollar corporations coming into the city.” https://votejoethompson.com/get-to-know-joe