2 vie for San Mateo County’s chief elections officer

Both candidates have advocated for stronger election security and fair election access, office transparency and efficient operations but differ on how they’d like to go about it.

Pollack said he envisions expanding the department’s public interactions by bolstering its social media outreach, making services more user friendly and educating the public on the various roles of the department.

“There could be more done in terms of basic communications of what the office is all about,” Pollack said. “More proactive interactions with the community should be there to make the relationship much more engaged and part of the community.”

Communication is key for Pollack who said better messaging could better bring people into the processes handled by the department and build trust in the office that is tasked with some of the county’s biggest jobs, running elections and assessing land that brings in billions of dollars in revenue annually.

As examples, Pollack said the website could be improved to better connect underserved communities with the information they may need to feel encouraged to run for office. Or jurisdictions could benefit from greater access to tax information, especially when trying to advocate for tax measures or housing initiatives.

Internally, Pollack said he’d like to bring in more experts who can help guide the department on more efficiently conducting operations. By leaning on his management skills developed while overseeing crews of up to 50 people, Pollack said he’d also focus on providing employees with clear opportunities for growth.

“You bring in people who have the expertise and let them run things,” Pollack said. “If you’ve got good people internally you nurture and support their development and you let them operate and sort of manage itself in a positive culture but with the confidence you’re putting the right people in place and you’re letting them do their job.”

For Church, his reelection would mean a continuation of his past few terms as he seeks to finish out a number of initiatives he’s started. Among those projects is the digitization of hundreds of thousands of county documents dating back to the 1800s, bolstering the department’s cybersecurity system and continuing outreach efforts to underserved communities through partnerships with local nonprofits.

“I would be eligible to retire but I don’t have the desire to retire, not yet anyway. I have a sincere dedication to public service and a strong desire to serve the people of San Mateo County,” Church said, reflecting on his 26 years of public service.

Since taking on his current position in 2010, Church said he’s brought change to the organization, transitioning it from the analog era to the digital era. And while the department has made mistakes in the past, once sending out incorrect ballots due to an error made by a new employee, Church said he and his staff have tried to quickly rectify errors and to learn from them.

The opponents have also shared sharp words with each other during this race, first with Pollack lobbing a number of claims at Church including accusations of poor management and of the incumbent contributing to a poor work environment. Church has vehemently denied the allegations, pointing to a number of awards and the office’s 95% retention rate as proof and has asserted the office should be held by someone with the right qualifications.

“I’m running because I think the people deserve the best representative possible to lead the largest consolidated department in the state of California. The office is complex and requires a person with a proven track record to meet the challenges that lie ahead and continue the outstanding service we have provided the public,” Church said. “No candidate is more qualified and more knowledgeable than me to lead the office.”

Both parties have received varying endorsements. Church’s campaign has been backed by notable county figures like U.S. Rep. Jackie Speier, D-San Mateo; U.S. Rep. Anna Eshoo, D-Palo Alto; former state Sen. Jerry Hill; supervisors Don Horsley, Dave Pine and Warren Slocum, who is Church’s predecessor; and a number of local mayors and other electeds.

Among Pollack’s endorsements are the San Mateo County Latinx Democratic Club, AFSCME Local 829 which represents about 2,200 county employees and the REACH Coalition, a group of locally elected officials and organizations focused on expanding equity in county policy.

County residents will have until June 7 to make their own decision on who they think is best fit for the position.

sierra@smdailyjournal.com

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