Women in the race

Alexis Lewis, another elected member of the Dems and vice president of the NAACP said this, “She has experience in policy, budget proposals, implementation to improve education, including school facilities, child care, raising teachers’ salaries — she’ll work with the other board members to develop programs to bring transportation for all, the homeless needs, and increase the number affordable housing, and address the severe needs we have in health care, including mental health.”

Christina Corpus, a two-decade police veteran, former K-9 unit, commander, captain, and now Millbrae police chief, has faced nothing but headwinds. In a recent debate held in Redwood City, her opponent and supporters attempted to do the same — pin her as inexperienced. So, if she is inexperienced, why did the sheriff himself promote her? Clearly, he also agrees that she’s experienced enough to hold the top ranks in his department. If 20 years in law enforcement isn’t experience, I don’t know what is.

Just last week, a fellow columnist questioned Chief Corpus’ ability to beat her opponent in the polls because he hadn’t seen, “major communications with voters via media advertising or the mail.” In his column before that, he made no such accusations about Assemblymember Kevin Mullin’s success in the polls by the same pollster, FM3. Interestingly enough, I have seen tons of messaging and Corpus has racked up big endorsements from elected leaders, like Mullin and state Sen. Josh Becker. I’m also aware that she has boots on the ground knocking on doors all over the county. Not to mention, people are tired of the status quo. Sadly, Bolanos was in Vegas at the wrong place and time. AND, he was also the only one in the Bay Area that collaborated with ICE until he suspended it at the end of last year after facing public pressure. To add, she also raised more than double of what her opponent did the first three months of 2022 — a clear sign that she has picked up steam. Bolanos may have started out strong from leftover 2018 campaign money, but she’s a force to be reckoned with.

For all the talk about “experience matters,” here we have two very experienced women who establishment folks are trying really hard to sideline and marginalize. For years they have worked hard to serve their communities and have proven themselves even though the system was designed to work against them. It’s time that we show up for them, uplift them and support the folks who aren’t currently represented at the table. The women in the race deserve a chance.

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I spoke with Redwood City Mayor Giselle Hale about her Mayor’s Mental Health Initiative that she started along with San Carlos Mayor Sara McDowell. It’s taken off and the county has provided $200,000 to help fund the Mental Health First Aid Training. According to the county’s website, this project is aimed at “training residents to help others who may be experiencing a mental health crisis.”

“Access to mental health services in our community is a challenge that was exacerbated by the pandemic. Instead of waiting for change to come, Mayor McDowell and I rolled up our sleeves and got to work. We brought people together to deliver real, effective solutions to an urgent challenge for our community,” Mayor Hale said.

Rudy Espinoza Murray is a father, husband, Redwood City resident and community organizer. He serves on the San Mateo County Resource Conservation District Board of Directors and on the county’s LGBTQ Commission. All opinions are his own.