Jessie Lopez
2020 - Present
2028
4
Jessie Lopez is a member of the Santa Ana City Council in California, representing Ward 3. She assumed office on December 8, 2020. Her current term ends in 2028.
Lopez ran for re-election to the Santa Ana City Council to represent Ward 3 in California. She won in the general election on November 5, 2024.
Lopez completed Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection survey in 2024. Click here to read the survey answers.
Biography
Jessie Lopez was born in Santa Ana, California. She earned a high school diploma from Santa Ana High School, an associate degree from Santa Ana College, and a bachelor's degree from California State University, Long Beach. Her career experience includes working in government.[1]
Elections
2024
See also: City elections in Santa Ana, California (2024)
General election
General election for Santa Ana City Council Ward 3
Incumbent Jessie Lopez defeated Jeffrey Katz in the general election for Santa Ana City Council Ward 3 on November 5, 2024.
Candidate | % | Votes | ||
| ✔ |  | Jessie Lopez (Nonpartisan)  | 51.2 | 9,109 |
| Jeffrey Katz (Nonpartisan) | 48.8 | 8,685 | ||
| Total votes: 17,794 | |||
| = candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey. | ||||
| If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey. | ||||
Do you want a spreadsheet of this type of data? Contact our sales team. | ||||
Endorsements
To view Lopez's endorsements as published by their campaign, click here. Ballotpedia did not identify endorsements for Lopez in this election.
2023
See also: Jessie Lopez and Thai Viet Phan recall, Santa Ana, California (2023)
Jessie Lopez recall, 2023
Jessie Lopez won the Santa Ana City Council Ward 3 recall election on November 14, 2023.
Recall Vote |
% |
Votes |
|||
Yes |
43.6
|
2,993 | |||
| ✔ | No |
56.4
|
3,867 | ||
Total Votes |
6,860 | ||||
|
|
2020
See also: City elections in Santa Ana, California (2020)
General election
General election for Santa Ana City Council Ward 3
Jessie Lopez defeated Mark McLoughlin, Jeffrey Katz, Danny Vega, and Jannelle Welker in the general election for Santa Ana City Council Ward 3 on November 3, 2020.
Candidate | % | Votes | ||
| ✔ | | Jessie Lopez (Nonpartisan) | 34.1 | 6,786 |
 | Mark McLoughlin (Nonpartisan) | 26.4 | 5,242 | |
| Jeffrey Katz (Nonpartisan) | 20.7 | 4,116 | ||
| Danny Vega (Nonpartisan) | 11.7 | 2,322 | ||
| Jannelle Welker (Nonpartisan) | 7.1 | 1,421 | ||
| Total votes: 19,887 | |||
| = candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey. | ||||
| If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey. | ||||
Do you want a spreadsheet of this type of data? Contact our sales team. | ||||
Campaign themes
2024
Ballotpedia survey responses
See also: Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection
Jessie Lopez completed Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection survey in 2024. The survey questions appear in bold and are followed by Lopez's responses. Candidates are asked three required questions for this survey, but they may answer additional optional questions as well.
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Before entering public office, I worked in corporate law firms, where I developed problem-solving skills and learned to deliver real results. I’ve always been dedicated to my community, advocating to preserve public land and green spaces in our park-poor city, while pushing for greater transparency in government.
As a councilwoman, I’ve worked to improve the infrastructure of Ward 3 by repairing streets and sidewalks, making parks safer, and securing millions in funding for new bathrooms, resurfaced basketball and tennis courts, and lighting projects. I also revitalized our downtown area, delivered $3 million to support small businesses, led the city through the pandemic, and approved outdoor dining initiatives. Additionally, I am focused on reducing homelessness and preventing unlawful evictions, showing compassion while holding individuals accountable. I supported solutions like CARE Court and advocated for Prop 1 to bring more funding for mental health services.
I proudly represent working families and will continue fighting for a brighter, more equitable future for Santa Ana.- Building affordable housing is essential for preventing homelessness. By ensuring that residents are not unlawfully evicted, we protect families from falling into crisis. Investing in mental health services and providing housing for veterans not only supports those in need but also enhances the overall quality of life in our community. Additionally, workforce housing can address economic stability, allowing families to thrive. This approach also gives younger generations the opportunity to stay in Santa Ana, helping to reduce overcrowding in our neighborhoods. Each of these elements is interconnected; when we prioritize affordable housing and support systems, we create a safer, more equitable community for everyone.
