First published on Santa Barbara Talks with Josh Molina on Sept. 5, 2022.
Longtime Goleta Union School Board member Luz Reyes-Martin is running for Goleta City Council.
Reyes-Martin is looking to unseat incumbent representative Roger Aceves in the newly configured District 1. Goleta moved to district elections this year.
If elected, Reyes-Martin would be the first Latina elected to the Goleta City Council in the 20 years since voters created the city
In this podcast, Reyes-Martin talks about her plans for Goleta, her time on the school board, and shares her personal story of growing up in Downey, a Los Angeles suburb.
“When I am talking to residents, I hear so much, won’t be surprising, about how much people love Goleta,” Reyes-Martin said. “But I also hear the concerns they have. They want to see us do more to address bicycle and pedestrian safety. They want to see more action to address climate change, like preparing us for the threat of wildfires, addressing our energy issues.”
She also said residents want to see roads improved, more park and recreation space, and conversations about how to address housing needs.
“I think those are the issues most prevalent in the district,” Reyes-Martin said.
She found herself at the center of a national debate earlier this year after the U.S. Supreme Court voted to reverse Roe vs.Wade, leaving reproductive rights in the hands of the states.
Reyes-Martin is the vice president of community engagement for Planned Parenthood, a job she took after working several years at Santa Barbara City College.
She also opens up about how in high school she told her teachers that she wanted to go to Stanford, where she graduated. She also has a master’s degree in land-use planning from USC.
Reyes-Martin is endorsed by the Santa Barbara County Democratic Party and is married with two children.
Consider a contribution to this podcast by clicking here. Subscribe to this podcast by clicking here. Josh Molina has been a journalist in Santa Barbara for 20 years. He also covered City Hall for the San Jose Mercury News. In addition to working as a reporter at Noozhawk, he teaches journalism at Cal State University, Northridge and Santa Barbara City College. Please subscribe to his You Tube channel for more content.