Coastsider Jo Chamberlain running against Supervisor Rich Gordon

Coastsider Jo Chamberlain is running against Supervisor Rich Gordon, who represents the Coastside on the county Board of Supervisors, according to the Daily Journal.  Although Gordon’s seat represents the Coastside, all seats on the board are elected at large, by everyone in San Mateo County.  The two people opposing Gordon are from the Libertarian and Green Parties. The Republicans haven’t bothered to field a candidate this year.

“The countywide Democratic Party decides who will have the seat and tells the candidate to toe the line if he wants to keep it,” Chamberlain said….

The battle for the third supervisorial seat is the only contested race on the board and one of the few for an elected county position. Supervisor Jerry Hill is also up for re-election but faces no challengers. Positions on the board are rarely filled with newcomers and, even then, typically only the exit of a member facilitates the shake up.

Supervisor Adrienne Tissier, a former Daly City councilwoman, was the last new face on the board. She ran unopposed for the vacant seat left when Supervisor Mike Nevin was ousted by term limits. Previously, Supervisor Rose Jacobs Gibson was appointed to the board and has easily won re-election since.

The last time Gordon’s seat was up for grabs, he was challenged by Hickey but held firm. Gordon received 70.1 percent of the vote while Hickey netted 29.83 percent.

Gordon thinks his seat is usually the one contested because his district covers 95 percent of the unincorporated area. Without city councils, residents are more limited in how to jump into government.

That unincorporated area controlled by the supervisors includes Montara, Moss Beach, El Granada, and everything south of Half Moon Bay.