Former California assemblyman running for Sean Loloee’s Sacramento City Council seat
Former California Assemblyman Roger Dickinson is running for Sacramento City Council in 2024.
Dickinson, a Democrat who served in the Assembly from 2010 to 2014, is running for the 2nd District seat currently held by Councilman Sean Loloee.
Since losing re-election to the Assembly in 2014 to Richard Pan, Dickinson, 72, has worked as a lawyer and a state housing consultant, and is currently a policy director at the local nonprofit CivicWell. He has lived in North Sacramento’s Woodlake neighborhood since the 1970s, he said.
Prior to the Assembly, Dickinson served on the Sacramento County Board of Supervisors for almost 17 years, from 1994 to 2010, which he said gives him experience in local government.
If elected, he said he would push for funding to improve infrastructure and parks in North Sacramento in the hopes of catalyzing private investment.
“This part of Sacramento, North Sacramento, has not gotten the attention and resources it deserves over time,” Dickinson said. “I don’t see the prospect of that changing in a meaningful way without a change in representation. I’m someone who’s committed to this area, has relationships and can build relationships that can be productive for the area and has the ability to marshal resources and people to bring the kind of attention and resources the area deserves.”
Dickinson said he would work to secure more city funding to fix sewer capacity, street potholes and sidewalks, and to improve conditions at parks.
On homelessness and housing, he said he wants the city to give more financing to spark additional affordable housing units, and also to start a new larger program with the county for emergency eviction prevention services.
“I would set up an operation that would be widely publicized, which would say if you think you’re going to not be able to make your next rent payment, you’re a victim of domestic violence, (for) some reason you think you’re on the cusp of not being able to maintain housing, you call us and if we can help cover your rent for a month or two,” Dickinson said.
He also said the city needs more shelter beds, but did not provide any locations in North Sacramento where he would open additional beds.
On police, Dickinson said he is not sure if he would be in favor of reducing the $228 million police budget. He did not say he would reject police union donations, but said he would reject tobacco and oil donations.
It’s still unclear if Loloee will seek re-election. He did not respond to a message seeking comment.
The Sacramento Bee last year reported that it did not appear Loloee lived in the Hagginwood house where he said he lived, and could instead be living in his wife’s $1.4 million Granite Bay house with his wife and children. A city investigation, which did not include interviews with neighbors, found that Loloee does indeed live there with his employees. Loloee is also undergoing a federal lawsuit by the U.S. Department of Labor alleging he threatened to deport employees of his grocery stores.
The North Sacramento district comprises some of the city’s poorest neighborhoods, including Del Paso Heights. Woodlake is the most affluent of the district neighborhoods.
Former Twin Rivers Unified School District board member and Del Paso Heights homeowner Ramona Landeros is also running for the seat. She lost to Loloee in 2020. Former Grant Union High School Vice President Kim Davie and state worker Alicia Bledsoe are also running.
The primary will be held March 5. If no single candidate gets at least 50.01% of the vote, the general election for District 2 will be held Nov. 5.
