• Wildomar City Council Election 2024

There are about 37,000 people who call Wildomar home. Of that number, as of May 2024, there were 22,160 registered voters, but only, roughly, a fifth of that will be getting ballots with a city council race on it. 

That is what happens when there are district-based elections in a small city instead of at-large. 

District 2 had no one compete against incumbent Dustin Nigg. So he was appointed without needing to campaign for votes, whereas incumbent Bridgette Moore has two challengers.

Such a disservice to the voters and the candidates as well, that we, along with hundreds of other cities in California, were forced to go away from at-large city council elections due to money-grubbing lawsuits falsely waving the race card around. 

But that's its own long story... buy me a coffee and I'll go on about it for at least half an hour... maybe even two half hours. lol

Who are the three people on the ballot?

The first two photos were supplied by the candidates, and the last one was the best current photo I could find online.

How did I come to know them?

I met Bridgette back in 2013 when I was picking up litter near the old Brown house, where the new Kaiser medical office building is today. That chance meeting predated Wildomar Rap by about two months.

She was concerned that we might be trespassing. It was one of those 109 degree August days, but there she was, looking after the city. I asked her what was slated for the field across the street. 

There was nothing at that time, but she asked if I'd like to set up a meeting with the city manager and her to talk about things in Wildomar. I politely declined. 

Ah, the memories... who misses that old place?

The correct answer is, NOBODY!

Veronica had been a member of the Planning Commission for a couple of years when I first started to attend city meetings in late 2013. That's where I first came to know her. 

Let me add to the lore of how Wildomar Rap came about. 

Here's something that occurred at one of the first planning commission meetings I ever attended.

This is how I remember it. 

A former city councilwoman became a gadfly after she lost in 2010. She would always pal around with a poison pen blogger of that era and they would go to as many city meetings as they had time for. After which he'd do a quick write-up cutting down the fledgling city, the council members, and city staffers.

Mind you, the old council chamber was quite cozy compared to today, and the audience was all of about five feet away from the dais. The public speakers would tower over the council members or planning commissioners. 

From left to right are Veronica Langworthy, Stan Smith, Bobby Swann, Dan Bidwell, Dan York, and behind the microphone is "longtime resident out at the farm" George Taylor.

In the September 2013 planning commission meeting the former council member was essentially heckling the commission members from just about the same spot that this photo was taken. 

 

After several minutes of it, Veronica had run out of patience with Chair Stan Smith who was allowing the chatter to continue on unabated, and she told them to cut it out. I loved it. Good job, Veronica. 

The next day there was a complete lie posted about what had transpired by that blogger. Somehow it was a topic at The Patch since the writer never allowed comments on his blogs, and that's where I straightened out the narrative... two weeks later Wildomar Rap was born.

I met Karen about a month ago at Montague Brothers and we had a nice chat for more than half an hour before we got into the blog interview, but that's the extent of my dealings with her.

Link to the interactive districts map

How do I know them now?

It's fair to say that I would have tired of Wildomar Rap before the first year had gone by had it not been for Bridgette's unanticipated promotion of the blog. 

I wasn't sure why she'd refer to Wildomar Rap during city council meetings, but I have to admit that it was fun to hear. Also, the previous local blogger was needlessly harsh and was only trying to cause problems for his own amusement. 

Since I was down the middle, and not a hater, that was obviously a welcomed relief for the city council and they embraced me. 

By 2015, Bridgette and my wife Grace became very good friends, and that lasted until my wife got ill enough to get medically retired at the age of 50 in early 2018. It's not that the friendship ended, it's that my wife couldn't leave the house so it withered.

Though we were friends, she didn't publically endorse me when I ran for city council in 2018, and I understood the reasons why.

Bridgette and I started Wildomar Beautification Volunteers back in the Summer of 2020. She and I have worked well together and have remained friends despite disagreeing on many items that have come before the city council.

There I am in the upper left-hand corner, George Cambero, Bridgette Moore and Grace Morabito at a Susan G. Komen event at the Lake Elsinore Levee in 2016.

Regarding Veronica, I was literally at every planning commission meeting from September 2013 on, and so was she. 

I always liked her approach, and that she took her position seriously... even if there were occasions when she tried to uncork a few one-liners that might have gone sideways (as you'll see in the video).

