STOCKTON, Calif. — Kevin Lincoln is a man in transition, resigning as a pastor at a Stockton Church in order to make being mayor his full-time job.
"We want to make sure that we meet with all the community stakeholders. We take the necessary steps to be ready to govern come the beginning of the year," said Lincoln, Stockton Mayor-Elect.
Lincoln came out of nowhere to defeat incumbent Mayor Michael Tubbs. Even though votes are still being counted, Tubbs conceded last week.
As of this writing, Lincoln holds a a near 13-point advantage.
"We made every effort, took advantage of every opportunity to really hear from the people to understand what the fundamental needs of what the people of Stockton are," said Lincoln.
The number one need, according to Lincoln, remains the homeless issue.
He wants a centralized shelter that provides all the necessary help to transition the homeless off the streets.
"Homelessness is not only a city, a county, a state, a national issue, so, it's important that we get community buy-in as well and that everybody has a seat at the table," Lincoln said.
The former U.S. Marine also wants to unify the city so there is no division between the north and south sides of town.
"We are one of the most diverse cities in America," he said. "And, it's important to understand that our differences and our diversities should not divide us. It should unite us."
Lincoln said another immediate concern was the economy and making sure small businesses get all the help they need to make it through the COVID-19 pandemic.
"We have to be innovative. We have to be creative to benchmark as well what are other communities doing to support small businesses right here, right now," he said.
Lincoln says the transition with Mayor Tubbs has been cordial with just an exchange of e-mails. He said a virtual meeting about the transition will happen Dec. 1.
Lincoln will preside over his first city council meeting in January.
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