San Mateo County Races

Results are a combination of data provided by the Associated Press (AP) and county election offices. The AP calls winners by analyzing vote tallies and other election data. Check marks are used to denote a winner only when the AP calls a race.

Race to Watch

Board of Supervisors, District 4

Top candidate wins seat.

Lisa Gauthier56.7%
26,287 votes
Antonio Lopez43.2%
20,033 votes
Updated at 7:35 PM PT on Nov 20, 2024
San Mateo County

Why does this race matter?

Whoever wins the District 4 race will have the opportunity to shape policy across San Mateo County, from policing to jobs to flooding. The county is dealing with significant development, the growing impacts of climate change and the need for more attention on public safety issues.

What does a county supervisor do?

Supervisors govern county programs and departments and approve the county budget. Their largest area of spending is traditionally health care and human services. Supervisors are also responsible for local jails and elections, and they make decisions on law enforcement and housing in unincorporated areas of the county. If a supervisor candidate receives over 50% of the vote in the primary, they take office for a four-year term. Otherwise, the top two candidates face off in the November general election.

Candidates

Lisa Gauthier
Lisa GauthierCity Council Member, East Palo Alto
Antonio López
Antonio LópezMayor, East Palo Alto

Key Supporters

This list represents notable organizations and individuals who have taken a position on the ballot measure or candidate, or who are funding campaigns in support or opposition. This list is not exhaustive, and may be updated.

For Gauthier

  • Josh Becker, state senator
  • Martha Barragan, City Council member, East Palo Alto
  • Ray Mueller, supervisor, San Mateo County
  • Diane Papan, state Assembly member
  • Warren Slocum, supervisor, San Mateo County

For López

  • David Canepa, supervisor, San Mateo County
  • Noelia Corzo, supervisor, San Mateo County
  • Ro Khanna, U.S. representative
  • Aisha Wahab, California state senator
  • Housing Action Coalition
 

Positions on Key Issues
Candidate summaries are based on interviews with the candidates, questionnaires, statements made at debates and public events, and past news coverage.

San Mateo County is the most at-risk California county to sea level rise, with your district at the heart of flooding issues. If elected, how will you push to prepare for the looming crisis?

Gauthier says as a longtime District 4 resident, she has witnessed the effects of flooding. She is a founding member of the county’s flood and sea level rise resiliency district and has spearheaded climate projects, including one on raising levees. “It is important for me to be a part of that solution,” she says. Gauthier also served on the San Francisquito Creek Joint Powers Authority, which aims to protect East Palo Alto from flooding.
López says with more than $150 million in needed infrastructure improvements in communities like East Palo Alto, “It is critical that the county be a front-line defense, not only in terms of the purse strings but also on the political connections necessary to be able to once again get these projects done.” López also worked to get housing and payments to tenants whose homes flooded during the 2023 storms.

San Mateo County is the home to tech giants like Meta. The company is near lower-income communities like East Palo Alto and North Fair Oaks. As a leader who will work in both parts of the economy, what is your plan for economic development and creating job opportunities?

Gauthier says creating equal career opportunities for all starts with education and partnerships with regional companies and colleges to develop internships, trade unions and job placement opportunities. “We must ensure that the economic benefits of businesses locating here are enjoyed by the broadest number of people possible,” she says.
López says as a mega-regional and hyper-local issue, it is vital to balance the needs of residents with those of tech companies. “At the end of the day, their biggest asset and weakness is their location; the proximity to Silicon Valley puts an enormous economic burden on the most low-income residents. As supervisors, we have to be able to leverage the appetite for development,” he says.

Affordable housing is an issue across the Bay Area, but specifically on the Peninsula, it’s growing with development pressures. How will you endeavor to create housing opportunities for all? What work have you done on this issue in the past?

Gauthier says that during her time on the city council and as a former mayor, she supported policies for new accessory dwelling units, adopted an inclusive housing ordinance, and worked on the city’s housing element update. She says public and nonprofit partnerships are needed to create affordable housing, and as a council member, she helped establish a new apartment complex in her town with 185 affordable homes. “I will seek such opportunities,” she says.
López says housing is one of the top issues in San Mateo County and that housing units for all incomes are needed to address the crisis. “That way, a tech worker isn’t going to displace a low-income undocumented worker.” López touts his experience working with affordable housing developers and says that during his time on the East Palo Alto City Council, around 200 affordable housing units have been built.

What is your plan to make sure public safety applies to residents of all means in your district?

Gauthier says public safety is every citizen's fundamental right and responsibility. For her, successful public safety includes prevention, intervention and accountability. She applauds the San Mateo County pilot program for de-escalating 911 responses while providing “appropriate, compassionate care for non-violent individuals.” She believes investing in data tracking, community policy and transparent communication is vital to supporting a public safety approach that improves interactions with residents and law enforcement.
López says in 1992, East Palo Alto was labeled the murder capital of the world, but last year, the city recorded zero homicides. López would like to expand that trend to the rest of the county. He says this was partly due to council decisions to increase the salaries of police officers because the department was underfunded. He would like other steps, like rehabilitation for at-risk youth, to be better funded across the district.

San Mateo County is the wealthiest county in California, while yet a third of the population of your county lives below the self-sufficiency standard. What are your plans and experiences in addressing poverty?

Gauthier believes addressing poverty comes down to housing. “Homeownership is where families can create generational wealth.” She says job training and transportation to work need further development in the county. She applauds the county’s minimum wage ordinance but says the county can better provide access to high-paying jobs “that will sustain them in this region as prices continue to go up.”
López says addressing poverty starts with education. That’s why he plans to work with community colleges to create pathways for a free education. “I don't just want to see us as a janitor or as people cleaning up the trash,” he says. “I want to see us inside the cubicles and executive positions.”

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