Four City Council seats are up for election in Sunnyside this year.
All four are contested. There is an opportunity for competitive elections and engaged voters as voter registration has increased.
The Yakima Herald-Republic asked each candidate in Yakima County’s second-largest city about their campaigns and platforms.
Jorge Galvan is running against Jason Raines for the Sunnyside City Council’s at-large Position 7. Galvan and Raines beat incumbent Craig Hicks in the primary, where Galvan led all candidates with 499 votes, or 51%.
Raines had 331 votes, or 34% of the total. Raines did not answer questions from the Yakima Herald as of press time but did respond before the primary election.
Vicky Frausto and Luis Ochoa are running for Sunnyside City Council’s District 3 seat. District 3 was recently redrawn and the City Council seat was vacated by Julia Hart when she moved outside its boundaries.
Hart is running for the at-large Position 6.
District 3 covers much of Sunnyside east of 7th Street, south of the rail line and Yakima Valley Highway and north of Ida Belle Street and Lincoln Avenue. It also includes Sunnyview Park and the area around Waneta Road and Interstate 82.
Ochoa did not answer questions from the Yakima Herald as of press time.
Coverage of Keren J. Vazquez and incumbent Mike Farmer’s race for Position 5 and Hart and Mike Kennard’s race for Position 6 can be found in print and online.
Galvan and Frausto are not running against each other; their answers here are edited for length and clarity.
Vicky Frausto, candidate for District 3
What qualifies you to be a City Council member in Sunnyside? What experiences do you bring to the position?
The role of a City Council member involves a deep understanding of local city dynamics, direct engagement with constituents, and practical political and interpersonal skills. I know I have acquired the skills necessary to assume this responsibility and create a space where brave conversations begin, where action plans are created and equitable policy is implemented.
I have a bachelor’s degree in political science and a master’s degree in public administration with an emphasis in government relations.
Additionally, I have worked in the nonprofit sector, managing community operations, and in the public sector at the University of Washington working for Human Resources, Labor Relations, and Organizational Development.
My deep understanding of nonprofit and public sector policy will allow me to make informed decisions in Sunnyside City Council, find innovative solutions and implement successful policies that could inspire new initiatives or help refine existing ones.
How do you plan to address public safety in Sunnyside?
Prioritizing public safety is a crucial responsibility for Sunnyside City Council members. Serving on the City Council will provide me the opportunity to help create multifaceted policy approaches in addressing the root causes of crime and insecurity in Sunnyside.
One of the ways I will tackle this is by building partnerships with various stakeholders in our community like the School District, SPD and local organizations to improve access to mental health resources and programs in our community, especially for our youth.
It is evident that substance abuse and gun violence persist, and we must work to implement more mental health and addiction services to address and disrupt the underlying causes of certain types of crime.
What do you think of development efforts in the Port of Sunnyside like the Pacific Ag Renewable Natural Gas facility?
I support community development projects that help create jobs and boost our economy. I will continue to work with the Port of Sunnyside to continue learning about upcoming projects. However, it will be my public duty to weigh out all the factors, especially those that may have an impact on our environment and vulnerable communities.
There was controversy over Sunnyside’s Pride Proclamation this year. Would you or would you not support a Pride Proclamation? Why?
When one becomes a servant of their community you commit to representing all people of all backgrounds and experiences. We do not have the right to be selective on who we get to work for. We work for the people regardless of their race, gender, disability, religious affiliation, and sexual orientation. I would support a Pride proclamation in solidarity with LGBTQIA+ community; joining efforts to create a more equitable and inclusive community for everyone.
What other issues are important in Sunnyside and how will you address them?
We must create inclusive opportunities for residents to participate in their community. We live in a city that houses around 70% Spanish speaking residents and yet, there are no translating services available during council meetings.
I will work on implementing these services immediately. We cannot achieve equitable change if we are not taking every perspective and idea into account. Everyone needs a seat at the table.
Additionally, we need to improve City Council leadership visibility in our community. Through my campaigning efforts I have found that one out of three Sunnyside residents do not know who their current city officials are. We need to change that and improve relationship building with our constituents. We need residents to know who we are, how we operate our work, and that we are available to hear their questions, comments, and their concerns.
