Espinoza challenged by local farmer and a counselor in Merced County supervisor race
Editor’s Note: According to the Registrar of Voters, Ryan Bret Williams did not file with the county by the Friday, Dec. 6 deadline and is not a candidate.
First-term incumbent Merced County Supervisor Rodrigo Espinoza faces two challengers in his bid for re-election.
Espinoza, who did not respond to requests for comment, first was elected in 2016 to represent Merced County’s District 1, which spans northeast from Le Grand to Livingston. Voters go to the polls March 3, 2020.
On his Facebook page, Espinoza cited homelessness, road conditions and lack of high paying jobs as key Merced County issues.
“I need your help to continue our slow progress,” Espinoza wrote on Facebook.
Espinoza’s first term saw multiple controversies. In 2017, he was criticized for posting an anti-Jewish conspiracy theory video on Facebook. He later deleted the post. In 2018, Espinoza was accused of making unwanted advances against a woman and touching her without consent. A jury found Espinoza not guilty of misdemeanor battery.
Ryan Bret Williams
Candidate Ryan Bret Williams said he is challenging Espinoza because he said he believes District 1 has not been well represented.
“The guy in there right now, he just hasn’t been doing the job,” Williams said. “He’s pretty much a total socialist- go to his Facebook page, it’s pretty amazing.”
Williams said that when no one else stepped up, he decided to run.
“I’ve been getting a lot of support out here,” he said.
Williams is a retired Calfire captain and now farms almonds in Le Grand.
He identified water supply as a critical, and personal, problem in Merced County.
“The water situation really hit me hard out here,” he said. “One year I didn’t have water at all and almost lost our orchard.”
Williams said when the Merced Irrigation District shut off water, farmers unable to install wells had very little to no water. Well permits can be difficult and costly to obtain- sometimes up to half a million dollars for large agricultural wells, Williams said.
California’s seven-year drought ended in 2019, but the water issue persists on account of environmental and regulatory factors, he said. Merced County officials have said the state’s handling of Merced water points to ulterior motives at the county’s expense.
Williams also said Merced County needs more firefighters and new fire stations. Many stations have only one firefighter, but aim to raise that number to two- a costly goal, Williams said. He proposed closing old stations, selling them and combining personnel from the old stations at newer ones.
County roads, as with most candidates, are a major topic for Williams. He described District 1 roads as a disaster.
County Public Information Officer Mike North said it costs between $275,000 to $300,000 per mile to replace a road. Merced County is responsible for 1,754 miles. More than eleven miles have been resurfaced by Measure V funds and 12 miles by Senate Bill 1.
Williams said he believes there is a cheaper way.
“A lot of smaller districts have been creating their own paving crews instead of using the contractors,” he said. “You can do it more cost-efficiently if you run it as a business.”
Williams discussed the growing homeless crisis, which he said was unacceptable. Liberal policies have exacerbated the issue, he said.
“I don’t understand why we have such a resurgence now,” Williams said. “It’s mostly in cities run by liberal governments. Merced city and county has a lot of the same things going on.”
Sonia Alshami
District 1’s other candidate is no stranger to local elections. Sonia Alshami ran for Merced City Council in 2016, but lost to Anthony Levi Martinez.
The daughter of a migrant worker, Alshami grew up in a small South Merced studio apartment.
“We didn’t know we were poor,” she said. “We had the necessities.”
Alshami said that while Merced is a community with a lot of needs, it is also rich in many ways. She pointed to the area’s many volunteering opportunities, and urged individuals unable to spare money to donate time instead.
“I’m very involved in the community,” she said. “I just want to make a difference.”
Alshami is an alcohol and drug counselor with Lifestyle Management, which offers education, counseling and drug diversion programs as an alternative to legal action. She volunteers with the Merced County Boys and Girls Club, as well as Court Appointed Special Advocates, which advocates for abused or neglected children. She is a single mom with a daughter.
Alshami’s platform largely focuses on health and safety for Merced County’s youth. Nutritious food, pedestrian-friendly roads and well-lit sidewalks are key, she said.
“Healthy, accessibly priced food- that’s still very huge,” Alshami said. “In South Merced and Planada, the walkability is just not there. Everything is so far.”
According to 2016 data, 91% of providers in southeast Merced sold food deemed unhealthy. A 2018 Community Health Needs Assessment listed unhealthy food and obesity as top concerns.
Alshami said she is also supportive of local law enforcement. After attending Merced’s Citizens Police Academy, Alshami said all her questions and concerns about police were addressed.
“A lot of people fear law enforcement, and they shouldn’t,” she said. “They’re here to help you, they don’t care about your immigration status.”
Alshami said she is challenging Espinoza because she could bring a different perspective to the Board of Supervisors.
While she did not want to speculate how Espinoza’s controversies may affect his reelection, she acknowledged public officials are judged with more scrutiny.
“You’re a public figure, you’re held to a higher standard,” she said.
This story was originally published December 9, 2019 at 7:00 AM.
