Your Guide to Merced County’s District 5 supervisor race
AI-generated summary reviewed by our newsroom.
- Incumbent Scott Silveira and challenger Miguel Alejandre are competing for District 5.
- Both candidates prioritize public safety and job creation for Merced County’s West Side.
- Silveira emphasizes his record on public safety, citing 80 new sheriff positions added.
In the race to represent Merced County’s District 5, incumbent Scott Silveira is running against local business owner Miguel Alejandre.
Silveira, 48, has served on the Board of Supervisors since he was first elected in 2018. Before that, he was a City Council member in Los Banos. Alejandre, 31, has not previously served in public office.
Both candidates have stressed the importance of public safety and job creation on the West Side of Merced County, with Silveira highlighting his track record in the role while Alejandre promises to deliver change.
Where is the district?
District 5 is on the West side of Merced County, encompassing the cities of Dos Palos and Los Banos and a large swath of unincorporated county land.
Who are the candidates?
Scott Silveira
Silveira’s campaign has focused on his experience as District 5 supervisor.
At an April 20 candidate forum hosted by the League of Women Voters, he stressed his history of voting to use discretionary funds for public safety and said it would remain one of his priorities if he’s elected again.
“If people don’t feel safe in the communities they live in, it just goes downhill from there,” Silveira said. He pointed to his record of increasing funding for public safety, particularly the Merced County Sheriff’s Office, and said the region needs stronger recruitment to compete with higher-paying law enforcement jobs in other parts of the state.
He also noted his collaboration with the Dos Palos to implement Measure S — a sales tax increase with revenue earmarked for fire services.
His priorities, according to his campaign website, also include strengthening water infrastructure, securing state and federal funding for local projects, and job growth.
Along with his experience and knowledge of county government, Silveira also mentioned his personal connection to the region. He was born in Los Banos, grew up on a dairy farm and described his work ethic as “second to none,” saying, “When you grow up in the dairy business, you understand what it means. Cows don’t take a day off.”
Miguel Alejandre
Alejandre’s campaign has embraced his lack of political experience.
He has chosen to use his social media accounts in lieu of a traditional campaign website and told the Merced Sun-Star that he is not accepting donations. “I’m just trying to show the people who I am,” he said.
“I am not a career politician,” Alejandre said at the April 20 candidate forum.
He said his willingness to use channels outside of official government communications would be a help to increasing transparency in the county because he would continue to share information via Facebook, Nextdoor and other social media platforms.
Like Silveira, Alejandre said public safety is the No. 1 priority for the district. He said he wanted to push even harder to increase the number of first responders throughout the region, particularly in unincorporated areas.
Debate about the best way to bring jobs to Merced
The candidates also agreed that job creation will be a high priority for the district’s representative, but they presented different ideas about how to bring more jobs to the region.
“If you guys haven’t figured out, the government doesn’t create jobs,” said Silveira. “Our job is to set the table for those (businesses) to want to come here.”
He added that it’s “hard to do business in the state of California” due to heavy regulation, and said the key for Merced will be to distinguish itself from neighboring counties by “letting folks understand that Merced County is open for business.”
“I don’t want to only set the table,” Alejandre told the Sun-Star. “I actually want to … go get them, bring them to the table.” He said he would like to reach out to businesses to explain why the West side of Merced County is a prime location for industries including logistics and manufacturing.
Alejandre emphasized his commitment to change. “If you like, what’s going on the county, vote for Mr. Silveira. If you want to see change with new ideas and new perspectives, I am here.”
Both candidates said they are prioritizing outreach to the community over formal endorsements. However, Silveira said that he has the support of the other members of the Board of Supervisors.
