Welcome to My City of Martinez 2022 Election Newsletter
What you need to know about the candidates and races
Thanks for making your way to this newsletter. I assume that if you’re reading this, you are a Martinez resident/voter who has an interest in the local races on the 2022 ballot.
With this introductory post, I would like to explain a bit about why I’ve created this newsletter and what I hope the voters of Martinez can learn from it between now and Election Day.
First, this is a highly consequential election for our city as we will be electing a new mayor for the first time in 20 years. Mayor Rob Schroder is finally stepping down after five terms, and the race to replace him will be highly competitive. Three of his fellow council members (Mark Ross, Lara DeLaney and Brianne Zorn) are running for the seat, along with former Mayor Mike Menesini, Planning Commissioner Sean Trambley and resident Michael Ayers. In addition, there will be races for two council seats (between Nakenya Allen and Jay Howard in District 1 and incumbent Debbie McKillop and Ben Therriault in District 4).
Second, we now live in a “news desert” in Martinez where we receive very little independent information or coverage of the workings of city government and local politics. The Martinez News Gazette is no more, and the East Bay Times (my former employer) rarely covers issues or events in our city. It is therefore up to us as residents and citizens to try our best to keep one another informed and advance the interests of democracy at the local level. The motto of the Washington Post is “Democracy Dies in Darkness,” and while the focus these days is heavily on the events in Washington, D.C., democracy is also struggling in places like Martinez that have lost the traditional media platforms that were long deemed vital to keeping citizens informed about the actions of public servants and elected officials. Residents in towns like ours are increasingly disengaged from or unaware of the workings of their local governments, including the people entrusted with making the decisions with our tax dollars that affect our lives and the place we call home.
The amount of time and effort I put into this endeavor will largely depend on the people of Martinez. If interest in this newsletter grows and I perceive that it is serving the public interest, I will delve as deeply into these races as I can to help you make the best decisions for yourselves, your families and our city in November. If it lands with a thud, I will turn my energies and efforts elsewhere. The way I’ll know is whether people read and subscribe to this newsletter, so please do so if you want to help it succeed!
What I won’t do is use this as a platform to support any candidacies or promote any particular agendas. My overarching goal is to help inform voters about the candidates running to represent them, where they stand on issues, and where they hope to take our city. There are times where I may sprinkle posts with some personal analysis and observations, but it will not be used to elevate or attack any individual candidates (I am not working with any campaign and, as of this writing, have not made up my mind how I will vote in in the mayor’s race; I do not live in either City Council district up for election).
To start things off, here are some resources that will help you get acquainted with the candidates, their backgrounds and policy positions.
City of Martinez Elections Website (candidate filings and statements)
Voters Edge (enter your address to find in-depth information about what’s on your ballot and where candidates stand on issues)
Candidate websites:
MAYOR
CITY COUNCIL DISTRICT 1
CITY COUNCIL DISTRICT 4
Ben Therriault (this is his site from when he ran for sheriff; can’t find one for city council so far)
Finally, a bit about me. I’ve been a Martinez resident since 1998, and both my children graduated from the Martinez Unified School District. I was longtime journalist with the East Bay Times, most recently as the paper’s Metro Editor until stepping down in 2018 amidst widespread staffing cuts. I currently work for the Golden Rain Foundation in the Walnut Creek retirement community of Rossmoor, serving as assistant managing editor of the weekly Rossmoor News. I was a candidate for MUSD School Board in 2018. Much of my focus in recent years has been on issues surrounding the welfare of our children and youths (something I think does not receive nearly enough focus in our city’s politics). I was a member of the MUSD Safety Committee and served as a Court Appointed Special Advocate (CASA) in Contra Costa County, where I represented a child in the foster care system. In my free time, I love to read history, go on hikes (or more accurately, nature walks) at places like Mount Wanda and Hidden Lakes Park, listen to music, write posts like this about issues I care about, and do what I can to defend and promote democracy. I also am a regular donor of platelets to the American Red Cross, where there is a never-ending need (if you come to value this newsletter, please consider paying it forward by donating blood or platelets to the Red Cross if you’re so inclined!).
Thank you so much for doing this! Much needed!
Thank you for taking the time to make our city the best.