I thought highly enough of her to ask if she'd like to be part of my 2017 Thanksgiving blog, and she was happy to participate. 

This appeared in the Wildomar Rap 2017 Thanksgiving blog.

When I was elected in 2018 I had the option to retain her for the planning commission (as her term was expiring) but after a couple of meetings, we couldn't get to the place where I'd ask her to stay on. 

On to Karen, I've only had the one conversation with her, but I left with a very high opinion of her. 

How do I assess them as potential Wildomar City Council Members?

I'll start with Karen.

She's a nice and amiable person. One that I believe has the requisite tools to do a good job on the city council if she were to be elected. 

This January she'll mark the third year that she's called Wildomar home. I have seen her at several city council meetings over the Summer, and she told me that she's watched many more online.

So far she's not opted to speak on any items at city council or use the three minutes of public comment time to introduce herself to the current council, staff, and community. 

Jumping over to Veronica, she's a longtime resident and has been involved in the city longer than I have been. She's proven that she cares deeply for the community. 

If there was suddenly an opening on the city council from District 4, and she were to apply for an appointment, I know that she'd do a good job, she has a good working knowledge of Wildomar; both historically speaking and how it's currently going. 

Now let me shine the light on Bridgette. 

Like her two challengers, she's also a nice person. We can check that box for all of them.

She's owned a home and lived in Wildomar for more than 25 years. She's been active in the community, to a nearly unbelievable level that whole time.

Her dedication to Wildomar, and to the region, is well noted by people all throughout Western Riverside County. 

Just a couple of days ago I was attending an RTA meeting as an alternate for Bridgette and CEO Kristin Warsinski used part of her report to the Board of Directors to acknowledge some unplanned community involvement that Bridgette jumped into (see video for details).

Though I believe that Veronica and Karen are both equipped to do a good job, Bridgette is already doing a good job. 

In all honesty, the very best that either Karen or Veronica could hope to do is approximate the job that Bridgette is currently doing and has been doing since she was first elected in 2008.

I can hear many of you saying, "What about term limits, Joseph?" 

That tends to make more sense when it's a partisan position.

Let me share a quote from 2014 winning candidate Tim Walker on the topic of term limits (originally found in the September 2014 "Better Know A Candidate" blog featuring him).

I share the same opinion as above. 

One of Karen's slogans is "Time for change in District 4."

Can I ask you a serious question?

What does that mean in the real world?

What kind of "change" does she think is needed in Wildomar, or that she could bring about?

Change from Bridgette Moore's impeccable record? 

She's missed one city council meeting since I've been watching starting in 2013, and that was due to a family emergency. 

In reality, she puts in so much time that it makes the rest of the council look like we're standing still... and the suggestion is to "change" that. 

Really, why?

As I said earlier, the best that either Veronica or Karen could possibly hope to come close to is approaching her high water mark of preparation for city council meetings, community involvement, public engagement, and willing spirit that has been working for the betterment of Wildomar's residents for longer than most of us can remember. 

I don't fault either Karen or Veronica, they simply have the bad luck of being in the same district as a Hall of Famer named Bridgette Moore.

"Oh Joseph, calm down with your fanboy review of Bridgette already!"

Let me put it this way... for those who think "it's time for a change in District 4". 

When you find a good auto mechanic, do you go to the term limits card and say, "Well, ya know, Beau has done an incredible job taking care of my car for the last 15 years, but on the other hand, Jethro is new to the area and has a lot of pretty signs out there, so, it's time for me to change my mechanic... or hairdresser, or house cleaner."

C'mon Gramps, don't change yet, remember he's the guy who always takes your calls and answers your emails about random questions you could have easily found yourself by googling in the first place.

If you think the job of the city council isn't much more than a ceremonial position, and that experience has little bearing on how a person is able to get things accomplished when dealing with a professional staff and all the egos one encounters, then that shows how disconnected you are. Sorry, I'm not going to sugarcoat it. 

Experience actually matters and more than a decade's worth of a positive track record should be a significant factor to the voters. 

If endorsements have any meaning, I'm endorsing Bridgette Moore for another term on the Wildomar City Council. Here's a look at her other endorsements while we're on that subject.

