PD Editorial: Sonoma County Supervisor Efren Carrillo announces he won't seek re-election amid turmoil of meeting

During a chaotic State of the County breakfast meeting Wednesday, Supervisor Efren Carrillo announced what many had suspected he would say all along - that he isn't running for re-election this year.

His announcement was subtle on a day lacking in subtlety, particularly given a boisterous protest by some 40 SEIU union members who stormed the annual gathering at the Rohnert Park Doubletree Hotel with shouts of “No contract, no peace.” (The county workers, who are in contract negotiations, eventually were escorted from the room by police after about a 15-minute disruption.)

But the protest stood in sharp contrast to what followed, namely an optimistic outlook by economist Jerry Nickelsburg of UCLA Anderson Forecast and an upbeat keynote by Carrillo, one that touched on many accomplishments for the year and ended with a recognition of the contributions made by public employees and private citizens in helping those in Lake County and other areas devastated by the Valley and Butte fires.

“The giving hearts here at home never cease to amaze me,” Carrillo said. “So as I look back at 2015, I am proud of what we accomplished collectively, and I'm filled with excitement about where we are headed in 2016. It will be my great honor to steer the board as chair during my eighth and final year serving as the 5th District supervisor.”

It was a bittersweet moment, marking the end of what was once a promising political career in Sonoma County. During his remarks, Carrillo shared some of the stories that have been the foundation of his political narrative, of how his family benefited from the first Habitat for Humanity home built in Santa Rosa, of how he began as an intern with the county's Economic Development Board and how he recently became a father, and how he, the first Latino to be elected to the Board of Supervisors, was recently elected as chairman.

But, ultimately, Carrillo has only himself to blame for his political downfall, following two high-profile alcohol-infused incidents, including one in 2013 in which he was accused of trying to access a woman neighbor's home while pant-less. Although he was acquitted of a criminal charge related to the incident, the issue is still being debated in the civil courts. Given the blowback from those incidents, it was questionable whether Carrillo had the support needed to win re-election.

Now it appears 5th District voters will be asked to choose from one of three or more candidates in the upcoming elections. The candidates include Noreen Evans, a former Santa Rosa City Council member and state senator; Forestville resident Lynda Hopkins and possibly former 5th District Supervisor Eric Koenigshofer who is expected to announce his candidacy soon. In the coming days, the members of The Press Democrat Editorial Board will be interviewing these candidates individually and, at some point after the close of the filing period in mid-March, we will issue our recommendation.

But for the moment, we commend Carrillo for his accomplishments as a supervisor over the past eight years and for his decision not to seek re-election. As he noted Wednesday, “Change is the only constant. And the changes ahead bode well for both Sonoma County and my young family.” We hope so.