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Here’s some great news: All five candidates for two Modesto City Council seats have confirmed their participation at the in-person Oct. 1 debate we’re hosting with NAACP Modesto/Stanislaus and the Stanislaus Veterans Affairs Office.
District 2 incumbent Eric Alvarez will square off against challengers Jon Rodriguez and Juan Telles, and newcomer Jared Sylvia will take on incumbent Jeremiah Williams in District 5. I’ll provide reminders in this space as the event nears, but save these basic facts:
The debate is 6:30 p.m. Thursday Oct. 1 in the veterans banquet hall, 3500 Coffee Rd., Modesto. Stay tuned for details on other virtual debates involving candidates for California Senate District 4, the Modesto Irrigation District, Modesto City Schools and Turlock mayor. |
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Voters in the U.S. House’s 5th California District – including the east half of Stanislaus County – got a rare treat last week when longtime Republican incumbent Tom McClintock of El Dorado Hills faced Modesto Democrat Michael Masuda on the radio.
Rare because McClintock often doesn’t respond to media inquiries and seems to carefully select venues for appearances in the sprawling, mostly red district that takes in several mountain counties east of Modesto.
The wide-ranging, hour-long debate covered everything from affordability and wildfire insurance to artificial intelligence and state spending. And much more.
Here’s a quick excerpt from their closing statements:
Masuda: “My opponent has been in office in Congress since 2009. He's utilized the division, the fearmongering, to drive a wedge between people. I'm here to bring people together. I'm here to have the conversations, to listen, to understand the challenges that you and your family are facing, and then to figure out how I can help.”
McClintock: “Do you really want to reopen the border to a new wave of illegal mass migration? Do you really believe that higher taxes and more governmental regulations will make life more affordable for you and your family? And do you really believe that socialism will work any better here than everywhere else in the world that's ever been tried? If your answer to that is ‘yes,’ then I am definitely not the guy to vote for.”
Hear the debate on myMotherLode’s website or YouTube page. |
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Rep. Tom McClintock and Democratic challenger Michael Masuda are shown. File photos |
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The national furor over data centers – alive and well in Modesto, Riverbank, Patterson and elsewhere – will infect campaign messaging as well.
A headline to the best recent story I’ve seen on this election-centric topic, from the Associated Press, says it all: “Here’s all the ways that data center controversies have transformed the midterm elections.”
Themes include a noticeable push into semirural areas like ours, and Donald Trump’s support for data center construction.
Can you expect to hear questions about AI and data centers in our upcoming local debates?
You can.
Feel free to share notes, tips and insights for Stanislaus-centric campaign coverage at garth@themodestofocus.org.
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Garth Stapley
Accountability Reporter
The Modesto Focus |
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