- My focus will be on stabilizing our budget in light of the projected $30 million loss over the next five years and a staggering $90 million loss when the sales tax sunsets. We must cut back on spending, learn to live within our means, and proactively plan for this financial shortfall. The time to start saving money is NOW. We need to identify sustainable revenue sources to overcome this deficit, which will undoubtedly impact our quality of life. My re-election is crucial because I am well-versed in the city’s finances and have delivered a responsible budget each year in office. Without sound financial management, we cannot provide essential services to our community.
- Public safety and youth investment are vital to our community's well-being. I'm proud to report that overall crime in Santa Ana has significantly decreased, largely due to our investments in after-school programming, K-12 education, and gang prevention initiatives. In 2022, Santa Ana experienced a 12% drop in overall crime compared to the previous year. Violent crimes decreased by 8%, with reductions in robbery and aggravated assault. Property crimes, including burglary and auto theft, also fell, with auto theft down by 15%. To sustain this positive trend, we must continue funding these essential services and ensure our Police Department effectively supports our constituents.
I see daily the consequences of not building enough affordable housing and the impact of unfair evictions. These issues destabilize our students' learning environments and harm our entire community. When we fail to meet the demand for lower housing costs, we jeopardize the futures of our residents. This drives my commitment to advocate for housing solutions that create stability and opportunity for all.
Orange County Supervisor Vicente Sarmiento
State Senator Umberg
State Senator Newman
Sierra Club
Orange County Firefighters Association
Orange County Labor Federation
Planned Parenthood Action Fund
Women in Leadership
Laborers International Union of North America
(LiUNA Local 652)
Democratic Party of Orange County
Orange County Young Democrats
Orange County Lavender Democrats
MOMS Demand Action
Working Families Party
Sheet Metal Workers 105
SEIU Local 721
National Union of Healthcare Workers
Note: Ballotpedia reserves the right to edit Candidate Connection survey responses. Any edits made by Ballotpedia will be clearly marked with [brackets] for the public. If the candidate disagrees with an edit, he or she may request the full removal of the survey response from Ballotpedia.org. Ballotpedia does not edit or correct typographical errors unless the candidate's campaign requests it.
2020
Jessie Lopez completed Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection survey in 2020. The survey questions appear in bold and are followed by Lopez's responses. Candidates are asked three required questions for this survey, but they may answer additional optional questions as well.
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Jessie will never stop fighting for attainable housing, reducing homelessness, increasing transparency, protecting our environment, and supporting youth programs to create a safe and vibrant Santa Ana.
- Reduce homelessness by investing in mental health and addiction treatment, expanding job training, decriminalizing, and providing help to those in danger of becoming homeless.End Homelessness
- Protecting our environment by making smart investments in a green economy & continue fighting to protect our public lands and green space.
- Make city hall work for us by ending corruption and ensuring that our community is centered in the decision-making processes. Politicians are supposed to represent us, not their donors. Jessie will be accountable to you - not special interests.
As a young working professional, Jessie understands the day-to-day realities that Ward 3 families face. Jessie will represent our working families by supporting policies that reinforce her commitment to finding viable solutions for affordable housing. and a community where our working families, our teachers, our small business owners, among others, can afford to live, work, and play. Jessie believes our working families enrich our community and she will ensure that Santa Ana is equitable and livable for all.
I have grown up seeing my parents work two to three jobs throughout my life, and this is where I get my work ethic from. This is what you can expect from me: someone who will always be prepared and ready to get to work.
Note: Ballotpedia reserves the right to edit Candidate Connection survey responses. Any edits made by Ballotpedia will be clearly marked with [brackets] for the public. If the candidate disagrees with an edit, he or she may request the full removal of the survey response from Ballotpedia.org. Ballotpedia does not edit or correct typographical errors unless the candidate's campaign requests it.
See also
2024 Elections
External links
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Candidate Santa Ana City Council Ward 3 |
Officeholder Santa Ana City Council Ward 3 |
Personal |
Footnotes
- ↑ Information submitted to Ballotpedia through the Candidate Connection survey on September 22, 2024
| Political offices | ||
|---|---|---|
| Preceded by Jose Solorio |
Santa Ana City Council Ward 3 2020-Present |
Succeeded by - |
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