City of Temecula
The Southwest Riverside County Biz PAC sent every candidate the following candidate questionnaire. The intent was to cover as many business issues as possible to get to know the candidate better. We recognize that some response choices may not fully reflect the candidate’s position, but we acknowledged that and asked them to submit the option that most closely reflects their view.
Meet the Candidates
Office Sought
Temecula City Council District 5
Dr. Yuan Hawkes
1. In 100 words or less, why are you running for office?
I want to bring positive changes to Temecula by reducing traffic, preserving open spaces and creating local jobs. I am not running for power, status or money because I've walked away from a lot more when I became a stay-at-home mom and left my career 15 years ago. For the last 4 years, I served as a community services commissioner for Temecula. I realized that I couldn't vote on anything. Since I want to help residents, running for elected office is the only option.
2. What impact will you have on this community if you don't win this election?
I have given myself 100% to this community. If I don't win the election, I will inspire others to get involved in local politics and be a new voice for the people of Temecula. I am the living proof that American dream is alive and well.
3. Tell us about a time you were convinced of a position on an issue, then learned more and changed your mind.
As a scientist, I had to constantly evaluate my position or thesis statement based on the results of my experiment. I am constantly learning and I have a very open mind.
Office Sought
Temecula City Council District 5
Zak Schwank
1. In 100 words or less, why are you running for office?
I am running for reelection because I believe I am the best candidate for the job. After serving 8 years, we have accomplished quite a lot, but there is more work to do. The team we have in place on the staff side is solid and council is working well together providing stability for the community.
2. What impact will you have on this community if you don't win this election?
I will still be engaged in local affairs in a variety of ways. From volunteering with nonprofits I respect to helping people through my work at UCR, I will always be working for the betterment of Temecula.
3. Tell us about a time you were convinced of a position on an issue, then learned more and changed your mind.
I've been convinced on several major issues during my time on council. I think the last one was allowing more restaurants/bars to serve past midnight. We have had some issues in old town with several establishments and I felt that spreading out the drinking was the best option. After community input and conversations with our public safety team, I changed my mind.