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Watsonville City Council

Metro Santa Cruz recommends:
District 1 - Manuel Quintero Bersamin
District 2 - Luis Alejo
District 6 - Edward Din

Things are getting heated in South County. Conservatives are battling progressives for three seats and the chance to change the course of development in Watsonville.

Golden boy Luis Alejo and Manuel Bersamin are progressives pushing for more affordable housing, and Alejo has big-time ideas on turning the city into a green jobs epicenter. While their opponents Joe Ortiz and Gabriel Gonzalez are very in touch with their districts, they seem to have a bit too much backing from airport interests; Ortiz is prioritizing more big-box store projects.

Things are slightly less clear-cut in the wealthier sixth district. All three candidates--Din, Emilio Martinez and Tony Gomez--are opposed to the Atkinson Lane high-density housing project, but incumbent Din has proven himself to be extremely engaged in his community. Nevertheless, it should be said that Martinez has great passion and the businessman's cool to potentially lift him above the Anglo vs. Latino and progressive vs. conservative feuds endemic to Watsonville politics.