Jason Solares
Miguel Pulido may come to the end of his 24-year run as mayor of Santa Ana. Pulido takes credit for bringing arts and culture to Santa Ana; he pushed for a $10 million expansion for museums and launched art programs through Cal State Fullerton and Orange County High School for the Arts. Most recently, however, he’s come under scrutiny for his friendship with a convicted drug dealer, was sued for attempting to veto a bill approved by city council and recently asked Santa Ana to “harass” the homeless. Pulido hopes to continue his decades-long tenure for another two years.
Ward 6 Councilmember Sal Tinajero is the only candidate hoping to dethrone Santa Ana’s longtime mayor. Tinajero was first elected to the council in 2006 and is now coming to the end of his term. One of his points of emphasis are his plans to make Santa Ana safer. He supports Measure X, which seeks to provide road repairs, address homelessness and maintain efficient 9-1-1 response times. If the measure gets voted in, Santa Ana will add a $1 tax increase. The backbone of his campaign is to raise taxes for safety and to keep kids in school by cutting the achievement gap.
