Phil Fortino, Candidate for Supervisor, District 4, San Benito County, received an endorsement from San Juan Bautista's weekly newspaper, San Juan Star. Dan DeVries, owner of Modern Media, LLC, which is the publisher, stated, "the San Juan Star is endorsing Phil Fortino for Supervisor for District 4 because he shares our vision for San Benito County's future, and we believe he is the best candidate to make that vision a reality." DeVries continued, "the Star believes that economic development is critically necessary for our county at this juncture, and Phil will make that happen while still preserving our agricultural heritage, scenic beauty and way of life. We are especially supportive of Phil's plans to develop and promote San Benito's Wine Country to increase tourism, lodging, hospitality and revenue for our community. Lastly, we support Phil because of his desire for sensible improvements to Highway 156 which will not destroy the San Juan Valley."
Fortino responded to the endorsement, "Thank you San Juan Star for your faith and trust you have shown by endorsing me for District 4 Supervisor. I will be one of five Supervisors who are entrusted to make strategic decisions that will shape our County's future for the benefit of our future generations." Fortino finished with, "my primary focus will be on jobs: finding them, keeping them and creating them. We can't have good roads, quality schools, or even retail options without a larger, diverse jobs base bringing in revenue."
Fortino, a Hollister native, was the owner of Fortino's Total Home, a furniture and appliance center that employed 34 people at its peak. Fortino has always been active in the community in philanthropic and leadership capacities. This includes, but is not limited to, Community Foundation of SBC, SBC Chamber of Commerce, Hollister Downtown Association, and the Hollister Rotary. Fortino has been married to Vicki, his high-school sweetheart, for 33 years. They have two children and three grandchildren.
