On November 8th, San Mateo County residents will be voting for one of two candidates to be the next County Supervisor for District 3: Ray Mueller and Laura Parmer-Lohan. District 3, currently represented by Supervisor Don Horsley, encompasses the majority of Atherton, Menlo Park, San Carlos, and Half Moon Bay, including M-A.
The Board of Supervisors oversees the operations in the county by acting as its main legislative body, managing all financial matters related to the county’s $3.3 billion budget while taking advice and recommendation from various boards and commissions within the county.
Ray Mueller, the former Mayor of Menlo Park, believes that “The pandemic combined with the current economy has led to a lot of families hurting”, and is running because he wants to help those affected by these major issues in the status quo. He added, “It’s just an incredibly impactful job, you only need three votes to make an impact on a $3.3 billion budget.”
Laura Parmer-Lohan, a council member from San Carlos is “a lifelong Democrat, working mom and small business owner, wanting to ensure an equitable, safe and sustainable future for us all.” She believes the “specter of an all-male Board of Supervisors in 2023 sends the wrong message about what our county stands for.” She added that she “ran for city council because her young sons asked me to stand up and show up for the environment.”
As part of her time on the city council, Parmer-Lohan made sure that “San Carlos adopted a very comprehensive climate mitigation adaptation plan to ensure our sustainability into the future.”
While Parmer-Lohan is endorsed by the incumbent Don Horsely, Mueller opposes Horsley’s attempts to raise taxes in the county, stating that “You can’t raise taxes right now on families at a time when inflation is out of control, when gas prices are incredibly high and when interest rates are rising.”
Mueller is keen on having strong relationships with coastal communities, planning to “Put an office on the coast to be close to farmworkers and vulnerable populations there.” Mueller added that “We’re hearing loudly from those who interact with the county is they want a supervisor who’s going to be more hands-on and they want more support from the county and they want better-defined rules.”
Both candidates oppose Menlo Park’s controversial ballot initiative Measure V. If it passes Nov. 8, the ballot initiative strips the Menlo Park City Council of its ability to rezone any single-family property, forcing any development proposals requiring such zoning changes to win voter approval in a regular election. The measure directly affects plans to build housing at the former James Flood Magnet School site in Menlo Park.
Mueller is endorsed by 11 state elected officials, including Governor Gavin Newsom and Lt. Governor Eleni Kounalakis, 13 county elected officials, including Rep. Anna Eshoo and current Supervisors Dave Pine and Warren Slocum. Mueller is also endorsed by a number of other elected officials, including fellow council member Drew Combs and a number of coastside council members.
Other than Horsely, Parmer-Lohan is also endorsed by many elected officials and residents, including State Board of Equalization Chair Malia Cohen, State Superintendent of Public Instruction Tony Thurmond, and former State Assembly members and former San Mateo County Supervisors Rich Gordon and Ted Lempert.
Both Parmer-Lohan and Mueller encourage all residents of District 3 who have the ability to vote to exercise that right, regardless of who they vote for. With Parmer-Lohan saying that “It’s imperative upon all of us who have the right to vote to exercise that voice.” Mueller also stated that “The earlier you start voting, the more you’ll continue to do it and the priorities of your generation, your voice is incredible, this is the world you’re going to inherit.”
