It appears the local race for San Mateo County assessor-clerk-recorder-elections chief is going to come down to a last-minute decision, at least, by local political insiders as the race between Assistant Assessor, etc., Jim Irizarry, and Supervisor David Canepa grows increasingly intense, and increasingly partisan for an office that is technically nonpartisan.
The latest: Irizarry continues to fund his own campaign. Since the filings about a month ago, he has received two donations of $1,000 apiece from Redwood City community leader and philanthropist Paula Uccelli, and Realtor Dennis Pantano. Irizarry’s campaign treasury remains competitive, but only because he is putting up his own money, over $150,000 so far.
In the same period, money has been gushing into Canepa’s campaign from labor unions and from individuals throughout the state. Since about a month ago, Canepa has raised more than $55,000 in donations of $1,000 each. Notables include the San Francisco Police Officers Association and the San Francisco Firefighters Association; developer and philanthropist John Sobrato; three prominent attorneys from the Cotchett law firm; and a remarkable one-day haul of $10,000 from Asian community donors in Southern California.
What is being done with the money? It is hard to say what Canepa is up to — I have yet to receive any campaign mailings from him or see any social media ads. It may just be me. Maybe something will turn up, or maybe he has not been doing much of this stuff.
In fairness, I have seen at least one online statement by Canepa that included an assertion that he would “not let ICE” stop county residents from voting. This is the sort of sweeping and unsupported statement for which Canepa is semi-famous, and it gives people pause.
Still, a look at Canepa’s campaign website shows endorsements by 46 local city councilmembers and more than two dozen school board members, which certainly serves as a counterpoint to the endorsement of Irizarry by three of Canepa’s board colleagues.
Speaking of which, Irizarry has posted videos featuring, individually, county Supervisors Jackie Speier and Ray Mueller, former state Sen. Jerry Hill, and former Supervisor Adrienne Tissier. They all assert that Irizarry is the “only qualified candidate.”
Recommended for you
Said Speier: If you look at the other candidate (Canepa), he has served on the board for 10 years – not one supervisor who he served with has endorsed him. All the professionals who are elected on the county level – not one has endorsed him. He’s not prepared for the job. He’s not qualified for the job.”
Irizarry also put out a mailing that includes a quote from Canepa, who, at a board meeting in 2023, said, “I’m consistently amazed with you (retiring incumbent Mark Church) and Jim and how (you’re) able to innovate.”
From the beginning of this campaign, however, there has been a steady, even hostile, reaction from a cadre of assessor, etc., employees at the prospect of Irizarry being fully in charge. During Church’s tenure, in which Irizarry has been, by all accounts, largely running the office day to day, insiders say there has been a disastrous conversion to a new computer system with cost overruns in the millions; that it has caused huge increases in workloads and overtime costs; and that the filing of deeds from property sales is lagging badly behind Attempts to contact Irizarry for his response have been unsuccessful.
The partisan part of this is that Canepa has been endorsed by the San Mateo County Democratic Party; and Irizarry has been endorsed as the “better choice” by the San Mateo County Republican Party. Irizarry says the office should remain out of partisan politics. He has described himself as an ardent Democrat; he became a Dem after he was registered for some time with the ultra-conservative American Independent Party. He says that was a mistake and he thought he was registering independent.
MEANWHILE, OOPS: In a recent column, I misreported a $1,000 donation to Canepa from the San Mateo County Democratic Party. In fact, it was a contribution by him to the SMC Dems.
OTHER ELECTION NEWS: Supervisor Noelia Corzo was running unopposed for re-election in District 2. San Mateo community activist Taso Zografos, most recently known for leading the uprising against a rehabilitation center in his hometown, has qualified as a write-in candidate against Corzo. Interestingly, write-in candidates can submit a list of possible spellings of their names. In this case, that includes, simply, Taso. … Joaquin Jimenez, who is going to get clobbered by incumbent Mueller in District 3, still has yet to file the legally required paperwork for his campaign committee. Mueller seems more bothered by this than Jimenez.
Mark Simon is a veteran journalist, whose career included 15 years as an executive at SamTrans and Caltrain. He co-hosts a podcast/videocast that can be found at TheGamePeninsula.com, and he can be reached at marksimon@smdailyjournal.com.
