City of San Juan Bautista City Council Councilmember Jackie Morris-Lopez

Jackie Morris-Lopez won a seat on the San Juan Bautista City Council on Nov. 8, 2022. She is a native San Juaner, whose great-grandparents immigrated here generations ago.

During her campaign for councilmember, Morris-Lopez said she looks forward to representing the entire community, including those who may not speak English as their primary language. Being fluent in Spanish Morris-Lopez sees an inclusive future with smart growth and development that benefits San Juan Bautista and repairs and improves its infrastructure .

Morris-Lopez is a physician assistant in primary care and family medicine and has been practicing for over 22 years. She has never held elected office but is currently one of the town’s planning commissioners. In an interview, she says she decided to run because “the town and county are at a crossroads of how we want our future in terms of future growth and development. This will have huge impacts on our tiny town of San Juan Bautista and I would like to be able to represent the community as a whole.”

Notable quote: “I’m in support of what the majority of community members want and that has always been limited growth. It is the reason people have chosen to stay here or move here for that quality of a small rural town that you can retreat to and call ‘home’ from the rest of the world.” (Source: Benito Link)