County Supervisor Mary Adams will not seek reelection to the Board of Supervisors.

Monterey County Supervisor Mary Adams, who has represented District 5 on the Board of Supervisors since 2016, will not seek reelection to a third term in 2024.

Adams’ decision will leave open the seat serving much of Monterey County’s coastline, from the Monterey Peninsula south through Big Sur, as well as inland areas like Carmel Valley and the Highway 68 corridor. Monterey City Councilmember Alan Haffa already signaled his intention to run for supervisor earlier this month, and Adams’ announcement will likely be followed by more contenders seeking office on the county’s highest governing body.

Adams won the seat in 2016 after defeating 20-year incumbent Dave Potter, now the mayor of Carmel, with a 56-percent majority of the vote. She ran unopposed for reelection in 2020.

“I felt that there was not enough transparency and collaboration within county government, and I feel like I’ve made a lot of progress in that,” Adams says, reflecting on her time on the Board of Supervisors. “There are a number of things in the next 18 months that I want to make sure we complete working with the community on,” she adds – noting revisions to the Big Sur Land Use Plan, the Carmel River FREE project and a new short-term rental ordinance among the work that remains.

Adams says she was aided in her decision by a recent conversation at a lunch with Leon Panetta, during which the former politician and Monterey native imparted his perspective. “I was telling him that I was trying to decide whether I should run again or stop now,” Adams recalls. “At the end of the lunch, he looked at me and said, ‘I can’t give you any advice, but I do know this: It’s best to go out on top.’

“That resonated with me, and I thought about it a lot,” Adams adds. “I think eight years is a good number to serve in something like this… From what I’ve seen, I think it’s easy for people to forget who they work for – not just in their district, but the entire county.”

Prior to holding public office, Adams had a long career in the nonprofit sector, including a 14-year tenure as CEO of United Way Monterey County. While she hasn’t yet decided on what’s next beyond traveling and spending more time with friends, Adams says she wants to continue serving the community after she leaves office in December 2024. “I still have tons of energy to devote to something; I don’t know exactly what it will be,” she says.

Adams declined to comment on Haffa’s candidacy. Haffa told the Weekly earlier this month that “on issues like water and housing, District 5 can use a different leader.”

Multiple sources say Monterey County Planning Commissioner Kate Daniels is also planning to run for the seat. Daniels managed Adams’ successful 2016 campaign and served as her chief of staff for two years before being appointed by Adams to serve on the Planning Commission. (Daniels declined to comment on her plans.)

The District 1 and District 4 seats on the Board of Supervisors – held by Luis Alejo and Wendy Root Askew, respectively – are also up for election next year, and both incumbents have announced that they will seek another term. The nonpartisan primary election will be held on March 5, 2024.