Ballots for fall election finalized

Though the first filing deadline for local elections was Friday, an extended candidate filing period allowing candidates stepping forward for races in which an incumbent chose not to run ended Wednesday, solidifying the slate of choices San Mateo County voters will weigh this fall.

From congressional representatives and state legislators to leaders in school districts and city councils, the list of candidates throwing their hat in the ring this November is incumbent-heavy, though several challengers are vying for space at the dais in the coming years.

Among those with a handful of new faces is the Redwood City Council race, in which Stanford University community relations professional Jason Galisatus, businesswoman Giselle Hale, certified public accountant Rick Hunter, community organizer Diana Reddy, businessman Ernie Schmidt and small business owner Christina Umhofer have stepped in to fill three open seats. Councilmen Jeff Gee and John Seybert are both stepping down this year after having served two terms while incumbent Vice Mayor Diane Howard is seeking re-election this November.

Millbrae restaurant owner You You Xue will challenge incumbents Reuben Holober and Anne Oliva as the trio seeks two open spots on the Millbrae City Council.

In Foster City, financial services executive financial services executive Richa Awasthi, Mark Farren, businessman Sanjay Gehani, retired businesswoman Deborah Martinez, business owner and educator Patrick Sullivan and Realtor Paul Williams will vie for the seats Vice Mayor Gary Pollard and Councilman Charlie Bronitsky are vacating at the end of the year.

Challenging South San Francisco incumbents Mark Addiego and Pradeep Gupta for three open spots on the City Council are Mark Nagales, congressional aide for U.S. Rep. Jackie Speier, D-San Mateo, Flor Nicolas, a biotech professional, Steven Ponce-Ramirez and Kamala Silva, a managing website editor. South San Francisco residents will likely re-elect Frank Risso as City Treasurer this fall, as he is running uncontested for the position. Fire inspector Caitlin Bortoli and Pinole City Clerk Rosa Govea Acosta will face off in a race to become the city’s next clerk.

In San Carlos, business development consultant Ken Castle, small business owner John McDowell, community volunteer Sara McDowell, small business owner Laura Parmer-Lohan and public policy consultant Adam Rak will compete for three seats on the City Council after Mayor Bob Grassilli, Vice Mayor Cameron Johnson and Councilman Matt Grocott chose not to seek re-election this fall.

Belmont incumbents Warren Lieberman, Julia Mates and Charles Stone will be joined by nonprofit consultant Deniz Marie Bolbol in the race for three spots on the City Council.

Stepping forward to challenge Half Moon Bay Mayor Deborah Penrose and Councilwoman Debbie Ruddock for three council seats are organizational effectiveness consultant Robert Brownstone, lead collection worker John Szabo and mergers and acquisitions advisor Virginia Turezyn.

Hillsborough Mayor Marie Chuang and Councilman Laurence May are running uncontested for Hillsborough Town Council this fall.

State legislation

Congressional representatives and state legislators will also face challengers following the June 5 primary, in which the top two vote-getters determined the candidates running this November.

Cristina Osmeña, a solar industry executive and Republican, will run against Democratic incumbent Speier in the congressional race for the 14th District in the U.S. House of Representatives. U.S. Rep. Anna Eshoo, D-Palo Alto, will run against technology company director Christine Russell, a Republican, to serve the 18th District in the U.S. House of Representatives.

In seeking to hold down the 22nd Assembly position, Democrat Kevin Mullin will run against change management consultant and Republican Christina Laskowski. Democrat Marc Berman is running for re-election for the 24th District in the state Assembly against Republican Alex Glew, a business owner and engineer. Republican Keith Bogdon, a biotech marketing consultant, has stepped forward to run against Democratic Phil Ting for the 19th Assembly position.

Local education

A full slate of school board races will keep most county voters busy this fall. Incumbents Hector Camacho and Beverly Gerard are running uncontested for re-election on the County Board of Education in two different trustee areas, but Board President Susan Alvaro will run against education advocate Brandon Kwan in Trustee Area 1. For the San Mateo County Community College District, attorney Thomas Nuris will run uncontested for Trustee Area 2 and incumbents Richard Holober and Tom Mohr will vie for Trustee Area 4.

Incumbents Alan Sarver and Christopher Thomsen will run uncontested in separate trustee areas for the Sequoia Union High School District Board.

For the Redwood City Elementary School District Board, incumbent Maria Diaz-Slocum will face no challengers in Trustee Area 2 and parent Cecilia Marquez and middle school coordinator Arnulfo Prado Jr. will compete for the Trustee Area 5 spot.

