Sprint to the finish: Daly City’s David Canepa and Mike Guingona battle it out for Adrienne Tissier’s District 5 seat

Canepa was the top vote getter in the June primary and Guingona was second. They beat back Brisbane Mayor Cliff Lentz and Colma Vice Mayor Helen Fisicaro to face off in November.

Canepa earned 11,579 votes, or 46.5 percent, in the primary to Guingona’s 5,537 votes, or 22.2 percent.

Guingona realizes he has a wide margin of votes to make up but feels confident he can bridge the gap with both Lentz and Fisicaro campaigning for him.

“About 53 percent of voters made a conscious decision not to vote for David,” Guingona said of his opponent.

He aims to capture Lentz’s 4,304 votes and Fisicaro’s 3,481 votes from the primary and to reengergize his own base to secure the victory.

Guingona has even hired Lentz to produce campaign signs and for other services and has paid him about $5,000, according to campaign disclosure forms. He has also hired Jon Rubin, formerly with Fisicaro’s campaign, for about $5,000 to consult his campaign.

As the campaign winds down, however, Guingona only has about $5,000 left to spend on his campaign compared to Canepa’s $45,000.

Canepa far outraised all opponents in the race as he launched his official bid for the seat nearly two years ago.

In total, Canepa’s campaign has raised $303,000 and more than $64,000 in the latest filing period from July 1 to Sept. 24, according to campaign disclosure forms.

Guingona raised $4,098 during the same period.

Guingona, however, has served on the Daly City Council for more than two decades and his supporters tout his name recognition. About 80 percent of voters know who he is, a volunteer said as Guingona highlighted two minority- and women-owned businesses in Colma.

The Daily Journal requested field interviews with both candidates in the campaign settings of their choosing.

Guingona introduced the Daily Journal to Yvette Cortes, owner of Simply Uniforms, and Rebecca Tanaka, owner of Sweet Dreams bakery two doors down. Both have Guingona campaign signs in their windows.

San Francisco resident Cortes discussed the changes she has seen around the Colma Bart Station over the past 20 years. More high-density housing in the area, some of it affordable, has added more traffic in the area, she said.

“There’s growth everywhere. Who’s to deny progress. But it has to go in the right direction,” Cortes said.

She thinks Guingona is the right candidate to manage the growth. Tanaka supports Guingona because he is down-to-earth and supports the community. She first met Guingona about three weeks ago as Fisicaro introduced him to the business, Tanaka said.

Volunteer Larry Yee also joined in and said he supports Guingona because he is “reflective” of the community.

The Daily Journal met Canepa at his Daly City campaign office where volunteers were busy calling potential voters.

Canepa was surrounded by six volunteers, three women and three men, who were busy on the phones around a table topped with snacks, water and a call bell.

When a voter agrees to put up a lawn sign, the volunteer rings the call bell and high fives ensue.

The bell rang several times during the Daily Journal’s visit. Volunteer Adriana Arambula rang the bell twice.

Canepa credits a legion of volunteers for helping him get this far in the race including those with him that night including Daniel Guillen, Richard Wright and Azja Ragasa. Arambula has volunteered for Canepa for years as he campaigned previously for Daly City Council.

“He is one of the hardest working people I know,” Arambula said about Canepa.

It’s Guingona, after all, who has the endorsements of state Sen. Jerry Hill, D-San Mateo, San Bruno Mayor Jim Ruane, San Francisco Supervisor Scott Weiner and the current seat holder Tissier.

But the San Mateo County Central Labor Council endorses Canepa and recently sent a letter to some Guingona supporters such as Ruane and Hill urging them to rescind their endorsements.

Guingona claimed the council’s letter that characterized him as “dishonest and misleading” was racially motivated.

The labor council denied the allegation and said it was a desperate move by a candidate who lags far behind his opponent.

When it comes to big issues such as the area’s lack of affordable housing, the candidates differ on how to solve them. Canepa outright rejects rent control and Guingona has yet to make up his mind. Canepa’s solution to the housing crisis is to increase capacity along the El Camino Real corridor.

Guingona accuses Canepa of not supporting rent control because he is in the pockets of the San Mateo County Association of Realtors.

“The district is looking for a leader who knows their needs,” Guingona said.

He has claimed previously that Canepa is a “big idea guy” for supporting such ideas as a bond measure to support affordable housing and not suited to work on the Board of Supervisors.

“I know what it’s like to be a leader. Big ideas are great but you need to determine what the needs are of the entire county and how the needs of the Fifth District fit into that mosaic,” Guingona said.

A slew of campaign mailers will be sent to voters soon, Guingona said.

“I’m ready to see it come to an end,” he said about the election.

As the campaign winds down, Canepa is also urging voters to approve an extension of a half-cent sales tax on the ballot called Measure K.

The tax generates about $80 million annually and the San Mateo County Board of Supervisors have pledged to apply great chunks of the revenue toward solving the area’s housing crisis.

“It is vitally important to create housing. Measure K will help us address affordability,” Canepa said.

Canepa is hopeful his campaign’s hard work will pay off Nov. 8.

“I feel I’m in a position to prevail. We’ve put in a lot of hard work and effort into this campaign,” said Canepa, who has served on the Daly City Council for about a decade.

Guingona likens his run as a job interview for a full-time job.

“It’s about your body of work and the quality and nature of your service,” Guingona said.

bill@smdailyjournal.com

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