Antioch Parks & Recreation Commission Chair jumps into District 3 council race

Marie Arce and Ruben Rocha. Photos from their Facebook pages.

Former mayor’s grandson pulls papers to run for City Treasurer

By Allen Payton

The race for the Antioch City Council District 3 just got more crowded as Antioch Parks and Recreation Commission Chair, Marie Arce pulled papers on Friday. That brings the field of candidates to five. She will challenge two incumbent council members, a former commissioner and a current city board member.

According to her personal Facebook page, Arce is an Accounting Bookkeeper for Kaiser Foundation Hospitals, but more specifically she said she works for the Kaiser Foundation School of Nursing, and is studying Public Administration at Golden Gate University. According to her LinkedIn profile, Arce is the Business Manager/Analyst for the Mt. Diablo Unitarian Universalist Church in Walnut Creek, as well as owner of Marie Arce Photography.

“Time to get excited for the bright future in our community. I’m excited to announce I’ll be running for Antioch City Council District 3. I hope to earn your support and vote!” she wrote on her campaign Facebook page Friday night.

The 2003 Antioch High School graduate also serves in Business Finance at the Unitarian Universalist Justice Ministry of California, which advocates for defunding police according to the organization’s Facebook page, and as the Finance Liaison at Winter Nights Family Shelter in Contra Costa County, located in Pleasant Hill.

Time to get excited for the bright future in our community. I’m excited to announce I’ll be running for Antioch City Council District 3. I hope to earn your support and vote!

Posted by Marie Arce for Antioch City Council District 3 on Friday, July 24, 2020

Arce announced her campaign by posting the video above, and the following on her personal Facebook page, Friday afternoon:

“You do not recover from your child passing, only mend pieces of you back, but you’re different.

Many of you have experienced and seen my love for Caitlin (her late daughter) shown in 4eversunshine Designs and through my work as Chair of the City of Antioch Parks and Recreation, but now it’s time to grow that love for my girls and my town even further.

Today, I picked up my papers for intent to run for Antioch City Council District 3!

The love and support that I have received from my community has been humbling, and I am grateful for the community that I chose to raise my family.

Go now and like my page Marie Arce for Antioch City Council District 3, where I will keep you in the loop on what we are doing in the community and have the opportunity for Q & A’s!

If you want change, you must be that change, so here I go!

I would love your support and energy not only during the election, but after November when we together, can begin to build a bridge to the future of the city that I love!”

City Treasurer Race

In addition, Ruben Rocha is attempting to be the third generation of his family to serve in leadership for the Antioch community by pulling papers to run for City Treasurer. He will face incumbent Jim Davis who is seeking his second term in the part-time position. Rocha is the grandson of former Antioch Mayor and current Antioch School Board Trustee Mary Rocha, and one of the twin sons of Antioch High School Principal Louie Rocha.

According to his Facebook page, Ruben works as a Substitute Site Safety Assistant for the Antioch Unified School District. To announce his campaign, on Thursday Rocha wrote, “I pulled papers today to run for City Treasurer of Antioch! God is so good!”

According to City Clerk Arne Simonsen, the following Antioch residents have taken out Nomination Papers as of 5 p.m. July 24th or Qualified for the following City offices:

Council District 3

Lori Ogorchock – Antioch Councilwoman

Lamar Thorpe – Antioch Councilman

Wayne Steffen – former Antioch Parks & Recreation Commission Member

Antwon Webster – Antioch Board of Administrative Appeals Member

Marie Arce – Antioch Parks & Recreation Commission Chair

City Treasurer

James Davis (I) – City Treasurer

Ruben Rocha

No other candidates pulled or filed their papers for any other city office or the Antioch School Board on Friday. This list will be updated when additional registered Antioch voters take out Nomination Papers or become Qualified. To see the complete list of candidates for Antioch City offices and the Antioch School Board, visit www.antiochherald.com/election-2020.


the attachments to this post:


Marie Arce & Ruben Rocha


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