VALLEJO – The Solano County Board of Supervisors District 1 election in March is set to be a crucial contest for the make-up of the county government. The seat, which represents northern Vallejo on the five-member board, has been occupied by Supervisor Erin Hannigan since 2013. But last year, Hannigan announced that she would not run again, guaranteeing a new face will represent Vallejo next year.
The two candidates for the district – Michael Wilson and Cassandra James — both have substantial experience in local government. Wilson has served as Hannigan’s district representative for nearly 12 years. Hannigan has endorsed him as her successor.
Meanwhile, James has positioned herself as the more progressive choice in the race. She is a Senior Community Development Specialist for San Francisco Mayor London Breed’s office and serves as Vice Chair of Vallejo’s Housing and Community Development Commission.
Scott Morris
The Vallejo Sun interviewed both candidates to understand how they plan to deliver on the stated goals of their campaigns.
Cassandra James
Cassandra James has campaigned as a voice for change and equitable housing development for the urban challenges of District 1, the only supervisor district comprised of residents within a single city. She is an outspoken supporter of police reform and an experienced advocate for equity and inclusion efforts, specifically in regard to housing.
James said that she knew she needed to work to bring about systemic change in government when her six-year-old son asked, “What can we do?” when the family was watching news clips just after Sean Monterossa was killed by Vallejo police during a protest over the police murder of George Floyd in 2020.
James said she is confident in her ability to secure both public and private funding for housing and supportive services to help those living on the streets as well as funding for affordable housing and programs to keep people in their homes.
She noted that voters will weigh in on two bonds this year that could provide significant state funding for housing. Proposition 1, which is on the ballot in the March primary election, could provide over $6 billion for housing and services for those with behavioral and mental health challenges. The California Housing Bond Measure, which will be on the ballot in November, could provide $10 billion for affordable housing and homeownership programs.
As one of the last affordable counties in the Bay Area, James said that Solano County is uniquely positioned to win funding from either proposition if they are approved by voters. She said she is committed to marshaling her knowledge of private philanthropy opportunities and developers from nearly a decade of working in housing and social services for the city of San Francisco.
James said that she has a proven track record securing grants and assuring that agencies get funding according to their needs. When she took over administration of a grant program that provided rental assistance in San Francisco and Bay Area counties, she said she carefully examined the data connected to San Francisco’s funding allotment and discovered that the city’s funding award had been declining due to barriers preventing residents in need from applying for the program.
James said she worked with nonprofits and city agencies to establish several new locations where residents could apply, and provided translation services and support for applicants to collect necessary documents. The program funding rebounded with the increase in applicants; the city was able to provide more residents with rental assistance.
In regard to policing issues, James said that while the Vallejo Police Department is under the city’s jurisdiction and not the county’s, she would build relationships with city government and state leaders to make sure that the department is able to comply with required Department of Justice reforms to rebuild trust between the community and the department.
She said that she would advocate for raising the standards around recruiting culturally competent officers and look at ways to secure funding for programs to reduce violence and prevent crimes like burglary that are affecting small businesses.
James appears to have a fundraising advantage so far, according to campaign finance reports. Service Employees International Union Local 1021 PAC donated $5,500 to her campaign, Engineer and Environmental consultant James Levine, who is involved in restoration projects in the Suisun marsh, donated $1,000 and Dignity California SEIU Local 2015 donated $27,000.
She has been endorsed by the Napa Solano Central Labor Council and the Building and Construction Trades Council.
Michael Wilson
Michael Wilson has promoted his candidacy as an avenue to support new businesses, advance key redevelopment projects and to ensure that city and county agencies can compete to secure adequate professional staffing of law enforcement and city and county administration. If elected, Wilson would be the first openly gay supervisor to serve on the Board.
As a young man, Wilson was on a path to become a Catholic priest until he realized that the structures of the church did not fit his own personal growth. But he said his interest in community service has continued in his work as a Vallejo City Council member from 2008 to 2012, when the city navigated through bankruptcy, and as Hannigan’s district representative.
According to Wilson, Hannigan has fostered a collaborative relationship with her staff and he has had the opportunity to work closely with her on a number of projects.
Wilson said that he has been particularly grateful to work with Hannigan to help create Vallejo’s Early Learning Center, which will provide daycare services and early education for 200 children. The Beverly Hills school in southeast Vallejo is currently being renovated to house the center, which is expected to open in 2026.
Wilson said that some of the important work done at the county level is uncovering areas where there is a gap in service and creating programs to fill those gaps. In the case of the Early Learning Center, Wilson said that there is funding for childcare subsidies but not enough spaces at existing childcare centers to accommodate the need.
The Early Learning Center is a project of the family education and resource hub First 5 Solano, which receives half of its funding through grant funds from Yocha Dehe Wintun Nation. Wilson said that he has been a part of building relationships with the tribal government going back to his time on the Vallejo City Council, when the tribes sought to protect ancestral burial grounds in the development of Glen Cove park.
According to Wilson, those early conversations eventually led to a county partnership with the Wintun Nation in which they provided nearly $8 million in grants for Solano County programs, such as Solano First 5 as well as rent and utility assistance.
Wilson points to his ground-level view of how the county works as a key element of his experience that will allow him to move important county projects forward. If he is elected, he said he plans to focus on fiscal responsibility and improve the competitiveness of the county in order to attract professional staff that can skillfully do the work of government.
Wilson has reported donations from Olympia of Vallejo LLC and the Solano Probation Peace Officer Association totaling $3,500.
Wilson is endorsed by Solano Napa County Professional Firefighters local 1186, Iron workers local 378, Nor Cal Carpenters Union, Solano County Sheriff’s Deputy Association, Solano County Sheriff’s Custody Association and Solano County Probation Peace Officer Association.
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