Any change to the Sacramento Board of Supervisors now hinges on November election
Sacramento voters had two chances to upend the status quo on the county Board of Supervisors Tuesday night and redirect decades of stagnant governing, but voters showed little interest in electing any clear promise of change, or the first millennial to the board.
District 2 Supervisor Patrick Kennedy, who won his seat in 2014 and has since done little to handle the region’s growing crises, handily garnered a huge lead over Duke Cooney, a 29-year-old with fresh ideas but not enough political or financial support to pose a real threat.
In District 5, Republican Pat Hume and Democrat Jaclyn Moreno are likely headed to a November runoff since neither of them earned more than 50% of the vote.
With Kennedy cruising to another term, the possibility for much-needed change on this county board — one that has been admonished three times by a Grand Jury, largely passed the buck on homelessness to the city of Sacramento, allows the Sheriff’s Department to run roughshod over its budget process and lags desperately behind on its climate action plan — hinges on Moreno’s chances in the general election.
Hume, her opponent, would likely add one more conservative voice on the board in a moment when aggressive leadership is needed. That could mean further delays on the county’s Climate Action Plan and giving breaks to sprawl developers who disregard housing, climate and transportation policies.
With Cooney raising less than $17,000 for his campaign, his chances at defeating an establishment figure such as Kennedy were slim. Kennedy raised more than $80,000, and racked up endorsements from the the Democratic Club of Sacramento County, Congresswoman Doris Matsui and the Sacramento Metro Chamber of Commerce.
Though The Bee editorial board endorsed Cooney, it was with the tacit understanding that he was a longshot to oust a two-term incumbent.
Missed opportunities aside, the real disappointment of the election night was turnout: Only about one-quarter of registered voters in Sacramento County cast their ballot in the primary. Across the state, election officials reported abysmally low numbers for a midterm election that simply seemed to bore voters, perhaps burned out after the failed recall of Gov. Gavin Newsom last year.
When voters are checked out, we get the elected officials we deserve. In Sacramento County, that could mean more of the same ineffective leaders.
This story was originally published June 8, 2022 at 5:00 AM.