Though this is a District 4 election, the whole of Wildomar will be watching since it matters to all five districts who is on the council. 

Still, if it turns out that voters decide it is indeed "time for a change in District 4" I have complete confidence that I'll be able to work well with either Karen or Veronica. 

They are both quality people. Elections always break one way or the other and in the aftermath, it's up to the electeds to have short memories once the vote counting is done. 

Link to blog of challenger Karen Ellison

Link to blog of challenger Veronica Langworthy

Link to blog of incumbent Bridgette Moore

• Better Know a Candidate Veronica Langworthy

I've been doing "Better Know a Candidate" blogs since 2014 and this year there will be a total of three blogs for District 4.

In August I reached out to all three candidates and I heard back from all three. In the end, two sat for the interview (Karen Ellison and Bridgette Moore) while one candidate declined, Veronica Langworthy. 

I do have a copy of her ballot statement, so I'll post that here where a softball Q&A would have gone. 

I have thoughts, but this blog will not have opinions, that'll be in the next blog that discusses the race in District 4. Look for that in a week or two.

Link to blog discussing the 2024 District 4 race

I have no recent photos of Veronica Langworthy, so I'll use this photo taken in front of Montegue Brothers Coffee.

Wildomar incorporated in 2008 to begin local control and to end the need to drive to Riverside County meetings to address city issues. Early local meetings were filled with people
sharing dreams of keeping Wildomar family-friendly, re-opening parks. and addressing issues such as land use, police, fire and public safety. 

I got involved and was appointed Planning Commissioner, serving for eight years.

Road maintenance is an ongoing concern today. Both private and public roads are in similar disrepair. The road maintenance budget is stretched, yet money is allocated for councilmember's health insurance, retirement, and other benefits.

The use of a "consent calendar" allows the council to vote on multiple agenda items without discussion. On April 10, 2024 the council approved thirteen items in one vote including their opposition to "The Taxpayer Protection and Government Accountability Act." This act would have amended the California Constitution to define all state and local levies, charges, and fees as taxes. 

All state tax increases passed by two-thirds legislative vote would have an additional requirement to be passed by a majority of California voters. This hasty process benefits Governor Newsom rather than the citizens of Wildomar.

Discussing, informing, representing citizens: Vote Veronica Langworthy 

A "hardcopy" of her ballot statement.

Below is the email exchange regarding the blog invitation extended to Veronica. I never got a follow-up after Labor Day.

Links to the other two Better Know a Candidate blogs for the 2024 District 4 Race.

Karen Ellison

Bridgette Moore

• Better Know a Candidate Bridgette Moore

I've been doing "Better Know a Candidate" blogs since 2014 and this year there will be a total of three blogs for District 4.

If you're already familiar with my style, you know that I'm not here to "fact-check" the candidates. This is a conversation, and I let the candidates speak, including a few "fun" questions.

First up was challenger Karen Ellison, now time for the incumbent Bridgette Moore. The third blog will be opinions about the race as there will be no opinions in this blog.

There is a third candidate on the ballot, but she declined the chance to be in a blog. I'll touch on her candidacy in the opinion blog. 

With that out of the way, let's chat with Bridgette Moore.

Bridgette Moore

1) What made you choose Wildomar as your hometown?

Back in 1998 we were living in Orange County, we had a condo, we had a one-year-old boy and we wanted a house with a front yard and a backyard. We looked in Temecula, we looked in Murrieta, and the last house the realtor showed us was in Wildomar. 

 

She told us it was an unincorporated community, we did not know what that meant as we were coming from Huntington Beach, but we loved the house. We checked out the police and fire station and then put in an offer and we got it.

 

2) What got you interested in running for city council?

Back in 1998 our parks were open, which was one of the reasons we bought the house, along with the elementary school being nearby in the same tract. I took my son to the park for the first year that we lived here and then the parks closed. I started volunteering to bring the parks back to Wildomar and at that same time the question of incorporating Wildomar into a city was happening, and I started volunteering for the Wildomar Incorporation Now committee. 

 

When that got to the ballot, and after all the time and effort involved, I put my name in for city council. There were fourteen people running and I was the second top vote-getter. 

 

3) Tell me about your family.

I'm married to my husband, Stewart, and we will be married for thirty years come October. We have one son, Jake.

