Sacramento County Elections & Politics Digest

A complicated picture of David Depape's fringe beliefs began to surface through his online presence and connection to a Bay Area nude activist community. His online promoted anti-Semitism, far-right QAnon theory, and 2020 election denialism.

The Natomas Buzz invited the four candidates running for Natomas Unified school board to answer a series of questions submitted by readers.

City of Folsom officials have filed a petition in Sacramento Superior Court for emergency review after learning that Folsom Mayor Kerri Howell allegedly allowed a fellow council member to collect signatures for her 2022 campaign for reelection to City Council.

Sacramento School Board candidate Monique Hokman, endorsed by the Sacramento Police Officers Association, publicly claimed that ultraviolet light eliminates need for the polio vaccine and also cited anti-vax conspiracy theories.

A youth funding measure once again is on the Sacramento ballot with Measure L. If passed by a majority vote Nov. 8, the Sacramento Children and Youth Health and Safety Act would allocate 40% of existing cannabis business taxes to youth-related programs. It would not raise existing taxes or create a new tax.

Seven candidates, three slots in three separate districts: Folsom City Council candidates sit down to discuss the Folsom Ranch plan, recreation, traffic, homelessness and a decline in sales tax revenues.

Mayor Shawn Farmer argues for Measure Q, a new sales tax measure. Farmer says the 1 percent tax will cost $60 per Galt citizen per annum, and pay for parks and recreation and other general fund matters.

The new rules were sparked after a Bay Area councilmember hired his 14-year-old cousin to be his treasurer during a 2016 campaign.

City Council candidates for Galt reveal their campaign funding. Beyond the cap of $100 in donations per candidate, some have loaned thousands of dollars to their own campaigns.

No Black women have served on the Sacramento City Council since Lauren Hammond and Bonnie Pannell exited in 2010 and 2014, respectively. State employee Tamiko Heim seeks election in District 5.

Candidates for Citrus Heights City Council weighed in on homelessness in answers to a questionnaire sent out by the Sentinel. Solutions included constructing tiny homes on Sayonara Drive, enforcing ordinances on camping, and seeking more funding.

Citrus Heights council candidates have come out against Measure A, the road repair tax they claim will use local money to fix roads out of their area.

At a League of Women Voters forum, Pat Hume and Jaclyn Moreno, candidates for Sacramento County Board of Supervisors, exchanged heated accusations while stating their positions on Measure A, the right to choice, and crime.

Richard Estrada, candidate for Trustee Area 2 of the Galt Joint Union Elementary School District, touts the importance of STEAM and quality education.

At a forum, Galt City Council contenders discuss growth, preserving the small-town ambience, the Galt Market Plan, safety, and parks and rec issues.

Incumbents Sandy Amara and Daniel Berlant return to the ballot to defend their seats. Richard Hall, Mike Holmes and Linda Lareau also seek a spot on the council.

Candidates hosted at the Fallbrook Neighborhood Association gathering included contenders for Elk Grove City Council and school board, Sacramento County supervisors and state Assembly candidates. Topics: crime, homelessness and taxes.

Two women are planning to launch a recall campaign against City Councilman Sean Loloee, arguing Loloee does not live in the district he was elected to represent.

It’s Folsom’s first election with geographic districts for council members, and Councilman Michael Kozlowski is running to represent the newly created District 1. But there’s a question about whether he’s really living there.

In Placer County, Destiny Church is working in concert with a new and increasingly well-organized Christian advocacy group called the American Council to bring a “biblical worldview” into Northern California politics.

Elk Grove City Councilmember Stephanie Nguyen and Sacramento City Councilmember Eric Guerra are facing off in the November election, which will determine which of these Democratic candidates will represent California Assembly District 10.

Councilmember Rich Lozano is running for reelection to his seat for a second four-year term. He told the Herald that this is to continue pursuing goals that the council is working toward.

A series on the candidates for the Galt Joint Union Elementary School District Trustee Area 2 election continues with a profile of Lori Heuer.

Republicans sense opportunity in school board races because of the parent activism COVID-19 inspired. Parent Revolt recruits and trains parents to run for school board positions.

Some election officials in politically divided counties have shared concerns about their personal safety. Under SB 1131, which took effect immediately after Gov. Gavin Newsom signed it into law on Sept. 26, these officials can block their address from the public domain.

It’s a common misconception that a physical address is required to cast a ballot. For individuals living in shelters or encampments, California offers several options for participating in local elections.

Sacramento County Board of Supervisors District 5 candidates Pat Hume and Jaclyn Moreno shared their thoughts on new ordinances regarding homeless encampments.

The Rancho Cordova Chamber of Commerce invited candidates to speak at its monthly luncheon. In addition to Rancho Cordova City Council candidates Garrett Gatewood, Linda Budge, and Sheikh Zulkader, the event also drew candidates for other local races.

In the fourth article in a five-part series introducing local candidates, Mayor Shawn Farmer tells the Herald that if he wins a second term, he wants to focus on quality of life, public safety and preserving Galt’s “small-town economy.”

Hostility and mistrust are facts of life for Bill O’Neill, registrar of voters for El Dorado County. O’Neill and his peers across the state are bracing for trouble in the Nov. 8 election. Though no evidence of widespread voter fraud has been substantiated, election officials are pushing for new levels of transparency in an attempt to quell doubts.

U.S. Rep. Doris Matsui, D-Sacramento, and Max Semenenko are both seeing to represent Congressional District 7, which was redrawn last year and now includes Elk Grove and Galt to the south, a portion of Sacramento to the north, Isleton to the southwest, and Rancho Murieta to the east.

Galt Vice Mayor Paul Sandhu, is seeking reelection to City Council, tells the Galt Herald that he wants to focus on public safety, fiscal responsibility and quality of life if elected for a second term.