Candidate for Antioch Council District 4 launches “$0 campaign”
Make a Stand Antioch
Posted by Alexastorga4antioch on Friday, September 4, 2020
Doesn’t want police reform, wants to transform policing; will be first openly gay council member
Alex John Astorga. From his campaign Facebook page.
By Allen Payton
During the filing for candidates to run for Antioch City Council in District 4 in July and August, and even after, it wasn’t known who one of the three candidates was. All the Herald could learn of Alex John Astorga through an internet search about him was that he’s a 60-year-old resident of our city. But now we know more since he’s launched his campaign.
According to Astorga’s campaign Facebook page he writes, “I am an independent with no party affiliation, running a $0 campaign. I am not a politician.”
In a video interview with Oakley resident Kevin McManimen, a member of the group Make a Stand Antioch, posted on the campaign Facebook page, Astorga says he’s lived in Antioch since 2010, and for the last seven years he’s owned a home, here. He was born in Pomona and raised in Covina, in Southern California, is married and has been with his husband for 30 years. If elected, that will make him the first openly gay Antioch Council member.
Astorga has a degree in Business Management from the University of Maryland, a graduate certificate in Information Systems Management from USC, and is a Stanford Certificated Project Manager. He serves on a non-profit board, is an Air Force veteran, and has lived in five different states and in Europe.
According to his LinkedIn profile and his resume posted there, Astorga’s business is Napravit, Inc. for which he has been the Information Technology Project Manager since 2011. According to the company’s website, they “develop and deliver business-driven enterprise training programs.” The business is a certified LGBT Business Enterprise of the Golden Gate Business Association.
Astorga also works part-time as the programming director for the Association for Talent Development, whose mission is to “Empower Professionals to Develop Talent in the Workplace.” He previously worked for Chevron at their headquarters in San Ramon as a Project Manager for six years.
In the interview, in response to a question about “police reform versus defunding,” Astorga responded, “this is pretty much what this whole election is going to be all about. I’ve been around enough years to know police reform, at least what we’re calling police reform, today doesn’t work. It’s got to be transformed. I believe in reimagining public safety. This has been done. We have other cities as examples. There are books on it. Community policing. So, what I’d like to do is get with the Antioch Police force and say, ‘help us design a new way of policing, here’. The system we’ve been using for the well over 100 years is no longer adequate…for our situation. I’m saying we still need police, but we need a different idea. We’re asking too much of the police.”
“You actually hit the nail on the head. A lot of what you’re saying is the same ideals as my group,” McManimem responded.
In response to another question about which council member his opinions and policies most align with, Astorga said he likes Tamisha Walker, who isn’t a current council member, but is running for Antioch City Council in District 1. “She’s very good and has a lot of good ideas,” he said.
See the rest of the video interview above, or by clicking here. For more information visit Astorga’s Facebook page or email him at alexastorga4antioch@gmail.com.
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