In one way, Mary Adams is a total newcomer to politics: She’s never run for elected office before. In another, she’s an old-timer: She ran Congressman Sam Farr’s first campaign for Monterey County supervisor in 1975. (He won.)
Now Adams is stepping up to the plate herself and challenging five-term incumbent Dave Potter, who since 1996 has represented District 5, comprising much of the Monterey Peninsula, Carmel Valley and Big Sur.
The two will face off in the June 2016 primary; if additional candidates run, they may go to a runoff in November.
“I just feel called to this,” Adams says. “Our county is not where it needs to be. Twenty years is a long time; I think there is a natural ebb and flow of the effectiveness people can have. It’s time for change.”
Adams announced her candidacy Sept. 30, backed by about 30 supporters including advocates of open space and public water. Much of her platform sounds similar to Marc Del Piero’s unsuccessful 2012 campaign against Potter. She wants to see improved government transparency and better vision.
Adams spent about 18 months laying the groundwork of a campaign, meeting with residents and attending community meetings. “People really have a sense of frustration about the way decisions are being made,” she says. Those decisions include water and traffic policy and land use, she says.
Potter, long viewed as an environmentally friendly supervisor, has come under fire in recent years on land use issues. (Though he recently voted against Ferrini Ranch, approved 3-2 for District 5, and in favor of a moratorium on fracking.)
“Change for change’s sake doesn’t make a whole lot of sense,” Potter says. “We get things done very effectively and efficiently.”
Adams says she has the experience to do that too. Before joining United Way in 2001, she worked as a lobbyist in Sacramento for the American Heart Association and American Cancer Society. “I built coalitions among counties and volunteer organizations up and down the state,” she says. “I saw how government works.”
(1) comment
The last thing we need is Mary Adams for District 5 Supervisor. The only thing she is interested in is money and the appearance of being a philanthropist. The decisions she made as CEO of United Way Monterey County has left the organization in ruins. It was merely a catalyst for promoting herself and progressing her closest circles. Under her watch the organization experienced losses year after year in a growing economy. She got all her friends seats on the United Way Board of Supervisors, and managed to increase her salary year after year while the organization consistently bled. Money was constantly pulled from their reserve account to boost numbers so the losses could look better. Her employee turnover rate was over 50% because nobody wanted to work for her. She is a master at propaganda, because her closest pal Joe Heston at KSBW News will never cease to praise her with free publicity. Let the facts speak for themselves, I encourage everyone to dive into her administration as CEO of United Way and see for yourself. I can't say Potter is the answer but I know that another entitled self loathing person is the last thing we need in politics. Mary Adams is not the answer to our problems, and if elected, decisions will be made based on the stance of her inner circle and not what is best for the community.
Noah H. Graham
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