Santa Clarita voters get first look at council hopefuls at chamber forum

The Santa Clarita Valley Chamber of Commerce hosted a Candidate Forum & Meet the Candidates Reception Thursday, bringing together local and regional office seekers and giving residents an early opportunity to evaluate those running for positions that will shape policy here over the next several years.

Forum focused on business, community priorities

The afternoon event centered on business-related issues affecting the Santa Clarita Valley but also provided time for candidates running for other offices to engage attendees. Present were candidates for Santa Clarita City Council, as well as contenders for Congressional District 27, State Assembly District 40 and the SCV Water Agency Board. Organizers said the format combined a moderated forum with a meet-and-greet reception so voters could hear prepared remarks and also ask questions directly.

Candidate spotlight: City Council District 2

One of the City Council candidates introduced at the forum was Brett Haddoak, a lifelong Santa Clarita resident whose family roots in the community date to the late 1960s. Haddoak described a multi-generational connection to the valley: his grandfather helped construct regional infrastructure, his late father worked in the automotive wholesale industry and his mother spent nearly two decades working in school lunch services.

Professionally, Haddoak is a software engineer with 20 years of experience who runs a small business that develops software for public schools. His résumé also includes contracting work for the Department of Defense. He emphasized volunteer work in Santa Clarita’s homelessness response, noting more than 1,000 hours with the nonprofit Bridge to Home and service on the city’s Homelessness Task Force. He additionally built the software underpinning the city’s Shared Housing Pilot program.

“I want to be a representative who shows up, does the work and delivers results.”

At the forum, Haddoak framed his candidacy around a hands-on approach to local problems and asked voters to weigh practical experience in both technology and community service as part of his qualifications for council.

Issues and implications for Santa Clarita

While the moderated portion emphasized business-related topics, the presence of City Council and other local candidates signaled how interconnected economic policy, housing, water management and regional representation have become. Voters attending the event heard candidates outline their perspectives on:

• Economic and business climate in the valley and support for local employers;
• Homelessness and housing initiatives, including the Shared Housing Pilot mentioned by Haddoak;
• Regional governance questions tied to water and state and federal representation.

The forum’s mix of prepared remarks and reception-style interaction allowed residents to test candidates on specifics and follow up on areas of concern. For a community facing housing pressures and infrastructure demands, those one-on-one exchanges often shape voters’ impressions more than televised ads or campaign mailers.

What to watch before November

With the November election approaching, residents can expect more themed forums and targeted debates as candidates try to differentiate themselves on policy and experience. Attendance and engagement at local events like the chamber forum remain a primary route for voters to probe how contenders would handle issues such as homelessness, housing supply, business retention and utility management.

For Santa Clarita voters, the coming weeks will bring additional opportunities to compare candidates’ records and plans. Local forums remain a valuable venue for direct accountability and for assessing how prospective council members propose to address community priorities.

Coverage of candidate events and election developments will continue as campaigns progress toward the November ballot.