Castillejos Qualifies as Write-In, Set to Begin Campaign

Longtime Menifee resident Darci Castillejos has been certified as a write-in candidate for mayor in the Nov. 4 election, a city official confirmed today.

City clerk Kathy Bennett said all application materials were received and approved for Castillejos to receive votes for mayor. Her name will not appear on the ballot, but Castillejos is making plans for signage and promotions throughout the city. She will run against incumbent Scott Mann and Paul Wiggins, both of whom qualified early and will appear on the ballot.

Castillejos is well known in local circles and has been an active participant in city government. She was vice president of the Menifee Valley Incorporation Committee, which led the way to cityhood in 2008. She finished seventh in the voting for the original city council that year.

A 25-year resident of Menifee, Castillejos and her husband Mike -- manager of U.S. Bank in Sun City -- have raised their family here. Darci is a local restaurant owner and is an active participant in Chamber of Commerce functions as well as other civic activities.

"There are things about the city I'm not happy about," Castillejos said by phone from Afghanistan, where she is completing her deployment as a Chief Petty Officer prior to her retirement from the U.S. Navy. "I was thinking about running this year before I got orders to deploy. But after following what's been going on, I decided it wasn't too late to run. I will be back in time to serve if I'm elected."

Upon her certification as a write-in candidate today, Castillejos was granted permission by Menifee 24/7 to participate in the Candidates Forum, scheduled for Thursday at 6 p.m. in the campus theater at Paloma Valley High School. She will be allowed to make opening and closing statements and answer questions via speaker phone.

Because of national security reasons, Castillejos is not allowed to disclose the exact date of her return to the U.S. She said she would be here in time to be sworn in if elected.

Castillejos said that in recent weeks, she received many Facebook comments and emails regarding the election campaign and concerns residents had about some of the candidates. She has been outspoken in her opposition to the way in which council members conduct themselves during meetings and of controversies surrounding candidates.

According to Castillejos, reading about recent accusations that Mann participated in a smear campaign against an opponent in 2012 "was the straw that broke the camel's back."

"I put my name in, hoping that people at home will support me," she said. "It's a challenge and a longshot, I know. At worst, it's a sign to the public that we're not going to let ourselves be subjected to this type of leadership.

"I'm really not a person who seeks the limelight, but there wasn't anybody out there stepping up to oppose the current candidates."

Castillejos said one of her priorities would be to enforce ethical conduct on the council by putting back on the agenda an ethics policy council members have not been able to agree on before. She also opposes what she calls "a huge waste of resources", referring to the council's role in the frequent turnover of city attorneys and city managers.

"There has been a tremendous turnover in staff, and the reason is their problems with council members," she said. "The council plays power games. They have wasted thousands of dollars on frivolous things and decisions."

Castillejos said she wants to ensure that Menifee retains its "small town atmosphere" but creates more jobs locally for residents. She also would like to bring more walking and biking trails to the city.