Candidates for local Solano races finalized for March 2024 primary election

FAIRFIELD – A statewide primary election will be held on March 5, which could decide the winning candidates for three seats on the Solano County Board of Supervisors, will determine the fate of a Benicia school bond and two tax measures and will narrow the field of candidates for state senate and assembly seats for Solano County.

Nationally, the primary will allow voters to choose party candidates to run in the Nov. 8 presidential election, though with no contenders for the Democratic ticket other than President Joe Biden, turnout could be low. Californians will also vote on candidates to succeed late U.S. Sen. Dianne Fienstein.

Here’s a rundown on the local races on the March ballot and which candidates entered the race as of Friday’s filing deadline.

California State Senator District 3

California’s third state Senate district covers all of Solano County and portions of each surrounding county. Sen. Bill Dodd, who was first elected in 2016, isn’t eligible for another term. Five candidates are vying for the seat in what could be a close race. The top two candidates will advance to the general election in November, regardless of party affiliation.

Thomas Bogue (Republican)

The former mayor and current city council member in Dixon, Bogue has served on the Association of Bay Area Governments, Solano County Water Agency Board, Yolo/Solano Air Resources Board and the Solano County Transportation Agency. Bogue’s campaign website states that he will work to improve water storage and supply through the construction of dams and exploration of innovative water solutions. He said he plans to reform regulations to reduce the cost burden on businesses.

Rozzana Verder-Aliga (Democrat)

Verder-Aliga has been a City of Vallejo council member since 2013. After immigrating from the Philippines in 1981, Verder-Aliga became the first Filipino-American woman elected to public office in Vallejo and Solano county. She was elected to the Vallejo City Unified School District Board in 1993 and the Solano County Board of Education in 2007. She has worked with Solano County Health and Social Services for 28 years and is currently the senior mental health services manager. According to her campaign site she plans to use her experience in government to support legislation that ensures the sustainability of water supplies for California farmers, and she will work to improve education funding in California.

Funds raised: $299,127

Endorsements: U.S. Rep. John Garamendi, state Sen. Bill Dodd, state Assemblymember Lori Wilson, Solano County supervisors Erin Hannigan, John Vasquez, Mitch Mashburn, and Wanda Williams, Solano County Sheriff Tom Ferrara.

Jackie Elward (Democrat)

Jackie Elward is a city council member in the city of Rohnert Park. She was elected in 2020 and was the first Black woman on the council, and was later elected to serve a one-year term as mayor of the city. Elward emigrated from the Democratic Republic of the Congo in the early 2000s. She has served on the board of directors for the community-owned utility Sonoma Clean Power as well as the Sonoma County Transportation Authority and the Santa Rosa Plain Groundwater Sustainability Agency.

Funds raised: $118,562

Endorsements: The California Nurses Association, Service Employees International Union (SEIU), the California Legislative Black Caucus, U.S. Rep. Jared Huffman, International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers Local 551, California Federation of Teachers, California School Employees Association, California Faculty Association, Federated Indians of Graton Rancheria, Sonoma County Supervisors Lynda Hopkins, James Gore, Chris Coursey and Susan Gorin, and Santa Rosa Mayor Natalie Rogers.

Christopher Cabaldon (Democrat)

Christopher Cabaldon was mayor of West Sacramento for 22 years from 1998 to 2020. President Barack Obama appointed him to the Board of College Promise, a national campaign to support free community college. During the Trump administration, Cabaldon worked to oppose the immigration ban from Muslim-majority countries, support the rights of transgender students and address problems related to systemic racism. Since his term as mayor ended, he has been a professor at California State University Sacramento.

Funds raised: $173,917

Endorsements: Planned Parenthood Northern California Action Fund, the Legislative LGBTQ Caucus and the Progressive Democrats of Bencia, State Assemblymember Phil Ting, Benicia Mayor Steve Young, Sacramento Mayor Darrell Steinberg, Vallejo Pista Sa Nayon Cultural Committee Chair Eloise Escano Scott, Napa and Solano County Business Owner Buck Kamphausen, Solano Community College Trustee Quinten Voyce.

Jimih Jones (Republican)

Jimih Jones also ran for Congress against U.S. Rep. Mike Thompson in the 2022 primary election and finished with 1.4% of the vote.

California State Assembly District 11

Californa’s Eleventh State Assembly district covers all of Solano County and small sections of Sacramento and Contra Costa counties. State Assembly members are elected for two-year terms and they can serve a total of 12 years in the state legislature. Incumbent Lori Wilson has amassed a significant campaign chest compared to her opponents, who will face an uphill battle. The top two candidates will advance to the general election in November, regardless of party affiliation.

