A Soledad city councilmember announces he will not seek re-election.

The youngest elected official on the Soledad City Council, Fernando Ansaldo-Sánchez, announced on July 21 that he will not seek re-election. 

“Serving the residents of Soledad has been one of the greatest honors of my life thus far,” Ansaldo-Sánchez said in a press release, adding he will focus on his career path. 

“Leadership has always meant pushing ideas forward and delivering real results for our residents, and I believe our community deserves a council that is fully invested in shaping our city and its future, not personal ambitions,” Ansaldo-Sánchez added. 

He is the second incumbent councilmember to announce he will not seek reelection this week. 

Mayor Anna Velazquez told the Weekly on July 21 she will not run for a fourth mayoral term after serving 10 years on the council; four as a councilmember and nearly six as Soledad mayor. 

Ansaldo-Sánchez ran for office in the 2024 primaries during a special election to serve the remainder of Alejandro Chavez’s term, who resigned because he moved out of the city. 

He was the last candidate in Soledad to be elected under the at-large model, with nearly 70 percent of the votes (Soledad moved to first-district elections on Nov. 5, 2024).  

Ansaldo-Sánchez supported district elections and favored the model that had at-large mayoral elections. 

During his partial term of about three years, Ansaldo-Sánchez supported public art, small businesses and investment in infrastructure and economic development.