The open seat for District 2 supervisor draws a busy ballot.

When the candidates for county supervisor in District 2 talk about the North County issues that inspired them to run, it’s clear they are mostly talking about the same place: a rural, agricultural community with affordable housing and road maintenance issues where residents say they haven’t felt the presence of the man they elected to the seat over the last two terms.

That man, Supervisor John Phillips, confirmed expectations when he announced his retirement in December. The vacuum created by an open supervisor seat has attracted a crowded deck of six candidates jockeying to win the votes of the North County voters on Election Day, June 7. Although they overlap on many of the issues, the candidates have arrived from diverse backgrounds, from political newcomers and a city mayor, to a financial expert with a construction background and an author who farms.

Glenn Church, owner and operator of Church Christmas Tree Farms in Royal Oaks, was an early entrant into the race for supervisor. Church is a lifelong resident of North County and his father, Warren, served as supervisor between 1965 and 1977. A central theme of Church’s campaign has been groundwork, claiming by mid-March to have knocked on over 3,500 North County doors in an effort to understand the issues. He lists improving county services around road maintenance and litter, wildfire prevention and affordable housing as his main issues. Church says water in North County is a regional issue that needs a regional solution, but says a cap on growth amid a housing crisis is not that solution.

Kimbley Craig is in her first term as Salinas mayor after her election in 2020, previously serving on City Council between 2010 and 2018. She touts road repair and traffic, homelessness and economic recovery at the top of her platform. She has garnered the endorsement of Phillips and the other two Salinas Valley supervisors, District 3’s Chris Lopez and District 1’s Luis Alejo, as well the Monterey Peninsula and Salinas Valley chambers of commerce. Craig, as a member of the county’s Local Agency Formation Commission, voted against advancing the Monterey Peninsula’s voter-approved attempt to buy out water utility California American Water. In a panel with the Weekly’s editorial board, she was the only candidate who didn’t view LAFCO’s rejection as undermining democracy.

Regina Gage has lived in Prunedale for 20 years and is the executive director of Meals on Wheels of the Salinas Valley and is on the board of the Salinas Valley Memorial Healthcare System. She has listed addressing the “incredible” cost of living in Monterey County, which she says is exacerbated by the fact that the county’s two main economic drivers, agriculture and hospitality, have a history of low wages. Gage has earned the endorsement of former supervisor Jane Parker and Seaside Mayor Ian Oglesby, as well as 14 labor unions, including the Teamsters, Monterey Bay Central Labor Council and the National Union of Healthcare Workers. She wants to see restrictions on water use but in a collaborative way, as well increased fees on pumping.

Grant Leonard has spent his career in community service, including six years as a planner on the Transportation Agency of Monterey County before transitioning to become the city of Monterey’s affordable housing analyst. Leonard serves as a member or alternate on several local boards, including the North County Park District, the Salinas Valley Basin Groundwater Sustainability Agency and the Castroville Land Use Committee. Among Leonard’s top issues are road maintenance, water sustainability and housing affordability. He stops short of supporting limits on agricultural water use, but does support increased fees on pumping and opposes limits on growth while the county finds itself in a housing crisis.

Adriana Melgoza, director of the nonprofit Center for Community Advocacy, threw her hat in the ring near the filing deadline. Melgoza says she was drawn to run because the district has long been missing an active and engaged county representative. Among her top issues are focusing policy around the social determinants of health and improving transparency. A board member of the Castroville Community Services District, she wants to see more investment in communities so residents do not have to leave town for fundamental services. She supports some restriction on water use, increased fees on pumping but is not ready to commit to a cap on growth while housing remains an issue.

Stephen Snodgrass, who retired from his post as CFO of construction powerhouse Graniterock on April 1, comes with financial acumen and a resume of community service, having served on the North Monterey County Land Use Advisory Board, the county’s workforce development board and as an alternate on LAFCO. Snodgrass, who entered the race with the endorsement of former District 2 supervisor Lou Calcagno, has put a priority on being visible and accessible to constituents, budget responsibility and a balance between affordable housing needs and the agricultural identity of North County. Snodgrass is hesitant to implement more fees on growers for pumping water, but he told the Weekly’s editorial board he would support limits on pumping and growth in water use.