The current mayor of Lathrop, a Stockton business owner, and a former dairy farmer who also previously served as a Manteca city councilmember and mayor are competing in next month’s election for a spot on the San Joaquin County Board of Supervisors to represent District 3.
District 3 serves the areas of Lathrop, Manteca and Stockton and is currently represented by Supervisor Tom Patti, who will leave the seat vacant to run for mayor of Stockton.
Angel Sepulveda, an insurance company owner, Sonny Dhaliwal, who has served Lathrop for 25 years and is now in his sixth two-year term as mayor, and Steve DeBrum, who served on the Manteca City Council for 15 years and was mayor, will all vie for the supervisor seat in the March 5 election.
Angel Sepulveda
Sepulveda, who is a San Joaquin County native, said some of her main priorities if elected would be the local behavioral health systems and keeping the Delta waterway protected as well as housing affordability and availability and homelessness.
“Our area is kind of a clinician, physician desert so to speak, we need a lot more help.” Sepulveda said in an interview. “People that have resources, people that have insurance still have problems getting the help that they need, in a timely matter … people have to wait months for appointments.”
Steve DeBrum
During a recent election forum, DeBrum stated that his top three issues to tackle would be crime, homelessness and jobs.
Similar to Sepulveda, DeBrum believes working on mental and behavioral health is a top priority that should be addressed.
His action plan would be to ensure he works with state legislators, the county district attorney’s office and other people in power.
“Ultimately, every city in San Joaquin County must, and I say must, have a mental health facility that we can have individuals go to seeking support,” DeBrum said.
He also wants to work with the county district attorney to reduce crime seen throughout the county.
Sonny Dhaliwal
Dhaliwal explained at the same forum that his focuses would be on creating well-paying jobs in the county, keeping communities safe and healthy, promoting economic opportunities and modernizing infrastructure.
For 23 years, he crossed the Altamont Pass to get to work and said he understands the struggles of residents having to commute for a job and wants the Central Valley to have leaders who recognize the economic potential in the county.
“If you don’t grow, then you don’t get nothing. No jobs, continue to commute to Sacramento or the Bay Area,” Dhaliwal said at the forum. “But when we do create these jobs and the growth, we have to have a balanced growth where it doesn’t affect the quality of life of everybody.”
The two-minute pitch
At the end of the forum, each candidate was allowed to make a two-minute closing statement.
Sepulveda said she wanted to be the bridge in the community for the policies that are getting enforced and decisions being made as well as the agencies that are going to be enforcing them.
“I am going to make sure the whole county is represented, not just a pocket of people, not just behind the gates,” said Sepulveda.
Dhaliwal reminded residents of all the progress Lathrop has made and said he will do the same work if elected to the Board of Supervisors.
“I will make sure every segment of the society has a voice and their represented … I will also have gatherings at different locations,” Dhaliwal said.
DeBrum told the audience that each and every day more than 85,000 people move from the Central Valley counties over the hill to work in the Bay Area, but his goal is to see that those people have jobs in San Joaquin County.
“Steve DeBrum is going to be that person to lead the charge to make sure that happens,” DeBrum said. “I have a firm commitment to work with the people from our county to make sure that happens.”
