Photo courtesy of Brandy Romero
When a traffic collision, a neighborhood safety concern or an issue before the City Council arises in Orange, residents might turn to Brandy Romero’s “There’s No Place Like Orange” Instagram page for insights.
The account shares information about local developments, often based on messages, photos and videos submitted by residents. What began as an effort to address crime in her neighborhood has grown to more than 63,500 followers.
Now, Romero is running for Orange City Council, hoping to bring her experience as a community organizer and social media figure into local government.
“I’m there to be [residents'] vessel, to vote for them,” Romero told The Panther. “It’s not what I think.”
Romero is running for the District 1 seat in the Nov. 3 election against Jonathan St. Clair, Albert “AJ” Ricci and Ernest Glasgow. The race approaches as Orange faces questions about its finances, public safety priorities and the future of its local economy.
The candidates have emphasized different approaches to those issues.
St. Clair, a general manager who serves on the city’s Community Development Block Grant Program Committee, has proposed reducing barriers for local businesses, supporting developments that fit existing neighborhoods and improving park safety. Ricci, a real estate agent and vice chair of the Traffic Commission, has emphasized government transparency, sending oversight and more efficient city service. Glasgow, a contractor who previously served on the Planning Commission and Traffic Committee, has focused on fiscal responsibility, neighborhood preservation and managing growth.
Romero has centered her campaign on resident input and her experience raising awareness of local issues.
Romero said her involvement in local issues began after a series of safety concerns in her neighborhood, including car break-ins and a Peeping Tom incident. She contacted the Orange Police Department about starting a neighborhood watch and distributed flyers to encourage residents to participate.
She also helped organize a neighborhood meeting attended by about 80 people, she said. Mayor Dan Slater attended and encouraged her to visit a City Council meeting.
Romero said she attended her first meeting in April 2023 and began attending meetings regularly, speaking during public comment and reviewing archived videos of council meetings to learn more about city decisions.
Around the same time, she launched her Instagram account to share information about neighborhood crime and other developments affecting residents. She said residents increasingly began sending her information directly.
Romero said she runs it without paid promotion and does not make money through it. She credits the platform with helping residents follow city issues and bring attention to neighborhood concerns, though the extent of its influence on city policy is unclear.
“I’ve been able to effect a lot of change in the city, and mostly, it’s by giving the residents and the community a voice,” she said.
Romero said she wants to improve the city’s budgeting process, establish clearer spending priorities and plan more proactively for financial challenges. She criticized the city’s spending on the reopening of Hart Park Pool, questioning whether its ongoing costs should be weighed against other community needs, including public safety.
“When the city says something like, ‘Oh, it’s only $50,000,’ in our world $50,000 is a lot of money,” she said.
Romero said her views on spending stem partly from growing up in a household where money had to be managed carefully. She believes city officials should apply similar consideration when allocating public funds.
She has also criticized the influence of political contributions in local elections, arguing that candidates who rely on outside financial support may feel pressure to prioritize donors’ interests over residents’ concerns.
Romero proposes closer collaboration between Orange and Chapman, including partnership on student safety, internships and local development projects. She said students could contribute to city projects while gaining experience that might encourage them to build careers in Orange.
“Chapman students are such a valuable resource,” she said. “And we don’t tap into that at all.”
Romero is also the owner of There's No Place Like Orange at The Squeeze, an Orange-themed business that opened on April 6, 2025, choosing the city’s birthday for its grand opening. She said she wants to preserve the historic character that first attracted her to the city while also making public spaces safer and downtown more inviting.
Her campaign marks a shift from commenting on city decisions to seeking a vote in making them. As a council member, she would be responsible for weighing competing priorities, evaluating proposals and working with other elected officials.
Romero said her decision to run is tied to her concerns about how the city is governed and her desire to represent residents directly
“I might not always agree with the majority, but it doesn’t matter; I’m there for the residents,” she said. “There’s no place like Orange. There’s no place I would rather be.”