An Overview of the Candidates for Mayor

Who they are and what they're talking (and not talking) about

Thanks to everyone who has read and subscribed to this newsletter since it launched a couple weeks ago. It’s exceeded my wildest expectations! The posts are averaging over 500 views each (including one that has reached 1,000), and the newsletter is now well over 200 subscribers. Please keep spreading the word! Also, check the bottom of this post for an update/correction to my previous post regarding searching for political contributions made by candidates.

With Election Day little more than a month away, many Martinez voters are likely feeling a bit overwhelmed by the six candidates (along with the growing proliferation of their campaign signs) hoping to succeed Rob Schroder as mayor.

What follows is an overview of everyone running based on what I’ve gleaned from their their publicly available campaign statements and websites.

I hope to delve deeper into their candidacies before Nov. 8 by asking each of them to answer a set of questions and posting their answers through this newsletter. For that, I’m hoping to get your help. Please feel free to comment below or email me at craig.lazzeretti@gmail.com with what questions you would like me to pose to them. I have several in mind already, but what I’m focused on is probably quite a bit different from what a lot of you are most concerned about.

In the meantime, here’s a summary of the folks hoping to get your vote, starting with the mayoral race, which breaks down into a choice between three members of the city’s longtime political establishment and three candidates who are either new to city politics or just getting their political careers underway. I’ll tackle the two City Council races in a future post.

One personal observation for anyone interested (if not, skip to the summaries below): Perhaps not surprisingly with six White candidates seeking to replace 20-year incumbent Rob Schroder, the issue of racial equity is going virtually ignored, despite the events in Martinez surrounding the Black Lives Matter protests and defacing of the BLM mural in 2020 that generated national attention and sober reflections about the racial climate in our town. While candidates compete over who will offer the greatest support to the downtown small business community (many of whom were more interested in boarding up their windows during the BLM protests than meaningfully addressing the issues protesters were trying to bring attention to), there is scant attention being given in this campaign to the racial climate in Martinez and ongoing efforts to address it. As someone who took part in BLM marches here and elsewhere and personally knows Martinez residents who suffered from racism (some of whom have since left the city), that is disappointing. Martinez seems to have moved on, which may explain why so many of our residents of color do as well, going to communities they feel are more welcoming. It’s also interesting that the city’s cannabis dispensary policies (including whether they are appropriately benefiting communities of color that were disproportionately impacted by the criminalization of marijuana) are being virtually ignored in this campaign, despite the broad political support for bringing them to town and controversial decisions by city leaders to place them near schools and a fitness center frequented by youths, while keeping them away from Main Street and the downtown business community (side note: On a trip to Fort Bragg a few months ago, I noticed a large dispensary located prominently in the middle of the downtown’s thriving business district).

Michael Ayers

This one will be short and sweet because there’s not much readily available about Ayers and why he’s running for mayor. For whatever reason, he did not file a candidate statement with his nomination papers. His campaign website is light on substance and heavy on generalities ("transparency in local government,” “take action on the homeless situation”). He says he wants the public to see the shortlist of candidates for police chief, which sounds great in theory, but how many candidates employed by other jurisdictions are going to want their current employers to know about their interest in a different job? Hiring for staff positions isn’t the same as running for elected office, where candidates are vetted by the public and pitted against one another; we elect leaders who are supposed to be equipped to hire the right people for our community. He says he “brings his action-taking mentality to serve our community” and as a longtime youth sports volunteer who raised his now-adult children here, “is dedicated to ensuring a better future for the children in Martinez.” Sounds great, but would love to hear some details. His website does mention that he’s planning to hold a meet and greet on Oct. 13 at 5 p.m. at Five Suns Brewing.

Lara DeLaney

One of three current council members running for mayor, DeLaney has been on the council since 2002. Along with Mark Ross and former Mayor Mike Menesini, she comprises the “old guard” coterie of candidates looking to take the baton from Schroder. Her campaign statement focuses on continuing the city’s economic progress and restoring and rebuilding the marina. The senior deputy county administrator touts were fiscal management and public policy skills. “With a master’s degree in public policy and a career in government administration, I pay close attention to ensuring your tax dollars are well spent, and I take pride in being responsive, respectful, and accountable to you, the citizens of Martinez.” Her website lists her top priorities as supporting small businesses and economic revitalization; moving forward with the marina; developing and maintaining parks and open space; and rebuilding the city work force and restoring confidence in City Hall. Those priorities are in line with what many of the other candidates are talking about, but it is interesting that she doesn’t mention the problem of the city’s unhoused, which has been a source of concern for years, and generally steers clear of any discussion of social justice issues (she has more to say about the Martinez Sturgeons baseball team than racial justice efforts in the city). Her website also seems more focused on touting her past experience and accomplishments than offering detailed policy proposals and discussions of her vision (it doesn’t take long to make it through her priorities list). Despite strong opposition from the Martinez Unified School District and local parents (including myself), DeLaney voted in early 2020 to place the Embarc cannabis dispensary, run by the family of former congressman George Miller, on Alhambra Avenue near Alhambra High and the Martinez adult school. The vote took place at a heated council meeting that drew Bay Area media attention.

