Aceves Opens Campaign Office

With 10 weeks and a handful of days until the June Primary Election, Goleta City Councilmember Roger Aceves — who is running for 2nd District Supervisor against incumbent Janet Wolf — opened his campaign headquarters Thursday night.

Approximately 30 supporters showed up to the 2,800-square-foot space, which is located in what was formerly the Front Page store in the Calle Real Shopping Center in Goleta. Surrounded by red yard signs and guests eating tri-tip sliders and egg rolls, Aceves cheered the supervisors’ unanimous decision Tuesday to keep the rock revetments at Goleta Beach, but said he believed the decision could have been made years ago and that the Coastal Commission’s approval remains another hurdle to clear.

“We had a heck of a week this week,” Aceves said, calling the supervisors’ 5-0 vote a “victory” for the Friends of Goleta Beach and the City of Goleta, both of which have long argued that the rocks protect the park without harming the beach. He said he was “surprised” and “dumbfounded” by Wolf’s support for retaining the rocks and that he kept “waiting for the other shoe to drop.”

Aceves transitioned from talk of Goleta Beach to talk of the “ground game” of his campaign; he began walking precincts in early January, and his volunteers will start on Saturday. His staff added that the office will soon include phone banks. “We will work every day, 24/7, to beat this opponent and put me on the Board of Supervisors in January 2015,” Aceves said.

Aceves will face Wolf — who opened her campaign office two weeks ago — at the ballot box on June 3; vote-by-mail ballots will get sent out starting on May 5. Two debates between the candidates are planned for April.