In January of 2007, Mayor Sarmiento was appointed to the Santa Ana City Council to represent Ward 1. He was formally elected as the Ward 1 City Councilmember in November 2008, then re-elected in November 2012 and November 2016. In November 2020 he was elected Mayor of Santa Ana. Mayor Sarmiento’s priorities are improving the delivery of public health care, increasing park space, reducing homelessness, helping small businesses and working families, ensuring an open and transparent government, and protecting our neighborhoods by passing policies that give our renters increased eviction protections. He helped draft the Housing Opportunity Ordinance, ensured that a fiscal reserve fund was created in the aftermath of the 2008 Economic Recession, helped pass the county's first Rent Stabilization Ordinance in the city, and led the City Council’s adoption of public policies to protect the rights of all immigrants in Santa Ana.

Sal currently serves as Trustee of the Rancho Santiago Community College District, but for twelve years, Sal served as a Santa Ana city council member and two of those years as Mayor Pro Tem. Sal was elected as part of a wave of new leadership in our city called the “Santa Ana Spring” that brought a seismic change to business as usual at city hall. Alongside his elected colleagues , Sal was successful in breaking the stranglehold that special interests had in our city and helped promote government transparency and openness through the passing of the Sunshine Ordinance, our inclusionary housing policy called the Housing Opportunity Ordinance, and he supported the implementation of district elections and revised term limits that allowed for new leadership after 26 years under the same mayor. Sal also voted in support of efforts to fly the pride flag at city hall and create “Harvey Milk Day”, voted to pass a resolution declaring us a sanctuary city for immigrants, and supported the legalization of cannabis that has generated millions in tax revenue.

Benjamín was born to working class parents and grew up in Santa Ana. His father was a labor union construction worker, and his mother owned the Jasmine Beauty Salon. Benjamín received his undergraduate degree from CSU Long Beach and his master’s from UCLA. Benjamín is proud to work side by side with his four siblings and niece as educators at Santa Ana Unified School District. Ben has been an SAUSD public school teacher for over 18 years. Giving back to Santa Ana youth and community is a shared family goal. Ben is also a cultural worker at El Centro Cultural de Mexico and a proud homeowner at Heninger Park neighborhood. As a council member, his focus will be on making sure our limited city-wide resources benefit working class families and improve quality of life for all Santa Ana residents. 

Amalia, a first-generation college graduate, recognizes both the importance of education and the fact that everyone deserves a livable salary regardless of their level of education. She is a proud graduate of Martin Luther King Jr., Carr Intermediate, and Valley High School in the Santa Ana Unified School District (SAUSD). She received her bachelor's in Sociology and Political Science from the University of California, Santa Barbara, and Master of Public Policy from Pepperdine University. Working four years in Sacramento, she realized the limiting research on how Latino/a/x people are treated differently in the criminal justice system because of their race. So, she decided to return home and is currently attending the University of California, Irvine (UCI) for a Ph.D. in Urban Planning and Public Policy. Amalia is a public safety advocate, who works towards ensuring safety through prevention, justice, and research. As a city council member, she wants affordable housing to include middle income families, to redefine community safety and ensure that it is effective, and focus on increasing youth and senior services and programs in our city.

Manuel “Manny” Escamilla is a local historian and lifelong Santanero who has worked to put our neighborhoods and working families first. Manny has worked for the City of Santa Ana for 14 years as a librarian, analyst, and city planner. Manny is a proud product of our public schools. He graduated from Middle College High School, attended Santa Ana Community College, and received his BA in History from UC Berkeley. He then attended UCLA and obtained a Master's of Library & Information Science and a Master's of Urban & Regional Planning. Manny lives in French Park. Manny has earned a reputation for being a strong supporter of Santa Ana small businesses as well as being a dedicated advocate for working-class families. As commissioner of the City’s Environmental and Transportation Commission, Manny is currently fighting to make sure all Ward 6 families have access to a safe and healthy environment.​ Manny Escamilla has a proven track record of working for the people of Santa Ana. His lifelong dedication to our community is rooted in the compassion and work ethic that he learned from his family. As a City Councilmember, he will bring the long-range perspective needed to tackle our biggest issues.

As a first-generation college graduate with a Master’s degree, Katelyn understands how important education is to our local families. Katelyn is passionate about investing in our youth so they can excel in education, career and life. As a child, Katelyn grew up playing at Thornton Park with her grandmother and last year my husband and Katelyn were fortunate to purchase their first home just a few blocks from the park. Through her professional work as an educator with OC Dept of Education and through her community involvement over the last ten years, Katelyn has interacted directly with many students and parents in Trustee Area 4 and has heard their concerns and aspirations for the future. She wants to fight to make those aspirations a reality.