Mike Menesini

The longtime political figure, and seemingly perennial candidate, is back to try to reclaim the mayor’s chair that he occupied for the final time two decades ago, in what would be a Jerry Brown-like feat. His campaign statement zeroes in on the impact that homelessness and crime is having on the city, making him unique in highlighting those issues. A longtime prosecutor, he touts the leadership he has shown over his career providing “justice to victims of serious felony crimes.” He lists no shortage of challenges he wants to address: “Rebuild a neglected water system, reopen Waterfront Amphitheater, review and update police protocols that address the protection of our school children, establish workable solutions for our out-of- control homeless crisis, and enhance our downtown business district. Closure of our municipal swimming pool was completely avoidable.” On his website, he says the city’s current problems “cannot be reversed by the current political establishment.” Not sure if that implies the answers are to be found in the political establishment he represented in the 1980s and 1990s? The 75-year-old had an 18-year-stint as mayor, and many voters in recent years seem to have moved on from his political leadership, even if he hasn’t moved on from trying to court their votes. In a big surprise, Menesini lost his longtime seat on the council in 2014, finishing third behind DeLaney and Debbie McKillop for the two open seats, and has been on the losing end of races in the years since. In 2016, he finished third in the primary race for county supervisor, failing to make the top two-runoff. In 2018, he finished a distant second in the race for a Contra Costa Community College District seat. An assistant DA in San Francisco, he also was among the applicants for the Contra Costa County District Attorney position in 2017 after the resignation of Mark Peterson; current DA Diana Becton was ultimately selected. Not even Jerry Brown had that much of a losing streak before resurrecting his political career.

Mark Ross

Along with DeLaney and Menesini, Ross constitutes the third member of the longtime Martinez political establishment running for mayor. In his campaign statement, he touts his experience as the longest-serving council member in the race (first elected in 1996). In contrast to Menesini’s portrayal of crime as a growing problem in the city, Ross emphasizes the city’s reputation for public safety, saying that he will make sure it continues to be among the the top 50 safest cities in California. He also touts the downtown’s emergence as a “destination spot” in recent years and says he will “continue to foster solutions for businesses to prosper and our citizens and visitors to feel safe and valued.” One thing that stands out in his campaign statement is a focus on social justice issues, which are generally ignored by the other candidates despite it emerging as a huge issue in 2020. “I support safer schools, individual choice for women, and sensible solutions to community, racial and social justice issues. I will also eliminate systemic racism for a more inclusive, equitable city government.” Nevertheless, he and the rest of the council came under heavy criticism in 2020 for their slow, cautious response to the BLM issues that were raised by local activists. Beyond that, his platform focuses on many of the same issues that other candidates are talking about: the future of the marina, return of the amphitheater, fiscal responsibility (including reducing the city’s pension obligations), and expanding access to parks and open space. A longtime business fixture downtown, Ross has been a broker/Realtor and property manager at Ross Company Realtors since 1982 and says on his website that he is “familiar with every Martinez neighborhood.” Despite strong opposition from the Martinez Unified School District and local parents (including myself), he voted in early 2020 to place the Embarc cannabis dispensary, run by the family of former congressman George Miller, on Alhambra Avenue near Alhambra High and the Martinez adult school, during a heated council meeting that drew Bay Area media attention.

