Race to replace Quirk begins
State Superintendent Thurmond hired his buddy who doesn't even live in California
On the morning that I intended to start the East Bay Insiders newsletter a lucky scoop came my way. East Bay Assemblymember Bill Quirk was rumored to be on the verge of announcing he would not seek re-election after nearly a decade in Sacramento. The rumor had circulated often in recent years, but the timing perked me ears. Regardless of the near-final assembly district map that might prove problematic for Quirk, December 2021 was viewed as the last possible time for him to bow out and allow a suitable successor the time to fundraise and campaign in advance of the June 2022 primary.
I felt secure that my source was correct about Quirk’s imminent announcement, but the assemblymember did not immediately respond to my inquiry about his future. That’s why Thursday’s newsletter was framed with a dash of uncertainty. Five minutes after I posted the inaugural East Bay Insiders newsletter, Quirk announced his decision on social media that he would not seek re-election. The move was not entirely surprising, but its timing appears to have caught many potential candidates off-guard.
Nevertheless, a field of potential candidates is already building. Two elected officials from Dublin have expressed interested in replacing Quirk in the new 20th Assembly District. Dublin Mayor Melissa Hernandez and Dublin Councilember Shawn Kumagai tell East Bay Insiders they are thinking about running. So is former San Leandro Councilmember Ed Hernandez. All three hail from places that will be new to a majority of the voters in the current 20th District. Registered Nurse Jennifer Esteen previously filed an intent to run earlier this year, and Shay Franco-Clausen, a former aide to South Bay Assemblymember Ash Kalra, has also pulled papers.
The list of potential candidates may also include Hayward Councilmember Elisa Marquez and San Leandro Councilmember Victor Aguilar, Jr. Keep an eye on San Leandro because a long list of former and current elected officials have been blocked from higher office after the 2010 redistricting map put the city in districts with powerhouses Oakland and Alameda in both the assembly and state senate. The new 20th Assembly District may allow an outlet for their collective desires for higher office.
—SLASHER CANDIDATE— Jennifer Esteen’s received a modicum of national coverage over the weekend. BET.com touted her campaign and the possibility that, if elected, Esteeen would be the first Black/LGBT/Jewish woman in the state legislature. Black Lives Matter co-founder Alicia Garza recently endorsed Esteen and young progressives in the Hayward area have been attempting to raise her profile on social media. Esteen has pledged not to take contributions from special interests. The pledge could be problematic when it comes to getting a message out in a potentially crowded primary field. While Esteen might end up being the most progressive candidate in the race, she will not be the most well-known LGBT candidate. That will likely be Dublin Councilmember Shawn Kumagai, who is best known in the East Bay as the person who ignited Dublin’s Pride Flag controversy.
—THURMOND’S TROUBLES— California Superintendent of Public Instruction Tony Thurmond is in major hot water after Politico reported he ostensibly hired his buddy as a deputy superintendent last year.
Daniel Lee, once a member of Thurmond’s wedding party, receives a $179,832 annual salary while not even living on the west coast and having no experience with education in California.
It’s a bad look for the former Richmond official who parlayed a seat in the Assembly in 2014 into the top job in California education. The shine of Thurmond’s tenure at state Department of Education has apparently rubbed off quickly since his arrival two years ago. Politico reported last September that Thurmond has reportedly created a toxic workplace environment and burnt through veteran employees.
“People are coming and going, trying to survive working under him, and it’s getting to the point where who is going to be left to get things done? The last thing you want to do is work for him,” a former employee told Politico.
—CITY HALL INSIDER— For many Alameda County city councils this week is the 2021’s swan song meeting. Here’s a few agenda items to watch:
SAN LEANDRO—New San Leandro Police Chief Abdul Prigden will offer the city council an assessment of his first 90-days at the helm of the police force on Monday night. Prigden previously served in Monterey County as Seaside’s police chief. He was also a finalist for Oakland’s top cop job earlier this year. Since the killing of Stephen Taylor by a San Leandro police officer in 2020, the police department has received a level of scrutiny never seen in the city’s political history.
HAYWARD—Hayward Councilmembers Angela Andrews and Aisha Wahab are offering a council referral to study a Guaranteed Basic Income program on Tuesday night. The referral asks city staff to identify possible funding sources for between $500 and $1,000 in monthly payments to low-income residents over an 18-month period. The number of prospective recipients is not specified in the referral. Take note: Fremont is also currently eyeing a Guaranteed Basic Program.
OAKLAND—Oakland’s Public Safety Committee has three notable items on Tuesday afternoon. Four Oakland councilmembers, including mayoral candidate Sheng Thao, are backing a proposal to help local businesses that have been affected by armed robberies. A “ghost gun” ordinance and a bi-monthly update on the Oakland Police Department’s never-ending Negotiation Settlement Agreement (NSA) also comes before the committee.
—RUMOR MILL—California state Controller Betty Yee is an Alameda resident. Might she be interested in the late-Wilma Chan’s District 3 seat on the Alameda County Board of Supervisors? The talking point in county circles is the seat should go to an Asian American woman. Box checked. Whether or not Yee is anywhere remotely progressive as Chan, however, is inconclusive.