Cevin Cathell knows she has an uphill battle to win a seat on the Santa Barbara City Council.
But she doesn’t care.
She isn’t waiting for her seat at the table. She’s going to grab it.
“This is not a game we are playing,” Cathell said. “This is about people’s lives. This is about this incredible town of Santa Barbara.”
Cathell is running for a seat on the City Council in District 5, looking to replace Eric Friedman, who must step down because of term limits.
She was a guest on the most recent podcast episode of Santa Barbara Talks with Josh Molina. Cathell discussed her views on rent stabilization, the city budget, State Street, housing, La Cumbre Plaza and other issues facing the city.
The podcast was produced by TV Santa Barbara. The full hour-long conversation is available below on YouTube.
“I feel like I’ve got he skills,” Cathell said. “I really care about what happens here in Santa Barbara. I have no political ambitions beyond being on the City Council.”
On rent stabilization:
“I am not convinced that the severe rent control that they are proposing, that the majority of the city council is proposing, is going to work,” Cathell said. “And really our ultimate goal is to get more affordable housing. And so, whatever we have to do to get there is what we should be doing. And I don’t think this is an excellent strategy.”
On State Street and cars:
“I personally love it being closed, but I understand business,” Cathell said. “I think we’ve got to look at this. I mean, maybe there’s some sort of hybrid thing we can do. Maybe we open up part of it. Maybe there’s one-way traffic, maybe there’s a trolley on a track. I mean, there are all kinds of possibilities.”
Cathel l was born in North Carolina. She said she was raised by Southern parents who were “very liberal.” She grew up mostly in Los Angeles before her family moved to Texas when she was 17. In Austin, Texas she got involved in music and performed as a singer in bands. She opened for Steel Pulse and U2.
She later moved to Hollywood to become a producer on films.
“It’s really hard for a woman in the film business,” Cathell said. “It’s pretty much male-dominated, but I was able to do it. And when I got those positions, I was able to hire other women and people of color and use that to help launch other people’s careers.”
The power of women is a theme of Cathell’s campaign. She is a lifelong Democrat, but did not get the endorsement of the Santa Barbara County Central Committee.
“When I first started talking to people about running, everyone said, ‘my God, so great. That is so wonderful. We’re behind you 100%. But you have to know that the Democratic Party has already chosen your opponent.'”
Cathell said many people told her that they had already informally picked her opponent.
I mean they actually asked me if I would drop out
“If every single woman had been asked to step aside for a man running had done so, we wouldn’t have any women in office at all.
Christian Alonso, the chairman of the Santa Barbara County Democratic Central Committee, said no one asked Cathell to drop out.
“A member asked all contested-race candidates the standard ‘what if you don’t get the endorsement’ question,” Alonso said.
Cathell said it is important that city voters get this election right.
“It’s beyond politics,” Cathell said. “I’m not doing this for me, I’m not doing this for my future political career. I’m doing this for Santa Barbara because we really need experience. And that’s the difference I see.”
