3 finalists for new San Mateo County sheriff

Each supervisor was tasked with picking their top three candidates after the brief interview process and rapid fire questioning. Within minutes of the final interview, the votes were cast.

All five supervisors selected Lazar. Binder and Travis both received four votes. Supervisor Lisa Gauthier threw in a single vote for Doug Davis rather than Travis, and board President David Canepa favored Robert Yick over Binder. 

Lazar, universally voted for, was the sixth and final candidate to be questioned by the board. 

Recently retired, Lazar’s 33-year law enforcement career is primarily out of the San Francisco Police Department, and although he said he will bring with him his experience, he assured the county would not become “SFPD 2.0.” 

“I am not bringing that culture and I’m not bringing that department here,” Lazar said. “I want to be part of the fabric, the culture and be part of the family here in San Mateo County.” 

Lazar described himself as the “polar opposite” of current Undersheriff Dan Perea, who is discharging the duties of sheriff due to the vacancy left by ousted former sheriff Christina Corpus.

Developing the internal staff of the Sheriff’s Office will be a priority for Lazar, who said he has not picked out his potential command staff yet. He said he wants to be the “last outside sheriff,” referencing the fact he has not worked in the county’s Sheriff’s Office previously. 

“The talent is here in San Mateo County in the Sheriff’s Office,” Lazar said. “What they need is leadership that can mentor and bring up the next generation.” 

Alternatively, candidate Binder said he has a few names in mind of who he’d like to be on his executive team, which are familiar names within the Sheriff’s Office. 

Binder said he would look to bring back Chris Hsiung to be his undersheriff. Hsiung was Corpus’ undersheriff before he left the organization frustrated with its leadership. Binder also said he has been in conversation with former Assistant Sheriff Ryan Monaghan, who also worked for Corpus briefly, before she fired him. 

With 27 years of experience in law enforcement, Binder is the only candidate who has experience serving on an executive team of a Sheriff’s Office. From November 2020 to December 2024, Binder was the undersheriff of the Santa Clara County Sheriff’s Office. 

As undersheriff, Binder worked under former Santa Clara County Sheriff Laurie Smith, who retired just before she was convicted of grand jury corruption charges. The scandal in Santa Clara County was brought up by multiple supervisors who questioned Binder’s familiarity with the matter.  

Supervisor Ray Mueller asked how Binder handled it. 

“When I left the organization I had a stellar reputation, and that’s because I remembered true north, what my compass was,” Binder said. “I didn’t deviate, and I didn’t cave into pressure for anything.” 

Binder said he had nothing to do with the allegations made against Smith, who was found guilty of corruption and willful misconduct particularly relating to pay-to-play concealed carry weapon permits. 

A candidate also with experience working within a Sheriff’s Office, Travis brings 33 years of experience from Solano County where he rose to the rank of lieutenant. He has more than 25 years of law enforcement experience overall. 

Travis has been the director of Public Safety for the Solano Community College District for the last three years where he has developed a critical understanding of serving diverse communities, he said. 

Establishing trust in communities by meeting with constituents regularly is something Travis has experience with and believes will be critical if he becomes sheriff.

“Rebuilding trust and morale will not come from press releases, it will come for consistent behavior,” Travis said.  

Travis said he does not yet have a plan for who he would put on his command staff, believing he would seek input from the union leaders and professional staff before making any decision. 

When describing how he will work with the unions, Travis said while “we may disagree on a lot of things, I will be here listening.” 

The three candidates will now be questioned by the public at a forum to be held at 6 p.m. Monday, Nov. 10, that will be facilitated by a moderator. The public can submit suggested questions at www.smcgov.org/ceo/new-sheriff by noon Friday, Nov. 7. 

Following the public forum, the Board of Supervisors will do a final round of questions, make a final decision and swear in the next sheriff at the Board of Supervisors meeting at 9 a.m. Wednesday, Nov. 12.