• On Aug. 5, Santa Maria City Councilwoman Hilda Zacarías—Democrat candidate for California’s 33rd Assembly District—reported raising $20,954 in campaign funds as of June 30. Zacarías has also received endorsements from current and former officials throughout the district, such as Santa Maria City Councilmember Mike Cordero, Morro Bay City Councilmember Noah Smukler, and former Lompoc Mayor Joyce Howerton. Along with fundraising, Zacarías has embarked on a listening tour to better understand the concerns and aspirations of residents throughout the district. The tour has included a reception in Paso Robles and a booth at the Mid-State Fair. “From the 14-year-old young woman from Paso Robles High School who asked me the difference between politics and democracy to the Morro Bay resident who just took her first ‘forced furlough’ from her job as a disability claims person for the Employment Development Department, each conversation was a reflection of the lives of our neighbors,” Zacarías said in a release to the media. Much of the discussion at the fair focused on frustration with the state budget process and health care reform. Zacarías plans to continue her “listening tour” of the district throughout the summer.
This article appears in Aug 13-20, 2009.