Thanks for your column today, Mr. Simon. The best you have is attempting to blame Mr. Irizarry for a disastrous conversion to a new computer system with cost overruns? You say Mr. Irizarry has been running the office day to day so what does that have to do with a new computer system? Did Mr. Irizarry write the code? A computer system installation is not a day to day activity. It is amusing you attack Mr. Irizarry with a nothingburger and invalid allegation yet you’re unable to list any Canepa accomplishments, other than fooling folks into contributing to his campaign.
Mr. Canepa has no experience whatsoever in assessing, county clerking, and recording. Meanwhile, Mr. Irizarry has been doing that job for over 13 years We should not reward Canepa with another taxpayer-funded job in which he has no experience. I can’t recall anything of value that Canepa has achieved, other than wasting taxpayer money.
And let’s get real, when has anyone endorsed by the SMC Democrat Party result in anything beneficial to residents? Vote for Irizarry and keep Canepa from continuing to feed at the taxpayer trough. And as to what Canepa is doing with campaign cash, perhaps he’s using it to pay for child care or whatever Swalwell was using campaign cash for. Perhaps a future column informing us?
For once, pigs have flown, and I am actually on the same side of an issue as “Terence Y”… When “Terence” isn’t talking about Trump, sometimes “he/she” actually makes sense! Unfortunately, as usual he/she can’t resist adding a completely unsubstantiated insult in his/her final paragraph. Also, his/her criticism of Mr. Simon’s article is, IMHO, attacking Mr. Simon for simply trying to report both sides of a story - something that never happens in a world where “Nancy Pelosi is responsible for 9/11.” according to “TY.”
I actually tuned in today to see what the reaction might be to the Great President Trump’s new $1.8 billion dollar slush fund. How will “TY” spin that one? Blame it on “Treasonous Biden” and the “Biden Crime Family” ???? 🤣🤣🤣. This latest outrage makes the alleged Biden Family’s actions look like, at most, petty theft by comparison to the Godzilla-of-a-swamp-creature that is now onstage!!! I am absolutely certain that “TY” will provide us with an entirely entertaining and eminently logical, non-emotional defense when he/she sees this!
Happy days are here! DavidKristofferson (if that’s who he/she is) has emerged from the woodwork to let us know he thinks Mr. Simon is reporting both sides of a story when “Democrat way or the highway” Mr. Simon attacks Mr. Irizarry and gives Mr. Canepa a pass. Overt and obvious bias is not reporting. It is amusing DK is so outraged that he lies in his attempt to associate me with saying Nancy Pelosi might be responsible for 9/11. Perhaps in your world, DK, but never mine. Now if you’re talking about 1/6, that’s another story (with Pelosi admitting her failure).
Hey DK, why entertain us with a nothingburger issue of a $1.8 billion fund that potentially will go to those unfairly prosecuted by the corrupt treasonous Biden administration? We haven’t forgotten your tendency to give get-out-of-jail free cards to those who emit as much carbon as they want. Apparently, everyone is taking advantage. Coal-fired power plants hitting a global 10-year high in 2025. China burning record-high amounts of coal in 2025. The UN-backed IPCC admitting their doomsday “climate change” predictions were a lie (confirming what those with common sense already knew). This man-made global warming thing fooled those with feeble minds. BTW, we’re still waiting to hear you, or any Democrat, defend Democrats putting the welfare of criminals and terrorists over the American people. Those that cannot are not credible and cannot be taken seriously.
Keep the discussion civilized. Absolutely NO
personal attacks or insults directed toward writers, nor others who
make comments. Keep it clean. Please avoid obscene, vulgar, lewd,
racist or sexually-oriented language. Don't threaten. Threats of harming another
person will not be tolerated. Be truthful. Don't knowingly lie about anyone
or anything. Be proactive. Use the 'Report' link on
each comment to let us know of abusive posts. PLEASE TURN OFF YOUR CAPS LOCK. Anyone violating these rules will be issued a
warning. After the warning, comment privileges can be
revoked.
Please purchase a Premium Subscription to continue reading.
To continue, please log in, or sign up for a new account.
We offer one free story view per month. If you register for an account, you will get two additional story views. After those three total views, we ask that you support us with a subscription.
A subscription to our digital content is so much more than just access to our valuable content. It means you’re helping to support a local community institution that has, from its very start, supported the betterment of our society. Thank you very much!
