Battle for Imperial County District 5: Incumbent John Hawk is running for re-election
IMPERIAL COUNTY, Calif. (KYMA) – As the general election approaches, voters in Imperial County are preparing to decide the future of the District 5 Board of Supervisors seat, a race that has officially narrowed down to two candidates.
Following June’s primary election, challenger Patricia Lizarraga and incumbent John Hawk advanced to the November ballot.
Hawk, who emerged from the primary as the leading vote-getter, is hoping to replicate that success as he campaigns for re-election.
District 5 stands as the geographically largest district in Imperial County, stretching across vast distances from Calexico and Brawley all the way to Palo Verde and Winterhaven.
Because of the sheer scale of the territory, Hawk emphasizes that infrastructure and community connectivity are at the forefront of his platform.
“We have fixed over 28 different roads,” Hawk said. “We’ve worked on Dogwood Bridge, Clark Road Bridge, and a number of others that are in the pipeline.”
Alongside physical infrastructure, economic development remains a core pillar of Hawk’s campaign. He notes that stabilizing the local economy is vital to preventing an exodus of young talent from the Imperial Valley.
“We really need to get jobs and industry back in our county,” Hawk explained. “We’re looking at young people that have the tools to go to work, but don’t have jobs, so instead of them moving away, we want them to stay here with the jobs and industry that we can bring in.”
Reflecting on his current term, Hawk says he is most proud of the increased collaboration and operational efficiency he has brought to the county alongside its surrounding sister agencies. He attributes his desire to run for another term to finishing what he has already set in motion.
“Those are the strengths that I think we try to bring forward and that’s why I ran and that’s why I’m looking to be reelected,” Hawk said. “We started a number of projects, we want to see them get through.”
According to the incumbent, keeping those regional projects moving forward requires an active relationship with the community, even when handling differing points of view.
Hawk said he has spent the last two weeks pounding the pavement, knocking on roughly 150 doors in Brawley and parts of El Centro to hear from residents directly.
“It is important, it’s vital,” Hawk noted. “Obviously, there will be people that don’t agree with me and that type of thing, and I understand that. I hope that they understand that we’re trying to pull our county back together.”
Managing a district with such vast geographical and municipal diversity brings logistical hurdles, but Hawk maintains that serving his constituents continues to be a privilege.
“It’s just hard to be everywhere but it is a great district and we have a lot of farm ground, a lot of great people in our district,” Hawk said. “It’s been fun to get to know them and work with them. I’m happy to do it. I’ve met some wonderful people and it’s been a pleasure to serve District 5.”
Imperial County voters will have the final say when they head to the ballot box for the general election on November 3.
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