Santa Ana, CA – Saying he has the experience, the intelligence and the heart to be a great leader in the Assembly, community leaders from Santa Ana and Anaheim today announced their early endorsement for Julio Perez to represent the 69th District of the California State Assembly.
“Julio has been a great friend to our community for years,” said Amin David, who is the immediate past-president of Los Amigos of Orange County, a 30-year-old community group. “Julio has the experience, the intelligence and the heart to be a great leader in the Assembly. He is the best choice to represent us in Sacramento and I look forward to continuing to work with him to strengthen our community.”
David added that Julio’s work on the Orange County Workforce Investment Board demonstrates his understanding that good-paying jobs and a well-qualified workforce is a critical factor for the health of our communities.
“Julio knows a high-quality education is the key to success for our communities,” added Benny Diaz, who serves as State Director of the League of United Latin American Citizens, the nation’s oldest Latino rights group. “He has worked tirelessly to make a college-education a reality for many members of our community. It’s that drive and determination that will serve us well.”
Diaz cited Julio’s service as a mentor for the Advancement Via Individual Determination (AVID) program that reaches out to at-risk youth and their parents. The program’s goal is to close the achievement gap through an elementary through postsecondary college readiness system. Julio, a graduate of the AVID program, went on to form the AVID Alumni Association to continue giving back to the community.
“I am deeply honored to have the early endorsement of these great leaders,” said Perez. “I decided to run for the State Assembly to help every child in California live up to their potential. With the support of these community leaders, my campaign has gotten a great boost.”
Julio’s candidacy has already scored early endorsements from Anaheim City School District Board Member Dr. Jose Moreno, Santa Ana Unified School District Board Member John Palacio and North Orange County Community College District Trustee Mike Matsuda .
Julio is the leading Democratic candidate in the June Primary to represent the 69th Assembly District. The seat is currently held by Jose Solorio, who can no longer serve in the State Assembly due to term limits. The top two vote-getters in the June 5, 2012 Primary will run in the General Election in November. The 69th District has been reapportioned by the California Citizens Redistricting Commission and now includes a large part of the City of Santa Ana along with portions of Anaheim, Garden Grove and Orange.