(April 6)  Danny Tillman said he believes he represents the most down-to-earth and qualified of the seven candidates vying for Congress in the 31st District.
Tillman, a Democrat, is joined by three other Democrats – Joe Baca, Eloise Reyes Gomez and Pete Aguilar – as well as three Republicans – Lesli Gooch, Paul Chabot and ryan Downing – in the race to succeed incumbent Gary Miller, who announced in February he will not seek reelection. The 31st District, which stretches from Rancho Cucamonga through a large portion of Fontana, Rialto, Colton, and San Bernardino to Redlands, has demographics that favor the Democratic Party.  Of its registered voters, 127,690 or 41 percent, are affiliated with the Democratic Party.  Registered Republicans in the district number 104,938, or 33.7 percent.
Tillman, a member of the San Bernardino City Unified School Distric Board of Trustees for 19 years and for 34 years an employee with San Bernardino County where he is currently the head of the Human Services Division, said he is a superior candidate for Congress because of his “perspective. I know the needs of this area.  I have two big things I will focus on in Washington, D.C. I will help lure businesses that will create jobs. And I am concerned about young people not being able to get employment. We have to invest in keeping our youth on top of the latest technology. We have to help them see how the things they involve themselves in and pick up naturally can be filled out with technical training that will make them employable. And we need to stop the things that keep them from being employable.”
The biggest challenge facing the district right now, Tillman said, is that “We don’t have people going to Washington, D.C. for us who have as their concern our problems. I am involved at the grass roots. I will talk to different companies who are limited in the way they perceive us. I will tell them and show them the story that never gets told. This is a place to locate your business if you need highly skilled workers. We do not need to build a more educated work force. That work force already exists here. Our workers are driving into Los Angeles every day. I want to convince those corporations who can that they should locate right here so people don’t have to spend five hours a day going to and coming back from Los Angeles.”
For nearly two decades, Tillman said, he has demonstrated, as a member of the school board, his value to the community and his ability as a leader.
“When I ran for the school board, I had no idea about how important the budget and finances were in terms of keeping the district’s educational mission going,” he said. “I had to learn that and I learned it quickly. We have kept a positive certification for 19 years and every year we see more students successfully complete their educations. I had not realized how big a part of that maintaining our budget is. But we have maintained it. The city [of San Bernardino, which filed for Chapter 9 protection in 2012] is bankrupt but the school district is the furthest thing from being bankrupt. None of the others in this race have the demonstrated track record that I have. I have what it takes for dealing with the real world problems facing this area. Once I get to Washington, D.C., based on my skill set, I can accomplish a lot more than those running against me. They have some backing and they have professional handlers and every buzz word in the book, but when it comes down to it, I have concern and experience that is proved. People are talking about my reputation. My reputation is for asking questions. People fear me because I always get to the crux of the motivation of why people do things.”
With regard to national issues he is passionate about, Tillman said he is against military action in all but the most dire of threatening circumstances against the American national interest.
“If we are going to have our troops put their lives on the line, we better be investing in that risk for the right reason,” he said. “I am not comfortable in having that decision fall to those folks I am running against. When you hear my competitors speak, it is obvious they are saying what they are told by their handlers. It won’t be different when they get to Congress. They will do just as they are told by the folks who have dined them and want them in that position only so they can control them. They have memorized what they are supposed to say. Look at their experience and their track record. The things they say do not go together with their experience. It is a scary scenario for me to contemplate any of them going to Congress. I am truly excited about what my campaign stands for. I invite those supporting my opponents now to examine my record and compare their candidate with scripted speeches to someone who has his own original ideas. I invite them to support a true grassroots effort and be on a winning team.”
Tillman dismissed suggestions that by being in the race he was helping to divide the Democratic vote and was tempting a repeat of the scenario in 2012 when Miller, a Republican, was able to gain election despite the registration advantage the Democrats enjoy in the district.
“That won’t happen,” he said about the possibility that two of the Republicans might end up outpolling the Democrats in the June primary.
Born and raised in San Bernardino, Tillman attended San Bernardino High School, San Bernardino Valley College and San Bernardino State, where he obtained his degree in business administration. He is married with four children.