Former Modesto mayor is running for state Senate. ‘I want the people to have a voice.’
Former Modesto Mayor Jim Ridenour will run for state Senate in the 5th District, adding his name to a growing candidates’ list for the seat held for seven years by Sen. Cathleen Galgiani, D-Stockton, who is terming out.
Ridenour, 79, was Modesto’s mayor from late 2003 to early 2012 and now has decided to make a run for state office. With the March primary a little more than three months away, the Republican joins a field also including Modesto Councilman Mani Grewal and state Assembly member Susan Eggman, two Democrats who have sparred over issues, and Stockton school board member Kathleen Garcia.
The 5th Senate District encompasses most of Modesto, the seven cities in San Joaquin County and Galt in southern Sacramento County. The area with nearly a million residents has strong agricultural ties, higher-than-normal unemployment and a growing commuter population.
“I want the people to have a voice,” Ridenour said on Friday.
After retiring from city government, Ridenour said, he had no serious thoughts of running for public office again. He has stayed active working part time in the evidence and property division of the Stanislaus County Sheriff’s Department. The state of affairs in California has seemed to draw him back into the political arena.
Ridenour stressed he’s not happy with “what is going on with our state,” noting that conditions in some cities resemble Third World countries. Crime is particularly a problem in the region, said Ridenour, who has strong family ties in law enforcement and emergency services.
“I can’t sit still, so I am going to run, win or lose,” Ridenour said. “We need more people who want to see our state grow and not die.”
His comment about not sitting still is reminiscent of a 2011 state-of-the-city speech, in which he repeated the refrain “no more standing still.”
During his second term as mayor, Ridenour was the leader of a city racked by effects of the Great Recession, including widespread home mortgage defaults, an unemployment rate above 15 percent and multimillion-dollar budget shortfalls. He promised in the speech to make difficult budget decisions and tackle problems like employee retirement costs.
“We went through the 2008 downturn and we were one city that did not go bankrupt,” Ridenour said.
Ridenour was also critical of former Gov. Jerry Brown’s proposal that eliminated redevelopment agencies and enterprise zones that served to create jobs and spawn affordable housing.
Ridenour’s career included a stint as president of the League of California Cities. He is a former executive of an ambulance company.
Grewal, who is endorsed by Galgiani, said Friday he would have preferred an endorsement from Modesto’s former mayor, but “I wish him the best.” The councilman promised a clean campaign that’s focused on the issues.
“We would like the opportunity to serve the citizens of the Senate District 5,” Grewal said. “We will make the case that I am the right candidate.”
California has open primaries, so the top two vote-getters in March will advance to the November 2020 election, regardless of their party affiliation.
Any campaign activities are not expected to draw much attention during the holidays. The candidates will have two months after New Year’s Day for debates, forums and advertising blitzes.
“It should ramp up after the New Year,” Grewal said.
This story was originally published November 23, 2019 at 5:00 AM.
