Noreen Evans, Lynda Hopkins split endorsements from former rivals for Sonoma County supervisor

The three candidates who did not advance in last month’s primary election to decide who succeeds Efren Carrillo on the Sonoma County Board of Supervisors have chosen sides in advance of the November runoff, with two former rivals endorsing former state Sen. Noreen Evans and the other backing organic farmer Lynda Hopkins.

Tim Sergent, a special education teacher who placed third in the primary, and Marion Chase, a county social services worker who placed fifth, announced this week their endorsement of Evans.

Both said Evans approached them after the June 7 election to ask for their support. Sergent and Chase both plan to campaign for Evans in some way, they said.

“I plan to do everything I can to get Noreen elected,” Sergent said. “I really like that she has a strong record of working to protect the environment, and she has a well thought-out plan to fund things like roads.

“I’ve come to believe, through spending lots of time with her on the campaign trail, that she really does have an in-depth knowledge of how things work and how to get things done. I think she’s the best person to represent the 5th District.”

Following an announcement of the endorsements for Evans, Tom Lynch, a county planning commissioner and general contractor who placed fourth in the primary, said in an interview that he plans to support Hopkins.

“We need someone new,” Lynch said. “I think Lynda Hopkins has vision, energy and intelligence and she’ll represent the 5th District very very well.”

The 5th District - the county’s largest - stretches from west Santa Rosa to Bodega Bay and north to the Mendocino County border. It includes Roseland, Sebastopol and the lower Russian River, from Graton and Forestville, to Guerneville and Monte Rio.

Evans said she was “delighted” to receive endorsements from Sergent and Chase.

“I admire both of them, and having earned their trust and support means a lot to me,” Evans said. “We share concerns about affordable housing, and homelessness and roads, and they heard firsthand how I would address those issues.”

Hopkins also welcomed Lynch’s endorsement, saying the two share “outside-the-box” policy solutions on issues such as homelessness.

“We share that passion,” Hopkins said.

She has floated the idea of erecting tent villages on vacant land as temporary shelter for homeless people.

Among the current board members, Supervisors Shirlee Zane and Susan Gorin have endorsed Evans, while Supervisors James Gore and Efren Carrillo have endorsed Hopkins. Supervisor David Rabbitt has not made an endorsement in the race, the only contest for county office this November.

You can reach Staff Writer Angela Hart at 526-8503 or angela.hart@pressdemocrat.com. On Twitter ?@ahartreports.