CALIFORNIA CITY, Calif. (KERO) — Michael Hurles, the former Edwards Air Force Base fire chief, is running for council in California City. He says he got approval from his wife of 48 years, Tammy.
- Hurles is running against seven other candidates with two open seats.
- Hurles says friends and community members encouraged him to run for council, but he needed to get the OK from his wife.
- Hurles has lived in California City since 1980, yet this is the first time he is running for city office.
BROADCAST TRANSCRIPT:
How bad are things in California City?
Well, Michael Hurles says it's enough to bring him out of retirement, to run for city council.
I'm Steve Virgen, your neighborhood reporter...
He's lived in the desert town for over 40 years and hasn't ever run for office.... but says he knows his city needs help.
“Wonderful… Exciting … Fun and wonderful.”
That’s how Tammy Hurles describes her marriage of 48 years to Michael Hurles. Lately, it’s gotten a little bit more exciting … because Michael is running for city council in California City.
“It’s busy, of course. But I’m used to being busy. With his career as a fire chief I’m used to going my own way and that’s fine with me," Tammy says.
Michael says he needed to get his wife’s approval before running for council. He tells me that it gave him a boost of confidence. He cherished her unwavering support throughout his 38-year career at Edwards Air Force Base that ended as fire chief in 2018 with a retirement ceremony.
“I didn’t look at it so much as honoring me as honoring my wife because she put up with that for 38 years of my being gone on holidays, birthdays, anniversaries … So as far as I was concerned it was her ceremony.”
Michael is running against seven others with two open seats. He says he has no political aspirations or business ties in town …
“So, the citizens can be guaranteed that if I am elected that any votes that I make on that council will be what I believe is best for the city.”
Hurles tells me after talking with locals over the last few months about their needs... he's confident he made the right decision to run.
I'm Steve Virgen, your neighborhood reporter.
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