The Mystery Guest: Uncertainty Surrounds District 4 Candidate Ahead of Tonight’s Forum
SANTA MARIA, Calif. (KEYT) - The League Of Women Voters is hosting a candidate forum this evening at Allan Hancock College’s Boyd Concert Hall.
It’s a meet-and-greet showcase for local candidates on November’s midterm ballot.
Current Santa Maria city council district 4 officeholder Maribel Aguilera is vacating the position to run for Santa Barbara County’s district 5 supervisor seat, ensuring a new representative will be elected to the four-year term in Santa Maria’s southeast district.
The election for the open seat features two candidates with sharply contrasting campaign strategies, leading to uncertainty surrounding the event.
“I still believe we're a unique country with the right to have an influence upon who governs you—you can have an influence in it,” says Vincent Martinez, one of the candidates.
Local attorney Vincent Martinez has established an active public presence, while retired military veteran Tyler Barksdale has declined media interviews, leaving questions about whether both candidates will appear on stage.
“I’ve been in Santa Maria since I was—been 25 years old,” says Martinez. “I moved here when I got when I graduated from law school. I married a girl from Santa Maria, and she grew up here.”
Martinez serves as a Santa Barbara County planning commissioner and helped establish the Santa Maria police council.
“As an attorney, I practice business law, I do estate planning,” says Martinez. “I’ve represented large corporations to mom and pop.”
Barksdale, a retired military veteran, is the other candidate on the ballot.
Tyler Barksdale has declined all requests for media interviews prior to the forum, leaving voters to rely on any brief candidate statements he included in his official government filings.
Because of Barksdale's refusal to speak with news organizations, his attendance at the forum remains a question.
“I can't see having an issue with something without taking the right of, of actually addressing it with a power to vote,” says Martinez.
If Barksdale does not attend, Martinez will have the stage to himself, whereas Barksdale's attendance would mark his first major public appearance of the election season.
“Anything can happen in this world if you let it,” says Martinez. “And that's what the vote’s for, is saying, ‘I’m not going to let it.’”
The forum schedule at Boyd Concert Hall begins with a candidate meet-and-greet at 5 p.m., followed by a county supervisor forum at 5:30 p.m.
the city council candidate presentations are scheduled to begin at 7 p.m.
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