The March 5 race for the San Bernardino City Council’s Third Ward pits a housing community organizer against a first-term councilmember.
Christian T. Shaughnessy is challenging Juan Figueroa, who won his seat on the dais in a 2019 special election after former council member John Valdivia was elected mayor in 2018. Valdivia lost his bid for re-election to Mayor Helen Tran in 2022.
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The Third Ward is one of four council seats on the March 5 ballot.
We reached out to all of the candidates and asked them the same questions. Below are the responses for the Third Ward candidates, edited for length to conform to required word limits.
Juan Figueroa
Age: No response provided.
Occupation: Medical social worker
Education: Graduate of California State University San Bernardino
Has the city done enough to address homelessness? To address homelessness, I joined with State Assemblyman James Ramos to expand mental health treatment resources. I support the construction of the city’s Navigation Center to help address the root causes of homelessness. The Navigation Center will connect people to resources, medical and mental health support, substance disorder counseling, individualized case management, job training, along with placement and expanded access to permanent housing.
What would you like to see done with Carousel Mall? No response provided.
What makes you the best choice for your ward, rather than your opponent? I grew up in the Third Ward and have long been active in the local community as a neighborhood association president and city commissioner. As a professional medical social worker, my focus is to help people get the health care services and treatments they need. I recently secured $1 million in private funding for improvements to Lytle Creek Park.
Top three community activities: 1) Third Ward City Council member from 2019 to the present. 2) Past president, Amtrak Neighborhood Association. 3) San Bernardino city commissioner for the Third Ward.
Campaign information:
Christian T. Shaughnessy
Age: 29
Occupation: Housing community organizer
Education: San Bernardino Valley College, UC Santa Barbara
Has the city done enough to address homelessness? Not at all. We need affordable housing abundance the likes of which San Bernardino has never seen before. We need ambitious investments into our mental health services and street outreach teams along with culturally competent and compassionate practices to get the homeless off the streets.
What would you like to see done with Carousel Mall? I want a community benefits agreement with local hiring practices that would help guarantee good, middle-class jobs and create an affordable housing renaissance in our downtown. Instead of blight and the legacy of slum lords, we could hire far more code enforcement officers to crack down on corrupt slum lords. Furthermore, we could see a mixed use corridor surrounded by efficient mass transit that would link downtown with the rest of the region.
What makes you the best choice for your ward, rather than your opponent? I do not take any corporate PAC or developer money and I never will. I have been endorsed by 25 organizations and unions and 14 elected officials. I believe in term limits and campaign finance reform.
Top three community activities: 1) Co-chair of Mecha (Chicano student movement of Aztlan) at Third Ward’s very own San Bernardino Valley College. 2) Chair of the San Bernardino County Youth Coordinated Entry System on Homelessness. 3) Lead staff liaison for San Bernardino County Youth Advisory Board on Homelessness.
Campaign information: ; 951-465-5320
