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The San Benito County Board of Supervisors voted 4-1 to accept the certification of its 2024 primary election results amid domicile or residency concerns about Supervisor-elect Ignacio Velazquez.
Supervisor Bea Gonzales, whose seat was up for election, opposed accepting it during the April 9 board meeting. The re-election of Supervisors Dom Zanger (District 1) and Kollin Kosmicki (District 2) and the election of former Hollister mayor Ignacio Velazquez (District 5) were accepted by the board’s vote. County Clerk-Recorder/Registrar of Voters Francisco Diaz certified the Statement of Election Results on March 29.
In December, residents submitted complaints to the county’s Registrar of Voters Office alleging that Velazquez did not live in District 5. The district includes downtown Hollister, areas between Rancho San Justo Middle School and Sunnyslope Elementary School, and the northern area of the county between Hwy 25 and Hwy 156.
County Clerk-Recorder/Registrar of Voters Francisco Diaz told BenitoLink that seven complaints were filed against Velazquez stating that he listed a 5850 San Felipe Road domicile while his family lived in a different district.
However, Diaz said Velazquez was eligible to run for office. According to the San Benito County candidate guide, to be eligible to run for Board of Supervisors, a candidate must be a U.S. citizen, a registered voter within the district they seek to represent for at least 30 days preceding the filing deadline, and must reside in the district during incumbency. For the newly certified supervisors, incumbency begins in January 2025.
Gonzales restated the residency issues before the certification vote was taken. She was the only supervisor to speak on the topic.
“I have spoken to the DA’s office,” Gonzales said. “I’ve spoken with the elections office and I’m not questioning the integrity of you [Diaz] or your office.”
“It is a residency issue of my opponent that I question, and I will not be voting to certify this on that basis. Again, what’s wrong is wrong. What’s right is right. And this is just wrong.”
There were two public comments. One that questioned Velazquez’s integrity and another in support of denying the certification and conducting a formal investigation.
Hollister resident Elia Salinas said, “There is no reason not to certify the election based on any faults or fake ballots. I do, however, question one candidate for District 5 which is Ignacio Velasquez, who does not live in District 5. It is common knowledge that he does not live there.”
She continued: “You may certify the election but at least have the courage to make a statement on your own. The integrity of the elections department is not in question, but the integrity of Ignacio Velazquez is always in question.”
Celeste Toledo-Bocanegra, who is the planning commissioner for District 5, said she did not question the elections office, but questioned Velazquez’s intentions. In 2021, she was part of a group that attempted to recall Velazquez when he was Hollister’s mayor. The group did not complete the process.
“We know he does not live in Supervisor Bea Gonzales’ district. We know that he moved,” Toledo-Bocanegra said. “Now there’s so many questions that just arised. I just ask that the four supervisors please ask that question.”
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