[ESPAÑOL]

Experience, commitment, and competency are a rare combination in a political candidate, but Gerardo Ramirez has them all and is ready to serve our community the day he takes office representing the 8th District on the San Diego City Council.

Ramirez, 31, currently serves as the Chief of Staff for San Diego City Councilwoman Vivian Moreno, who is finishing her second and final term on the Council. Ramirez has worked in the 8th Council District office for more than 10 years, first under David Alvarez, then Moreno.

As a lifelong District 8 resident, Ramirez knows first-hand the issues that need addressing, but all of those first require the City to have a stable and balanced budget. After years of underfunding infrastructure and emergency services, the City is now facing a $150 million budget shortfall that has to be addressed while protecting critical services.

Ramirez is against raising sales taxes to close the budget gap, insisting instead that the City has to cut expensive middle managers who have increased the budget without actually delivering the vital community services our neighborhoods rely on.

As a graduate of San Ysidro schools and San Diego State University, Ramirez was the first in his family to graduate from college. He was raised by his single mom who balanced three jobs to make ends meet. As a young teenager, he worked the fields harvesting nopales with his extended family. He knows the value of hard work and how many working families struggle to survive.

Ramirez has the experience working within the City to understand what it takes to make it better. He has seen his two Council bosses fight for our community, and take a stand against the Mayor and the majority of the City Council when they disagreed on how to move the City forward. He is now ready to represent us.

Gerardo Ramirez has earned our trust by showing up for us year after year.

His opponent, Antonio Martinez, has served on the San Ysidro School District Board for 14 years—and has run and lost twice for the City Council before this year—but he has left the school district in financial ruins. The San Diego County Office of Education reports that the District is at risk of not being able to pay its bills this year and next year. This is NOT the kind of experience we need to help solve the City’s financial problems.

Gerardo Ramirez has the background, knowledge, and experience to represent our families on the San Diego City Council. We encourage you to vote for him in this important election that will help determine the future of San Diego.