Meet Duke Cooney, a candidate for south Sacramento County Supervisor
Duke Cooney wants to elevate the voices of south Sacramento. As a candidate for the Sacramento Board of Supervisors, Cooney is focused on equitable budgeting, environmental justice and investments in infrastructure in communities that have not been given a fair share of resources.
The Board of Supervisors is the governing body of the county of Sacramento. It’s made up of five members who each represent a Sacramento County District.
The board works to ensure the delivery of services and programs essential to the continued prosperity of the Sacramento region.
Campaign season has started already for Duke Cooney, as he throws in his bid for the 2022 ballot election.
Cooney was raised in Vallejo and moved about 59 miles down the I-80 freeway to Sacramento fresh out of high school at 18 years old where he attended Sacramento State and obtained a degree in political science.
He has prior experience working in government and previously held positions in both the state Senate and state Assembly of the California Legislature.
He sat down with The Sacramento Bee to discuss the merits of his candidacy and his vision for equitable change in areas of south Sacramento as county Supervisor.
Note: This interview was edited for clarity purposes.
Q: Can you explain your goals in running for this position?
A: People are often focused on their own political ambitions, you know ‘where do I go next’, or ‘how do I not ruffle any feathers’, and the community suffers because of it. My biggest ambition for running this campaign is to give voice back to the community. The main tenant we’ve been working towards is engaging community leader and start working towards equity in some of those parts of south Sac right with improvement, funds, and thoughtful planning.
Q: What are you hearing from community members?
A: The largest thing is budgets. A lot of folks have been pleading and asking legislators, year after year for meaningful reform. Recently the County gave $12 million towards an alternative 911 to fund mental health professionals and social work professionals to respond to behavioral and mental health calls. It’s these types of solutions that the community’s asking for. Something different, something creative, something unique. They’re tired of the status quo. They’re tired of begging people to do the right thing.
Q: Outside of the budget, what are some of your main focuses for the south Sacramento area that make up District 2?
A: I work in environmental advocacy and a piece of that is urban green. You can clearly see just driving down Florin Road where the funding stops. You don’t have beautiful tree canopies, you don’t have thoughtful parks integrated within the infrastructure that already exists. Some places, you barely have two cinder blocks and a piece of wood [and] that qualifies as a bus stop. I’d really like to see meaningful planning when it comes to our communities. It’s clear which of the ones that are left out, and I want to restore some of that. Give funding and pour resources into the community that’s asking and pleading for it.
Q: Can you elaborate on the lack of infrastructure and how it affects day-to-day living? Especially, as it relates to the health disparities?
A: There’s not a park within walking distance, there’s not a grocery store within walking distance, community members have been telling me that there are so many food deserts within the Sacramento area. You have plenty of Burger Kings and [other] fast food restaurants but you don’t have areas where we people can access healthy foods. You know we’re the ‘City of Trees’, or we’re the ‘Farm to Fork Capital’, but that’s not true for everybody, particularly those in south Sac. And I think that it sort of cascades and builds upon each other. Not having access to healthy foods, not having access to clean air and safe places to enjoy with your family. It weighs down on you, and it makes our families enter a space where they can’t thrive because they’re struggling to just survive.
Q: Thank you. Do you have any last thoughts you’d like to share?
A: With me, the community gets someone who is community focused, who wants to see residents have a voice in the decision making at the county level, everything from behavioral health, to community programming, to the types of funds that are available to our youth. I’m bringing creativity and uniqueness. Something that is going to empower the community.
This story was originally published July 15, 2021 at 5:00 AM.