Mary Salas is out to make history in Chula Vista.
If elected as the 40th mayor of San Diego County’s second largest city on Nov. 4, Salas will become the first Latina mayor in a city that’s population is predominantly Hispanic.
A feat she said would pay homage to her relatives from México.
“I thought to myself, ‘What better honor would it be for my family?” she said.
“A Mexican immigrant family to see that in three generations that this could happen. I mean that is the American Dream, so I will be the first Latina mayor,” she said.
However, the councilwoman insists that voters should elect her because they feel she is the “most qualified” mayoral candidate to lead Chula Vista.
Her opponent, former councilman Jerry Rindone, at a recent candidate forum questioned Salas’ commitment to Chula Vistans saying that in the past she has run for city government only to seek higher office.
“First of all, this has always been my dream (of becoming mayor),”she said. “I have no ambitions of doing anything (else). I’m in for the long haul.”
Salas said it became a dream of hers when she realized that she had developed the skills to run for mayor.
“I never envisioned myself as a politican but once I was elected I found that it was a skill I had.
Salas failed at her first bid for mayor in 2002, losing to former mayor Steve Padilla, who is currently running for a City Council seat.
Salas, a former assemblywoman, called her loss for a California State Senate seat in 2010 “a blessing” because she wouldn’t have the opportunity to run for mayor today if she had won.
While her challenger has maintained that building the glamorous bayfront is at the top of his priority list, her emphasis lies with the students in Chula Vista.
“My priority is going to be to make sure that we get the university built,” she said.
“I think that’s more important than the bayfront, although it is important to us. Really what’s going to generate the really good, well-paying jobs is a university. What’s going to give access to our children to higher education is a university. And universities transform communities.”
Salas said she would like the university to be built before her mayoral term is up.
Salas had sparked some controversy earlier this year when she explored the idea of unifying school districts in the South Bay.
An idea she said that she no longer is interested in as new leadership is set to take place at the Sweetwater Union High School District.
“There’s going to be a whole change of the Sweetwater school district,” she said.
“There is going to be all-new directors there. They’ve gotten a new superintendent. And so I think that we need to give the district an opportunity to right itself, and I believe that it will. It starts with good leadership.”
Salas said another focus of hers is to fully staff the police force while maintaining Chula Vista as one of the safest cities in the United States.
She said the police department is short more than 20 officers and she would like to hire more.
Salas said she likes the way Chula Vista’s term limits are set up and doesn’t see changing it.
Regarding medicinal mariuana dispenceries in Chula Vista, Salas said that isn’t for the mayor or City Council to decide.
“I don’t think that it’s a good thing unless there is a state-wide acceptance of marijuana,” she said.
“While there are some people who need medical marijuana there is too much game playing in it and there is too much gaming the system and they are, in essence, pot shops.”
Salas said she is the perfect person for mayor because she understands the needs of the community.
“What I think really makes me different is that I was a full-time mother for a long time, and so I understand the struggles that young families have in providing for their families, “ she said.
Salas is a devout Catholic.
She graduated from Marian Catholic High School and tries to attend church regularly. Salas said her faith and family are what drive her.
Despite the Catholic Church’s opposition to gay marriage, Salas said she is a supporter of same-sex marriage.
“Even though I’m Catholic, it doesn’t mean that I agree 100 percent on everything that they stand for. And I know that some people say ‘well, that’s pick and chose Catholisicim.’ But I really believe people are born the way that they are and that their love is just as honorable as anybody else’s love.”
Salas said she threw her hat in this year’s mayoral race because she wants to make a difference in the lives of Chula Vistans.
“I’ve had a really good life here,” she said.
“And what I really want is for other families to be able to make sure that their kids live in a safe environment, that they have good schools and that the city provides the best services possible.”
Salas’ political career, she said, was an “accident.” After her first marriage failed, Salas decided to go back to school at age 37 to provide more opportunities for her children and to serve as a role model.
She graduated from Southwestern College then graduated from San Diego State Univseristy with a degree in social work at the age of 41.
She had set out for a career as a social worker but that didn’t pan out because of an economic downturn.
Fresh out of college, Salas ended up working at the Employment Development Department where she helped people get jobs.
“My career was rasing my children and working for California Trade and Commerce Agency,” she said. “My privilege has been to serve the public through elected office.”
