Dr. Jose F. Moreno has announced he’s a candidate for Anaheim City Council in the newly drawn third district. A new website announcing his candidacy spells out his platform. His campaign Facebook page offers this: Father of 4 and a believer that the power of Anaheim is in its people! Join our campaign as we make the promise of district elections a reality!
From his campaign website:
Dr. Jose F. Moreno served two terms on the Anaheim City School District Board of Education from 2006-2014. Despite over $30 million in state budget cuts during his tenure, student achievement increased, innovative educational programs in science, music, art, and languages were developed, parental and community involvement programs were initiated, while school bond construction projects were completed on time and on budget.
Dr. Moreno is an Associate Professor in the Department of Chicano & Latino Studies at California State University, Long Beach where he focuses on Latino Education and Policy Studies. He is a nationally recognized scholar and teacher in his field and sits on various academic advisory councils including the National Action Council for Minorities in Engineering. He received his B.A. from UC Irvine in Social Ecology with an emphasis on Criminology and Human Behavior. He earned his Master’s degree and Doctorate from Harvard University in Administration, Planning, and Social Policy where he Co-Chaired the editorial board of the Harvard Educational Review.
Dr. Moreno is currently the President of Los Amigos of Orange County, a community-based group that has met for over 38 years to serve individuals and communities in need. He also sits on the Board of Directors for the Orange County Community Housing Corporation (OCCHC) which provides housing and education support to help extremely low-income families transition toward self-sufficiency. In addition, Dr. Moreno sits on the Board of Directors for Orange County Communities for Responsible Development (OCCORD) and the Anaheim Police Department Chief’s Advisory Board.
Dr. Moreno grew up in Oxnard, California. The youngest son of an immigrant family, his mother worked in a factory as a seamstress while his father worked maintenance in a cannery to provide for Jose and his three older siblings.
A father of four beautiful girls enrolled in Anaheim public schools, Dr. Moreno and his wife, Lorena, a school principal, have lived in Anaheim for over 13 years and are among the founding parents of the first Dual Language Immersion Program in Anaheim. Dr.Moreno is a proud Girl Scout Dad who enjoys watching his daughters play in their local youth soccer league in Anaheim and in school activities and events.
Moreno ran in 2014 and lost, finishing fourth in a race with eight candidates. Moreno earned 11,521 votes of 14.7% of the total finishing behind Kris Murray, James Vaderbilt, and Gail Eastman. Anaheim watched note that Moreno was the high vote getter within what would become district 3 in Central Anaheim, slightly ahead of Murray and Eastman.
From his press release, where Al Jabbar is listed as the press contact:
(Anaheim) Dr. Jose F. Moreno has announced his candidacy for the Anaheim City Council District 3 in the city’s first ever elections by district to be held on November 8, 2016.
A long-time resident of Anaheim’s District 3, Dr. Moreno previously served as a member of the Anaheim City School District Board of Education from 2006-2014. An active parent and community volunteer in our schools, Dr. Moreno has continued his tireless advocacy for children, families and neighborhoods through various community-based organizations in Anaheim.
“I am excited to announce my candidacy for the Anaheim City Council representing District 3.” Moreno stated. “I believe Anaheim’s blessings are its people and its resources. Our neighborhoods and our families are what set this City apart. I’m running because I want to bring honesty, integrity and transparency to City Hall.”
“As a school board member for almost a decade, despite millions in state cutbacks, I had a track record of working effectively with people across the city and the political spectrum to improve our school system and create opportunities for our children and families. As City Councilman, I will continue those efforts to make Anaheim a world-class city for tourists, composed of world-class neighborhoods for our residents.”
“I want our children to grow up in a greater, better Anaheim,” Moreno concluded. “We can, and we will, work together to help everyone thrive!”
Moreno is the third Democrat to throw his hat into the ring. Linda Lobatos and current Anaheim council member Jordan Brandman are also running. District 3 is the city’s most heavily Latino district of the three Latino plurality districts resolved via the redistricting process. Moreno supported conservative Republican Mayor Tom Tait over DPOC endorsed candidate Lorri Galloway in 2014 while still registered as declined to state but refused to rescind the endorsement after becoming a Democrat in the months leading up to the election. Brandman, a longtime Democrat, endorsed Republicans Murray and Eastman for council over Moreno, the DOPC endorsed candidate for council.