On Tuesday's Sonoma County Ballot: Windsor Councilmember & Former Agriculture Official Vying For Supe Seat

A five-term Windsor Town Council member and a former official in the U.S. Department of Agriculture under President Barack Obama are running for Sonoma County’s 4th District Board of Supervisor seat in next week’s election.

Deb Fudge, 58, or James Gore, 36, will take the seat of Supervisor Mike McGuire, who is running for state senator. Fudge, who has the support of labor unions and environmentalists, said she has helped the town of Windsor transform “from an exit on the highway to a town with heart” during her years on the Town Council.

“Rather than pit agriculture vs. the environment or business interests vs. labor, we must work together to tackle problems,” Fudge said in her ballot statement.

This is Fudge’s third try for the 4th District seat. She has a master’s degree in environmental planning, spent 18 years as an environmental manager and owns her own business, Wine Country Preserves.

Fudge is advocating for safe, reliable water for agriculture, businesses and residences and water conservation and reuse, the completion of the SMART commuter train in Marin and Sonoma counties, a proposed 0.25 percent tax for road repairs that will go before voters in March, a $15 per hour living wage for employees of companies that contract with the county and county employees, urban growth boundaries and shelters for women who are victims of domestic violence.

Fudge wants 10 percent of the road tax to go toward mass transit.

Fudge cites support from local nurses and the Sierra Club, state Assemblyman Jared Huffman, outgoing state Sen. Noreen Evans, Sonoma County District Attorney Jill Ravitch and Sonoma County Sheriff Steve Freitas, Supervisors Shirlee Zane and Susan Gorin, the Sonoma County Law Enforcement Association and former Congresswoman Lynn Woolsey.

Gore, a Sonoma County native, is a former assistant chief of the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Natural Resources Conservation Service, says he has led conservation efforts locally and nationally.

He currently owns and operates a small business as a consultant for agriculture and national resource management and economic prosperity in rural areas.

“As a former Peace Corps volunteer, fluent Spanish speaker, and small business owner, I’m committed to representing Sonoma County’s diverse interests,” Gore said in his ballot statement.

His five-point plan proposes job creation, protecting water resources, reforming pensions and fixing roads, maintaining public safety and strengthening schools. Gore said he has refused to sign pledges that would commit him to vote on an issue without knowing the facts that should dictate a decision.

He also advocates for more transparency and accountability in law enforcement. Gore’s supporters include the Sonoma County Farm Bureau, the Sonoma County Alliance, Windsor Town Councilmembers Bruce Okrepkie, Steve Allen and Robin Goble, four Healdsburg City Council and Cloverdale City Council members, the North Bay Association of Realtors, North Coast Builders Exchange, Santa Rosa Firefighters Association and Supervisor David Rabbitt. Both candidates placed in the top two in the June primary election.

If Fudge wins, there will be three women on the five-member Board of Supervisors for the first time.

--Bay City News