Sean Trambley

This is the second time in recent years that the Planning Commission chair has set his sights on higher office. In 2020, he ran for county supervisor in a three-way race against incumbent Federal Glover and county Assessor Gus Kramer, missing the top two runoff after narrowly finishing behind Kramer in the primary. He is focusing his campaign on support for “local business owners and entrepreneurs who create jobs and bring vitality to Martinez.” His campaign statement also highlights his background as a lifelong resident of the town and desire to give back to “this safe, close-knit community with parks, open space, and small-town charm.” He also touts his ability to lead on issues relating to housing and the environment. “As a public policy professional for over 15 years focused on housing and the environment, I know how to work collaboratively to effect change on tough issues.” Although he doesn’t directly address racial justice issues that came to the fore during the Black Lives Matter protests in the city, he does say that when it comes to policing, he wants to fund public safety and crime-fighting efforts while enhancing “police training to combat bias in policing.” In addition to supporting local businesses, his website lists other top priorities as improving transportation, including expanded bike lanes, expanding housing access, restoring the waterfront and marina, and solving the homeless crisis. In addition to several current and former elected officials and government leaders, the endorsements page on his website includes the owners of several local businesses, including Velvet Cannabis, Martinez’s first retail cannabis dispensary, which has emerged as a major donor to his campaign. Also interesting is that the endorsement listing does not indicate the nature of Velvet’s business; the word “Cannabis” is omitted from the name, even though Velvet’s website and social media profiles refer to its official business name as “Velvet Cannabis” (I emailed Trambley to ask about this but haven’t heard back). There was initially some controversy about the location of the dispensary (originally called “Firefly”) because of its proximity on Sunrise Drive to the Power Endurance training facility frequented by youths and teens; that center closed in May. In 2018, Trambley dismissed such concerns in voting with the rest of the Planning Commission to grant a conditional use permit to Firefly (now Velvet).

Brianne Zorn

The first-term council member is highlighting her credentials as a wetlands scientist and environmental consultant, focusing her campaign heavily on open space issues as well as the future of the marina. In her campaign statement, she touts her role in the successful Alhambra Highlands ballot measure, which voters approved in June, and support of downtown businesses through the Downtown Weekend Nights program. Transportation is another theme of her campaign. “My vision for the City includes proactive transportation initiatives such as expanded bicycle routes, ferry service, and ‘last mile’ connections to existing transit,” she said. She also wants to “restore trust in City Hall through improved communication and increased transparency,” while continuing to “support the high-quality team of City staff serving the Martinez public.” The need to “restore trust” in City Hall seems a bit at odds with a “high-quality team” of City staff, but she does go into more detail on her website about the need to improve communication and public engagement in the people’s business (probably a good idea since there’s no newspaper in Martinez to do it anymore). She also seeks to craft a waterfront plan that balances “environmental considerations with sustainable development.” Zorn’s website includes detailed explanations of her vision and priorities for the city and her desire to engage the public on complex issues. To that point, she’s the one candidate currently running whom I have seen regularly engage the public on City Hall topics through social media. Not surprising given her environmental background and focus, she has the strong backing of Thousand Friends of Martinez, which has been heavily involved in some of the more hotly debated open space battles in Martinez in recent years. On the other hand, she largely steers clear of more contentious issues like the city’s unhoused (other than saying she doesn’t believe the waterfront is an appropriate location for a camp for them) and how to balance open space desires with the need for more affordable housing given how difficult it has become for people to raise a family in cities like Martinez. And like most of the rest of her opponents, she ignores racial equity issues that came to the forefront during the Black Lives Matters protests in 2020 and defacing of the BLM mural. As a mother of a school-age kids, I also thought she might be the one candidate to focus more on the city’s youth population, which, like youths everywhere, is facing mighty challenges in the wake of the pandemic. But it’s not a topic I see mentioned in her campaign material other than a reference to valuing schools and parks.

I hope readers found these summaries fair, insightful and balanced. I tried to focus both on what these candidates are talking about and what they’re not talking about, and to offer some perspectives that you can use as you see fit to help guide your choice. Speaking for myself, I still have no idea whom I’m voting for! I can’t say I’m terribly impressed by what I’m seeing or hearing from any of them so far, but perhaps you feel differently? Feel free to comment.

Update/Correction: I’ve updated my recent post, “One Way to Find Out if Local Candidates Share Your Values,” to correct some information about the Federal Elections Commission search tool for campaign contributions. In the article, I originally said that information was not available on which campaign contributions to ActBlue or WinRed have been funneled to. After doing more research, I discovered that such information is available for at least some donations. In one case, I confirmed that one current candidate for elective office in Martinez gave hundreds of dollars to Donald Trump’s re-election campaign (out of fairness, I’m not identifying one candidate’s donations without identifying contributions from every other candidate who is running in local elections, but the data is readily available through the FEC search engine). The updated post can be found here.