Bridgette and Stewart Moore.

 

4) It takes a certain desire to serve the community as an elected official, what is your past community involvement?

I was involved in our community even before cityhood. I volunteered to bring our parks back to Wildomar which successfully happened. I volunteered for the Lake Elsinore/Wildomar Elks Lodge. 

I, also, volunteer for the VFW, my grandfather served during WWII and earned a Purple Heart and bronze medal, so I'm a member of the Veterans of Foreign Wars auxiliary. Our son was in Scouts and both my husband and I volunteered for Scouts.

Bridgette in the blue blouse with members of RSO and the VFW.

5) How long have you considered running for this seat?

Actually, it took me the first few months of this year, it took me a while to decide if I'd run for reelection. People were asking me and I would respond, "I don't know, I haven't decided".  I've been volunteering [for the community] for twenty-four years.  But then I knew I wasn't done and I want to run again.

 

6) You're at the dentist's office with ten minutes to kill, and your smartphone is NOT getting a signal (gasp!). Which magazine do you reach for: The New Yorker, Sports Illustrated, Vanity Faire, People, Newsweek, Popular Mechanics, or Highlights?

I'd say, Vanity Faire

Bridgette at a reading event at Wildomar Elementary School.

7) What is your day job? 

The entire time I've been on city council I've worked full-time. The last twelve years I've been in the mortgage industry. With the interest rates being high right now, a lot of the mortgage industry has been laid off, and that includes me. I'd never been laid off in my life and worked forty years straight until April 5th, that was my last day of work at that company. 

I have recently started a position with Pacific Estate Planning. Right now with being Mayor, running my own nonprofit [Wildomar Community & Parks Foundation], and running for reelection, my days are pretty full. Then, we'll see where it goes from there. 

 

8) What's your understanding of the job of city council members and/or what your job would be after you're elected?

As council members we make policy decisions for the city, and we create the budget. We decide how the budget is going to be [and] then the city manager is tasked with [carrying out the policy]. 

 

For example, if 'we're going to hire two new code enforcement officers' and include those positions into the budget, then the city manager goes out and handles that task. 

 

We also represent the city at different meetings and different regional events.

With the 2023 award for Woman of the Year from Senator Kelly Seyarto. 

9) What’s a nice relaxing afternoon for your family?

Stewart and I like live entertainment. We go to concerts or to plays and then get dinner afterwards. 

 

10) Being on city council can be very time-consuming. When elected will your schedule allow for you to be "all in"?

Yes! Even when I was working full-time I still was "all in" in the job [of city council]. Whatever task I'm going to do I'm all in on it. Be it city council or whatever other job I'm doing.

Mayor Bridgette Moore emceeing the 2024 Memorial Day observance.

 

11) When you get a break in the action, how do you unwind/hobbies?

I like to garden. Pre-pandemic we didn't own a houseplant. We didn't have one plant that was alive, and during the pandemic, we changed our backyard to grow watermelons, strawberries, and tomatoes. 

I no longer have time for growing fruits but I do have many succulents, so many plants, hundreds of plants now. I love to go [into the backyard] and tend to the plants.

Bridgette and her longtime friend Janna Vicario donating time to decorate the Rotary Club's Rose Bowl Parade float.

12) What are your top three concerns for Wildomar?

Parks and Rec. We're on the cusp of providing more parks and recreation for our community. I want to be a part of that, it's my passion, and we're right there, right there to get that done. Bring more parks and recreation. We hear it all the time that we need a community center, we need opportunities for our families to get together and stay right here in Wildomar. 

 

Our unhoused is also a concern. Doesn't seem that there's an easy answer. I don't know the answer to solve it. Right now the partners that we (Wildomar) are working with seem to be doing a good job. 

 

Then of course we always need road maintenance. 

Bridgette at a park event. 

13) Currently each council member appoints a planning commissioner. What's your approach to future growth and how heavily would that factor in when choosing a commissioner?

When I've chosen planning commissioners before I meet with the [applicants] that have submitted, but I want them to have their own ideas. They're not going to be what I say, I want them to have ideas and I want them to be thorough in their research and how they vote. 

