Ricardo Valencia, an educator and Santa Maria-Bonita School District board member, is running for Santa Barbara County’s 5th District seat on a platform rooted in life experience, community advocacy and equity-focused governance.
Valencia, 42, lives in Santa Maria and says that he is the only candidate in the race to have lived in both Santa Maria and Guadalupe. A high school history teacher at Santa Maria High School, his alma mater, Valencia has served on the Santa Maria-Bonita School District board since 2020.
He is one of three candidates vying for the non-partisan seat. In the June 2 primary, the top two vote-getters move on to the Nov. 3 general election…