Congressmen Mark DeSaulnier (D, CA-11) and Jerry McNerney (D, CA-09) will host a joint town hall meeting in Antioch on Wednesday, March 9th, from 6:30 pm to 8:00 pm. Both Members of Congress represent a part of the City of Antioch.

This unique forum will be an opportunity for residents to receive a Congressional update on key issues of importance to their community and learn more about the broad range of constituent services the Representatives’ offices can provide.

• What: Representatives DeSaulnier and McNerney’s Joint Town Hall Meeting in Antioch
• When: Wednesday, March 9, 2016, from 6:30 pm to 8:00 pm. Check-in begins at 6:00 pm
• Where: Antioch Middle School, 1500 D Street, Antioch, CA 94509

For more information or to request ADA accommodations, please email CA11.RSVP@mail.house.gov or call (925) 933-2660.

Today, candidate for County Supervisor in District 3, Doug Hardcastle announced he has received the endorsement of former Congressman and taxpayer advocate William P. “Bill” Baker.

“Doug Hardcastle has protected the taxpayers while he’s been in office. We need that kind of financially responsible leadership in our county,” Baker said. “In addition, his over 40 years of business experience gives him the understanding of how to help grow our economy and create the jobs our residents need. That’s why I’m supporting him for Supervisor.”

Before being elected to Congress, Baker served as a State Budget Analyst and worked as Executive Vice President of the Contra Costa Taxpayers Association, writing a weekly column entitled, The Angry Taxpayer.

He then successfully ran for the State Assembly in 1980 and served six terms in a district that included portions of Contra Costa and Alameda Counties. In the Assembly Baker was the chief Republican budget negotiator for seven years as Vice Chair of the budget-writing Ways and Means Committee, and on the Budget Conference Committee.

In 1992, Baker was elected to Congress, where he was active in addressing California’s economic, transportation, and science research policies. He served on both the science and transportation committees and played an influential role as an Assistant Majority Whip and an advocate for Contra Costa County His instrumental work on transportation projects include authoring the building of the Benicia Bridge and BART-San Francisco Airport extension that led to his winning of the San Francisco Metropolitan Transportation Commission’s “Legislator of the Year” award. Baker also played an important role in championing the Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory and helped secure needed funding for science and defense programs including the groundbreaking National Ignition Facility (NIF).

He is now a partner in the investment firm of Baker, Brose & Mitsutome in Walnut Creek.

“Bill Baker has been a champion for the taxpayer in our county and I will do the same on the Board of Supervisors,” Hardcastle stated. “His work on transportation issues is an example I will follow. I appreciate his endorsement and support in my campaign.”

Hardcastle was elected to the Oakley City Council in 2012 and recently completed a year as Mayor. From 2000 to 2012 he served as a Director on the Ironhouse Sanitary District Board, for which he served as President in 2010-2011. He currently serves on both the Transplan Committee and the Tri Delta Transit Board of Directors. Doug and his wife Lyn own Hardcastle’s RV in Oakley and have for over 40 years. Doug was selected Oakley Business Person of the Year in 2006. He’s a life-long resident of Contra Costa County. For more information visit www.doughardcastle.com.

Supervisor District 3 includes Oakley, Brentwood, Discovery Bay, Blackhawk, Diablo, Camino Tassajara, Bethel Island, Byron, Knightsen and a portion of Antioch. The election is on June 7, 2016.

Antioch City Councilmember Monica Wilson announced on Wednesday she has earned the backing of Board of Equalization Member Fiona Ma, in her supervisorial campaign.

According to a news release from Wilson’s campaign, Ma currently serves over 9.5 million Californians on the Board of Equalization for District 2, which stretches from Santa Barbara County to the Oregon border and overlaps all of the third supervisorial district in Contra Costa. The Board of Equalization is the only publicly elected state tax commission and collects more than $50 billion in state taxes every year while holding meetings to hear business, income and property tax appeals.

“When I heard Monica was running for Supervisor, I knew Contra Costa had a great opportunity to elect a leader on transportation and the economy,” said Ma.

