District 4
The race for Stockton Councilmember District 4 consisted of five candidates: Gina Valadez-Bracamonte, Mario Enriquez, Jerome Clay, Henry Rodriguez and Ray Zulueta.
Gina Valadez-Bracamonte led the seat for Stockton Council member District 4. She had 32.76 percent of votes, followed by Mario Enriquez with 29.51 according to the San Joaquin County Registrar of Voters as of 6 p.m. on March 7.
Valadez-Bracamonte is the founder of the local nonprofit organization Bread of Life, which provides free food resources to working families in Stockton.
“Bread of Life has grown each year since its inception. During the Covid-19 pandemic, families, individuals, and the elderly were hit hard financially causing the need for supplemental food to dramatically increase. In 2020-2021, Bread of Life touched thousands of lives by placing nearly $4 million dollars worth of food directly into the hands of those who needed it most,” said the Bread of Life website.
Valadez-Bracamonte’s campaign addressed issues of public safety and addressing Stockton’s homelessness crisis.
“I have proudly worked with the District Attorney and Stockton Police to provide services and assistance to high-crime areas through food, clothing, and toy giveaways. Following those events, crime dropped in that area. We must never forget that hope, kindness and support are great antidotes to crime,” said ginaforstockton.com, Valadez-Bracamonte’s campaign website.
Another issue at the forefront of Valadez-Bracamonte’s campaign is improving quality of life for the Stockton population.
“As your council member, I will continue to work with Stockton leaders to grow our city responsibly while maintaining essential services. I will also invest in public safety and initiatives that create better-paying jobs. We must also support and work collaboratively with our school districts and educational institutions to ensure our students have the tools to succeed in new career opportunities,” said ginaforstockton.com.
Runner-up Enriquez is the Director of the Center for Identity & Inclusion at the University of the Pacific and a professor in leadership also at University of the Pacific.
“I’m a proud resident and committed advocate to Stockton and the Central Valley — a region I’m honored to call home. I’m running for Stockton City Council because I know the importance of working with and for the community in creating effective solutions. I’m a proud son of immigrant parents, a first-generation college student, and a public servant who is prepared to bring fresh, new ideas to help tackle our biggest issues in our community,” said votemario.com, Enriquez’s campaign website
Enriquez’s campaign included priorities including supporting collaboration with the Stockton Unified School District (SUSD), supporting local arts and culture, advocating for fair housing and investing in local infrastructure.
“I’m committed to ensuring all children have the right and ability to safely study and receive a quality education. As your Councilmember, I’ll be steadfast and focused on collaborating and working in partnership with SUSD to ensure all youth in the District have the necessary tools to succeed. Public safety is critical so working with SUSD and the City to create an effective plan that protects our youth so they can focus on their education,” said votemario.com.
Like Valdez-Bracamonte, Enriquez’s campaign also addressed issues of public safety and addressing Stockton’s homelessness crisis.
“I’m committed to advocating for policies and resources to address homelessness and uplift the unsheltered community. Prioritizing City resources dedicated to wrap around services including temporary or permanent housing, mental health resources, addiction treatment, and job placements. Building on the expansion of resources allocated to nonprofit shelters to get unhoused people off the street,” said votemario.com
District 2
Four candidates ran for Stockton Councilmember District 2: Mariela Ponce, Anthony Silva, Waqar Razvi and Pamila Pettis-Houston.
Mariela Ponce led the seat with 39.26 percent of the results. The place for runner up was close with Anhony Silva receiving 23.31 and Waqar Rizvi with 22.8, a difference of twelve total votes as of 6 p.m. on March 7.
The road to Ponce’s lead however was not an easy one. Ponce had first filed her necessary candidacy paperwork on Nov. 22, but received on Dec. 8 that her application had been rejected by the San Joaquin County Registrar’s Office because she was not a registered voter. The problem was that Ponce had been a registered voter since 2016.
Ponce filed a lawsuit for her right to run for office and to be added to the ballot.
“This misclassification has severely impeded my campaign efforts. Despite my attempts to correct this mistake, including presenting proof of my voter registration, the lost time significantly limited my ability to gather the necessary signatures. Additionally, based on the erroneous designation of my eligibility by the County Registrar’s Office, the Stockton City Clerk’s Office was not able to provide me with the required signature forms, further hampering my efforts…,” said Ponce in an email to County Counsel for San Joaquin County, Edward Kiernan, on Dec.11, a copy of which was included in the petition section of the lawsuit.
On Dec. 27, the Superior Court of The State of California For The County of San Joaquin ordered the Clerk to issue a writ of mandate, allowing for Ponce to be added to the ballot.
“Respondents are ordered to accept Petitioner Mariela Ponce’s second supplemental petition and verify the nomination signatures collected thereon. If Petitioner has collected the requisite number of nomination signatures, Petitioner Mariela Ponce’s name shall appear on the ballot and in all related election materials as a candidate for Stockton City Council, District 2, in the March 5,2024 election,” said the lawsuit’s judgement section.
Runner-up Anthony Silva, served as president of SUSD from 2004 to 2008 and then served as Stockton’s mayor from 2013 to 2017.
Silva’s campaign focuses on reducing crime, addressing homelessness and improving local quality of life.
“RESTORE Stockton Now! Send me back to City Hall to FIGHT for you one more time! 1.Crime. 2.Homeless. 3. Quality of Life. Let’s Take our City back! No more talk!,” said a Jan. 23 Instagram post from anthonysilvaforstockton.
According to his campaign instagram, Silva plans to expand Stockton Police Department resources by hiring more police officers and purchasing mobile command centers.
Silva also proposed adding a ferris wheel to the downtown waterfront in a Jan. 4 Instagram post. According to the post the ferris wheel would improve quality of life in Stockton and bring in revenue for the city.
