FOLSOM, Calif. — Primary election day is March 5.
Over 50,000 registered Folsom voters have the chance to decide or narrow down a number of races in the primary election, including the race for the Sacramento County District 4 supervisor seat, according to county voter registration information.
Generally, if a local office candidate receives a majority in the primary election, or 50% plus one vote, they win the seat they are running for even before the general election in November.
This is the case for District 4, according to Sacramento County spokesman Ken Casparis. However, he says if no one candidate receives the outright majority, the race will go to a runoff election in November.
Casparis said regardless of the election a candidate wins, the winner will take office at noon the first Monday in January after the general election, which in this election cycle’s case falls on Jan. 6, 2025.
The District 4 seat’s current occupant, Supervisor Sue Frost, announced in an email to supporters in August 2023 she will not be running for reelection, according to Rio Linda Online News.
Here are the three candidates running for the nonpartisan District 4 seat in the 2024 primary election (candidates are listed in alphabetical order by last name):
- Bret Daniels; Citrus Heights mayor
- Braden Murphy; father
- Rosario Rodriguez; Folsom councilwoman and restaurant owner
Bret Daniels
Daniels currently serves as Citrus Heights’ mayor.
He told ABC10 his top three priorities should constituents elect him to Sacramento County’s District 4 supervisor seat include public safety, transportation and taxes.
Daniels said county residents must be a strong advocate for the Second Amendment and fund its sheriff’s and district attorney’s offices so crime can be addressed at all levels.
“We must reduce the negative effects of homelessness, especially those allowing for rampant theft and a reduced quality of life,” Daniels said. “We must ensure that facilities are available for the compassionate confinement of those too mentally ill to care for themselves.”
He said he wants to ensure a proper level of care is given to Sacramento County roadways while providing a reasonable level of alternative transportation options.
“We must ensure that transportation dollars are spent where the greatest benefit is achieved and not just simply so-called social and environmental justice by taking back control of our regional boards from staff that push millions of dollars to programs instead of pavement,” he said.
On taxes, he said wages and benefits being provided at the taxpayers' expense are out of control.
“We must stop the lucrative business of working for the government,” he said.
Braden Murphy
Murphy previously ran for the California State Board of Equalization District 1 seat in 2022 and lost in the nonpartisan primary election.
He told ABC10 some of his priorities should constituents elect him to Sacramento County’s District 4 supervisor seat include standing up for the working class, housing the homeless and building affordable housing.
Murphy said he will fight for wages to be increased.
“A perfect example is that in-home care providers are currently making $16.50 an hour, while literally taking care of people,” he said. “The wage is decided directly at the county level.”
He said he wants to provide mental health care and drug addiction treatment to members of the unhoused community, but it won’t work if people do not have shelter.
“We need more places to shelter people. Period," he said.
Murphy also said the county needs to build more housing and make it affordable due to high rent prices.
“The American dream is out of reach for too many and rents are out of control,” he said.
Rosario Rodriguez
Rodriguez currently serves as an at-large council member on the Folsom City Council and formerly served as mayor in 2023.
She told ABC10 her top three priorities should constituents elect her to Sacramento County’s District 4 supervisor seat include public safety and homelessness, transportation and economic development.
Rodriguez said homelessness needs a regional approach to address its root causes.
“We need full disclosure and accountability from every entity that receives government funding,” she said. “We need to define ‘success’ with quarterly key performance indicators and hold all agencies accountable to achieve those goals.”
She said the county needs to reinvest in its infrastructure, fix neglected roads and make public transportation safe and clean.
“If elected, I will be using (Sacramento Regional Transit) light rail from Folsom to Sacramento the majority of my workdays,” she said.
Rodriguez also said economic development must be a priority for every elected official in Sacramento County.
“Attracting businesses with higher paying jobs will help address the affordability issue that we’re encountering in the Sacramento region,” she said.
Other elections
The last day to register to vote so someone can have their ballot counted in the primaries is Feb. 20.
Polls are open from 7 a.m. to 8 p.m. March 5, though mail-in voters can turn in their ballots at drop box locations now.
Here are the other elections and candidates relevant to Folsom voters in the 2024 primary election. The following information is based on Sacramento County’s March 2024 candidate report (candidates are listed in alphabetical order by last name):
California's 3rd congressional district
- Kevin Kiley; Republican, incumbent
- Jessica Morse; Democrat, wildfire prevention official
- Robert Smith; no party preference, operational programs director
California’s 7th assembly district
- YK Chalamcherla; Democrat, Folsom councilman
- Josh Hoover; Republican, incumbent
- Porsche Middleton; Democrat, Citrus Heights councilwoman
U.S. Senator from California (full term)
- Sharleta Bassett; Republican, businesswoman, mother and farmer
- James Bradley; Republican, CEO
- Eric Early; Republican, business owner and attorney
- Steve Garvey; Republican, professional baseball representative
- Denice Gary-Pandol; Republican, retired security analyst
- Laura Garza; no party preference, freight railroad worker
- Sepi Gilani; Democrat, physician, surgeon and professor
- Don J. Grundmann; no party preference, chiropractic doctor
- Forrest Jones; American Independent
- Harmesh Kumar; Democrat, psychologist, social entrepreneur
- Barbara Lee; Democrat, congresswoman and mother
- Sarah Sun Liew; Republican, pastor and nonprofit CEO
- Gail Lightfoot; Libertarian, retired registered nurse
- James “Jim” Macauley; Republican, sales associate
- Christina Pascucci; Democrat
- David Peterson, Democrat, small business owner
- Douglas H. Pierce, Democrat, missing persons’ investigator
- Katie Porter; Democrat, U.S. Congresswoman
- Perry Pound; Democrat, small business owner
- Raji Rab; Democrat, aviator, educator and entrepreneur
- Jonathan Reiss; Republican
- John Rose; Democrat, office manager
- Mark Ruzon; no party preference, software engineer
- Adam Schiff; Democrat, U.S. Congressman
- Stefan Simchowitz; Republican, art dealer
- Major Singh; no party preference, software engineer
- Martin Veprauskas; Republican, retired operations manager
U.S. Senator from California (partial term to be served after Dianne Feinstein's death)
- Eric Early; Republican, business owner and attorney
- Steve Garvey; Republican, professional baseball representative
- Sepi Gilani; Democrat, physician, surgeon and professor
- Barbara Lee; Democrat, congresswoman and mother
- Christina Pascucci; Democrat
- Katie Porter; Democrat, U.S. Congresswoman
- Adam Schiff; Democrat, U.S. Congressman
A complete list of primary candidates for the office of U.S. president can be found HERE.
Folsom voters also have a say in California’s 1st senate district race. It has two candidates: Republican Megan Dahle, a Northern California assemblywoman, and Republican David Fennell, an entrepreneur, according to the California Secretary of State’s office.
Because there are only two candidates in the race for the state legislative office, both advance to the general election in November.
State senate District 1 encompasses Alpine, El Dorado, Lassen, Modoc, Nevada, Placer, Plumas, Sacramento, Shasta, Siskiyou and Sierra counties.
The race for Folsom City Council’s District 2 and District 4 seats will not be decided until the general election in November, according to the city. Candidate nominations do not open until July, and the city will facilitate a final list of candidates shortly after Aug. 9, the city said.