Lori D. Wilson (Democrat, Incumbent)

Assemblymember Lori Wilson was previously the mayor of Suisun City and the city’s Parks and Recreation commissioner before she was elected to the state Assembly in 2022. Since then, she has authored several bills that have become law in California, including AB 345, which provided additional financing options for habitat restoration and flood control projects and AB 779, which requires courts to consider the needs of disadvantaged communities and small farmers in rulings on groundwater and irrigation issues. She also co-authored a bill with Sen. Scott Wiener that allows courts to take into account a parent or guardian’s affirmation of a child's gender identity when making decisions regarding the child’s health, safety and welfare.

Funds raised: $459,589

David A. Ennis

Ennis has completed filings to appear on the ballot but limited information is available about his candidacy.

Wanda M. Wallis

Small business owner Wanda Wallis holds a degree in communication from Azusa University. A post on her campaign Facebook page calls climate and environmental concerns excuses to increase taxes.

Jeffrey Flack (Democrat)

Jeffrey Flack is a data and policy analyst. He says he wants to bring a systematic, data driven approach to reducing the cost of living, improving education and reforming the mental health and criminal justice systems. Flack’s campaign statement says he intends to hold utilities and regulators accountable and reduce energy costs for Californians.

Solano County Board of Supervisors

Contests for county supervisors’ seats can be decided in the primary election if a candidate receives more than 50% of the vote. If no candidate surpasses 50%, the top two candidates will face off again in November’s general election. Three of five supervisors' seats are up for election in 2024.

District 1 - Vallejo

The first supervisorial district of Solano County covers all of mainland Vallejo north of Georgia Street and Hiddenbrook. This race is very likely to be decided in the March 5 primary election because only two candidates have declared. Incumbent Erin Hannigan has declined to seek reelection after three terms in office.

Michael Wilson

Michael Wilson was elected to the Vallejo City Council in 2007 just before the city declared bankruptcy. Wilson’s campaign website states that he used his experience in finance and accounting to help chart a path through the crisis. Wilson later took on the role of district representative for Erin Hannigan’s office when she was elected to the Board of Supervisors in 2012. Wilson’s campaign priorities include working with county agencies to assure that the Vallejo Police Department receives appropriate support, advocating for affordable housing throughout the county and providing assistance that can keep families in their homes. Hannigan has endorsed him as her successor.

Funds raised: $34,621

Endorsements: Solano county supervisors John Vasquez and Erin Hannigan, Vallejo City Council member Peter Bregenzer, Fairfield Mayor Catherine Moy, former Vallejo mayors Terry Curtola, Osby Davis, Tony Intintoli and Bob Sampayan, Solano Napa County Professional Firefighters Local 1186 AFL-CIO, Nor-Cal Carpenters Union.

Cassandra James

Cassandra James is a Senior Community Development Strategist for San Francisco Mayor London Breed and has nearly 10 years of experience working in San Francisco’s city and county government. She has served on Vallejo’s Housing and Community Development Commission since 2021. James’s campaign website cites her experience managing programs to provide affordable housing in San Francisco, and she aims to improve community trust in law enforcement by addressing root causes of crime.

Funds raised: $7,177

Endorsements: Solano County Supervisor Wanda Williams, Vallejo city councilmembers Mina Loera-Diaz, Peter Bregenzer and Cristina Arriola, Vallejo School Board Trustee Carlos Flores, Benicia City Councilmember Kari Birdseye, Vallejo Planning Commissioner Tara Beasley-Stansberry.

District 2 - Vallejo, Benicia, Southern Fairfield

The second supervisorial district of Solano County includes residences in Vallejo south of Georgia Street, Mare Island, Benicia, Cordelia and Southern Fairfield. Incumbent Monica Brown first won the seat in 2016 and successfully defended it in 2020 over Rochelle Sherlock, who is running again this year. No candidates for District 2 have indicated that they have raised over $2,000, according to campaign disclosure forms.

Monica Brown (Incumbent)

Monica Brown is a retired teacher who worked for 30 years at Green Valley Middle school in Fairfield and served on the Solano Community College District governing board from 2012-2016. Brown said that during her tenure she has been able to secure funding for seniors, which has supported programs like Meals on Wheels, weekly check-up phone calls, transportation and other services. Brown said that her next project will be to work with other members of the board to get federal funding to house all homeless veterans in Solano County.

Nora Dizon

Nora Dizon is a real estate broker in the city of Fairfield. Her campaign website says her primary issues of concern include school bus service, the north gateway development project in Benicia, wildfire preparedness, excessive tolling on California freeways and city employee bonuses. She has degrees in accounting and business administration and she said that she plans to use her financial experience and background in real estate to bring change to county politics.

