Special to the Vanguard
Davis, CA – Victor Lagunes is entering the November 2024 race for Davis City Council in District 2, a seat presently held by Mayor Will Arnold.
Lagunes, a local teacher, earned his Masters in Education at UC Davis in 2014 and has worked in the Davis Joint Unified School District for the last 11 years. He currently teaches eighth grade in Social Studies and Computer Science at Da Vinci Junior High School. He has also led the Davis Teachers Association as its president for the past six years.
“I believe in serving the community,” said Lagunes, “which is what drew me to take the position of DTA President. In advocating for my DJUSD colleagues, I learned that public service means recognizing the needs of my constituents, listening to their stories, and choosing an informed path forward to make progress on important issues. It means being responsive to each other—in good, tough, joyous, and sad moments—and bringing people 
together to participate in the decisions that affect their lives. Now, I want to serve not just our school community, but our whole community.”
As a teacher, Lagunes has seen how challenges the city faces affect teachers, parents, and children on a personal level—especially when it comes to struggles with housing: “We need housing to create stability for our public education system, because schools are the foundation of our community and neighborhoods. A city that cannot adapt to retain current residents as well as attract new ones—especially families—will begin to stagnate, which affects quality of life for all Davisites.”
This commitment to invest in a future of sustainable, climate-conscious housing that is also financially accessible led Lagunes to join the board of a newly formed organization, the Davis Community Action Network (DCAN). DCAN brings together climate and housing advocates to shape policy, development, and public awareness to bring such housing from planning to reality. The organization strives to be equitable and inclusive, which resonated with Lagunes as a Mexican American. He said, “I spent my early years on the East Coast and Northern England, but when my mother and I moved to California, we felt more welcomed and at home than we ever had before.”
Lagunes is already seasoned in the consensus-building required for effective public leadership, from campaigning to pass Measure G to negotiating unprecedented salary and benefit increases for teachers. He guided contractual changes for teachers that improved student learning and teacher working conditions, particularly in the areas of special education, class sizes, and health and safety during COVID. He looks forward to bringing his skills to the Davis City Council to bring about tangible change for all Davisites.
Said Lagunes, “We need to have a Davis that lives up to the ideals we hold dear—that promotes greater balance with our natural and constructed environment, that is accessible and inclusive to everyone, and that reinforces our commitment to public schools and a high-quality education for all our children. I am willing to do the work, walk the walk, so that our community continues to be more than a city, but a home, and thrive in the generations to come.”
Victor Lagunes is the third announced candidate for the Second District seat following Dillan Horton and Linda Deos. The seat is currently held by Will Arnold who has not announced his intentions.
