Mike Diaz last ran for Chula Vista City Council 16 years ago.
In that race he lost by more than 2,000 votes to former Councilman Jerry Rindone.
Although Diaz made it through the general election, beating out a handful of candidates in the primary, he said campaigning took a lot out of him.
Diaz said he never pictured himself campaigning again as he just wanted to spend more time with his family now that he had retired from the Escondido Fire Department.
“After my 2000 [city council] race, I was done. I never even looked back. I was like ‘I’m done [with politics]. I’m retired and now it is time to enjoy life,’” he said.
Then that all changed when he received an unexpected phone call sometime last year from Chula Vista Councilman John McCann.
“One day I get a call from a [Chula Vista] council member saying ‘Mike, we need you to run’,” he said. “And I’m one of those guys that when people ask me to help, I help.”
So now Diaz finds himself back on the campaign trail, running against former Chula Vista Councilman Rudy Ramirez for a seat to represent District 4, Southwest Chula Vista.
Diaz, 58, calls Ramirez a “career politician,” something Diaz said he has no aspirations of being.
“If I get termed out in this seat, I’m done,” he said. “You will never see Mike Diaz run for city council again once I’m termed out.”
He said by not being a career politician he is putting the will of the people first and not his own interest.
He said the city needs new blood on the dais and not the same people at city hall.
Diaz said he will make public safety his first priority if elected. He said ensuring that the fire department has adequate staffing levels and giving the department the resources needed to successfully meet their response times.
Diaz opposes a half-cent sales tax measure on the November ballot to help fund the city’s infrastructure. He said he opposes the measure because many residents in Southwest Chula Vista struggle to make ends meet so they cannot afford an increased cost when purchasing items.
“Southwest Chula Vista can’t afford it,” he said.
Diaz said he will make helping the homeless population in District 4 one of his main priorities. He plans to curb the homeless population by bringing high paying jobs into the area.
When he is not campaigning, Diaz teaches a firefighting course on a part-time basis at Sweetwater High School in National City.