 

Growth is coming whether they're pro-growth or for non-growth, growth is coming, and it's just how we're going to manage that and what's the right fit for Wildomar. I'd really just want to hear their views and what they think is right for Wildomar.

 

14) How do you envision your community outreach if elected? 

I'm out in the community all the time. I regularly hear from people about the energy I have and I'm still committed to bringing that kind of energy. 

Even though I've had two surgeries this year and I'm still out there. I love being in the community and where [the people] are. If I'm at the gym people will ask me questions and though I may be out of breath I'm still answering questions. So wherever I'm at, the community knows I'm available.

With members of the Girl Scouts at city hall.

15) SoCal is close to many areas, would you say you're more of a beach, mountain, or desert person?

I grew up in Costa Mesa, so we were close to the beach. I'd say the beach.

 

16) Why are you the best candidate for the job?

I love serving our community and I feel I'm a good representative for the community. Giving back to the community, I'm involved in every facet of our community; from making high dollar decisions down to picking up litter. 

Bridgette Moore (with the broom) working a clean-up with the Wildomar Beautification Volunteers.

17) If you could speak directly to the Wildomar voters, and tell them why they should vote for you, what would you tell them?

Since I've been serving in our community for twenty-four years I love giving back to the community, love connecting, love those partnerships, and networking. When someone needs help, say from the VFW, then I know with one phone call I can get that help for them. I love bringing our community together. 

https://www.facebook.com/bridgette.moore.180/

https://www.facebook.com/MooreforWildomarCityCouncil

www.BridgetteMoore2024.com

From Bridgette's campaign website at the time of publishing.

Wildomar Rap notes

Both candidates were given a copy of the unpublished blog more than a week before publication so that we could smooth out any wording in the answers above, or transcription errors. 

Bridgette made a few edits to the original transcription that I'd made of the conversation.

Link to blog of challenger Karen Ellison

Link to blog of challenger Veronica Langworthy

Link to opinion blog on this race

• Better Know a Candidate Karen Ellison

I've been doing "Better Know a Candidate" blogs since 2014 and this year there will be a total of three blogs for District 4. 

If you're already familiar with my style you know that I'm not here to "fact-check" the candidates. This is a conversation and I let the candidates speak, and I also throw in several "fun" questions.

First up will be challenger Karen Ellison, then incumbent Bridgette Moore. The third blog will be opinions about the race as there will be no opinions in this blog.

There is a third candidate on the ballot, but she declined the chance to be in a blog. I'll touch on her candidacy in the opinion blog. 

With that out of the way, let me introduce you to Karen Ellison.

Karen Ellison, candidate for Wildomar City Council, D4.

1) What made you choose Wildomar as your hometown?

I recently got married, I met my husband online, and he's from Temecula. He's lived here since 1976 and he knows all the [local] areas very well, and he knows Wildomar, he went to Elsinore High School. When we got married, we decided we wanted a new place to live and he suggested that we go look in Wildomar. 

Karen and husband Shawn.

It's the greatest city around because there's no traffic, it's really quiet, it has beautiful land, and the neighbors are all really nice. We have a lot of friends that live in the area. We decided to come out and just start looking [for a house] and we found our place. We put an offer in right away and we moved in. We love it. 

How long have you lived in Wildomar?

Almost three years. 

Karen's 17-year-old dog Charlie.

2) What got you interested in running for city council?

Back in the '90s I was a reporter and I covered the Los Angeles city beat and I covered the Mayor's office, the Sheriff's office, and I worked with many of the city council members, the Supervisors, and did a lot of the elections throughout Los Angeles County. I've always been interested in politics and the [various] offices, learning a lot about it. 

When I lived in Orange County I got really involved in our city (Lake Forest). There were a lot of things happening, the city was growing as well. I got involved in helping maintain the city and make some changes for the better of residents. 

One of the examples is there were no red curbs painted in neighborhoods [at corners] when turning and there were no stop signs. The amount of accidents around certain areas were high. I helped 

I helped improve traffic safety in Lake Forest where in some neighborhoods people would park all the way to the corner, making it difficult to see oncoming traffic. I helped get stop signs installed and curbs painted red near the corners. [I] also helped Lake Forest tackle Short Term Rental (Airbnb) issues.

I like the design and the QR code sends you to her website.

