Sacramento is heading to a ‘Super Bowl’ election this June. Who’s on the ballot?
The stage is set for one of Sacramento County’s biggest elections in years, with open races for sheriff, district attorney, a wave of City Council seats and other positions.
This week’s candidate filing deadline locked in the races for a large slate of Sacramento offices on the June ballot.
Two key events created the conditions for change in the county’s political leadership: The state’s once-a-decade redrawing of political boundaries and several longtime officials opting not to seek reelection.
As a result, Sacramento County will get a new sheriff for the first time since 2010, a new district attorney for the first time since 2014, and — for county voters in one district — a new representative on the Board of Supervisors for the first time since 1994.
“It’s turning into a Super Bowl election year when it was supposed to be quiet,” said Steve Maviglio, a political consultant. “What a lot of people don’t realize is a lot of this will be decided in June.”
Several races will be determined on the June 7 primary election because only two candidates are running and the one who gets the most votes will take office. Those include the races to succeed Sheriff Scott Jones and District Attorney Anne Marie Schubert.
Others with multiple candidates seeking the same office likely won’t be settled until the general election on Nov. 8.
They include contests to represent North Natomas on the Sacramento City Council following Councilwoman Angelique Ashby’s decision to seek a Senate seat and Elk Grove on the Sacramento County Board of Supervisors following Supervisor Don Nottoli’s retirement.
Two other seats on the Sacramento City Council are open with no incumbent running. Councilman Jay Schenirer is retiring, while Councilman Jeff Harris lost his East Sacramento district through the city’s redistricting process.
“Sometimes these offices are stepping stone to another office,” said Andrew Acosta, a political consultant who’s running several local campaigns. “There’s other opportunities out there and people take them. It creates a domino effect around the state.”
The domino effect was on display this year when Jones announced a run for Congress, prompting Assemblyman Jim Cooper to run for Sheriff. Cooper, a Democrat whom Jones defeated in 2010, will face off against Chief Deputy Jim Barnes.
Another seat on the Sacramento City Council could open next year because Councilman Eric Guerra is running for Cooper’s Assembly seat. If Guerra wins the seat, a special election will be held in spring 2023 for his council seat, and there will be a fourth new member on the City Council.
If that happens, the council will have seven new members it did not have in November 2020 — major turnover for the nine-member body. In the 2018 election, by contrast, no new council members were elected.
The results will show whether a budding alliance between Mayor Darrell Steinberg and new progressive councilwomen Katie Valenzuela and Mai Vang gains more firepower to push city policies leftward.
In December, for example, those three voted to stop towing homeless vehicles unless there is somewhere for people to go. They were outvoted six to three.
Several of the candidates running for council seats would have voted with the more liberal members, said Flojaune Cofer, a progressive activist who works on the Sacramento Sister Circle Voter Guide. She believed the council will move to the left no matter who wins in June.
“I don’t think anyone running is more moderate than the person currently occupying the seat,” Cofer said.
Many of the candidates are younger than the incumbents, Cofer pointed out.
“We have a lot more folks who are Millennials now running and younger Generation X, so it feels like there’s a little more energy,” Cofer said. “It also speaks to that there are generational beliefs and approaches to things so I think some of the excitement I’m feeling is there are more people whose values closely align with mine and are more comfortable questioning the way we’ve always done things.”
Maviglio agreed younger candidates can be exciting, but he said their relative lack of experience could be problematic.
“There’s just a lot of people who have seen the failings of city government and want to change it,” said Maviglio, who is working on Ashby’s senate campaign. “I think what’s really good is there’s a lot of enthusiasm from a new generation of people interested, but there’s a lot of worry there’s not going to be any adult in the room now that Angelique (Ashby) and Jay (Schenirer) are gone.”
Steinberg’s loss on the towing item had many questioning whether the mayor will continue to be the one setting the agenda on council. His term expires in 2024 and he has said he will not seek re-election.
New members will likely bring new policies on homelessness, but might be less likely to take on police reform or a stricter rent control, said Logan Dreher of Sunrise Sacramento, a local chapter of a national progressive organization.
“It’s really easy for special interest groups to pour in money,” said Dreher, referring to the council members who accept donations from police unions and landlord groups. “So for some of the bigger policies it might take more time.”
Sacramento City Council
District 1
Where it is: Part of North Natomas, part of North Sacramento
Council member: Angelique Ashby, who is not running for re-election in June because she is running for state Senate.
Who’s running:
▪ Lisa Kaplan, longtime Natomas Unified School Board member, and an attorney.
▪ Alyssa Lozano, a realtor and president of the Natomas Chamber of Commerce.
▪ Nate Pelczar, who works at the California Product Stewardship Council, an environmental organization, and is a board member for the Stonewall Foundation of Greater Sacramento, which serves LGBTQ+ youth.
▪ Robert Alvis, a business owner, who has not started a fundraising committee.
District 3
Where it is: South Natomas, part of North Natomas.
Council member: Jeff Harris, who no longer lives in the district due to redistricting and is not running.
Who’s running:
▪ Karina Talamantes, Ashby’s chief of staff, and president of the Sacramento County Board of Education.
▪ Michael Lynch, founder of nonprofit Improve Your Tomorrow, which helps men of color get to college.
▪ Adrianne Gonzales, has also qualified but has not started a fundraising committee.
District 5
Where it is: Oak Park, Parkway, parts of South Sacramento.
Council member: Jay Schenirer, who no longer lives in the district due to redistricting and is not running.
Who’s running:
▪ Caity Maple, a homeless activist and political consultant who owns a home in North Oak Park.
▪ Tamiko Heim, a state worker who owns a home in North City Farms. She has served on the city Active Transportation Committee since 2019.
▪ Chris Baker, who has not started a fundraising committee.
▪ Kimberley Sow, administrative assistant, who has not started a fundraising committee.
County Board of Supervisors
District 2
Where it is: Parts of South Sacramento and Pocket/Greenhaven
Supervisor: Patrick Kennedy, who’s represented the seat since 2014
Who’s running:
▪ Kennedy, who was a member of the Sacramento City Unified School District Board of Education prior to taking office as a supervisor
▪ Duke Cooney, a 29-year-old gay father who lives in south Sacramento
District 5
Where it is: Parts of South Sacramento, Elk Grove, Rancho Cordova
Supervisor: Don Nottoli, who’s not seeking re-election
Who’s running:
▪ Jaclyn Moreno, a member of the Cosumnes Community Services District Board who also owns a small business that provides mental health services to students.
▪ Pat Hume, Elk Grove City Council member.
▪ Steve Ly, former Elk Grove mayor.
▪ Alex Joe, retired teacher
District Attorney
District Attorney Anne Marie Schubert is running for state attorney general.
Who’s running:
▪ Alana Mathews, a former deputy district attorney who is not accepting donations from law enforcement unions and is endorsed by progressive groups.
▪ Thien Ho, deputy district attorney who prosecuted the case that sent Golden State Killer Joseph James DeAngelo to prison for life.
Sheriff
Sheriff Scott Jones is running for Congress.
Who’s running:
Assemblyman Jim Cooper, D-Elk Grove, former Sheriff’s department captain who ran for Sheriff previously.
Jim Barnes, a chief deputy who is supported by Jones.
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This story was originally published March 17, 2022 at 11:01 AM.
