Attorney for Ceres, two other cities is running for Stanislaus County board seat
Attorney Tom Hallinan is running for the Stanislaus County Board of Supervisors to represent a district that includes Ceres, Patterson and Newman.
Former State Sen. Anthony Cannella set the stage for a race in District 5 last month when he reversed a decision to run for the seat held by Supervisor Jim DeMartini for almost 15 years. DeMartini, a former longtime chairman of the Republican Central Committee, is retiring and plans to move to Nevada.
Hallinan, 58, said he would pull papers at the county elections office Friday. He decided to run after Cannella, widely thought of as a shoe-in for the seat, pulled out.
A moderate Democrat, Hallinan said he has extensive knowledge of issues in Ceres and the West Side communities and their interactions with county government.
As an attorney specializing in local government for the Sacramento-based Churchwell White law firm, Hallinan is the city attorney for Ceres and Patterson and is deputy city attorney advising the planning commission in Newman. In addition, he provides legal advice for three community services districts in the supervisorial area.
‘If I win, I will be severing all ties with Churchwell White and my current positions,” Hallinan said. “I would work on being a supervisor first.”
Hallinan has previous experience as an elected official, having served on the Yosemite Community College District board for 20 years.
Before going public with his plans to run for supervisor, Hallinan secured endorsements from Sheriff Jeff Dirkse and the mayors of Ceres, Patterson and Newman. He said Friday that Newman’s councilmen are supporting him and he has endorsements from four of the five council members in Patterson.
Hallinan said protecting the region’s water supply and reducing homelessness are major issues for the county. Bringing the county and the cities closer together is another goal of the candidate. “I am uniquely positioned to do that,” Hallinan said.
Another problem he hopes to address is the county’s relationship with state government. “We are constantly under siege from the state,” Hallinan said, adding the county and cities need to band together against the state bureaucracy.
Hallinan ran for a seat on the State Board of Equalization last year with the sole intention of abolishing the board if elected. Legislation has stripped the tax-collecting agency of most of its responsibilities. Hallinan captured 48.6 percent of the vote in November 2018 but lost to Republican Ted Gaines, a former state senator and assemblyman.
Hallinan is well aware of the issues raised by Patterson and Newman over the county plan to develop the former Crows Landing Navy airfield as a public airport and business park employing thousands of workers. The candidate said there is room for compromise between the cities and the county so that everyone benefits.
Three county board seats will be on the ballot for the March primary.
Ceres Councilman Channce Condit is another name that has surfaced in the District 5 election.
Supervisor Vito Chiesa is seeking another term in the district representing Turlock and Hughson.
Supervisor Kristin Olsen is not seeking re-election in the Oakdale-Riverbank district, opening the door to an active race including Modesto Councilman Bill Zoslocki, fire service veteran Matthew “Buck” Condit, Diane Gilbert of Oakdale and Waterford Mayor Mike Van Winkle.
This story was originally published September 20, 2019 at 12:47 PM.
