I’ve studied all the candidates running for Steve Lavagnino’s seat on the Board of Supervisors. I am voting for Ricardo Valencia in the June 2 primary.
Ricardo’s campaign is powered by dozens of energetic volunteers, and like Senator Bernie Sanders and New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani, he is funded by hundreds of small donations from ordinary people. No surprise then that he is endorsed by the same Working Families Party that supported Mayor Mamdani. Ricardo Valencia will be a strong, new voice on the Board of Supervisors, for the thousands of families in his district who are often forgotten in Santa Barbara.
Ricardo was educated in Guadalupe and Santa Maria, then went to the University of California Berkley. After graduation, instead of working in the Bay Area, he returned to teach at Santa Maria High. His students will tell you how he has inspired them to believe in themselves, in their cultural heritage, and in their future success in higher education and service to their community.