An Overview of the City Council Races

Residents in two City Council districts will get to vote on their representatives in November. Here's what to know about the candidates in the two-way races.

Most voters are probably aware by now that Martinez (along with many other cities in the state) switched to district voting for City Council seats a few election cycles ago. This means that instead of at-large elections in which all voters in the city get to fill open seats on the council ever two years, voters in particular parts of the city (or districts) vote for the specific seats representing their area.

Because City Council terms are staggered with two or three seats up for election every two years, not all voters will be voting in the City Council races this year. Only those living in districts 1 and 4 will see a race on their ballot. If you’re not sure whether you live in those districts, you can check out the district maps here, or you’ll find out when you receive your ballot in the mail (perhaps as soon as this week).

Side note: The switch from at-large to district elections has been controversial and has generated heated debate in the city in recent years (along with the heavily gerrymandered district maps the incumbent council members originally drew to protect their seats, which now have been replaced by fairer ones drawn by an independent commission). I’m not going to get into those controversies and debates here. My objective is to simply explain to voters who might be unaware the background of the situation and how council elections will work this year.

Here’s an overview of the two council races along with some personal observations.

District 1

Nakenya Allen

Listed as a caretaker/veterinary technician the ballot, Allen has been an outspoken advocate on racial justice/diversity issues in the city. My understanding is that she would be the first Black resident elected to the City Council. In her campaign statement, Allen touts her work in helping to create Martinez’s anti-discrimination task force, ARDPIE, “with the goal of improving city programs and policies for all residents.” She also sits on the Community Advisory Board of Contra Costa County, chairing its subcommittee on community outreach. The parent of a young child, she describes herself as an “advocate for diversity and equality.” Her website addresses some specific policy priorities, including “more balanced solutions for our homeless population” and “more affordable housing options for the elderly and hardworking families.”

Allen’s priorities page on her website leads off with “Diversity/True Racial Equity,” including having the city support more cultural events downtown that will make it a more welcoming place to groups that have traditionally stayed away. In this regard, there could not be a more stark contrast with every other candidate running for office this year, whether for mayor or City Council. For the most part, they are basing their campaigns around support for small businesses; rebuilding the marina and reopening the amphitheater; and open space/parks initiatives, while largely ignoring the reckoning over race that came to the forefront in the city and nationally two years ago during the Black Lives Matter protests (Martinez received Bay Area and national attention over the defacing of the BLM mural and resulting conversations about the racial climate in town).

When it comes to parks, Allen brings a unique family perspective. “As a mother of a child with special needs, I’d really like to see our parks upgraded to include kids who might not be able to climb structures like other kids and implement small safety measures for those kids to have the same enjoyment at their level.”

The fact every other candidate for elective office is largely ignoring the issues that Allen is basing her campaign around may indicate that she faces an uphill climb in her race; if other candidates viewed social justice as a winning campaign issue in our town, they probably would be highlighting it. But if she were to win (or even come close), it could herald a new era in Martinez politics, not just in terms of the diversity she will represent on the council, but in the ability to craft a successful campaign around the types of social equity and justice concerns that most Martinez politicians avoid like the plague when running for office.

Jay Howard

Listed as a carpenter/construction superintendent on the ballot, Howard is another political newcomer who offers a clear contrast with Allen in terms of his campaign platform. Public safety is his top issue, along with support for the local business community, renovating the marina and creating a “first-class transportation system.” According to his campaign statement, he also wants to partner with other agencies to find solutions for homelessness and work with the state and county on housing and mental health services. He has served as director of the Martinez Historical Society and volunteered with Loaves and Fishes, which provides meals to those in need.

Howard touts his work with the “Carpenters Who Care” program, which helps low-income homeowners and nonprofits make repairs. “This work and serving on the boards of local nonprofits provide me the team building and collaboration skills necessary to be successful as a Martinez City Councilmember,” he writes in his campaign statement. He is endorsed by current council members Lara DeLaney (who currently holds this seat and is running for mayor) and Debbie McKillop (running for re-election in District 4).

Although he doesn’t offer the same focus on social justice/equality issues as Allen, Howard’s website does say that when it comes to policing, “I support officers being trained in dealing with people with mental health issues as well as those who abuse alcohol and drugs. This includes emphasizing the importance of de-escalation techniques as well as implicit, unconscious and explicit bias training.” He also is a proponent of rehabilitation programs to reduce recidivism, including partnering with union halls for career training of inmates. Reflecting his historical society background, Howard’s priorities page also discusses supporting and preserving the city’s historical and natural amenities, including a desire to “honor Joe DiMaggio by turning our old train station into a museum and historic landmark.”

While he and Allen overlap on some goals and values, Howard is clearly the establishment-backed candidate in this race, focusing on many of the same traditional issues as other candidates and officials, though it does seem to me that he places more focus on homeless and mental health issues than some others running for office.

