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.
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Name: Benjamin Vazquez
Age: 55
Current job title: Santa Ana Councilmember Ward 2/Teacher
Incumbent: Yes
Other political positions held: Vice President of the Santa Ana Educators Association, Orange County Commission to End Homelessness
City where you reside: Santa Ana
Campaign website or social media: benjaminvazquezforsantaana.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.)
I’ve fought for rent stabilization and just-cause eviction protections because families shouldn’t lose their homes just to make room for new development. Santa Ana has been behind on affordable housing for 30 years. The state says we met our numbers on paper, but that doesn’t match what I see in this city. We need to build more, and we need to keep enforcing rent stabilization so we stop losing families.
I taught in SAUSD long enough to watch our enrollment drop from around 70,000 students to roughly 30,000. That’s not just a statistic to me. That’s thousands of families a year leaving Santa Ana because they couldn’t afford to stay. Every one of those families was someone’s neighbors, someone’s students, someone’s community.
I’ve voted for transit-oriented development and Complete Streets planning so we can add housing along transit corridors without tearing apart the neighborhoods people already live in. I supported the Transit Zoning Code because it lets us grow while residents still have a say.
Meeting a state mandate isn’t the goal. Keeping our families and our students here is.
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.)
I don’t think we should balance the budget by cutting the things families depend on, like parks, libraries, and community services. At the same time, I take our financial obligations seriously. We need to keep paying down our pension liabilities and building up reserves so Santa Ana isn’t caught off guard the next time the economy turns.
I’d rather find new revenue than cut services. That means real economic development that brings good jobs here, and making sure big developers and corporations pay their fair share instead of leaving it to residents to make up the difference. Our budget should reflect what we say we value, and that means investing in every neighborhood, not just the ones with the loudest voices at City Hall.
If there’s trimming to do, start with waste, not with the programs people count on. I want a budget process where residents can see the trade-offs we’re making and why, so people trust that their tax dollars are being spent the right way.
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.)
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People deserve to know how their tax dollars are spent and how decisions that affect their lives get made. I’ve supported requiring our Police Oversight Commission to research issues and gather community input before bringing recommendations to the Council, instead of decisions happening behind closed doors.
The city can do better by making budget documents, contracts, and spending records easier for regular residents to actually find and understand, not just people who have time to dig through paperwork at City Hall. That means better public notice before major votes, more meetings held out in the neighborhoods instead of only downtown, and materials available in the languages our residents speak, especially Spanish and Vietnamese.
Transparency also starts with who’s funding a campaign. I haven’t taken money from corporations or corporate PACs. My campaign is funded by residents and community members, so when I sit at the dais, I answer to them, not to special interests. That’s the standard I hold myself to, and the one I think every elected official should meet.
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.)
The biggest need in Santa Ana is keeping working and immigrant families housed and able to afford to stay in the city they call home. I saw it every day as a teacher at Valley High School for 25 years, students and families getting pushed out of neighborhoods they’d lived in for generations because rent kept climbing and evictions kept coming.
I’ve fought for rent stabilization and just-cause eviction protections, pushed for more affordable housing, and worked to strengthen tenant protections. I’ve helped connect residents to legal help and run workshops so tenants actually know their rights. That work has helped bring homelessness down 15% in our community, but there’s a lot more to do.
Going forward, I want to keep addressing the root causes of housing instability, connecting people to mental health services, food security, and housing resources so they can stay in Santa Ana with dignity. Every family here, no matter their income or immigration status, deserves a safe, stable place to live.
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.)
I’m Santa Ana homegrown. I spent 25 years teaching history and ethnic studies at Valley High School, and I’ve served as your Ward 2 Councilmember since 2022 and as Vice President of the Santa Ana Educators Association. My commitment has always been to the people and underserved communities of this city, because I am one of them.
Good leadership means showing up for every community, not just the ones with the loudest voices or the deepest pockets. I’ve fought for working families, immigrants, young people, LGBTQ+ residents, and seniors, because everyone in Santa Ana deserves a fair shot and to be treated with dignity and respect. That’s reflected in my votes for rent stabilization, tenant protections, police accountability, and investment in parks, libraries, and community spaces across every neighborhood.
I don’t take money from corporations or corporate PACs. My campaign is funded by the residents I serve. As a teacher, union leader, and Councilmember, I know how to listen, build coalitions, and turn what I hear into real policy. That’s the representation Santa Ana deserves.
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