Attorney and College of the Canyons Professor Warren Heaton has announced his candidacy to run as a Democratic challenger for the State Senate seat in the 21st District, which is currently held by Scott Wilk, R-Santa Clarita, officials said Thursday. 

Heaton is from Kentucky and is currently an attorney who focuses on refugee and asylum cases, and works as an adjunct professor for College of the Canyons. 

After graduating high school, Heaton joined the U.S. Army, where he served as an interrogator and Russian translator. 

“During my military service, I developed a lifelong love of Russian literature, and a desire to obtain a higher education,” Heaton said. 

After serving in the Army, Heaton attended business school, where he earned a certificate in computer science and accounting.  

“I used this education to obtain a position as an accountant with a large hotel chain,” he said. “This position served as a springboard into a career in information technology.” 

After working with the hotel, Heaton went on to work for large banking and multinational insurance firms, where he held various senior managerial roles. 

“I gained an immense amount of knowledge in managing people, solving complex problems and

balancing efficiency with profitability,” he said. 

Heaton noted this set of skills could help him if he is elected into the Senate. 

The 21st District is a diverse district, and the voters deserve policies that serve both the rural and urban areas, Heaton said. 

From access to affordable healthcare, to building public transportation and affordable housing, to wildfire management, the district deserves a candidate who is part of the Democratic majority; a candidate that can shape policies to bring desperately-needed funding back to the district, he said. 

“I believe my experience and education have uniquely prepared me for this role,” he concluded.  

Heaton joins fellow Democratic candidate and attorney Kipp Mueller against Wilk in the race for the 21st District Senate seat.

KHTS FM 98.1 and AM 1220 is Santa Clarita’s only local radio station. KHTS mixes in a combination of news, traffic, sports, and features along with your favorite adult contemporary hits. Santa Clarita news and features are delivered throughout the day over our airwaves, on our website and through a variety of social media platforms. Our KHTS national award-winning daily news briefs are now read daily by 34,000+ residents. A vibrant member of the Santa Clarita community, the KHTS broadcast signal reaches all of the Santa Clarita Valley and parts of the high desert communities located in the Antelope Valley. The station streams its talk shows over the web, reaching a potentially worldwide audience. Follow @KHTSRadio on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.