Santa Barbara County 1st District Supervisor Salud Carbajal on Thursday officially entered the race for the 24th District congressional seat, which Representative Lois Capps said on Wednesday she will be vacating at the end of her current term in 2016. Carbajal, long rumored to have his eye on that position, joined City of Santa Barbara Mayor Helene Schneider, also a Democrat, and businessman Justin Fareed, a Republican, in announcing their plans to run.
Below is the press release sent out by Carbajal’s office.
Our region has been well represented by Congresswoman Capps for the past 17 years and I am privileged to have had the opportunity to work collaboratively with her to improve our local communities. Following her recent announcement that she would not run for reelection, I have decided to run for Congress to be an effective voice in Washington for the issues that people care about on the Central Coast – creating jobs, educational opportunity for all, preserving essential safety net services, improving our infrastructure and protecting the environment. I have a proven track record of working in a bipartisan way to get results on these issues in my service as County Supervisor and want to bring the same effective and collaborative approach to Congress.
Biography
Salud Carbajal has a proven and effective track record of bringing people together to work to make our community stronger. He’s running for Congress to continue fighting for opportunity and security for middle-class families and to protect the unique quality of life we enjoy here on the Central Coast.
Salud spent his early childhood in a small town in Arizona where his father moved the family from Mexico so he could work in a copper mine. When the mine closed, Salud’s father found work in the fields in Oxnard where the family later moved. Attending junior high and high school in Oxnard, Salud applied himself and focused on his education while also working to help the family after school and during summers.
Salud went on to attend the University of California, Santa Barbara, earning his Bachelors degree, followed later by a Masters degree in Organizational Management from the Fielding University. Salud served eight years in the United States Marine Corps Reserves, including active duty service during the 1991 Gulf War, while also working in various roles with several Santa Barbara based non-profit organizations and in local government.
In 2004, Salud was elected to the Santa Barbara County Board of Supervisors. In his tenure, he has demonstrated a commitment to protecting our environment, promoting sustainability, strengthening our schools, and enhancing the health and safety of our community.
A leader in protecting our open spaces, he’s stood up against developments on the Gaviota Coast that threatened preservation efforts and has opposed new offshore oil development along our coastline. Salud has worked to implement a Climate Action Plan for Santa Barbara County and helped to make solar energy an affordable and efficient option for homeowners. He has promoted innovative solutions to addressing environmental stewardship and sustainability and advocated for quality job creation in this emerging industry.
Drawing upon his own childhood experiences growing up in an economically disadvantaged neighborhood, Salud shares a passion for improving the lives of at-risk youth. He found innovative ways to strengthen our schools by creating a job skills and mentorship program for at-risk youth and providing summer programming opportunities for our kids.
He has been an advocate for health programs that help our children and seniors receive the care they need, co-sponsoring an initiative that provided health insurance for all of Santa Barbara County’s children.
Salud is married to Gina and they have two children, Natasha and Michael.
Salud has served on a number of national and regional committees focusing on environmental protection, children and families, and senior issues. He has been awarded for his leadership by a number of organizations.
• 2014 Community Environmental Council Environmental Hero
• 2009 Santa Barbara Public Education Foundation Hope Award
• 2009 Area Agency on Aging Public Official of the Year
• 2008 Planned Parenthood Action Fund of Santa Barbara, Ventura and San Luis Obispo Counties “Sticking His Neck Out” Award
• 2008 Santa Barbara Jewish Federation Ambassador of Freedom Award
• 2008 Santa Barbara Hispanic Chamber Elected Official of the Year
• Named a “Community Role Model” by Women’s Economic Ventures