Candidates for Antioch mayor, District 1 council fail to qualify, homeless advocate, Parks & Rec Commission Chair qualify in District 3 race
Thorpe qualifies for mayor making it four challengers for Wright
By Allen Payton
According to Antioch City Clerk Arne Simonsen, two candidates had less than 20 valid signatures and failed to qualify for their races in Antioch. La Donna Norman failed to qualify to run for City Council in District 1 and Beverley Beckman failed to qualify to run for Mayor. That leaves three candidates remaining in the District 1 race and four challengers in the mayor’s race, including Antioch Councilman Lamar Thorpe who qualified, as of today, Monday, August 10, 2020 and will face incumbent Mayor Sean Wright in the November election.
After switching from running for re-election, on his city council Facebook page on Friday, Thorpe posted a video of his candidate’s oath of office and wrote, “At City Hall taking oath of candidacy for my campaign for Mayor of Antioch. Been taking the oath to defend the US Constitution since I first joined the US NAVY in 2000!”
On his campaign Facebook page on August 4, Wright wrote, “So honored to turn in my official papers today to file for re-election as your Mayor. We have many challenges ahead, including this pandemic. I am ready, with your support, to move Antioch forward.”’
Antioch Councilwoman Joy Motts now faces just two challengers in her race for re-election, former Antioch Mayor Pro Tem and current Planning Commissioner, Manny Soliz and non-profit executive Tamisha Walker. On her city council Facebook page on August 5, she wrote, “My friends, I’m excited to announce I have officially filed to run for re-election to the City Council in District 1. Campaigning during COVID will be interesting. Please let me know if I can count on your support!”
In the District 3 council race, homeless advocate Nichole Gardner qualified, as did Antioch Parks and Recreation Commission Chair, Marie Arce.
The focus of Gardner’s campaign will be on homelessness in Antioch. On campaign Facebook page on Friday she wrote:
Today was an exciting day for me. I pulled my nomination papers to run for Antioch City Council District 3. I have so many reasons why I wanted to join this race but over the last year and a half I have not only been advocating for our homeless brothers and sisters on our streets but for the community members who have been affected by homelessness every single day. One thing I’ve learned over the years is that simply feeding people and giving them necessities such as toiletries, blankets, etc. isn’t enough. I have been advocating at city council meetings for a year and a half. Not missing a single meeting. Since my advocacy started, I participated and gathered members in the community to come together for the Ad Hoc Committee on Homelessness to discuss issues surrounding homelessness, I have worked with Public works, the city manager and council members to assist my organization with encampment clean-ups and cleanups in our shopping centers, and have also worked with business owners and listened to their pleas about how garbage and our unhoused in front of their buildings have negatively affected their businesses. I have worked and done my research for years to bring our community together and break many of those stereotypes that some have about homelessness.
The city initially told the advocates that they didn’t have anything to do with homeless services (that it was a County issue.) I never gave up. I kept showing up. The city has since put over $500,000 towards homeless services, $150,000 for a homeless coordinator, they worked with us to put dumpsters and porta potties around the city to deal with garbage and to give the homeless on our streets dignity by having a place to use the restroom, and they are currently working on leasing a motel in the city for homeless families.
Homelessness is a major problem in our city. I am doing this for every single person who has cried on my shoulder after having everything they own taken from them. I’m doing this for our brothers and sisters who have died on our streets in the cold. I am doing this for those who think there is no way out and just need a helping hand to get back on their feet. I’m doing this for those who have said they need mental health, job opportunities and access to rehab for their issues. I’m doing this for those who I have had to pass on the streets in the pouring rain, feeling hopeless because there was nowhere for them to go. I’m doing this for the veterans, the over 300 kids in our school system, for the families, disabled and elderly people on our streets. I love each and every one of you. From the bottom of my heart, THIS FIGHT IS FOR YOU!
Gardner works as an Administrative Assistant for the Los Medanos Community Healthcare District in Pittsburg, where Thorpe is Executive Director, but her ballot designation according to the report by the Contra Costa Elections office, she lists herself as a Nonprofit Executive Director, referring to Facing Homelessness, which she formed in 2016 and obtained its non-profit status in 2018. It has the same name as an organization in Seattle, but is not affiliated. Gardner’s local organization has a Facebook page entitled Facing Homelessness in Antioch.
Gardner was elected to the Contra Costa County Democratic Central Committee in March and is running for the non-partisan council seat in that role according to her campaign logo posted on Facebook. During protests in Antioch, this year, Gardner has also advocated for defunding the police and re-allocating some of the budget spent on police to other programs, such as for youth.
She opposes placing sworn police officers as School Resource Officers on Antioch school campuses. In a July 25 post on her campaign Facebook page Gardner wrote, “This is crazy to me as a mom of two boys in AUSD. City/School Board leaders are proposing adding cops to our school campuses at a cost of $3 million dollars. We can’t afford to give students laptops, but we can afford to hire cops for empty campuses? Tell city council to vote NO on Agenda item 4!!!”
Then, in a post on her campaign Facebook page on Sunday Gardner wrote, “Students held a rally for ‘counselors, not cops’ on Friday after the City Council and School board voted to spend close to $1 million annually to reinstate cops on school campuses. This comes after the school board made $1.8 million (incl. 28 positions) in cuts. I am so proud of our youth. They have been organizing and demonstrating all over the city for what they believe in. As a mother of 2 boys in AUSD, I’m encouraged by our youth using their voices at city council and school board meetings to champion change. Whether we agree with them or not (in this case I do agree with the), it is important for us to nourish their civic participation and lift up their voices.”
According to Simonsen’s final report, issued today, Monday, August 10, 2020, the following Antioch residents have qualified and will appear on the November 3rd ballot. The Secretary of State’s randomized alphabet drawing for ballot placement will take place on August 13th.
Mayor
Sean Wright
Julio Mendez
Rakesh Kumar Christian
Gabriel Makinano
Lamar Thorpe
Council District 1
Joyann Motts
Manuel Soliz
Tamisha Walker
Council District 2
Tony Tiscareno
Michael Barbanica
Council District 3
Lori Ogorchock
Antwon Webster
Marie Arce
Nichole Gardner
Council District 4
Sandra White
Monica Wilson
Alex Astorga
City Treasurer
James Davis
Lauren Posada
City Clerk
Arne Simonsen
Ellie Householder
Dwayne Eubanks
To see the final list of candidates for all city and Antioch School Board races visit the Antioch Herald Election 2020 website page.
the attachments to this post:
Nichole Gardner 8-6-20 FB & Joy Motts 08-05-20 FB