Ricardo Valencia
Candidate, County Supervisor, Fifth District
SB County Supervisorial District 5 (Santa Maria, Guadalupe, Orcutt, Cuyama)
Ricardo Valencia is running for the Santa Barbara County Board of Supervisors in the Fifth District — and unlike the parade of folks who discover North County exists only when a campaign season rolls around, he actually grew up here. A Santa Maria and Guadalupe native, he teaches at Santa Maria High School (ethnic studies, the subject that makes certain school-board meetings extremely lively) and serves on a local school district board. His name appears on the ballot in the June 2, 2026 primary.
His pitch, boiled down past the yard-sign poetry: North County has spent a long time being the county's economic engine while getting the back seat at the dinner table, and he'd like a Supervisor who can find Santa Maria on a map without GPS. Whether voters agree is, as always, gloriously up to the voters.
Focus Areas
- Affordable & workforce housing
- Renter protections
- Youth & workforce pipeline
- Climate resilience
Places Represented
Frequently Asked
Who is Ricardo Valencia?
Ricardo Valencia is a Santa Maria High School teacher and local school board member running for the Santa Barbara County Board of Supervisors, Fifth District, in the June 2, 2026 primary.
What office is Ricardo Valencia running for?
He is a candidate for the Fifth District seat on the Santa Barbara County Board of Supervisors, which is centered on Santa Maria and North County.
What are Ricardo Valencia's priorities?
His campaign emphasizes affordable and workforce housing, renter protections and childcare access, a stronger youth-to-jobs pipeline, support for immigrant communities, and climate resilience.