Carbajal and Buttny Rack up Community Support

The 1st and 3rd District Supervisor race is heating up, with several local groups announcing their endorsements. Ten organizations collectively announced their support last week for candidates Salud Carbajal and John Buttny in the supervisor races for 1st and 3rd districts, respectively.

“Salud Carbajal and John Buttny are committed to preserving the two treasures that make this county so wonderful: our environment and our people,” said Vernon Schabert, chair of the Santa Barbara County Democratic Central Committee, in voicing his organization’s support for the candidates.

“They are by far the best choices for working families,” said Mick Robinson of SEIU Local 620.

Also endorsing Carbajal and Buttny were representatives from the Santa Barbara County Action Network, Citizens for Goleta Valley, Democratic Women of Santa Barbara County, Santa Barbara Women’s Political Committee, SEIU Local 535, PUEBLO, Santa Barbara County League of Conservation Voters and the Sierra Club.

Carbajal, currently an executive staff member for retiring 1st District Supervisor Naomi Schwartz, picked up her endorsement as well as that of 2nd and 3rd District Supervisors Susan Rose and Gail Marshall. Carbajal is also supported by Santa Barbara City and County Firefighters.

Earlier in the race, Economist John Gostovich, who is running against Carbajal in the 1st District, picked up endorsements from the Santa Barbara County Deputy Sheriff’s Association, the Santa Barbara County Farm Bureau and the Peace Officers Research Association of California.

Brooks Firestone, Buttny’s opponent in the 3rd District, has been endorsed by the County Firefighters Union and Santa Barbara County Deputy Sheriff’s Association, as well as by 4th District Supervisor Joni Gray, 5th District Supervisor Joe Centeno, and ten former county supervisors. The other two candidates in that race are Rancher Slick Gardner and Businessman Steven Pappas, neither of which has announced any major endorsements.

Originally published in South Coast Beacon on February 12, 2004.

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published.