Sonoma County Supervisor Lynda Hopkins claims reelection in unopposed race for third term

Supervisor Lynda Hopkins was reelected Tuesday to a third term representing Sonoma County’s 5th district.

Hopkins, 40, ran unopposed for the seat, which represents much of western Sonoma County, including all 55 miles of coastline, the city of Sebastopol and a mixture of smaller towns, hamlets and villages served by a patchwork of park, fire and wastewater agencies.

“I’m so excited to work with them for another four years,” Hopkins said of her constituents. “There’s so much still to do. We’ve been through so much in the first few terms. I think the challenges that we faced will allow us to really jump forward in the next four years.”

Early returns showed her earning 11,761 votes, including mail ballots returned by Monday and in-person ballots cast Tuesday.

In an interview, Hopkins spoke of her next term with optimism and laid out an ambitious course that includes goals to shore up public infrastructure and bolster financial support for 5th District communities.

“I really want to create long lasting solutions, so that when I’m done with this job I feel I’m leaving the district in the best possible state,” Hopkins said. “Having repaired the roads, having fixed the bridges, having built new bridges where they need to be, with a way, going forward, of empowering the community to have a voice.”

Last year, while running for reelection, Hopkins said she expected a third term to be her last on the five-member board.

Tuesday night, however, she was less definitive. She noted that a lot can happen in four years — like the wildfires, floods and the COVID-19 pandemic that defined her first two terms — but said “fresh leadership benefits the community.”

Her point? “Never say never.”

Hopkins, first elected in 2016, is a Stanford-educated former community journalist and organic farmer who first jumped into local politics over what she saw as opaque and inefficient local government.

Her third term begins in January.

You can reach Staff Writer Emma Murphy at 707-521-5228 or emma.murphy@pressdemocrat.com. On Twitter @MurphReports.