Antonio López, the vice mayor of East Palo Alto, declared his intention to run for the San Mateo County Board of Supervisors District 4 seat in the 2024 election.
In an online video released on Monday, Oct. 16, López touted his leadership skills in steering the city through recent crises and advocating for systemic improvements.
He said his campaign will focus on public safety, infrastructure development addressing climate change, economic opportunities, and housing affordability.
“I’m running to build a San Mateo County that works for everyone,” López said in a statement.
López is a first-generation American who grew up in East Palo Alto. He attended Duke University, becoming the first in his family to go to college. He later received an MFA in creative writing from Rutgers University and a master's degree from from Oxford University known an MPhil as a Marshall Scholar. In 2020, López returned to East Palo Alto to continue his education with a Ph.D. program at Stanford University and to run for city council.
According to a press release, López's campaign has raised over $50,000 and reports over $45,000 cash on hand since filing for candidacy.
The vice mayor joins East Palo Alto Mayor Lisa Gauthier, Paul Bocanegra, a victim, homeless and juvenile justice advocate, and Maggie Cornejo, a former county legislative aide, who are all vying for the District 4 seat currently occupied by Warren Slocum. Slocum is not running for reelection.
District 4 encompasses Redwood City, East Palo Alto, unincorporated North Fair Oaks and a portion of Menlo Park east of El Camino Real.
Comments
Registered user
another community
on Oct 16, 2023 at 4:51 pm
Registered user
on Oct 16, 2023 at 4:51 pm
The article highlights Antonio Lopez's candidacy for the San Mateo County Board of Supervisors in the East Palo Alto district, emphasizing his successful fundraising efforts. However, some critics argue that Lopez's contributions to East Palo Alto have been limited to clout chasing and selling poetry books. Additionally, it's noted that he identifies as a Muslim and aligns himself with socialist ideals. As the race for the supervisor seat unfolds, it will be interesting to see how these factors play into the campaign and the voters' decisions.
Registered user
Atherton: West of Alameda
on Oct 17, 2023 at 6:39 pm
Registered user
on Oct 17, 2023 at 6:39 pm
East Palo Alto is so poorly run and dysfunctional. Why would we want that leadership on a larger scale?
Registered user
another community
on Nov 8, 2023 at 1:02 pm
Registered user
on Nov 8, 2023 at 1:02 pm
Don't let the slick video fool you. Antonio is a phony flip flopper that has not done much good for the city of East Palo Alto. The city is poorly run so it's laughable that he's running on infrastructure and housing. Most notably though, Antonio opposed OPA (Opportunity to Purchase Act) all of last year, publicly (on the record) calling it symbolic and a high gamble with a modest payoffs. But, during the final vote yesterday (Nov 7 2023), shortly after submitting his San Mateo County Board of Supervisors candidacy, he voted yes. This was against MAJOR homeowner opposition (think 10:1 against this policy). I guess he needed to create a paper trail for his 'impact'. Think twice before voting for him. He is a self serving politician and would be a disaster for the county.