Editorials

Election 2020: See SLO Tribune Editorial Board’s endorsements for all local races

By The Tribune Editorial Board

Updated October 26, 2020 3:09 PM

The presidential race is the biggest question mark, but closer to home, San Luis Obispo County voters face several other key decisions on the Nov. 3 ballot.

Stick with incumbent Congressman Salud Carbajal, or go with newcomer Andy Caldwell, the Republican trying to flip the seat that’s been held by Democrats for years?

Reelect Jordan Cunningham for Assembly, or send Morro Bay Councilwoman Dawn Addis to Sacramento?

And what about the tax measures just about every local city has on the ballot?

The Tribune Editorial Board has spent the past several weeks studying the issues, interviewing candidates and examining their records.

Here’s a recap of our endorsements in local races.

For The Tribune’s endorsements on California’s 12 ballot measures, click here.

And find candidate Q&As and more info in our 2020 Voter Guide.

24th Congressional District

Salud Carbajal

Carbajal’s positions reflect the values and beliefs of the majority of his constituents in the 24th District, which includes all of Santa Barbara and San Luis Obispo counties and a sliver of Ventura County.

He’s opposed to new offshore oil drilling; he believes in cutting carbon emissions; he advocates for affordable heath care; he’s a strong protector of immigrant rights (he sponsored a bill to block funding of a “denaturalization office”); and he describes himself as “100% pro-choice.”

Plus, he’s a reliable lawmaker who advocates for his constituents.

State Senate District 17

John Laird

Laird has impressive credentials; he’s been mayor of Santa Cruz, served in the state Assembly for three terms, and was Natural Resources secretary for eight years under Gov. Jerry Brown.

Another plus: If he’s elected, he’s committed to spending more time in the district. Good to hear, since his predecessor, Sen. Bill Monning, was seldom seen in SLO County. John Laird is a smart, effective and experienced lawmaker who will give SLO County the attention it deserves.

State Assembly District 35

Jordan Cunningham

Jordan Cunningham has been an effective lawmaker over the past two terms — one who listens to his constituents and goes to bat for them. He’s been able to balance the needs of his district and all of California in ways that achieve solutions to pressing problems, including the logjam in receiving unemployment benefits during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Atascadero

Mayor: Heather Moreno

Council: Charles Bourbeau and Tori Keen

Moreno, the incumbent mayor, has a background in finance — she’s a CPA, which is an asset to the city. She puts the welfare of residents first; she alerted them early on when a COVID-19 case was reported in Atascadero, even before the county began releasing city-by-city numbers.

Bourbeau, who is seeking his second term on the council, is a true moderate and an independent thinker; Keen, a city planning commissioner, is a grassroots candidate who’s coached youth soccer, is a huge supporter of local businesses and keeps tabs on the little things, such as which streets are in bad shape.

Ballot Measure D-20: Yes

The one-cent sales tax would generate an estimated $4.5 million per year for police and fire protection, parks, infrastructure, graffiti removal and other uses.

Grover Beach

Mayor: Jeff Lee

City Council: Karen Bright, Anna Miller, Robert Robert

The two incumbents, Jeff Lee and Karen Bright, have helped transform Grover Beach from a bedroom community with potholed streets and a lackluster commercial zone into an up-and-coming beach town.

Miller is director of property management for Peoples’ Self-Help Housing and serves on the board of the 5 Cities Homeless Coalition. She’s committed to working on affordable housing in Grover, which is something the city desperately needs.

Robert Robert is the top candidate for the two-year term created by a resignation; he’s strong on urban forestry and homeless services.

Measure F-20: Yes

Grover Beach is in the middle of a multi-year project to rebuild and repair the city’s deteriorated streets. A one-cent sales tax would generate $1.8 million annually to be used to maintain the newly refurbished streets, make the city more pedestrian friendly and expand emergency services, among other uses.

Morro Bay

Mayor: John Headding

Council: Robert “Red” Davis and Laurel Barton

All three are committed to moving forward with the wastewater treatment; their opponents are not, which puts the project in jeopardy.

