I just received word from a very reliable source that Rosemarie Avila will not seek re-election to the Santa Ana School Board and will instead run for the 47th Congressional District seat currently held by Loretta Sanchez. Avila pulled papers today for the Republican primary which could pit her against Minuteman Project founder Jim Gilchrist and possibly retired social worker Joel Story.
Avila is finishing up her fifth term on the Santa Ana School Board and has served on that body since 1991. Avila has long used her position on the board to push her religious right extremist positions. She has championed the teaching of abstinence-only sex education, school prayer and denying benefits to same-sex couples. Avila was also the author of the parental notification proposition that was on the ballot a few years ago.
Avila sought the Republican nomination for this seat two years ago but was defeated by the bigoted Tan Nguyen. Avila, like Gilchrist and Nguyen, is a rabid immigrant basher and has close ties to the Minuteman Project.  Avila has long been alligned with Lupe Moreno(pictured above with Avila) the crazed immigrant bashing bigot.ÂÂ
I for one am pulling for Rosie to get the Republican nomination for the 47th. That will insure that the residents of the Santa Ana Unified School District will be rid of her. That can’t be a bad thing for the children of Santa Ana.
Seeking the Republican nomination for Congress in June does not preclude Rosie from running for re-election to the school board in November.
If she loses in June, she can file paperwork to be re-elected to her seat on the SAUSD BOE. But if she should win the nomination, she won’t be able to run for school board in the same election.
I’m anxious to see if Gilchrist finishes his paperwork by the 5pm Friday deadline.
Publius,
If Gilchrist does not file, then Avila is going to have to refrain from running for the School Board. She will be stuck running against Loretta – which is like opting to run full-speed into a block wall.
I remember this picture well–was when I did a story about Tim Whitacre comparing Nativo to Saddam. Oh, those were the days…
Gustavo,
Thanks for this picture indeed. I like that it captures both Lupe and Rosie in their element. It is a classic.
Btw, I had the pleasure of meeting Daffodil Altan today. She seems to be a really nice young lady. I love her enthusiasm and passion, not to mention her writing.
Daffodil’s great. Her piece on Alfonso Bustamante was hilarious, and her cover this week just brutal in showing Lupe for the fraud she is…