Sacramento County supervisor election: Fishman maintains lead over Desmond

Gregg Fishman maintained a small lead early Wednesday in the race for District 3 on the Sacramento County Board of Supervisors, capturing 51% of the vote against opponent Rich Desmond at 48%.

With 120 out of 120 precincts reporting at 1:15 a.m., Fishman had 31,627 votes and Desmond had collected 30,254.

District 3 is largely viewed as a “swing seat” that could tilt the balance of power in favor of more progressive causes. The district represents largely unincorporated suburban areas of Sacramento such as Arden Arcade, Carmichael and Fair Oaks. The seat became open after Susan Peters announced in 2019 that she would not seek reelection.

In the March primary, Desmond, a former commander for the California Highway Patrol, pulled in 32,000 votes, the most of any candidate but it was not enough to nab the seat. Fishman, a board member on the Sacramento Municipal Utility District, finished the primary in second with 19,400 votes.

Fishman was endorsed by Sacramento Mayor Darrell Steinberg and Supervisor Phil Serna, and was also backed by several labor unions and the county’s Democratic Party. Fishman, an Arden Park resident, has said he wants to give the county health department “the resources needed to expand contract tracing to track and isolate the virus,” create a housing stabilization fund, and support small businesses.

Desmond was endorsed by Peters and Sacramento County District Attorney Anne Marie Schubert, as well as law enforcement groups. A Carmichael resident, Desmond has put homelessness at the top of his agenda, saying, the county needs “a humane approach to this problem because most people experiencing homelessness suffer from mental illness, addiction, or physical disabilities.” He also promised to improve road conditions, and to “building public trust in law enforcement.”

This story was originally published November 3, 2020 at 8:16 PM.