The Real Deal

Because I am sure that this is bound to come up in some of the comments that are offered in response to this blog post if I fail to preemptively address this matter right here and now, before I go on, I am going to begin by saying this: For me, Mark Luce isn't even on the radar screen as a possible choice in the District 2 Supervisor's race.  He -- a longtime Republican who recently jumped ship and is now registered as a "Decline to State" voter -- and I just disagree on too many issues for me to even consider throwing my support behind him. That then narrows the field for me to the two other candidates in this race.

In general, I have made it my policy in the past to stay out of the public fray on a personal level when two Democrats are competing for the same seat.  And I will likely continue to mostly pursue such a policy going forward.  But over the course of the last several months and in some cases, back much further still, I have had an opportunity to work with both of the Democrats running in this race and, in the process, have come to see some rather stark contrasts between the two that may not be as obvious to the casual observer (who has very little opportunity to really see the differences between these candidates with little more to go on than their often -- though in some critical cases, at least for me, not always -- very similar voting records as Napa City Councilmembers).

As a long time local activist, I have had many opportunities to work with Juliana Inman on matters that I believe serve not just the interests of the community overall, but also some of the least advantaged among us in particular.  Furthermore, she has been an active participant in the efforts that I have been involved with to better address the needs of the local Latino community, which -- even though it constitutes almost a third of all our friends and neighbors here -- is so often under-represented and under-served. I have found her to be as accessible and responsive to, as well as truly engaged with, the members of this community who are often largely marginalized and ignored by elected officials --  as well as the "average citizen" -- as she is with those who are the "movers and shakers" that live amongst us. And in addition to being a local champion of First Amendment rights, I have also found her to be highly knowledgeable, very compassionate, and remarkably competent every time that I have had the pleasure of working with her.

For these reasons, among many others, I urge all of you readers who vote in this district to cast your ballot for Juliana Inman in the June election for Napa County District Two Supervisor. She truly is The Real Deal.