ANAHEIM : Aguilar to Make 3rd Bid for City Council
Unsuccessful in two previous campaigns, Mel Aguilar, a founder of the local Set Free Christian Fellowship Church, said Thursday that he will run in November in another bid to become the city’s first Latino City Council member.
Aguilar, 34, who has been unemployed since August, said his campaign will focus on city gang activity and other youth problems.
“A few years ago, people were saying there were no gang problems here,” Aguilar said. “Now there are 35 identified gangs in the city, with more than 700 members. I want to give kids a chance.”
Aguilar said he will try to win a seat from either Tom Daly or William D. Ehrle.
Ehrle has said he will seek reelection, while Daly is considering running in the 68th Assembly District and has been mentioned as a possible challenger to Mayor Fred Hunter this fall.
Aguilar also said he will support a movement seeking to establish district elections in Anaheim. Some city officials and Latino groups have said the current at-large election system acts to block the candidacies of minorities.
Latinos make up one-third of Anaheim’s 260,000 population and are the largest city minority group, U.S. census figures indicate.
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