Rapid Response Director Sandra De Anda announces Ward 4 candidacy
Sandra De Anda, an immigration advocate and one of the directors of the Orange County Rapid Response Network, announced her campaign for Santa Ana City Council's Ward 4 seat in a Thursday social media post.
"Santa Ana deserves leadership that will stand up for its people, not look the other way when our livelihoods are under attack," De Anda told The Santanero. "Here in Santa Ana, we feel the consequences as our communities are targeted. When the risk of leaving home is too much, our businesses are harmed, our schools lose out on crucial funding, and people who need help the most don't receive it. All of it impacts our city's ability to provide the crucial services working people and immigrant families rely on."
De Anda began volunteering with the Orange County Rapid Response Network in 2017 and became one of the organization's directors in 2025. She oversees policy and legal strategy for the network, which responds to immigration enforcement activity, defends immigrant rights and supports affected families across Orange County.
The network has played a prominent role in responding to immigration enforcement activity in the county, providing legal resources and support to affected families before and after recent ICE raids. It has also advocated for the creation of immigrant defense funds in several cities, including Santa Ana, to provide financial assistance to families affected by immigration enforcement.
Asked by The Santanero why she decided to run, De Anda said, “Our local leaders, whether they intend to or not, are enabling this agenda by responding without conviction—or through inaction—to the needs of our community. I'm running because it's time we had leaders who ensure that everyone can see themselves reflected and heard in City Hall.”
De Anda will challenge incumbent Councilmember Phil Bacerra, who was first elected in 2019, along with any additional candidates who file before the close of the candidacy period on Aug. 7.
