Ahead of the November general election, the Southern California News Group compiled a list of questions to pose to the candidates who wish to represent you. You can find the full questionnaire below.
Read more Benjamin Vazquez, Santa Ana City Council Ward 2 candidate, 2026 election questionnaire
Name: Phil Bacerra
Age: 49
Current job title: Santa Ana City Councilmember – Ward 4
Incumbent: Yes
Other political positions held: Immediate Past Chair of the OC Fire Authority Board of Directors
City where you reside: Santa Ana
Campaign website or social media: philbacerra.com
How can the city best meet the demand and mandates for more housing, including at lower price points, while also preserving local control and the quality of life for existing neighborhoods and residents? (Please limit your answer to 200 words or less.)
Santa Ana is the second most densely populated city in California, only behind San Francisco, and the fifth most densely populated city in the United States. In 2022, we updated the city’s General Plan to direct new housing to areas where it makes the most sense, while protecting the character and quality of life in our existing neighborhoods. Santa Ana is doing its part to not only meet but exceed the State’s housing requirements. Cities that meet those requirements should be rewarded with greater local control over where and how housing is built, while cities that fail to meet their fair share should be held accountable.
How should the city balance rising costs, paying off debts, such as pension liabilities, and building reserves, all while meeting residents’ needs? Should a solution involve finding new revenue, economic development, trimming the budget, or something else entirely? (Please limit your answer to 200 words or less.)
Santa Ana needs to take growing revenue through economic development more seriously and trim more fat to prevent future budget deficits. I would like to make Santa Ana more affordable for its residents by growing city revenue from an improved business environment in Santa Ana rather than continuing to charge our residents one of the highest sales tax rates in Orange County. Santa Ana needs to dramatically increase revenue that is paid by visitors, not by residents. Anaheim generates $250 million in hotel tax revenue paid by visitors, which is more than its sales tax and property tax revenue combined. Meanwhile, Santa Ana only generates $9.5 million in hotel tax revenue. We need to increase Santa Ana’s hotel tax revenue to enhance city services and improve affordability for Santa Ana residents and businesses.
The public expects transparency from public leaders in spending and governance. How can this be achieved? How can the city do better in this area? (Please limit your answer to 200 words or less.)
Read more Jordan Abushawish, Fullerton School District Area 3 candidate, 2026 election questionnaire
Santa Ana residents need to have leaders who are willing and able to keep residents and stakeholders informed about their city’s government. I have done that by hosting monthly community office hours ever since I was first elected to the City Council in order to be even more accessible to residents and stakeholders throughout my ward. I worked to make City Hall more transparent and accessible by requiring development project presentations to be more consistent and available to the public, including posting recordings online. I have also pushed for earlier community input on the city budget by holding public meetings and presentations before the proposed budget comes to the City Council for any final decisions.
In your opinion, what is the biggest need your city faces, and how would you address it? (Please limit your answer to 200 words or less.)
Santa Ana is going to face structural budget deficits in future fiscal years, which will impact the amount and quality of the municipal services that our city government can provide residents and stakeholders. Santa Ana needs to attract investment and revenue-generating businesses, such as hotels, to create a thriving business environment that can erase those deficits. In order to attract investment and revenue-generating businesses, Santa Ana needs to make people feel safe and continue to invest in police officers, police equipment, and police oversight.
Why would you make a good leader, and how would you represent the diverse communities of your city? (Please limit your answer to 200 words or less.)
As the current Councilmember for Ward 4, I have been someone who listens and gets things done. I have been able to bring much-needed resources to my ward, such as funding for five new traffic signals, a new police substation, new park lighting and playground equipment, and repairs to our fire stations. I have proactively hosted monthly community office hours ever since I was first elected to the City Council in order to be even more accessible to residents and stakeholders throughout my ward so that I can listen to their concerns and ideas and better represent them as their City Councilmember. I graduated from USC with a Bachelor of Science degree in Urban Planning and then went on to work for various city government agencies throughout Southern California. I believe that I am the most qualified and most capable of delivering for my ward and my city. Having been elected and re-elected to serve as Ward 4’s Councilmember, I have demonstrated that I have earned the trust of those who I serve in our community.
Read more Selica Diaz, Santa Ana City Council Ward 2 candidate, 2026 election questionnaire