Wilson is Antioch’s alternate on two transportation boards, the East Contra Costa Regional Fee & Finance Authority and the State Route 4 By-Pass Authority, according to Antioch City Clerk Arne Simonsen. She has attended one meeting of those boards.

Ma won her election to the Board of Equalization with over 68% of the vote in November 2014.

Prior to serving on the Board of Equalization, Ma served in the California State Assembly from 2006 until 2012 for the 12th District and was the first Asian woman to serve as Speaker Pro Tempore and as Assembly Majority Whip for three years. She first got her start as a small business owner and Certified Public Accountant (CPA), and was an elected delegate to the White House Conference on Small Business under President Clinton aimed at advocating policies to Congress that help small businesses grow in the modern age.

“Fiona is trailblazer, and I’m honored to have her support and mentorship in my campaign,” said Wilson.

Wilson is one of six candidates running in the District 3 Supervisor race. The election will be held June 7th. If no candidate receives a majority of the vote, the two candidates to receive the most votes will face off in the General Election in November.

Endorsement shows growing strength for Nance Campaign in Contra Costa portion of 9th Congressional District

Police officer and 9th District Congressional Candidate Kathryn Nance announced that her campaign for Congress has been endorsed by the Republican Party of Contra Costa County. This latest endorsement, coupled with endorsements from the Contra Costa Deputy Sheriffs Association and the Antioch Police Officers Association, shows growing strength for Nance in the Contra Costa County portion of the 9th Congressional District, and area that incumbent Jerry McNerney has always counted on in past elections.

“Kathryn Nance is exactly the kind of candidate we need to take back the 9th Congressional District of California. Her 19 years as a Police Officer for the City of Stockton shows that she not only has the toughness to get things done in Congress, but a commitment to our community that has been lacking from our current representative”, said Rohit Joy, Chairman of the Republican Party of Contra Costa County. “Unlike Jerry McNerney, Kathryn Nance will give us a Representative who will protect our borders and work towards a sensible immigration policy that puts American workers first, will not shrink from the fight against Radical Islamic Terror, and won’t vote to spend our hard earned tax dollars on a disastrous train to nowhere. The Republican Party of Contra Costa County gives its enthusiastic endorsement to Kathryn Nance for the 9th Congressional District.”

“I’m honored that the Republican Party of Contra Costa County have placed their faith and trust in my campaign”, said Nance. “Every day our campaign continues to gain more and more momentum. The people of the 9th Congressional District know it’s time for a member of Congress they can count on.”

The 9th Congressional District encompasses the majority of San Joaquin County, as well as parts of Contra Costa and the City of Galt in Sacramento County.

Born and raised in the Stockton area, Kathryn Nance is a 19-year veteran of the Stockton Police Department, currently serving as a Sergeant with the Department’s AB109 Task Force and as President of the Stockton Police Officers Association.  She has previously served as a Field Training Officer and as a member of the Department’s Gang and Homicide units.  She is married to her husband of 10 years, James Nance, who also serves as an officer with the Stockton Police Department.  Together, they have a blended family of four children, ranging in ages of 16 to 24.  Kathryn is an avid outdoors enthusiast and enjoys activities such as hiking, cycling, kayaking and CrossFit.  Kathryn also serves as the Chairwoman of Stockton’s annual “Strides Against Cancer” relay.

To learn more about Kathryn Nance for Congress, visit us online at www.Nance2016.com, like us on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/KathrynNanceForCongress and follow us on Twitter @Nance2016.

Today, candidate for County Supervisor in District 3, Doug Hardcastle announced he has received the endorsement of former State Senator and Contra Costa County Sheriff Richard Rainey and his wife Sue Rainey, former Mayor of both Walnut Creek and Moraga.

Richard served in the California State Assembly from 1992 until 1996 and then served in the State Senate from 1996 until 2000. In 1995, Mr. Rainey was named Legislator of the Year by the California Probation & Parole Correctional Association. Also, during the 1995-96 legislative session, Mr. Rainey served as Chairman of the Assembly Local Government Committee.