Hedding, the current mayor, is seeking a second term, as is Davis. Barton served on the City Council and school board in Visalia before moving to Morro Bay.

Measure E-20: Yes

Morro Bay, which relies heavily on tourism revenue, has been hard hit by the pandemic. It’s already reduced staff, cut pay and is using reserves, but once those are gone it will have to start cutting police and fire service. The one-cent sales tax would prevent that by raising an estimated $2 million per year.

Paso Robles

Council: Jacob Allred

Only one council seat is up for election; Steve Gregory is running unopposed and Mayor Steve Martin is two years into a four-year term.

Allred is running against incumbent Fred Strong, who is seeking his fifth term. Either would be a good choice, but we picked Allred because he would be strong voice for younger people. As the father of two young boys with special needs, he’s especially attuned to the challenges facing working families.

Measure J-20: Yes

A one-cent sales tax increase would generate $10 million per year for public safety, street repair and other uses.

Pismo Beach

Mayor: Ed Waage

City Council: Marcia Guthrie, Erik Howell

We recommend all three incumbents for reelection, based both on their experience and, more importantly, what they’ve helped achieve in Pismo.

Measure B-20: Yes

Pismo Beach is asking voters to approve a 1% bed tax increase that would generate approximately $1 million per year, helping the city deal with tourism-related issues, such as increased calls for police and fire; wear and tear on streets; and upkeep of the pier, beaches and other high-use city facilities.

San Luis Obispo

Mayor: Heidi Harmon

City Council: Jan Marx and Andy Pease

SLO needs to recover financially from the COVID-19 shutdown; hire a new police chief; address the inequities raised by BLM protesters; work on providing more affordable housing; continue to try to meet clean energy goals; and deal with the impending closure of the Diablo Canyon nuclear power plant. Mayor Harmon, the only candidate who’s held an elected office, is in the best position to lead the city in these unprecedented times.

Council incumbent Andy Pease and former Mayor Jan Marx also have the experience the city needs right now. Both candidates have a strong commitment to increasing the supply of affordable housing, and Marx is proposing a citizens oversight committee to review police policies and procedures.

Measure G-20: Yes

The ballot measure does two things — it extends a half-cent sales tax increase due to expire in 2023, and asks for an additional 1 cent to generate an estimated $21 million per year. Measure G-20 revenue would allow the city to continue to provide and even enhance current services, as well as help local businesses survive.

BEHIND THE STORY

Why do we endorse?

Making endorsements during election season is an important role for newspaper editorial boards, including The Tribune Editorial Board. Elections are key to determining the future of our Central Coast region, and through endorsements, we share our opinion of the qualifications of the candidates and recommend those who would best serve our communities.

Due to the large number of races on the 2024 General Election ballot, we are unable to issue endorsements in every race. We chose to focus on the most competitive contests.

For more about our process, click the arrow on the top right.

Who endorses?

Endorsement decisions are made by Editor Joe Tarica and Opinion Editor Stephanie Finucane.

How do we decide?

Candidates are invited to participate in an interview with The Editorial Board where they are asked a series questions about major issues. It’s our opportunity to learn the candidates’ positions and to gauge how well informed they are about issues they are likely to confront if elected.

We also research voting records of candidates who have held public office; we watch candidate forums; we look at back stories from The Tribune, as well as other publications that have covered the candidates; and we examine public documents. We also take a look at the candidates’ advertising and campaign statements. Are they overpromising, for example, or misrepresenting their opponent’s record?

In the case of ballot measures, we study the background of the issue, the pro and con arguments and consider who is supporting and opposing the measure.

Tell us what you think

If you disagree (or agree) with our endorsements, share your thoughts with us by writing a letter to the editor (200-word maximum). Email your submissions to letters@thetribunenews.com. Due to the volume of submissions we receive during campaign season, we do not publish Viewpoint-length pieces (600-800 words) in support or opposition to candidates.

This story was originally published October 14, 2020 at 11:32 AM.