Four are running for Riverside County District 5 Supervisor elections, including incumbent Jeff Hewitt, a Libertarian and former mayor of Calimesa who won a surprise victory in 2016 in the Fifth Supervisory District. More recently, when coronavirus restrictions were in place, Hewitt proposed that the county bypass state government and begin its own reopening.
In addition, Deni Mazingo, a Hemet attorney and former Assembly candidate, Lloyd White, Mayor of the City of Beaumont since 2014, and finally, Yxtlan Gutiérrez.
Gutiérrez has been, since 2016, the elected mayor of Moreno Valley and its councilman since 200, being re-elected in 2020 with 56% of the votes.
Moreno Valley, with more than 200,000 residents, it is the second most populous urban center in the county, after the city of Riverside.
District 5 includes six cities: Moreno Valley, Calimesa, Beaumont, Banning, Perris, and Menifee, and 25 unincorporated towns. 50% of its population is Latino.
The primary elections will take place on June 7, and the general elections on November 8.
Of all the candidates, Real America News considers that Yxtlan Gutiérrez is the most appropriate for the position and calls on its readers to vote for him on June 7.
Gutiérrez says in response to written questions from Real America News: “I am running… to recover responsible leadership during one of the most critical moments we face. Residents deserve a supervisor who addresses the very real issues they face, including homelessness, economic recovery, transit, public safety, affordable housing, and the lack of local jobs.”
As a teacher, he taught at National University and taught in the Moreno Valley Unified School District for 14 years.
Regarding education, he states: “I support public schools, including school districts. I think charter schools can be helpful for some students. But there should be the same responsibility with charter schools.”
During his tenure as mayor of Moreno Valley, he focused on creating local jobs. Additionally, he ran and championed the local Homeless to Work program, which in partnership with the federal government, helps the homeless find work, breaking them out of the cycle of abandonment.
Although he emphasizes his support for public safety, he states that “the police work to protect and serve and, like any organization, continuous training and accountability are necessary. I will work with police chiefs throughout the county and the Sheriff to ensure the necessary training on unconscious bias and de-escalation strategies.”
Gutiérrez tells Real America News: “As an immigrant myself and the son of a family of immigrants, I know that immigration policy needs to improve, with a path to citizenship speeding up the process and offering more programs to support the English language. I have worked with several non-profit organizations and churches, and as a supervisor I will continue this work.”
And he promises: “I will work to ensure that our Latino population feels included in public policy events . I set up interpreters at City Council meetings and opportunities for the community to celebrate their culture at events like Día de los Muertos and El Grito.”
For his career in Moreno Valley and his special attention to generation of jobs and housing for ethnic communities, Real America News urges: on June 7, vote for Yxtlan Gutiérrez!