Five sheriff contenders to meet for first candidate forum

Five sheriff candidates in the first contested election for Sonoma County’s top lawman in more than 25 years will meet Sept. 28 to outline their visions for the Sheriff’s Office.

The candidate forum, hosted by progressive groups including the North Bay Labor Council, Sonoma County Latino Democrats and the North Bay Organizing Project, will be held at Santa Rosa Veteran’s Hall, 1351 Maple St., at 5:30 p.m.

The candidates will make opening and closing statements in the first debate before the June primary election.

Moderators will ask candidates prepared questions and the public will also have the opportunity to submit questions at the event, organizers said.

Sheriff Rob Giordano, who replaced Sheriff Steve Freitas, who retired early because of health issues this past summer, has repeatedly stated that he has no plans to run for the office.

The candidates include sheriff’s Capt. Mark Essick, who narrowly won the support of the Sonoma County Deputy Sheriff’s Association over Windsor police chief and sheriff’s Lt. Carlos Basurto.

Basurto had the support of 84 union members compared to 87 for Essick.

Other candidates include Santa Rosa City Councilman and retired Santa Rosa Police Lt. Ernesto Olivares, San Francisco Sheriff’s Deputy Jay Foxworthy and retired Los Angeles Police Capt. John Mutz.

Retired Sonoma County Sheriff’s Capt. Dave Edmonds will not attend the forum. Wednesday, Edmonds said while not dropping out of the race, he lacks the “political and financial support to run a campaign.”