(5) comments
Thanks for your column today, Mr. Simon. The best you have is attempting to blame Mr. Irizarry for a disastrous conversion to a new computer system with cost overruns? You say Mr. Irizarry has been running the office day to day so what does that have to do with a new computer system? Did Mr. Irizarry write the code? A computer system installation is not a day to day activity. It is amusing you attack Mr. Irizarry with a nothingburger and invalid allegation yet you’re unable to list any Canepa accomplishments, other than fooling folks into contributing to his campaign.
Mr. Canepa has no experience whatsoever in assessing, county clerking, and recording. Meanwhile, Mr. Irizarry has been doing that job for over 13 years We should not reward Canepa with another taxpayer-funded job in which he has no experience. I can’t recall anything of value that Canepa has achieved, other than wasting taxpayer money.
And let’s get real, when has anyone endorsed by the SMC Democrat Party result in anything beneficial to residents? Vote for Irizarry and keep Canepa from continuing to feed at the taxpayer trough. And as to what Canepa is doing with campaign cash, perhaps he’s using it to pay for child care or whatever Swalwell was using campaign cash for. Perhaps a future column informing us?
For once, pigs have flown, and I am actually on the same side of an issue as “Terence Y”… When “Terence” isn’t talking about Trump, sometimes “he/she” actually makes sense! Unfortunately, as usual he/she can’t resist adding a completely unsubstantiated insult in his/her final paragraph. Also, his/her criticism of Mr. Simon’s article is, IMHO, attacking Mr. Simon for simply trying to report both sides of a story - something that never happens in a world where “Nancy Pelosi is responsible for 9/11.” according to “TY.”
I actually tuned in today to see what the reaction might be to the Great President Trump’s new $1.8 billion dollar slush fund. How will “TY” spin that one? Blame it on “Treasonous Biden” and the “Biden Crime Family” ???? 🤣🤣🤣. This latest outrage makes the alleged Biden Family’s actions look like, at most, petty theft by comparison to the Godzilla-of-a-swamp-creature that is now onstage!!! I am absolutely certain that “TY” will provide us with an entirely entertaining and eminently logical, non-emotional defense when he/she sees this!
https://www.smdailyjournal.com/news/national/pushed-to-the-limit-republicans-show-rare-defiance-to-trumps-demands/article_fcd7ea2e-094e-5bfe-b675-d1ed83822cda.html
Happy days are here! DavidKristofferson (if that’s who he/she is) has emerged from the woodwork to let us know he thinks Mr. Simon is reporting both sides of a story when “Democrat way or the highway” Mr. Simon attacks Mr. Irizarry and gives Mr. Canepa a pass. Overt and obvious bias is not reporting. It is amusing DK is so outraged that he lies in his attempt to associate me with saying Nancy Pelosi might be responsible for 9/11. Perhaps in your world, DK, but never mine. Now if you’re talking about 1/6, that’s another story (with Pelosi admitting her failure).
Hey DK, why entertain us with a nothingburger issue of a $1.8 billion fund that potentially will go to those unfairly prosecuted by the corrupt treasonous Biden administration? We haven’t forgotten your tendency to give get-out-of-jail free cards to those who emit as much carbon as they want. Apparently, everyone is taking advantage. Coal-fired power plants hitting a global 10-year high in 2025. China burning record-high amounts of coal in 2025. The UN-backed IPCC admitting their doomsday “climate change” predictions were a lie (confirming what those with common sense already knew). This man-made global warming thing fooled those with feeble minds. BTW, we’re still waiting to hear you, or any Democrat, defend Democrats putting the welfare of criminals and terrorists over the American people. Those that cannot are not credible and cannot be taken seriously.
If deeds are not being updated timely perhaps there is a windfall of revenue and we don't need to raise taxes.
Welcome to the discussion.
Log In
Keep the discussion civilized. Absolutely NO personal attacks or insults directed toward writers, nor others who make comments.
Keep it clean. Please avoid obscene, vulgar, lewd, racist or sexually-oriented language.
Don't threaten. Threats of harming another person will not be tolerated.
Be truthful. Don't knowingly lie about anyone or anything.
Be proactive. Use the 'Report' link on each comment to let us know of abusive posts.
PLEASE TURN OFF YOUR CAPS LOCK.
Anyone violating these rules will be issued a warning. After the warning, comment privileges can be revoked.