New candidates enter June election
Races shaping up for key seats as initial filing deadline closes
New local candidates for Congress and the Marin County Board of Supervisors emerged to run in the June 7 primary election as the initial deadline for filing closed Friday.
Archimedes Ramirez, a San Rafael neurosurgeon, has declared his candidacy to challenge Rep. Jared Huffman, a San Rafael Democrat seeking his sixth term representing California's 2nd District.
Ramirez served a four-year term on the Marin Healthcare District board from 2004 to 2008. He failed in his bid for re-election to the board in 2008.
Ramirez is one of five candidates statewide who have filed to challenge Huffman. The others are Chris Coulonbe of Sebastopol, Elizabeth Hampson of Rohnert Park, Douglas Brower of Ferndale and Darian Elizondo of Laytonville.
Another new local candidate to emerge is Colin Medalie, a deputy with the Marin County Sheriff's Office. Medalie has filed papers to run for the District 5 seat on the Board of Supervisors. Supervisor Judy Arnold, who represents District 5, is not seeking a fifth term.
Novato Mayor Eric Lucan has also filed to run for the District 5 seat. Novato resident Kevin Morrison, who has announced his candidacy, said he plans to file Monday. In cases where incumbent officeholders did not file before the deadline, the filing period will be extended until Wednesday.
Damon Connolly, who represents District 1 on the Board of Supervisors, is giving up his seat to run for state Assembly. Gina Daly, elected to the San Rafael Board of Education in November 2020, and Mary Sackett, a Connolly aide since May 2017, have both filed to replace Connolly.
At the state level, Assemblyman Marc Levine, a Democrat who lives in Greenbrae, is forgoing his chance for a sixth and final term in the Legislature to run for state insurance commissioner.
Sara Aminzadeh of Kentfield, a member of California Coastal Commission; Ida Times-Green, board president of the SausalitoMarin City School District; Steve Schwartz of Sebastopol; and Connolly have all filed papers for the Assembly seat.
The four-year term of state Sen. Mike McGuire, D-Healdsburg, also ends this year. McGuire has filed to keep his seat, and Gene Yoon, a lawyer who lives in Kelseyville, has filed papers to challenge him.
The terms of several key local officials — Assessor/Recorder/County Clerk Shelly Scott, District Attorney Lori Frugoli, Sheriff/ Coroner Robert Doyle and Superintendent of Schools Mary Jane Burke — are ending this year.
Scott and Frugoli both filed to run for re-election, and no challengers filed.
Doyle is retiring after serving six terms in office. Undersheriff Jamie Scardina has filed to run and had amassed a sizable campaign war chest — $196,622 by the end of December.
Novato City Manager Adam McGill withdrew from the race in September, and so far no other candidate has filed for sheriff.
Burke announced in January that she would not seek an eighth term. John Carroll, superintendent of the Lagunitas and BolinasStinson Union school districts, is the only candidate to file so far.
All six Marin County Superior Court judges whose terms end in 2022 — Paul Haakenson, Andrew Sweet, Geoffrey Howard, Stephen Freccero, Roy Chernus and Sheila Shah Lichtblau — will retain their seats without having to face challengers. Under state law, any candidate interested in running for a seat on the bench had to file a declaration of intention by Feb. 9. As no candidates filed to run before the deadline and all six judges have filed, they will run unopposed.
In Mill Valley, the terms of three of the five council members — John McCauley, Jim Wickham and Stephen Burke — are ending. Wickham has filed to serve out the last two years of Tricia Ossa's term. Ossa resigned in 2021. Burke has filed to run for a full four-year term on the council.
Three people — Max Perrey, Kirk Knauer and Eric White — pulled papers for that council race but haven't filed. Candidates have until Wednesday to do so because McCauley has announced he won't seek re-election.
In Ross, the two incumbent Town Council members whose terms are ending, Elizabeth Robbins and Julie McMillan, have both filed to seek re-election. Nicholas Skewes-Cox has also filed, guaranteeing a race.
The terms of three Ross Valley Sanitary District board members — Michael Boorstein, Thomas Gaffney and Pamela Meigs — and two Almonte Sanitary District board members — Linda Rames and Casey Bertenthal — end in 2022. There won't be competitive races for any of these positions, however, as only the incumbents filed to run.