The Solution
Carlos Duran: the watchdog who will unleash the valley's power
Carlos Duran isn't running for IID Board because he wants a title. He's running because he's spent years as a journalist watching the IID Board make decisions that hurt the people he covers — and he's decided that reporting on the problem isn't enough anymore.
“Unleash the Valley's Power.”
— Carlos Duran Campaign Slogan
The four pillars
1. Jobs
Demand the Imperial Valley directly benefit from its own resources. The data center alone means 1,688 union construction jobs at prevailing wages over two years, plus 100+ permanent tech positions. Duran will fight to stop the Board from blocking private investment that creates local employment.
2. Smart Growth
Not all development is equal. Duran supports projects that self-fund their own infrastructure, generate recurring tax revenue, and don't burden existing ratepayers. The IVDC model — developer pays for everything, community keeps the revenue — is the template.
3. Accountability
End the backroom culture that enabled Z-Global, the $4 billion poison pill, and the gag orders on developer communications. Duran's years of investigative journalism give him the institutional knowledge to demand transparency from day one.
4. Ratepayers Come First
Every IID decision must be measured against one question: does this help or hurt the people paying the bills? Duran will demand IID exhaust every revenue option — starting with the data center's $30 million per year — before imposing any further rate increases.
The contrast: Duran vs. the incumbent
| Issue | Carlos Duran | Alex Cardenas (Incumbent) |
|---|---|---|
| Rate hikes | Exhaust revenue options first | Voted for the 69% rate hike |
| Data center | Support responsible development | Voted to impose $4B poison pill |
| Z-Global | Full transparency, end insider deals | Alleged text communications with Z-Global managers |
| Union jobs | Embrace private capital creating local jobs | Blocked 1,688 construction jobs |
| Background | Investigative journalist, community watchdog | Career utility board insider |
The question for voters
Do you want an IID Director who spent his career covering the institution's failures and fighting for transparency? Or one who spent his tenure presiding over the Z-Global scandal, the largest rate hike in IID history, and the obstruction of 1,688 union jobs?