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Ornellas seeks election to 5th Senate District
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San Joaquin County Supervisor and third-generation dairy farmer Leroy Ornellas is running for the Republican nomination for the newly created 5th California Senate District.

The district includes all of San Joaquin County as well as parts of Modesto, Oakdale, Riverbank, and Galt.

The Tracy resident currently represents Ripon, Tracy and part of Manteca as a supervisor. He is being termed out of office in 2012.

“To get California working again, we can’t afford any more bull in Sacramento,“ said Ornellas.  “We need tough, principled legislators who’ll focus on the real issues — jobs, economic development, infrastructure building, public safety, education, and holding government strictly accountable for the money it’s entrusted with.  And this is precisely what I’ll do — protect tax money and work seriously to solve problems.  By God, we’re going to change the direction of this state and get our economy growing again.”

As a dairy farmer and small business owner, Ornellas has seen how government is hurting job creation.

“Too many regulations, too much red tape, too much bureaucratic meddling where it’s not needed,” said Ornellas.  “Government should be encouraging business, not declaring war on it.”

As a county supervisor, Ornellas has worked to create local jobs by expanding enterprise zones, which offer tax-based incentives to businesses willing to locate or expand in the county.

Ornellas has also balanced local budgets without raising taxes, while still maintaining vital public services. 

“Sacramento continues to pass phony budgets that are never balanced, piling more debt on taxpayers while doing nothing to control spending, “said Ornellas.

Ornellas opposes higher taxes, “especially in this tough economy.”

Creation of a local California State University campus is a special priority for Ornellas.  Ornellas was elected to the San Joaquin County Board of Supervisors in November 2002.  The Ornellas family has operated a dairy farm in the Tracy area since the 1930s.

Married 48 years, Ornellas and his wife, the former Jennie Deaderick, have three sons and four grandchildren.  All three sons — Kevin, Mark, and Mathew — are married and help manage the family’s farming operation.