After months of encouragement, I decided to run again. Then, on the final day, everything changed.

For months, I had no intention of running again for the Hanford City Council.

But something kept happening that I could no longer ignore.

Everywhere I went, people were asking me to run again. I heard it on social media, at community events, at the time capsule, and simply while I was out around Hanford.

“Please run again.”

What surprised me most was that some of those words came from people who did not support me four years ago.

Several people approached me and told me they had changed their minds. Some apologized. Others told me they had taken the time to go back and research the information I had shared publicly over the years.

They told me they had verified it for themselves.

And then I heard words that meant a lot to me:

“You were right. You were telling the truth.”

But almost every conversation eventually came back to the same request.

“Francisco, you need to run again.”

I heard it over and over.

And for a long time, my answer was still no.

I Wasn’t Planning to Run

Running for public office requires sacrifices that people don’t always see.

For me, there is a financial sacrifice. I have businesses, personal projects, and other responsibilities that have to be scaled back or placed on hold when I commit myself to public service.

I knew exactly what I would be committing myself to, and I had to seriously consider whether I was willing to make those sacrifices again.

About two weeks before the filing deadline, I finally decided to pull the papers to run for Hanford City Council District D.

But pulling the papers didn’t mean I had made up my mind.

I sat on them.

For the next day or two, I seriously considered not turning them in.

Even with all the encouragement I had received, I wasn’t completely convinced that running again was the right decision.

Then I called my friend Emily.

One More Push

Emily has been an avid supporter of mine for more than ten years.

When I told her that I had pulled the papers but was still debating whether I was actually going to run, she told me she had been hoping I would.

Then she essentially told me what I needed to hear.

“You’re going to run again. Let’s go get your signatures.”

So we did.

What happened next changed my perspective completely.

The Support I Didn’t Expect

Going door to door to gather signatures became much more than simply qualifying for the ballot.

People welcomed me into their homes.

They offered me food. They offered me something to drink. They wanted to sit down and talk about Hanford, their families, their concerns, and what they wanted to see from their local government.

Sometimes I expected to stop by for only a few minutes and ended up staying for 20 or 30 minutes.

Sometimes it was nearly an hour.

People wanted to talk. They wanted to break bread. And they wanted me to know that they supported me.

I was genuinely surprised by the response.

Only one person I approached told me they couldn’t sign because they didn’t know enough about me. Everyone else I spoke with was willing to sign.

I received more than enough signatures.

But what I gained from that experience was far more valuable than signatures on a piece of paper.

I realized just how much support was still out there.

To every person who opened your door to me, offered me something to eat or drink, sat down and talked with me, signed my papers, sent me a message, stopped me somewhere in Hanford, or simply told me to run again, thank you.

I mean that sincerely.

Those conversations meant more to me than many of you probably realize.

I Finally Said Yes

Even after collecting the signatures, I waited a little longer.

This wasn’t a decision I wanted to make lightly.

Then I finally made it.

I was going to run.

Once I made that commitment, I was all in.

I completed my paperwork and turned everything in. I mentally prepared myself for the campaign ahead.

I was prepared to knock on doors.

I was prepared to answer difficult questions.

I was prepared to defend my record and explain where I stand on the issues facing Hanford today.

I was prepared to listen to residents who agreed with me and those who didn’t.

Most importantly, I was prepared to work for every single vote.

Today was supposed to be the day I announced that I was officially running for Hanford City Council District D.

But then the race took an unexpected turn.

Everything Changed on the Final Day

I was fully prepared to have an opponent.

Another gentleman had gathered his signatures and taken the steps necessary to enter the race. I respected that and was prepared for a competitive campaign.

But on the final day, he graciously decided to withdraw from the race.

I respect his decision and sincerely wish him the very best. Running for public office is a major commitment, and I have respect for anyone willing to step forward and consider serving their community.

His decision changed the race completely.

Instead of announcing today that I am beginning a competitive campaign for Hanford City Council District D, I am announcing that I am now unopposed.

Subject to completion of the remaining election process, I expect to return to the Hanford City Council this December.

It’s certainly not the announcement I expected to be making when I pulled those papers two weeks before the deadline.

This Is Bigger Than an Election

There is something particularly meaningful about how this happened.

Some of the people encouraging me to return have supported me for more than a decade.

Others didn’t support me four years ago.

I am grateful for both.

People are allowed to change their minds. They are allowed to disagree with their elected officials. They are allowed to question what they’re being told and investigate the facts for themselves.

That’s part of democracy.

For the people who came back to me after four years and told me they had looked at the information themselves and realized that I had been telling them the truth, I appreciate that more than you know.

But I’m not returning to City Hall to prove who was right or wrong four years ago.

I’m returning because there is work to do.

It’s Time to Get Back to Work

Serving on the Hanford City Council is a responsibility I take seriously.

Being unopposed doesn’t change that.

If anything, it makes me even more determined to demonstrate that the trust people have placed in me was deserved.

I intend to listen to residents, protect taxpayers, support public safety, encourage responsible economic growth, ask difficult questions, and make decisions based on facts and what I believe is best for our community.

I will represent the people who supported me.

I will represent the people who didn’t support me.

And I will represent the people who disagree with me.

Because when you serve on the City Council, you don’t just represent the people who voted for you.

You represent everyone.

This isn’t about settling old political scores.

It isn’t about proving somebody wrong.

And it isn’t about one person.

It’s about Hanford.

To everyone who kept telling me, “Run again,” I want you to know:

I heard you.

To Emily, who gave me that extra push when I was still debating the decision, thank you.

To everyone who welcomed me into your homes, thank you.

To those who have supported me for years and never stopped believing in me, thank you.

And to those who didn’t support me before but decided to give me another opportunity to earn your trust, thank you.

I was prepared to spend the next several months campaigning and asking the people of District D for the opportunity to serve them again.

Instead, this journey took an unexpected turn.

I am grateful for the opportunity.

I am humbled by the support.

And most importantly, I am ready to get back to work for the people of Hanford.

I’ll see you back at City Hall.