With nearly 16 years under his belt working on issues related to the Fifth District, Cory Bantilan says he is prepared to dive into the duties of Santa Barbara County Board of Supervisors member on the first day.

Bantilan, chief of staff for Fifth District Supervisor Steve Lavagnino, is one of three candidates seeking the job. 

Lavagnino, after serving four terms, decided not to seek another stint, opening the field and creating a contested race for the first time since 2010.

“I’m ready on day one. There’s no learning curve,” said Bantilan, who will turn 43 prior to the June 2 primary election.

Also running for the job are Maribel Aguilera, Santa Maria City Council member and lawyer, plus Ricardo Valencia, a Santa Maria-Bonita School District Board member and a high school teacher.

The Fifth District includes Santa Maria’s northern neighborhoods along with the city of Guadalupe and the Tanglewood community.

Bantilan decided to run to replace his boss, he said, “to keep up the good work we’ve been doing.”

“Ultimately, my motivation is to make this a better place to live, easier to do business with the county, easier to start a business, easier to navigate the labyrinth of different county departments,” he said. “I would hope that that would be a part of everyone’s answer of why they’re running.”

The two other candidates for the job held campaign kickoff shindigs — Aguilera in January and Valencia in December — but Bantilan said he declined to do so. 

“I’d rather be walking precincts talking to voters than spending money having a party,”  Bantilan said, adding that he logged nearly 500,000 steps by late March.

At his competitors’ events, he received criticism for being a new resident of the Fifth District after recently purchasing a house there. But he points to his familiarity with the district.

“I know the people. I know the issues. I know where you can make the changes, where you can make the tweaks and where you can’t.”

He said that his knowledge will be vital as the county wrestles with a $1.7-billion budget amid federal and state cuts affecting the local spending programs. 

In his view, public safety remains a top priority, calling it “the most basic responsibility for local government.”

“You can have the best roads, you can have great parks, but if people don’t feel safe driving on those roads, or feel safe in those parks, it doesn’t really matter,” he said.

Bantilan was born in Oregon but was still young when his family moved to Santa Barbara County. He graduated from San Marcos High School in the Goleta Valley in 2001.

“Actually I’ve lived in all five districts in the county, which I think is kind of unique,” he said. “There’s a lot of land use issues that people don’t understand what’s going on there. I feel like I’ve a good grasp on where everything’s at.”

After high school, he moved to Ohio to major in political science, not a surprise considering a 9-year-old Bantilan was intrigued by the 1992 campaign of Ross Perot, watching as the wealthy candidate purchased blocks of time on primetime television. 

“He had his pointer and his economic charts, and I didn’t understand it all but I was intrigued,” Bantilan said, recalling he became “kind of hooked” on politics and political science. “I never knew exactly what I wanted to do with it. I just knew it was interesting.” 

Bantilan has been a consultant for multiple political campaigns and admittedly found it unusual being the candidate for a change. 

He served on the Santa Barbara Harbor Commission for approximately four years and continues to serve on the Cuyama Basin Groundwater Sustainability Agency, a role he had had since 2017. 

Lavagnino has endorsed Bantilan to become the next Fifth District supervisor, calling him “the most qualified candidate we’ve ever had run for the seat.”

Bantilan’s role as chief of staff for Lavagnino included spearheading the Santa Maria Riverbed cleanup and serving as the key person ensuring access to Guadalupe Beach was restored after storm damage.

“I caution people to be wary of promises candidates make during this campaign season,” Lavagnino said. “You won’t hear him tell you he can make your life more affordable, because he can’t and no one else can either at the county level.

“He has pledged to not raise our taxes, and his understanding of a very complicated county budget will serve all of us well,” Lavagnino said.

The primary election is June 2. If one candidate doesn’t get more than 50% of the votes, the two top candidates will head to a runoff election in November.

The Second District Supervisor seat, now filled by Laura Capps, also will be on the ballot in June with the incumbent facing challenger Elijah Mack, a religious educator.

Whoever wins the races — whether in the June primary or November general election — will begin their jobs in January 2027. 

Bantilan’s campaign website can be found at www.coryforsupervisor.com.