Politics & Government
Election Day: Candidates for San Rafael City Council
Do you know your candidates for San Rafael City Council? Here they are.
With the election of a new City Council for San Rafael coming up on Tuesday, San Rafael Patch is presenting overviews about each candidate and their stands on key matters. Material is derived from the League of Women Voters’ smartvoter.org. and the candidates’ own websites.
They are running for two, four-year term open spaces on the City Council. so voters can vote for two. Candidates are presented alphabetically.
Damon Connolly is an attorney working in private practice. A Bay Area native, he attended college and law school at UC Berkeley. Damon has lived in North San Rafael for the past fifteen years with his wife, Dawn, and their two daughters, Brette and Darin.
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Damon Connolly was elected to the San Rafael City Council in 2007, and is running for re-election.
Other experience includes:
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- Vice-Mayor, 2010
- Former Deputy Attorney General, State of California
- Chair, Marin Energy Authority
- Former School Board Member and President, Dixie School District
- Board Member, Marin YMCA
His list of key priorities: Fight to create good jobs and protect vital services; Reduce San Rafael's contribution to global warming; Stand up for neighborhoods and create more transportation choices.
Connolly’s endorsements include the San Rafael Firefighters and San Rafael Police Association; Congresswoman Lynn Woolsey; State Senator Mark Leno, and Assemblymember Jared Huffman.
His website is damonconnolly2011.com.
Whitney S. Hoyt is assistant principal at San Rafael High School, having lived and worked in San Rafael for 20 years in education. She was born in Buffalo, NY, and got her degree at San Francisco State.
Other experience listed on her website includes:
- School Board Trustee for the Sausalito Marin City School District (2004-2009)
- Board member, Community Action Marin
- Board member, 10,000 Degrees (formerly Marin Education Fund)
- Member, Board of Education for Sausalito Marin City
- Member Marin County Women’s Commission and Childcare Commission.
Hoyt did not fill out the League of Women Voters information, but an reports her vision for San Rafael includes maintaining the level of public services for the community as well as recruiting more businesses to the downtown area.
Hoyt lists among her endorsements State Senator Mark Leno; Retired State Senator Carol Migden; Carole Hayashino, Trustee, and Dr. Fran White, Former President, College of Marin.
Her website is whitneyhoyt.org
Andrew McCullough is a local business leader, former municipal lawyer and longtime San Rafael resident. Andrew and his wife, Theresa, have three daughters (Lucy, Nina and Bevin), all of whom attended Glenwood Elementary School and Davidson Middle School. Nina and Bevin are now at Marin Academy. Their oldest daughter, Lucy, is starting college this fall.
Other experience:
- BA, Yale Univ; JD, UC Hastings
- General Counsel, Syufy Enterprises, San Rafael (1996-pres)
- Supervising Deputy City Attorney, San Francisco (1992-96)
- Chair, San Rafael Chamber of Commerce (2004)
- Vice Chair, Marin Economic Commission (2008)
- Appointed Member, Dominican Univ. Business Adv. Bd.
Among the priorities McCullough lists are: Addressing San Rafael's current and long-term fiscal problems by reining in expenses and re-prioritizing municipal services; Revitalizing San Rafael's downtown corridor and assist local businesses: Ensuring that public safety and other services are maintained for residents and neighborhoods
McCullough is endorsed by Mayor Al Boro, former Mayor Larry Mulryan, Councilmember Barbara Heller; the San Rafael Police Association and San Rafael Firefighters; Sheriff Doyle, District Attorney Berberian, and Public Defender Varela.
His website is www.mcculloughforcitycouncil.com.
Samantha Sargent moved back to San Rafael in 2006, although she first lived here when she was a student at SSU in 1993, where she received a B.A. in Economics. She has done technical sales for the environmental testing and software industries, eventually moving into project management. At present she is a licensed general contractor, helping home owners restore and customize their homes to suit their family’s needs.
- General Contractor and Owner, B Street Builders
- Board of Directors, Gerstle Park Neighborhood Association
- Member, Federation of Neighborhoods
- Committee Member, Marin Builders Assoc. Home and Garden Show 2012
She lists her priorities as Revitalizing downtown San Rafael through supporting existing businesses and recruiting new ones; Protecting parks, open spaces and reducing green house gases; and Supporting neighborhoods, and public safety workers and reverse the cuts in services.
Sargent is endorsed by The Sierra Club of Marin County, Dave Zappetini, Former San Rafael City Council Member, and Bob Beyea, President of the Gerstle Park Neighborhood Association, among others.
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