Watch: The Tribune’s online forum with supervisor candidates Jimmy Paulding and Adam Verdin

The Tribune Editorial Board is sponsoring a virtual forum with the two candidates running for District 4 supervisor — incumbent Jimmy Paulding and challenger Adam Verdin.

This will be the first opportunity to view the candidates side by side, speaking about issues that matter most to San Luis Obispo County residents.

We invite you to submit questions in advance and to tune in to watch the meeting live at 5 p.m. on Thursday, Jan. 15.

Here’s why we’re starting our District 4 election coverage early: This will be one of the most important and closely watched races in SLO County.

Democrats are anxious to hold on to their 3-2 majority on the board, while Republicans are equally committed to regaining the upper hand. Since District 4 is a swing district, this is the GOP’s best shot at winning.

The race is already shaping up to be another well-financed, partisan battle, not unlike the last two elections that pitted former Supervisor Lynn Compton, a conservative Republican, against Paulding, a Democrat.

Paulding lost to Compton in 2018, went on to win a seat on the Arroyo Grande City Council, then returned to defeat Compton for the supervisor’s seat in 2022.

Now he’s facing a new Republican challenger in Verdin — a newcomer to politics but well-known in the community. He co-owns Juan’s Cantina, a popular Mexican restaurant in Oceano, is a private pilot and is actively involved in many civic organizations. He is married to Mary Verdin, who owns Verdin Marketing.

Verdin has a slight voter advantage; Republicans outnumber Democrats by close to 1,200 in District 4, though nearly 7,000 voters have no party preference and could go either way.

Paulding is a savvy campaigner who has built a strong base of support and has the power of the incumbency behind him.

We urge you to take advantage of this first opportunity to hear from the candidates in their own words — before being inundated with glossy campaign brochures and carefully crafted soundbites on TV and radio.

Please join us on Thursday, Jan. 15, at 5 p.m. To RSVP and receive reminders about the event, click here.

This story was originally published January 6, 2026 at 5:00 AM with the headline "Watch: The Tribune’s online forum with supervisor candidates Jimmy Paulding and Adam Verdin."