Change afoot in South County politics? Keep an eye on the upcoming county supervisor race

A shift in the political landscape might be happening in south Santa Cruz County, starting with the 2026 election cycle and a crowded race for the county supervisor seat that represents Watsonville. 

In June, South County voters will decide among three candidates vying to represent District 4 on the Santa Cruz County Board of Supervisors. The candidates include incumbent Felipe Hernandez, who is running for a second term on the board. He’ll face off against Tony Nuñez and Elias Gonzales, two first-time candidates who made names for themselves in their day jobs. 

The upstart campaigns of Nuñez and Gonzales have some social circles in Watsonville rumbling with excitement about seeing new people step into the political arena, with fresh ideas and perspectives. 

“I think there’s a change that’s coming,” said Francisco “Paco” Estrada, a member of Cabrillo College’s governing member and a former Watsonville city councilmember. “There’s just a sense that change is needed.” 

Estrada said Nuñez and Gonzales are good candidates, because their professional work is focused on helping the community. Nuñez is a communications and marketing manager for nonprofit Community Bridges, and Gonzales works as a youth advocate for nonprofit Youth Alliance. Hernandez will have some competition, Estrada said, but it’s not necessarily a bad thing. “You definitely want very qualified people running,” he said. 

The candidate filing period for the June 2 primary election ends Friday.

Estrada sees new faces in South County politics as a positive development, especially in an era when people are figuring out how to make progress despite challenges created by changes at the federal level. Estrada also suspects that younger people are inspired to enter politics because of turmoil at the federal level under the Trump administration. 

Estrada told Lookout he welcomes potential emerging leaders entering the political arena, because it might be what helps the community get through some of the tough challenges ahead. 

Others are also excited about a new batch of candidates stepping up to the challenge of running for office and bringing their experience to local politics. Raymon Cancino, CEO of Community Bridges, said he’s enthusiastic about people in their 30s and 40s running for elected positions because they’re fresh faces hoping to create change. Nuñez is the youngest of the three supervisor candidates so far, at 34; Gonzales is 48 and Hernandez is 54.  

“I think it’s just the generational shift,” Cancino said. “We’re going from the baby boomers to Gen Z and X folks coming in.” 

Estrada, who first ran for the Watsonville City Council at age 35, said younger people tend to have this motivation to “change the world.” His 2017 campaign focused on getting residents from the younger generation involved in local politics. 

“I wasn’t really savvy about local politics in 2017, but I really wanted to do this. So, I ran,” he said. “The best thing that I did was just learn, learn and ask questions.” 

Cancino said younger candidates might be motivated to run for elected office in South County to create an environment for young people to stay and thrive. Other community leaders told Lookout they’re frustrated with what they call career politicians and see an opportunity for change in younger candidates. 

These voters want to put their hopes in someone with professional management experience who’s been working in the community and might have a more intimate understanding of what residents need. 

“People are looking for innovative solutions, something different, to try and address these longstanding issues,” said Estrada, adding that local governments can make significant policy changes. 

Estrada hopes the energy surrounding the county supervisor race carries over to the upcoming November election, where four seats on the Watsonville City Council are up for grabs. Councilmembers Kristal Salcido, Casey Clark and Maria Orozco have not yet said publicly if they are running for second terms, while Councilmember Ari Parker is termed out at the end of the year. 

During the 2024 election cycle, out of the three incumbents up for reelection, only one race was contested; the other two incumbents ran unopposed. 

“This time around, I’m hoping more people will jump in at the city level,” Estrada said. “That’s where I think new stars can always be born. People who are really talented and motivated can make their way there and just learn how everything works. They can work their magic.” 

But running for elected office for the first time — whether for city council, county supervisor or a school board — can be hard for someone who isn’t involved in politics already. 

When Orozco was elected to serve on the Pajaro Valley Unified School District school board, she was only 23 years old. Her start in politics wasn’t easy. 

Orozco told Lookout that her first race was against Antonio Rivas, who had served two terms as Watsonville mayor and had plenty of experience in education under his belt. She said getting a “buy-in” from elected officials and other people in the political world was difficult, but she won the seat. 

“You have to have the ability to be able to prove yourself,” she said. “That you belong in those spaces, that you have the knowledge.” 

After a decade of serving on the school board, Orozco said the process of running for city council in 2022 was easier. Once you’re an elected official, she said, your work speaks for itself. Voters can refer to a candidate’s track record to make their decisions.

Orozco declined to comment on the current supervisors race, because she currently works for Hernandez as an analyst. 

Serving in elected office is a low-paid and thankless job, said Cancino. Many elected officials on local councils and boards get modest monthly stipends, in amounts that don’t quite add up to a full-time salary, which can be a reason why people choose to not run for office. 

Watsonville city councilmembers receive a monthly stipend of $1,679.50, which doesn’t include health insurance benefits. County supervisors, on the other hand, are compensated $5,835.80 every two weeks, according to the county code. 

Increasing compensation and offering additional health benefits could make serving in elected office more attractive, Orozco said. She noted other avenues for residents to dip their toes into government without having to run for office, such as participating on commissions. But many of those appointed positions require knowing the right people who make appointments, and the roles involve a significant time commitment. 

Estrada told Lookout that he’s come across engaged citizens who have the potential to run for political office. But they don’t because the low compensation makes these positions more like volunteer work, with no time left over to hold a part-time job. 

Estrada has either worked with or knows all three supervisor candidates. He said he’s looking forward to a lively June primary, and expects more people to throw their names into the mix. 

“I’m happy that new people are jumping in and running for supervisor,” he said. “That is so scary. If city council was scary [to run for] to me, I can only imagine what it’s like for supervisor, and these people are going for it. That’s great.”

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