3) Tell me about your family.

Pretty much all of my family is from New York. However, many of them reside in the area. Today my parents live in Terramor (55 and older community, in Corona), my brother lives in Murrieta, my uncle and some cousins live in Valley Center, some of my husband's cousins live in Windsong community here in Wildomar, and the rest of my family lives in Nevada. 

I have a stepdaughter and a stepson. My stepdaughter just moved to Miramar with her fiancé, they're getting married later this month —He's in the Marines. 

Karen's family.

4) It takes a certain desire to serve the community as an elected official, what is your past community involvement?

As I said, I've been very involved in covering city councils, and the Mayor's office [...] other political offices as a reporter. I was also involved in my own community when I lived in Lake Forest. 

I was able to get a good education on understanding how things work and what the city council has say in and what they don't. I became really involved in learning and asking questions so I could help our neighbors. That's how I got involved in the community and I want to do more.

5) How long have you considered running for this seat?

I think I considered running for this seat for almost a year now. I am new to Wildomar. Like I said, I've only been here almost three years and coming in as somebody who is looking at things really fresh I see a lot of things that are just being neglected around the city. That haven't been paid attention to. And I just don't know why it's not getting attention. 

One of the examples is the roads here. I want to call out specifically Bundy, from the 15 freeway to Mission Trail. It's the most disastrous street I've ever seen in my life, and for it to be a main thoroughfare into Wildomar it's very upsetting and frustrating that it hasn't been addressed. 

Karen went on to specify Mission Trail and Corydon as unsafe roads at night "You cannot even see the road". 

I want to help to get roads updated and improved so we have a safer way to travel [...] as well as bikers (cyclists) and walkers. 

6) You're at the dentist's office with ten minutes to kill, and your smartphone is NOT getting a signal (gasp!). Which magazine do you reach for: The New Yorker, Sports Illustrated, Vanity Faire, People, Newsweek, Popular Mechanics, or Highlights?

With only 10 mins, I think I'm going to reach for People. 

7) What is your day job? 

My day job is a communications consultant. I help a lot of tech companies, as well as a lot of startup companies, build their communication, marketing and media plans to grow their business. Whether it's product launches or it's helping executives with their thought leadership. 

I've worked with Amazon, Johnson & Johnson Vision, and other leading tech companies as well as construction businesses and design businesses. 

Currently, I'm working with a consumer product that's just getting launched called BunzzUp and I've been taking a lot of AI courses as well. I'm leveraging AI technology to build content such as logos and social media posts. 

8) What's your understanding of the job of city council members and/or what your job would be after you're elected?

I believe the job of a city council member should be is an advocate for the residents that they support. They should be listening to the residents, hearing their concerns, as well as hearing the things they love about the city. 

City Council Members should be the people that are helping

residents resolve issues. 

I believe City Council members should be helping setting up meetings for residents,  helping find other key stakeholders to help, and attending meetings to resolve issues. They should be involved throughout the process since they are representatives of the residents. Council members should be the ones helping to resolve the issues of the residents. 

Point blank, that's the main goal of a city council member. That's what I believe, being an advocate for the residents.

9) What’s a nice relaxing afternoon for your family?

It's probably heading to a friend's house and enjoying the pool in the summertime. During the wintertime, we love playing games. We have a shuffleboard table at our house, and we love playing cornhole. We love any activity where we're not in front of a screen. We are also big football fans and we do have a lot of football parties. We play fantasy football with our whole family and it gets very competitive. We all have different teams that we love so it [makes for] a really fun season. 

10) Being on city council can be very time-consuming. When elected will your schedule allow for you to be "all in"?

Absolutely. I would not be running if I wasn't going to be all in. Like I said, my main role is to be an advocate for the residents and I will do whatever needs to happen to get our residents to a point where they're happy with —solving their problems or finding a resolution. I'm all in —whatever needs to happen I'm going to be there. 

11) When you get a break in the action, how do you unwind/hobbies?

We love going to the lake. We usually head out to the river in Laughlin and Havasu. We have a boat so we enjoy —just really unwinding, disconnecting, getting out on the lake. We try to go almost every other weekend in the summertime.