Jorge Galvan, candidate for Position 7
What qualifies you to be a City Council member in Sunnyside? What experiences do you bring to the position?
I have great communication skills. I’m able to set past differences aside for the better good of the community. I also bring 19 years of leadership and financial experience running multiple successful businesses.
Leadership, multi-tasking, communication skills, financial experience and HR experience are just some of the many experiences I bring to the table.
How do you plan to address public safety in Sunnyside?
I will start by addressing the more than four openings we have for police officers. I recently went on a ride along with Chief Layman to better understand the needs our police department has.
I see multiple surrounding cities hiring new police officers; if they’re able to make these new hires, why can’t Sunnyside?
I want all city codes, laws and ordinances enforced in Sunnyside. If we’re going to have these various tools to address public safety, let’s start using them.
I’m also a big supporter of community policing. Our police department cannot do this alone. We need to come together as a community and set aside our differences to become the community everyone wants to proudly live in.
What do you think of development efforts in the Port of Sunnyside like the Pacific Ag Renewable Natural Gas facility?
These developments are great for our community, the Port of Sunnyside has done a great job over the years to bring in new developments to Sunnyside. At the same time, I would like to see more diverse industries come to Sunnyside.
There was controversy over Sunnyside’s Pride Proclamation this year. Would you or would you not support a Pride Proclamation? Why?
Mayor Broersma signed a proclamation in 2022, I didn’t see a problem with him signing it again this year. I’m a huge believer in people having the right to do with their personal life as they please. I would support a Pride proclamation. What I don’t support is the type of Pride parades that happen in bigger cities. Public nudity is not only illegal but wrong to do around children.
What other issues are important in Sunnyside and how will you address them?
Currently we have a group of individuals that are calling for a forensic audit of the city finances and have thrown allegations against our city manager and other city hall employees. I would meet with each of these individuals so that we can address these concerns.
I attended a budget meeting a few weeks ago and only Vicky Frausto (candidate for Position 3) and myself attended this public meeting. I encourage the public to come learn what our city officials do.
I like to work and act with facts. The city has an open-door policy; anyone can do their research and come up with questions or their conclusion. Like the mayor said in the recent council meeting: if you have proof of wrongdoing bring it forward. I will take the time to hear you out.
Race for Position 7 Jorge Galvan Age: 39 Occupation: Small business owner (freight broker and CDL school) Education: Graduate of Sunnyside High School, A.A. in computer networking and information technology Community Service: Soccer coach for kids aged 6-12 Previous offices held: none Endorsements: Lower Yakima Valley Association of Realtors Campaign contributions: $500 from the Lower Yakima Valley Association of Realtors Jason Raines Age: 48 Occupation: Property manager Education: Degree in Management Information Systems from Auburn University Previous offices held: Sunnyside City Council from 2012-15 Campaign contributions: $400 from Sunnyside Management Inc. Raines receives income from Sunnyside Management Inc., according to the Washington Public Disclosure Commission. Raines was at the center of a controversy during his last term on City Council in 2014 due to a comment on Amazon.com about a man shot by police and a racist joke made on his blog in 2010. Raines did not comment for this article as of press time. His responses are from coverage of the 2023 primary election.
Race for District 3 Vicky Frausto Age: 32 Occupation: University of Washington Human Resources, DEI Specialist, Small business owner of Vicky’s Candies Education: Bachelor’s degrees in political science, American ethnic studies, and minor in diversity, master’s degree in public administration, focus in government relations Community Service: Sunnyside School District Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Coalition, Lower Yakima Valley Latinx Coalition Previous elected office: none Endorsements: Raices, United Farmworkers Campaign contributions: Frausto did not report any campaign contributions as of Oct. 9. Luis M. Ochoa Occupation: Area manager Education: High school diploma, some college at Yakima Valley Community College and Bellevue University Community service: Volunteered with the Boys and Girls Club Previous elected office: none Endorsements: N/A Campaign contributions: Ochoa did not report any campaign contributions as of Oct. 9. Ochoa could not be reached for comment as of press time. His responses are from the Washington Secretary of State’s website.
