Who is Stockton city council candidate Mariela Ponce - and how did she win the primary?

A surprise victory by a self-described political outsider rocked Stockton’s primary election this month — and her success remains largely a mystery.

Healthcare worker Mariela Ponce won 38% of the vote in the contest for Stockton City Council District 2, dominating former Stockton Planning Commissioner Waqar Rizvi at 25% and former mayor Anthony Silva at 22%, according to the latest results.

“My campaign is about putting the people of Stockton first, especially the people in my district, to have an advocate in office that will work hard for them,” Ponce said in an email Wednesday.

Who is Mariela Ponce?

The 32-year old candidate was born in Los Angeles and lives in northeast Stockton, according to voter registration documents filed in court.

So far, Ponce has been private about her campaign, giving no in-person news interviews and attending none of Stockton’s election forums, where candidates had the opportunity to speak directly to voters.

While there's scant public information about her campaign, as the top vote-getter in the primary, Ponce is guaranteed a spot in the November general election, where she'll face off against either Rizvi or Silva.

As of Thursday, just 99 votes separated Rizvi, in second place, and Silva, in third place, results show.

When asked about the strategies that helped her clinch nearly 600 more votes than her nearest competitor, Ponce revealed no details.

“The people that matter, the voters of District 2, know the work I’m putting in, and that’s all that matters,” she said in an email.

Did Ponce campaign?

In campaign finance documents, Ponce stated she's received zero donations and spent no money campaigning. She does appear to have put up campaign signs, though they're not mentioned in her campaign expenses.

"I’m the furthest thing from being a politician," Ponce stated in an email.

It's "typical to not spend a ton of money" in a city council race, according to Olivia Hale, San Joaquin County Registrar of Voters. Additionally, it's not unusual for a candidate to win a primary without much public campaigning, according to Hale.

Online, Ponce's campaign seems to have no website or social media page.

The 209 Times, a site and social media page known for tirades against some local elected officials and support for others, twice posted praising Ponce's campaign.

In February, former mayor Silva told The Record he believed 209 Times was "running" Ponce's campaign. 209 Times founder and onetime political consultant Motecuzoma Sanchez sent no response to an email asking if 209 Times is involved in the Ponce campaign.

When asked what her campaign stands for Ponce expressed concern for the future of Stockton.

"Crime and homelessness are skyrocketing, and quite frankly, if you ask residents in Stockton if they feel safe, the vast majority say no," she stated.

Why did Ponce sue the city?

Arguably the highest-profile part of Ponce’s campaign was her lawsuit against local election officials in December.

On Nov. 22, officials started trying to contact Ponce to tell her that her voter registration was “inactive,” which would make her ineligible to run for city council, according to Hale and Stockton City Clerk Eliza Garza.

Garza is the official responsible for running city elections, with Hale's assistance.

Under the law, officials have to list a voter as “inactive” if they haven’t voted in recent elections, according to Hale. If a voter contacts election officials — or if they vote in another election — they go back on active status, she said.

Ponce did not contact Hale's office to fix the problem until Nov. 8, the deadline for candidates to be nominated, Hale said. Officials fixed Ponce's registration that day, she said.

But by the deadline, Ponce had only eight of the 10 valid voter signatures candidates need to be successfully nominated, according to her nomination documents.

Ponce sued officials Dec. 22, arguing the registration problem prevented her from gathering enough signatures, court records show. The registration "error was first indirectly communicated to (her) December 8," she claimed.

Election officials made no opposition to Ponce's suit, and a judge allowed her more time to gather signatures, records show. She was added to the ballot in late December, records show.

It remains to be seen if Ponce will be more visible heading toward the November general election fight.

"On a basic human level, I plan to be accessible to my constituents," Ponce stated in an email.

Record reporter Aaron Leathley covers government accountability. She can be reached at aleathley@recordnet.com or on Twitter @LeathleyAaron. Support local news, subscribe to The Stockton Record at https://www.recordnet.com/subscribenow.

This article originally appeared on The Record: How Mariela Ponce won the Stockton City Council District 2 primary