During the fall and the winter seasons, we enjoy football with our family and enjoying lots of party games. Anything to really disconnect. I think that you need to have balance in your life and if you can get away from the everyday stresses it makes you a more balanced person. 

12) What are your top three concerns for Wildomar?

We talked about road improvements. Obviously, that's a big passionate one, that's the one I noticed the very first time I ever drove into Wildomar. 

Two, is the low and no-income housing, slash "the homeless shelter" going in right smack in the middle of our communities. I feel that they're really great ideas, I just think that they're in the wrong locations and not set up for success for the residents that live there. 

I also have a plan I’m currently seeking input on to consider a homeless center that would support Wildomar, Elsinore, Murrieta, Menifee, and Temecula that would include services such as food bank, clothes, health and mental services, living conditions, employee services that would help make these residents more successful and get out of the situation they are in.

And then another one of my concerns or "things that I'm going to be fighting for" are more resident rights to things that are happening in the community like the shelters and the low/no income [projects]. 

I believe that we should be able to have a say when there are businesses like homeless shelters going in our community that's actually physically going to affect our life. I want to work on writing bills with our Senator and State Assembly (which I have requests out to) to help ensure these properties are run efficiently, safely, and legally.

13) Currently each council member appoints a planning commissioner. What's your approach to future growth and how heavily would that factor in when choosing a commissioner?

I think that a planning commissioner needs to be really involved in the city. I think that they need to

have the best interest for the residents and to be able to talk to the residents on what they want and, what they don't want. 

I think a planning commissioner should agree to aligning to our mission statement to bring the right businesses into our community with managed growth in mind and being an advocate as well. That's what is important to me.

14) How do you envision your community outreach if elected? 

Communications is one of the most important things. I think that you need to be present and you need to be available at all times. You need to be available to the residents and attending as many city meetings as possible. You need to continue to be advocating. I do what I call "Wildomar Walks" where every weekend I go to a different community within our district and I let people know where I'm going to be and I invite them to walk and get out in fresh air and be healthy, have conversations. That's something I'm going to continue to do so that people know where I'm going to be and find out what's going on in their neighborhood. 

We also need to have a better communication outreach program and start promoting a newsletter, or an email [because] people don't even know where to go to sign up for a [city] email. I think we need to do an overhaul of the website and have a community bulletin area where we can post stuff and our community can also post things that are happening or what they're doing in the community. 

15) SoCal is close to many areas, are you more of a beach, mountain, or desert person?

I'm a water girl, so anything to do with water, whether it's the lake or the ocean, that's where I'm at. 

16) Why are you the best candidate for the job?

Well, I feel like I'm the best candidate for the job because I have a lot of skillsets that would enable me to step into the position and start advocating for people right away. 

I understand what the issues are in the communities in District 4, I have them all listed out on my website, and I'm learning more every day that I need to add. I feel that my communications background, working with CEOs of leading tech companies —building strategies, talking to the media, asking questions as a reporter, answering difficult questions.

Being a public relations professional as I've been for the last thirty years, I have a lot of skillsets that would enable me to step into the role and start advocating right away. I also have the skills to compromise and negotiate so that both parties are happy and walk away [feeling] that they got what they really needed. 

17) If you could speak directly to the Wildomar voters, and tell them why they should vote for you, what would you tell them?

I think they should consider voting for me because when I say that I want to be an advocate for them I truly believe that. I believe that if you're on city council you need to be advocating for your residents every day. 

I need to be talking to you, finding out what is bothering you, what are you loving about the district, so I can continue to help resolve or continue doing what is loved. I think that is the number one —NUMBER ONE thing over anything else that is done on city council is being there for the residents.

Below are links to Karen's campaign cites. 

https://www.instagram.com/ellison4wildomarcitycouncil/

https://www.facebook.com/EllisonforWildomarCityCouncil

https://ellisonforwildomarcitycouncil.com/

List of Karen's endorsements as of September 13, 2024.

Wildomar Rap notes

Both candidates were given a copy of the unpublished blog more than a week before publication so that we could smooth out any wording in the answers above, or transcription errors. 

Karen helped with several edits to the original, but none of the answers changed during the process, they were just made more succinct and clear.

Link to blog of incumbent Bridgette Moore

Link to blog of challenger Veronica Langworthy

Link to opinion blog on this race