The November general election for the Sonoma County Board of Supervisors could dramatically transform the board and upend the county power structure.
Two progressive candidates—both Democrats, Joanna Paun (2nd District) and Melanie Bagby (4th District)—finished first in their respective June primary races. If elected, Paun and Bagby will join incumbent Supervisor Chris Coursey to form the board’s most progressive majority since the 1970s.
Both Paun and Bagby are backed by a broad county-wide progressive coalition that includes North Bay Working Families Party, Sonoma County Democratic Party, Sonoma County Conservation Action, the North Bay Labor Council, SEIU 1021, Sonoma County Democratic Socialists of America, the Sierra Club, and the Sonoma State University and SRJC Young Democratic Clubs.
There is much at stake. Both Paun and Bagby support a sanctuary ordinance ending any collaboration between the sheriff and ICE; full accountability by the sheriff to IOLERO, the county law enforcement oversight commission; the decommissioning of two aging dams in the Potter Valley; ensuring competitive wages and benefits for county employees and a COLA for county retirees; and strengthening urban growth boundaries.
Both progressive candidates are advocates for affordability issues such as boosting the county living wage, stronger renter protections for mobile home park residents and raising taxes on the wealthy.
The neoliberal centrist candidates opposing Paun and Bagby are (Democrat) Sylvia Lemus in the 2nd District, the former mayor of Cotati, and Tom Schwedhelm (previously registered Republican, now independent) in District 4, who is the former Santa Rosa police chief.
These establishment candidates are backed by big-money interests, including the Santa Rosa Chamber of Commerce, the Farm Bureau, major developers and real estate interests, and law enforcement unions.
Both Lemus and Schwedhelm were handpicked by longtime conservative political consultant Rob Meulrath, who was also the political consultant for four out of five incumbent supervisors.
Martin J. Bennett is instructor emeritus of history at Santa Rosa Junior College and a consultant for UNITE HERE Local 2.
