A large field, including 3 Lodi candidates, seek county supe seat
A new face will be representing San Joaquin County Board of Supervisors District 4 next year, and six are vying for the seat, with half calling Lodi home and the remaining three residing in Linden.
Lodi City Councilman Doug Kuehne is looking to represent the city on a grander scale by serving the 4th district, which will now include all of northern and eastern San Joaquin County down to Highway 120 and Jack Tone Road.
“I believe Lodi and the north county deserve a representative in that mold,” he said. “I have local government experience plus a long record in the private sector with my small business right here in Lodi. I know Lodi and I love Lodi. North San Joaquin County has not had a north county resident represent them in 16 years.”
Elected to the Lodi City Council in 2015, Kuehne graduated from Lodi High School and currently owns King’s Carpet Service.
He has served on numerous boards and commissions in the region, including San Joaquin Council of Governments and the San Joaquin County Local Agency Formation Committee.
A Republican who has served as Lodi’s mayor twice, he believes the county should no longer be subject to COVID-19 lockdown and restriction policies, fully funding law enforcement, providing more low income housing for residents, and letting local businesses operate without the interference of the government.
During his time on the council, Kuehne has focused on Lodi’s homeless crisis and will focus on similar issues facing all seven cities by initiating an effort for a large, county-wide access center.
Kuehne said he will fight to reduce taxes, advocate for a new terminal at the Stockton Metropolitan Airport, and continue to oppose the tunnel project aimed at delivering Northern California water to the southern part of the state.
For more information,
visit Dougkuehne.com.
Lodi Unified School District teacher Nancy Gonzalez St. Clair is undertaking her first campaign for political office.
A 1995 graduate of Tokay High School, St. Clair is a Democrat who has served a board member of A New Lodi, as well as The Breakthrough Project.
“The San Joaquin County Board of Supervisors has failed to reflect the community they represent fully,” she said. “I believe I have the ability, and responsibility, to bring transformative changes to the county by fostering open communication and collaboration from all community members. If I am elected, I would be the only educator, woman, and first woman of color on the board. I would hope to represent these and other marginalized voices from the community.”
St. Clair said she not only supports funding law enforcement agencies, but increasing funding to them, as well as to all first responders.
While she trusts the science behind COVID-19 vaccinations, she said she believes residents should have the right to choose whether or not to get vaccinated.
She said she supports job creation to improve the county’s economy and is opposed to raising taxes on the working and middle class.
In addition she supports appropriating funds to county programs that provide wrap-around services such as emergency housing, mental health services, treatment for substance abuse, and job training for unsheltered individuals to address the homeless crisis in the county.
For more information, visit www.nancystclair.org.
Woodbridge Crossing owner Steve Ding is no stranger to the political arena, but this is his first time running for elected office.
A graduate of Stagg High School and Chico State, Ding is a Republican who spent 16 years as chief of staff for Rep. Richard Piombo and now serves on several local boards, including the Lodi Chamber of Commerce, Lodi Boys & Girls Club Executive Board and the Greater San Joaquin County Chamber of Commerce.
“I have a unique background of experience that will benefit our District,” he said. “I know how the system works. I was successful because I know one man cannot do it alone; you need to build coalitions. I can hit the ground running. I’ve got the successful business experience necessary and the public experience from the local level to the highest seats in Congress. I have a vast network of experts and those elected officials at all levels of government to help San Joaquin County prosper.”
If elected, Ding wants to ensure the county maintains fiscal responsibility, improve public safety and provide more mental health components to resources intended for the homeless.
He said now is the time for local government to show restraint and prioritize spending for essentials like law enforcement, street maintenance, and public obligations. Ding says our criminal justice system needs to “get back to the basics,” holding criminals accountable for their actions and focusing on prevention to reduce the crime rate.
Former San Joaquin County Sheriff Steve Moore has thrown his hat in the ring after a four-year absence from political office.
The Oxnard native and Linden resident graduated from Hueneme High School in 1973, and graduated from Fresno State in 1980.
Moore was sheriff for 12 years, and has served as Linden County Water District director, as well as on various boards and commissions, including the San Joaquin Farm Bureau Federation Board, the Community Partnership for Families of San Joaquin and Retired Public Employees of San Joaquin County, among others.
“I have the experience of working through the last great recession, with my knowledge of budgeting, I succeeded in retaining all deputies in order to provide for the safety and security of our county,” he said. “In addition, I have working relationships with most of the current county department heads which will be of great assistance in accomplishing my goals as supervisor.”
Moore said the most important issues facing the county are illegal dumping and homelessness, adding he has a plan of action to address both.
That includes petitioning the governor to use the former Dueul Vocational Institute as a homeless assessment center, and pursuing a review of the county master contract for waste disposal to negotiate for additional services to remove trash and junk from identified locations, he said.
Moore said he would advocate for new businesses in the county to improve the economy, push for more affordable housing and believes that taxes should only be sought after the county budget has been audited to see if there are other current funds available to cover the identified need for the funding.
For more information, visit Moore4supervisor.com.
Linden resident Paul Brennan is another former law enforcement member seeking the District 4 seat.
A graduate of Lincoln High School in Stockton and UC Davis, Brennan is a former corrections officer with San Joaquin County Sheriff ’s Office, as well as a former probation officer with the county.
He’s been a director of the Linden County Water District, and has served as president of both the San Joaquin County Probation Officers Association and the State Coalition Of Probation Organizations, among other boards.
“As a retired public servant, I still have a passion for serving our community,” he said. “I am not just another politician playing party politics as usual. I am a proven law enforcement officer who cares about keeping communities safe, holding government accountable, and getting things done.”
If elected, Brennan said he wants to improve the quality of life for residents in the county by alleviating homelessness, supporting clean and safe communities and improve access to water.
He also wants to build affordable housing, create an environment where businesses can thrive, and expand educational opportunities for our youth and displaced adults.
He said tax increases should remain at a minimum, and that he plans to call for an audit of the county’s financial records for a better sense of where adjustments in spending can be made.
For more information, visit www.brennan4supervisor.com.
Small business owner Steve Colangelo, also a Linden resident, is attempting a third run for office this November.
He ran for Congress against Jerry McNerney in 2014, and for Stockton City Council against Dan Wright in 2016.
A graduate of Jesuit Prep School in Sacramento, he attended Cosumnes River College and Sacramento City College.
A former radio personality on stations such as KROY, KWOD and KGNR News Radio 1320, Colangelo is a Republican who said he is the only conservative running in the election.
He’s the past president of the San Joaquin Convention & Visitors Bureau, former financial vice president of the Greater Stockton Chamber of Commerce, and past president of the American Rental Association of California.
“I’m a conservative who opposes raising new local taxes and fees, and my only special interests are the people of San Joaquin County,” he said. “I want to provide common sense solutions for problems that we all see in San Joaquin County. I want to use my 35 years of business experience to help get our county government back on track.”
Colangelo said he wants to protect taxpayers from unnecessary and excessive taxes and fees, support law enforcement agencies so they have the personnel and equipment to keep resident safe, and provide a “visual difference” in the county’s homeless problem.
He is against efforts to defund law enforcement agencies and wants to enforce anti-camping laws to move homeless camps from the streets and into shelters.
In addition, Colangelo said he will work hard to reduce the size of county government, and that the county needs to decrease the fees for permitting and other use taxes causing a rise in the cost of new homes and apartments.
He also supports keeping Proposition 13 — the 1978 voter approved law that keeps your property taxes low — fully intact.
For more information, visit www.stevecolangelo.com.
The six candidates will square off in the June 7 primary, with the top two vote-getters moving on to the general election in November.