“We need a leader on the Board of Supervisors who knows that public safety must be the county’s top priority and is committed to being responsible with the use of our tax dollars. Doug Hardcastle has demonstrated that in his elected positions on the Oakley City Council and sanitary board. That’s why we support him for County Supervisor and encourage you to do the same,” the Raineys said.

Sue Rainey is a former Walnut Creek City Council Member and Mayor. Before moving to Walnut Creek. Rainey worked on the effort to incorporate the Town of Moraga and was on that town’s first council and served as Mayor. She was also a former elected director of the Central Contra Costa Sanitary District, is founder and president of the Contra Costa Sewer and Water Agency, and was a member of the Contra Costa County Local Agency Formation Commission.

Richard Rainey was hired by the Contra Costa County Sheriff’s department in 1964 and he was promoted through the ranks as a deputy sheriff, sergeant, lieutenant, and captain before he was elected County Sheriff in 1978. Mr. Rainey was appointed by Governor George Deukmejian during the 1980’s to the State Board of Corrections and the Board of Trustees of the Robert Presley Institute of Corrections. He served until 1992 when he was elected to the Assembly.

Following his service in the state legislature, Richard served as Director of the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development for Region 9 for both the Bush and Obama Admininstrations. Region 9 covers California, Arizona, Hawaii, Nevada, the Territory of Guam, Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands and American Samoa.

“Having Dick and Sue Rainey’s endorsements means a lot,” Hardcastle said. “Their service to our county provided the strong leadership we needed in Contra Costa. I appreciate their support in my campaign for Supervisor.”

Doug Hardcastle was elected to the Oakley City Council in 2012 and recently completed a year as Mayor. From 2000 to 2012 he served as a Director on the Ironhouse Sanitary District Board, for which he served as President in 2010-2011. He currently serves on both the Transplan Committee and the Tri Delta Transit Board of Directors. Doug and his wife Lyn own Hardcastle’s RV in Oakley and have for over 40 years. Doug was selected Oakley Business Person of the Year in 2006. He’s a life-long resident of Contra Costa County. For more information visit www.doughardcastle.com.

Supervisor District 3 includes Oakley, Brentwood, Discovery Bay, Blackhawk, Diablo, Camino Tassajara, Bethel Island, Byron, Knightsen and a portion of Antioch. The election is on June 7, 2016.

The nomination period for those interested in running for office began, Tuesday, February 16th. They have until March 11th to file or March 16th for those offices in which the incumbent is not seeking reelection.

The first step on the road to the June 7th Presidential Primary Election begins this week, as Contra Costa residents are invited to start filling out nomination papers if they plan to run for certain elected offices.

OFFICES NOMINATED UNDER THE “TOP TWO” PRIMARY SYSTEM – In these races, the top two vote getters advance to the November election.

UNITED STATES SENATOR

UNITED STATES CONGRESS

5^th District

9^th District

11^th District

15^th District

STATE SENATE

3^rd District

7^th District

9^th District

STATE ASSEMBLY

11^th District

14^th District

15^th District

16^th District

COUNTY OFFICES (4 Year Term) – Candidates win in June if they receive 50% plus one of the vote. If no candidate receives 50%+1, the top two will have a run off in November.

BOARD OF SUPERVISORS

2^nd Supervisorial District

3^rd Supervisorial District

5^th Supervisorial District

The nomination period closes 5:00 pm, Friday, March 11, 2016.

Our office will provide updates throughout the nomination period via Twitter and Facebook about who has pulled papers to run for office and when candidates signatures have been verified.

The Contra Costa Elections Division staff recommends that interested candidates read through the 2016 Candidate Guide for more information about the process, including the necessary number of signatures for nomination, candidate statements, ordering campaign resources, maps and filing fees.

A Contra Costa Board of Supervisor candidate, for example, must pay a $1,044 filing fee and collect 20 signatures to be on the ballot.

The Candidate Guide can be found online at: www.cocovote.us/wp-content/uploads/2016_CandidateGuide_Combined_Updated-12-30-15.pdf.

For those interested in seeking local political offices in November, the nomination period for the November 8^th General Election starts in mid-July.

For more information, call 925-335-7874 or visit our website at www.cocovote.us.