In the race for three spots on the Belmont-Redwood Shores Elementary School District, incumbents Suvarna Bhopale, Amy Koo and Rahila Passi will be joined by campaign manager and parent April Northup, mother Shaunna Solorzano and parent and product manager Honglin Su.

Hillsborough parent An Huang Chen will join incumbents Don Geddis and Gilbert Wai in the race for three spots on the Hillsborough City School District Board. Millbrae incumbents Denis Fama, Don Revelo and Lynne Ferrario are likely to be voted back into the three open spots on the Millbrae Elementary School District Board.

In the San Bruno Park School District, incumbents Andrew Mason and Henry Sanchez will be challenged by parent and financial analyst Teri Chavez and retired grandparent Charles Zelnik Jr. in the race for the three seats open on the board.

Incumbents Robert Griffin, Peter Hanley and Linda Lees Dwyer will likely be re-elected in the race for their three spots on the San Mateo Union High School District Board.

For three board seats in the South San Francisco Unified School District, incumbent John Baker will be joined by Kristina Anderson, business professional Eddie Flores, office manager Patty Gomez, parent Maria Gonzalez, business owner and parent Reem Nasrah, parent and community advocate Mina Richardson and business owner and parent Chad Ryan in a competitive race. Acosta is not seeking re-election to the school board, as she is in the clerk’s race.

Ballot measures

Of the dozens of measures affecting residents of various cities, a half-cent sales tax increase for transportation improvements through SamTrans put on the ballot by the San Mateo County Transit District will be decided by voters across the county.

Several others deal with taxes on the types of commercial cannabis businesses allowed in a handful of cities.

Half Moon Bay voters will consider five cannabis-related measures, including whether to authorize the city to collect taxes on cannabis businesses headquartered outside of Half Moon Bay that currently deliver cannabis in the city. The commercial cannabis tax would also create a tax structure for all other commercial cannabis businesses should they be allowed to operate in town in the future. Another measure will ask Half Moon Bay residents whether nurseries should be allowed to grow immature non-flowering cannabis plants to be sold outside the city. Voters will also consider three advisory measures on cultivation of mature plans, manufacturing and retail.

Redwood City residents will weigh in on a half-cent sales tax to help cover increasing operating costs and a cannabis business tax enabling the council to set a tax rate up to 10 percent of gross receipts on each type of cannabis business. Earlier this year, the council agreed to allow cannabis delivery centers without walk-in retail and nurseries that grow and sell starter plants to set up shop in the city’s industrial zones. Redwood City voters will also consider various changes to the city’s charter.

San Carlos residents will decide whether to establish a sales tax of up to 10 percent on cannabis businesses allowed in the city, which include commercial cannabis cultivation, manufacturing and testing.

While South San Francisco officials banned outdoor cultivation and storefront pot shops earlier this year, residents will vote on a commercial cannabis business license measure that would tax cannabis testing, cultivation, distribution, manufacturing and delivery.

Millbrae voters will decide whether to approve a bond measure aimed at assembling some 40 percent of the funds needed to fund a $12 million project to rebuild the Millbrae Recreation Center.

Belmont, Foster City, San Carlos and South San Francisco voters will review increases to the cities’ transient occupancy taxes, or hotel taxes. Voters in Belmont will also decide if their city clerk and treasurer should be appointed or elected.

Brisbane residents will determine whether their community should essentially double in size when they vote this fall on a divisive proposal to transform the Baylands into a sweeping mixed-use development after the City Council agreed to call a fall election seeking voter approval for an amendment to the city’s General Plan that would make way for the 2,200-unit development with 7 million square feet of commercial space.

The San Bruno Park Elementary School District will be looking for a bond measure for facilities and the San Mateo-Foster City Elementary School District will be looking for a parcel tax.

Other districts and boards

The Sequoia Healthcare District Board will see competitive races in three zones. Incumbent Art Faro will face retired nonprofit CEO Michael Garb and retired business executive Art Kiesel for Zone A. In Zone C, physician Aaron Nayfack will challenge incumbent Jack Hickey. Stepping forward to run against incumbent Jerry Shefren is software engineer Harland Harrison in Zone E.

Incumbents Lawrence Cappel and Dennis Zell will be joined by retired nurse Helen Galligan in a race for three spots on the Peninsula Health Care District Board.

On the Mid-Peninsula Water District Board, incumbents Al Stuebing and Dave Warden will run against water resources engineer Kirk Wheeler and environmental attorney Brian Schmidt for three seats.

Three new faces, including businesswoman Nancy Reyering, financial management consultant Sepi Richardson and Sheriff’s Sgt. Henry Sutter, will challenge incumbent Ed Larenas for two seats on the San Mateo County Harbor District Board of Commissioners.

anna@smdailyjournal.com

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