Notes, quotes and dust motes

So, by all means, merge Caltrain and BART as quickly as possible.

After all, Caltrain is on the verge of electrification, the most meaningful and transformational change in the railroad since its creation as a regional service. Given the right amount of time, I am certain BART can drag Caltrain down to its level.

THE LONG RUN: It is a long way to November, but the campaign season has begun already for the dozens of city council candidates who will converge on the fall ballot.

The most intriguing race might be in San Mateo’s North Central council district represented by Amourence Lee.

Challenger Nicole Fernandez, longtime Democratic activist and district representative to state Sen. Josh Becker, kicked off her campaign Saturday with a crowded event at the Martin Luther King Jr. Community Center. In the words of one attendee, it was a “who’s who” of San Mateo-based politics. Those at the event to endorse Fernandez were U.S. Rep. Kevin Mullin, Assemblymember Diane Papan, Becker, former state Sen. Jerry Hill and a host of current and former officials. Also on hand: Assemblymember Evan Low, running, finally, in 16th Congressional District. Low was a classmate of Fernandez’s at San Jose State University.

The show of support is buttressed, if not prompted by opposition to Lee, including lingering animosity over her conduct during the mayoral flap and accusations that one-time supporters of hers lobbied her illegally. Fernandez was one of those accused; she was cleared of any wrongdoing by the district attorney. Fernandez said that episode is not why she is running.

“Everything I’ve done in my professional career and activism has led me to this point,” she said in a brief interview at the event. “I’m running beyond labels. I’m running as a uniter … as someone who shows up, not just speaks up, for the needs of our community beyond the personal and the theatrics.”

In addition to an extraordinary showing of political support, Fernandez she has raised $50,000 so far, she said.

As for Lee, she did not respond to a text message and a voicemail asking if she is running, when she might announce and what might be the timeline for an announcement. Meanwhile, she has yet to establish a 2024 campaign fundraising committee, fueling speculation she might opt out of the race.

ELSEWHERE: On her way into the Fernandez event, Belmont Councilmember Davina Hurt confirmed she will run for a third term — not unopposed, apparently. Hurt and council colleague Tom McCune are in the same district, and he is said to be calling around, seeking support and endorsements for a second term. … In Redwood City, the California Apartment Association is said to be recruiting candidates to take on incumbent Lissette Espinoza-Garnica. It will be a busy year for the CAA: There is a growing effort to have city councils adopt new, tougher rent control ordinances, and a sweeping statewide rent control measure is headed for the November ballot. … In Foster City, Richa Awasthi, who lost a City Council reelection bid in 2022, is running again and has renamed her Facebook page to reflect her new campaign.

TRUE PROFILE IN COURAGE: It is just a thought, but a fitting tribute to the passing of former U.S. Rep. Pete McCloskey would be the creation of a national award recognizing a public leader who best embodies his principles of independence, integrity and bravery. It could be called the Pete McCloskey Courage Award, or something like that. The outpouring of attention engendered by his death — it was national news — suggests there are those with the wherewithal to make this happen. We may never see his like again, but maybe that can change with the right encouragement.

NOTE TO READERS: This column has been changed to take out incorrect information. Michael Verdone is not running for Redwood City Council.

Mark Simon is a veteran journalist, whose career included 15 years as an executive at SamTrans and Caltrain. He can be reached at marksimon@smdailyjournal.com