Spencer Dayton to run for Lodi City Council
On the heels of the 2016 election, during which no challengers came forth against Lodi City Council members Bob Johnson and JoAnne Mounce, a new candidate has entered the 2018 race. Spencer Dayton, a 19-yearold student from Lodi, has announced he is running for the Lodi City Council. He made the announcement at a recent Greater Lodi Area Democrats meeting, where he was given unanimous support by the group.
What made him want to run is that while he has grown up and lived in the Lodi area, he didn’t feel like there were many newcomers to the council.
“We need a younger voice that’s not beholden to friends and donors,” he said.
He believes the city needs someone on the council who will take into account the needs of the people — like Councilwoman JoAnne Mounce — especially with the underrepresented Heritage District, also known as the Eastside.
“We have a huge area on the Eastside that has wonderful people and cultures. We need to promote the city as one,” Dayton said.
Dayton is prioritizing education, homelessness, business, diversity, environment and youth as his primary issues in his bid for a council seat.
On education, he supports investing in educators and also ensuring that all students regardless of their immigration status are able to go to school.
Dayton said he is critical of the way Lodi has handled homelessness and poverty, advocating for one of the solutions offered in Washington state. There, he said, small housing units were made available to people in need, where they were able to learn skills needed to get back on their feet.
He believes Lodi could improve its business climate with better policy to make it easier for small businesses to form.
Water is another of his main concerns with regards to the environment, because clean water is a precious resource for residents as well as industry in agriculture. He believes Lodi should stand up against projects like the Delta tunnels to prevent water from being sent south for Southern California interests.
He also said he is concerned that residents are being penalized for water usage, despite recent improvements in local conservation.
“The city wants to raise rates. They’re going to penalize residents for doing what’s right,” he said.
He would also encourage the city to provide more opportunities for people of different cultures and youth to come together in Lodi.
His bid for the city council is an extension of work he is already doing related to public service, as he is involved in several local organizations and nonprofits.
Dayton is currently serving as the chairman of the San Joaquin County American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) and is involved with the Greater Lodi Area Democrats (GLAD), DeMolay International and the Democratic Central Committee among other organizations. He also helps coach the Lodi Junior Giants.
He is a graduate of Lodi High School. While he studies for a bachelor’s degree in government online through Grand Canyon University, a private, for-profit Christian university based in Arizona, he works part-time at Big 5 in Lodi.
Currently, he is engaged to marry Brittany Johnson and attends church regularly at St. Joachims Catholic Church in Lockeford. Dayton is the son of Lodi High School Math Teacher Steve Dayton and local business owner Amber Dayton of Amber’s Armoire.
His slogan in this election is to be “your voice on the city council.”
“I will not make a promise I can’t keep,” he said.
More information about Dayton and his campaign can be found at dayton4lodi.wixsite.com/home. He can also be contacted through email at dayton4lodi@gmail.com.