GOVERNMENT
“ I found people wanted to share their ideas and their grievances with me ( 6 feet away ), and I heard them loud and clear , which is why I intend to keep my promise of transparency and increased community participation .”
MARTHA GUERRERO West Sacramento mayor
win to her connection with the community , which she says “ was something that resonated when I reached out to people .” As Cabaldon ’ s clout grew , Guerrero says he was distracted with projects like The Bridge District , bike and scooter-share programs and the Downtown Riverfront Streetcar project . “ He stopped listening to the concerns of residents who just wanted local government to cover the basics and help make their lives easier . Just staying in touch with the people , listening to their concerns and reflecting on what we can do to accommodate the issues goes a long way .”
Guerrero also heard from other women and fellow social workers who are interested in public office . “ I really am humbled by how they feel inspired by me running ,” she says . “ I tell them my social work values brought me here .”
The Elk Grove mayoral race was another high-profile contest that pitted two-term incumbent Mayor Steve Ly , the first Hmong mayor in the U . S ., against Elk Grove Unified School District school board trustee Bobbie Singh-Allen . After a wave of harassment allegations surfaced against Ly , Singh-Allen decided to run for the seat . “ I am seen in my community as a unifier ,” she says . “ I work with both sides of the aisle and am known as someone who really believes in collaborating with all stakeholders , and that is something I feel has been missing with the mayor ’ s office .”
To get her message out to voters during the pandemic , Singh-Allen would hop into her red Jeep emblazoned with her campaign logo , drive to her designated canvassing spot and then on foot greet constituents at a distance . As a reminder of her immigrant roots ( Singh-Allen immigrated with her family to Elk Grove from India when she was 4 years old ), she wore her grandfather ’ s watch on the campaign trail . “ It ’ s my favorite keepsake because he wore it every day as he worked hard to make a new life with his family in America ,” she says .
Singh-Allen won the mayoral election handily , defeating Ly by 10 percent in a three-way race , fewer than 100 days after launching her candidacy . She is the first Sikh woman to be directly elected as mayor in the U . S . “ The fact that it has taken this long to have a directly elected Sikh woman mayor saddens me , but is very humbling at the same time ,” she says . “ I certainly hope I ’ m not the last .”
After the devastating effects of the coronavirus pandemic , each of the elected women say their biggest legislative priority is addressing economic recovery . Fiscal transparency , equity and racial injustice , public safety and homelessness are also at the top of the list , as is finding a way to get things done , using pragmatic , common sense solutions . For that , Valenzuela is taking a page from her activist father ’ s playbook .
“ I am seen in my community as a unifier . I work with both sides of the aisle and am known as someone who really believes in collaborating with all stakeholders , and that is something I feel has been missing with the mayor ’ s office .”
BOBBIE SINGH-ALLEN Elk Grove mayor
66 comstocksmag . com | March 2021