Menesini Will Not Run For Supervisor

Supervisor Federal Glover has in effect won the county supervisor's seat in his newly carved district, since his only potential opponent, Martinez City Councilman Mike Menesini, did not file by Friday's 5 p.m. deadline. 

Glover's will be only name for the 5th District seat on the June 5 ballot. Technically, he will take over the seat in January 2013 when incumbent Gayle Uilkema, elected to serve the area this year, will retire. 

Glover, a Democrat from Pittsburg, lost most of East County when district lines were redrawn last year, but gained the Martinez area and Pinole, Hercules, Rodeo and vicinity in West County.  He had started a campaign against Menesini, largely with prominent Democratic support. 

Menesini, former mayor of Martinez and a former school board member, declared his intent to run after the new district lines were known. He took out nomination papers in February but did not complete the process.

Menesini could not be reached for comment Friday as to his reasons for not running. 

Twelve Superior Court judges up for election all filed and all are unopposed.  They are considered elected unless an opponent files a write-in candidacy for the November election, an unusual occurrence.

Other incumbents representing all or parts of Martinez appear to have weak or no opposition. Since these incumbents filed by the Friday deadline, all the races are closed. 

Rep. George Miller, D-Martinez, who will be running to represent the new 11th Congressional District including south Martinez, will be heavily favored to win over Democrats Cheryl Sudduth of Richmond and John Charles Fitzgerald of Concord, and Republican Virginia Fuller of Pinole. Two other potential candidates did not file their nomination papers.

Rep. Mike Thompson, D-St. Helena, and State Sen. Lois Wolk, D-Davis, also redistricted into Martinez for the first time, are expected to be heavily favored to win. Other candidates who may have filed in their home counties will not be known to the Contra Costa Elections Office until next week. 

Assemblywoman Susan Bonilla, D-Concord, whose district was largely unchanged and includes Martinez, is unopposed for re-election. 

In the only other major race of particular interest to Martinezans, filing is extended in the 2nd Supervisorial District because Uilkema did not seek re-election. The likely favorite is expected to be Tomi Van DeBrooke of Lafayette, who is known in the city as a former community outreach director for Shell Refinery and most recently was chief of staff for Supervisor Mary Piepho of Discovery Bay. She has until 5 p.m. Wednesday to file. Two others have already filed. They are Sean White of Lafayette and Candace Kay Andersen of Danville. 

Piepho, the only other supervisor up for election this year, is also unopposed.