Rochelle Sherlock

Rochelle Sherlock is a business management advisor who founded the consulting agency Potentiate which works with businesses, nonprofits and government agencies to develop effective leadership structures. She earned a master’s degree in organization development from Sonoma State University and a doctorate in human organizational development from George Washington University. Sherlock has campaigned on addressing homelessness and public safety through enforcing mandatory drug treatment and jail time for lower level criminal offenses while providing job training and mental health services to support self-sufficiency.

District 5 - Fairfield, Rio Vista, Vacaville

The fifth supervisorial district of Solano county covers the Southeastern area of the county that contains large sections of rural land, the city of Rio Vista and portions of Fairfield, Suisun City and Vacaville. Incumbent Mitch Mashburn won the seat in the 2020 primary by a narrow margin of 94 votes against Fairfield-Suisun School Board Trustee David Isom. None of the candidates have submitted the required filings notifying the county that they have raised more than $2,000 for their campaign.

Mitch Mashburn (Incumbent)

Mitch Masburn is a former lieutenant corrections officer with the Solano County Sheriff's Office who retired after 32 years. Mashburn was elected to the Vacaville City Council for three terms, serving from 2010 until 2020 when he was elected to the Board of Supervisors. According to his campaign website, Mashburn is an advocate for farmers and has supported improvements to code enforcement to address fire danger, unsafe structures and contamination in unincorporated areas. He has also supported the needs of law enforcement in labor negotiations.

Endorsements: Solano County Sheriff’s Custody Association, Solano County Deputy Sheriff’s Association, Solano County Probation and Peace Officer Association, Vacaville Mayor John Carli, Solano County Sheriff Tom Ferrara and Vallejo council member Mina Loera-Diaz.

Chadwick J. Ledoux

According to a candidate filing statement Ledoux is an electrician. Limited information is available about Ledoux’s experience.

Solano County Superior Court Judge Department 15

California Superior Court judges serve 6 year terms. Judge Robert Bowers of Department 15 has chosen to retire at the end of his current term, so one of two candidates will be elected to replace him.

Mike Thompson

Mike Thompson has worked as an attorney in Vallejo for 38 years. He handles a broad range of personal injury cases including vehicle accidents, product liability, medical malpractice and wrongful death. He has also aided clients in business matters, insurance claims and elder abuse cases. Thompson has taught labor law and civil litigation for the graduate school of business at Chapman University.

Bryan John Kim

Bryan John Kim is a Solano County Superior Court commissioner, which is a role designed to support a sitting judge who can grant the commissioner authority to perform judicial tasks. Before his appointment to commissioner in 2019, Kim worked as a Solano County deputy district attorney for 15 years. He also served as a deputy district attorney in Inyo County from 2002 to 2005.

U.S. Congress Representative District 8

John Garamendi (Democrat)

John Garamendi is serving his eighth term in the U.S. House of Representatives. Previously he was state Insurance commissioner, lieutenant governor and U.S. deputy Secretary of the Interior. He is on the House Armed Services Subcommittee on Readiness and the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee. Throughout his years in Congress he has advocated for veterans and servicemembers and has worked to maintain Social Security and Medicare benefits.

Rudy Recile (Republican)

Rudy Recile is a retired U.S. Army major and holds a master’s degree in quality systems management. He has worked for the U.S. Department of Agriculture as a data manager and now runs a small web design, hosting and internet service business.

Robert Ruana

Robert Rauna has filed campaign documents to appear on the ballot but limited information is available about his candidacy.

Local Measures

Measure A: Benicia hotel tax

Benicia’s proposed hotel tax will go toward police and fire services, parks, libraries and economic development. Voter approval of the measure would increase Benicia’s transient occupancy tax on hotels and vacation rentals from 9 to 13%. The measure would increase annual city revenues by approximately $250,000, which would be subject to review by a citizens oversight committee. The measure would require reauthorization from voters in 12 years.

Measure B: Benicia sales tax

A three-quarter-cent sales tax would raise $5.4 million for essential city services including police and fire, recreation services, maintenance of local parks, and libraries. The city of Benicia declared a fiscal emergency last month and warned that this measure is necessary to prevent significant layoffs across all city departments. The measure also includes a citizens’ oversight committee and a sunset provision requiring voter reauthorization in 12 years. A similar three-quarter-cent sales tax failed by 294 votes in 2022.

Measure C: Benicia Unified School District facilities bond

This measure would allow the Benicia Unified School district to issue up to $12.5 million in bonds to finance projects including roof repair of school buildings, upgrades and repairs of HVAC systems, improvements to career and technical classrooms and laboratories, electrical system upgrades, security and fire safety improvements, upgrades for playgrounds and modernization of classrooms. The measure requires approval from 55% of Benicia voters.

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