Alameda County District 2 supervisor scouting reports

Pro, cons, and outlook for each of the seven applicants

COUNTY NEWS

D2 APPOINTMENT

—MARCH MADNESS—The Alameda County Board of Supervisors—the four that remain—are expected on Tuesday afternoon to whittled down the list of seven applicants for the late Supervisor Richard Valle’s District 2 seat. A select few will be interviewed for the position next week.

—The applicant ultimately selected next week will have to sufficiently answer a number of questions, or, at least, diminish each supervisor’s doubts:

—How does the Board of Supervisors handle SEIU Local 1021’s major push to get one of their own appointed to the five-person board?

—What type of influence does the landlords lobby and tenants rights advocates have in the selection amid an ongoing battle over renters’ protections in unincorporated Alameda County?

—How important will the interviews be? Do the frontrunners truly understand what a county supervisor actually does? In the recent past, the answers given by prospective supervisorial candidates has typically been substandard.

—This is a big one: Can the appointed supervisor win in the 2024 election and serve out the remaining two years of Valle’s term? Can they win re-election in 2026?

—Much of this revolves around the candidacy of Ariana Casanova, the SEIU Local 1021 employee. If she is appointed, will anyone run against her in March 2024, knowing the union has overwhelming resources to pour into her campaign?

—If Casanova is not appointed, well, see the item above. Can the appointee withstand labor’s all-around support, presumably for Casanova, in March 2024, and beyond?

MORE INSIDE:

• D2 APPOINTMENT: The frontrunners, those outside looking in, and the longshots

• Pros, cons, and outlook for each of the seven applicants.