District 4

Debbie McKillop

The incumbent councilwoman and Contra Costa County Sheriff’s Office forensic scientist is vying for her third term on the council, after winning re-election four years ago by only 23 votes. Her campaign statement touches on many of the same topics as other incumbents running this year: support for small businesses (she touts her efforts to keep businesses open during the pandemic and $5,000 in micro-grant programs); open space initiatives, including Alhambra Highlands; and park improvements. She does focus some attention on the issues surrounding the unhoused in her statement, saying, “I passionately worked to fund a Coordinated Outreach Referral Engagement Team to provide shelter, health care and mental health counseling for our unhoused citizens.” One observation: Her campaign statement takes the time to mention the return of “Sturgeon’s (sic)” baseball but has nothing to say about the city’s racial equity efforts, which became a priority following the Black Lives Matter protests in 2020 and defacing of the BLM mural. And like everyone else running for elective office this year, she has nothing to say (that I can find) about some of city’s controversial actions around the placement of cannabis dispensaries. Despite strong opposition from the Martinez Unified School District and local parents (including myself), McKillop 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.

One thing that sets McKillop apart from other candidates I’ve seen in the races for mayor and council is her attention to wildfire-prevention and safety efforts, saying she has worked with emergency responders on evaluating evacuation routes for vulnerable neighborhoods, along with expanding cattle grazing and weed abatement programs to protect homes. McKillop’s website prominently lists her top priorities as public safety; supporting small businesses; protecting ridgelines; wildfire prevention; marina and the waterfront; and fiscal responsibility. She does invite voters who don’t see what they’re looking for on her priorities list to reach out to her. Those wondering why she has nothing to say about the city’s racial equity/inclusion efforts, or its apparent preference for placing cannabis dispensaries closer to schools than downtown businesses, might want to take her up on the offer.

Ben Therriault

Though he’s new to city electoral politics, many voters will recognize Therriault’s name from the upstart campaign he ran for county sheriff against longtime incumbent David Livingston in June. With strong support from the Democratic Party and other progressive voices, he garnered nearly 90,000 votes countywide, or 41% of the total cast. Now, the Richmond police officer/union president is setting his sights on the City Council. His campaign statement emphasizes his biography as a single father, working police officer and combat veteran, saying that he values the “protection of our lifestyles and the safety of our families in Martinez.” He says his background as a public employee and union president has provided him the wisdom and experience that comes with many roles of a City Council member: city budgeting, labor issues, legal issues and economic development. While most other candidates for elective office in Martinez seem heavily invested in downtown issues, he makes a point in his campaign statement of saying that he wants to increase police south of Highway 4. Otherwise, many of his priorities are par for the campaign course: parks, open space, the marina, support for businesses.

To his credit, Therriault has one of the most extensive issues pages on his website that I’ve seen of any candidate in the mayor or council races. But there is only brief mention in his campaign materials of the issue of racial/ethnic diversity, inclusion and justice (“diversity and inclusion and equity in our public policies are an important piece of making our city a space where all well welcomed”). I found this relative lack of attention a bit surprising (and disappointing) given the strong support he received in his sheriff’s campaign from Black Lives Matters supporters and advocates of criminal justice and policing reform. I’m also surprised that he doesn’t reference his impressive run for sheriff against a powerful, entrenched incumbent, which perhaps is an indication of the sway that his opponent in that race carries in Martinez (McKillop has the endorsement of Livingston, along with several other law enforcement groups/individuals, Therriault’s policing background notwithstanding). Other than a post on his Facebook campaign page, I also don’t see any mention of his Native American roots, which was a prominent piece of his campaign biography in his sheriff’s run, and it’s interesting that his list of endorsements includes several elected officials from neighboring cities but none from Martinez.

This could be a very interesting race. McKillop’s close call four years ago (when it looked as if she would lose until late-counted votes barely put her over the top) indicates that there is a yearning among many Martinez voters for fresh voices and faces in city politics; meanwhile, the name recognition Therriault gained from the sheriff’s race could be a plus, a negative, or a wash. It may come down to the specific dynamics and demographics of this particular district and which candidate boasts the stronger campaign outreach to voters.

CANDIDATES NIGHT: The Martinez Chamber of Commerce is hosting a candidates night for the mayoral and City Council candidates this coming Friday, Oct. 14, at 7:30 p.m. at the Campbell Theater (proof of vaccination is required to enter). I will try to make it if my schedule permits; the forum will also be recorded posted on the chamber’s Facebook page along with Comcast 28, UVerse 99, Astound 1029.

Speaking for myself, I know what I’m most expecting from the forum. Ralph Nader once famously commented that “the only difference between the Republican and Democratic parties is the velocities with which their knees hit the floor when corporations knock on their door.” I think on Friday, the main difference we’ll see among the various candidates for mayor is the velocities which which their knees hit the floor in proclaiming their unwavering commitment to the interests of Martinez’s downtown business community. Every other interest in town can get in line.

Another thing I’m bracing myself for. Based on the campaign statements and websites I’ve reviewed for these posts, I’ll be curious whether we hear more from the candidates about their love of Sturgeons baseball than their commitment to racial equity/justice/inclusion efforts in the city. To quote many different characters from many different Star Wars movies, “I have a bad feeling about this.”

If you missed it earlier, my overview of the mayoral race can be found here, and you can find my piece on why it matters whether candidates for local office share your core political values (and how to research whether they do) here.

Note: Thanks again to everyone for reading. I continue to get great feedback and response to this newsletter (now over 260 email subscribers, and my overview of the mayor’s race has garnered around 1,200 views and counting). I’ll be immersed in another election-related project for much of the next week, so I’m not sure when I’ll get to a fresh post, but I am awaiting some new campaign finance filings, so stay tuned for something on that. As always, all feedback and comments are welcome.