United Toyota Hosts Candidate Event Ahead of Nov. 3 General Election

-Editorial 

With just over two weeks remaining before the Nov. 3 general election, Imperial Valley residents had an opportunity to meet candidates seeking public office during a community forum held Oct. 18 at United Toyota of Imperial.

The event, titled “Meet & Greet Your Candidate,” brought together candidates and community members to encourage dialogue about local issues, public policy, and the responsibilities of elected officials.

“I think it’s a great event that helps community members meet the candidates, creates a sense of camaraderie and helps voters decide who they want to support,” said Carmen Blackwood, an Imperial resident. “It’s a great way to bring the community together.”

Held from 2:30 to 5:30 p.m. at United Toyota, located at 2351 Highway 86 in Imperial, the forum provided a setting for residents to interact directly with individuals seeking to represent them in local government and other public offices.

Each candidate had the opportunity to give a brief elevator speech about their candidacy. 

United Toyota General Manager Jorge Clue said the dealership’s decision to host the event reflected its commitment to the Imperial Valley community and its residents.

“This community drives Toyota, so it’s our honor to be able to have something like this, where everyone can come together, no matter where you’re from,” Clue said. “We’re not doing this for the candidates. We’re doing this for the people of Imperial County.”

Clue emphasized that the gathering was intended to make candidates more accessible to residents, including older generations and families who may not otherwise have an opportunity to interact directly with individuals running for office.

“We’re doing this for our abuelitos, our abuelitas, our tíos, our tías,” Clue said. “They can come and shake the hand of the candidates, not just a name on a piece of paper. That’s why we’re doing it, and you know what? We’re honored to do it.”

The forum was organized with the involvement of Peter Martinez, an Imperial Valley College Board of Trustees member, educator, and community advocate, who said his objective was to create an informal setting where candidates and voters could engage in conversations ahead of Election Day.

“My goal here is to establish an opportunity for candidates to meet and greet” constituents from Imperial County, Martinez said.

According to Martinez, invitations were extended to 43 candidates running for public office throughout Imperial Valley.

“We invited 43 candidates from all over the Imperial Valley,” Martinez said, adding that the event offered participants an opportunity to explain their reasons for seeking office, discuss their priorities and request voter support.

Martinez said the concept originated from a desire to organize a candidate forum outside traditional meeting venues and create a more welcoming atmosphere for the public.

“The idea originated from being outside of the box,” Martinez said. He explained that organizers considered other locations before United Toyota agreed to host the gathering.

“Toyota was the very first organization that stepped it up, and they said, you know, let’s do it here because they saw the value of building that bond and building that relationship with the community,” Martinez said.

Richard Perkins, host of the United Toyota podcast, said the dealership’s involvement reflected the importance of civic participation among both longtime Imperial Valley residents and those who have more recently made the region their home.

“This is super important to everybody,” Perkins said. “We’re not from here, myself, the GM George, and a couple of salespeople and we’re not actually from here. But now we are residents of this actual community. So this is just as important to us as it is to them.”

Perkins said the dealership immediately supported the proposal when Martinez approached its representatives about hosting the event.

“So having this open forum, once Peter brought it to us, it was an automatic yes,” Perkins said.

In addition to the candidate meet-and-greet activities, the gathering featured musical performances, dancing, and food vendors, creating an atmosphere intended to encourage families and residents to participate.

The Frank Wright Middle School band provided musical entertainment, while Núñez Dance Studio was also included in the afternoon’s activities.

Perkins said the dance studio has an existing relationship with United Toyota through the dealership’s sponsorship of its activities.

“As my boss George said, it’s a responsibility being who we are in this community. It’s a responsibility for Toyota to do this,” Perkins said.

Martinez said the combination of entertainment, food, and opportunities to meet candidates was intended to make the gathering accessible and enjoyable for residents.

“The most important thing today is to have a lot of fun, enjoy this afternoon with music from the bands that are playing,” Martinez said. “We have dancers also out here. We have food for the candidates for free, and we have a lot of food for all the constituents in Imperial County to come out here and enjoy this afternoon.”

Clue thanked Brickhouse Deli and Tengo Tacos for contributing gift cards, along with Antonio’s Baja Catch, Trap Kitchen, Kenzo Lemonade, and Mariscos La Vitamina for their involvement.