YOUNG VOICES |
By Isaac González Diaz
Two candidates are running for the Salinas City Council District 5 seat, and they’re both focusing on a pressing need for affordable housing.
Andrew Sandoval, a former business owner, is running for a second four-year term as incumbent of District 5 seat.
“I talk to seniors worried about their rent going up, parents trying to keep up with bills,” Sandoval said. “Young people wondering whether they’ll ever be able to afford a home in the city where they grew up.”
Andrew Sandoval
If reelected, Sandoval says he will keep pushing for housing solutions such as the rent stabilization ordinance, protecting residents from unnecessary costs, supporting local businesses, and making sure District 5 gets the fair share of city resources.
“I think people should judge me by what I’ve done, how accessible I’ve been,” Sandoval said. “I’ve been willing to stand up for them, even when it wasn’t the popular thing to do.”
Irma López is mounting a bid to unseat Sandoval. A life-long Salinas resident, López has an associate’s degree from Hartnell College, and a bachelor’s from Pacific Oaks College. She formerly worked at Girls Inc., a nonprofit that supports young girls and their families with a variety of mentoring programs. She’s currently a Hartnell College trustee and manager of the MLK Family Resource Center.
Irma López
“I believe in the worth of others and work hard to support the social and educational success of others,” said López.
If elected, López said she also plans to address the pressing housing issue in Salinas by focusing on what the city controls — including providing faster and more predictable permitting, sensible fees, putting city-owned land to good use, and pursuing regional funding.
She would “continue meeting with stakeholders to address affordability, overcrowding, housing policies and rent control, to come up with solutions,” she said.
Each candidate described why they are the best option.
Sandoval didn’t get involved in politics just for a title, he said. He got involved because he was frustrated by seeing neighbors asking for help for the same problems year after year, he said sometimes without getting a response.
“I felt City Hall had become a place where people were expected to give up rather than get answers,” said Sandoval. “I believed we could do better, and that’s why I decided to run.”
López highlights her experience as an elected Hartnell trustee since 2019, where she learned how to read a budget, weigh competing priorities, hold an institution accountable, and make decisions with limited resources.
“I will work tirelessly to advocate, be a voice and listen to my constituents’ worries and concerns, always putting community first,” López said.
Salinas District 5 residents will decide on Nov. 3 who will represent them on city council.
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