By Allen Payton

In a letter to the editor to the Herald, responding to my column about Lamar Thorpe needing to be removed from his position on the Antioch Economic Development Commission, over his leadership of the card room initiative, Thorpe claimed that one of the Antioch Council Members signed the petition to place the initiative on the ballot.

In response to an email question to each of the council members, only one of the Council Members, Monica Wilson admitted to signing the petition, through the spokesman for her campaign for Supervisor, Jon Colmenares.

In an email from Colmenares, he wrote “wanted to answer your question regarding petition signatures for cardroom initiative. Monica signed the petition, and along with the rest of the Council and Mayor, voted to put it on the June ballot.”

Mayor Pro Tem Lori Ogorchock was first to respond to the email with a brief, “Not I.”

Mayor Wade Harper was the next, also denying he signed it.

“I did not sign the petition,” he said. “I would be interested to know if any Councilmember signed the petition.”

In a phone conversation with Council Member Tony Tiscareno, he said he did not sign it, either.

When reached for comment, Council Member Mary Rocha stated “I wouldn’t have signed that petition.”

Wilson did respond later to the questions of why she signed the petition and didn’t inform the public of that during the council meeting, and why she didn’t make a motion to adopt the initiative language as a an ordinance.

“I believe in organizing a community when it needs something,” she stated. “I do believe that the voters should have a voice and I do not believe in imposing ordinances on them. I believe in involving voters for what affects them directly. That for me includes laws that are as high profile as the cardroom initiative and why I signed it. I joined the Mayor and council because I felt that this was an important issue to be put forth to voters.”

One additional email was sent asking Wilson to clarify whether or not she supports the ballot initiative language and what she thinks a council member’s job is if the doesn’t believe in imposing ordinances on the public. Please check back later for her response.

The card room measure will be on the June 7th ballot. It requires a majority vote to pass and become law in the city. If it fails, the current city ordinance of allowing two card rooms in town, down from the previous five prior to 2013, will remain in force, with only one currently operating in Antioch.

 

Today, candidate for County Supervisor in District 3, Doug Hardcastle announced he has received the endorsement of former State Assemblywoman Lynne Leach.

While in the Assembly for six years, Leach represented almost all of what makes up District 3, including the East County communities of Oakley, Brentwood, Discovery Bay, Bethel Island, Knightsen, Byron and parts of Antioch, as well as Blackhawk, Diablo and Camino Tassajara, in the San Ramon Valley portion of the Supervisor district.

“What impressed me about Doug is that he has taken so many of the necessary steps, both as a member of the Ironhouse Satinary District Board and Oakley City Council, and is now well prepared to be a member of the Board of Supervisors,” said Leach. “Plus, his small business experience and community service, it just makes a lot of sense.”

“He is one of the best, well-rounded candidates you could imagine,” she added. “That’s why I’m supporting him for County Supervisor.”

A leader in the Assembly, Leach served as Vice Chair of the Assembly Education Committee in her second and third terms. She also served on a variety of committees, including Transportation, Insurance, Business and Professions, Jobs and Economic Development, Aging and Long Term Care, Joint Legislative Audit and the Master Plan for California Education (Kindergarten through Higher Education).

“I appreciate Lynne’s endorsement, and her time and counsel in my campaign,” Hardcastle said. “Plus, her great experience serving the same communities that I will be serving as Supervisor.”

Doug Hardcastle was elected to the Oakley City Council in 2012 and recently completed a year as Mayor. From 2000 to 2012 he served as a Director on the Ironhouse Sanitary District Board, for which he served as President in 2010-2011. He currently serves on both the Transplan Committee and the Tri Delta Transit Board of Directors. Doug and his wife Lyn own Hardcastle’s RV in Oakley and have for over 40 years. Doug was selected Oakley Business Person of the Year in 2006. He’s a life-long resident of Contra Costa County. For more information visit www.doughardcastle.com and follow the Hardcastle campaign on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram @doughardcastle.

Supervisor District 3 includes Oakley, Brentwood, Discovery Bay, Blackhawk, Diablo, Camino Tassajara, Bethel Island, Byron, Knightsen and a portion of Antioch. The election is on June 7, 2016.