Modesto mayor has two challengers. Here’s where they stand on issues, fundraising
Modesto Mayor Sue Zwahlen faces two challengers in her bid for a second term.
Dewey Bedford Jr. and Sebastian Jones are on the March 5 primary ballot with the incumbent. The race would go to a Nov. 5 runoff if none of the three tops 50% of the vote.
Zwahlen won her first term in a runoff against former City Councilman Doug Ridenour, with 58% of the votes. Her tenure cannot go past 2028 under Modesto’s term-limit law.
This time around, Zwahlen is endorsed by all six of her fellow council members. She also is supported by several current and former members of the Modesto City Schools board, where she served from 2009 to 2017.
Zwahlen, 69, is a retired registered nurse. Bedford, 46, is a full-time parent. Jones, 61, is a former Greyhound bus driver.
Zwahlen reported $40,683 in campaign contributions through Jan. 20. Filings show $6,000 for Bedford and zero for Jones.
The League of Women Voters will hold a candidate forum at 6:30 p.m. Monday, Feb. 12. It will be in the council chamber at Tenth Street Place, 1010 10th St.
The Modesto Bee compiled this story via a candidate questionnaire, campaign websites and other sources. A separate article details past court cases involving the mayoral hopefuls.
Bedford: ‘I am an average citizen’
Bedford serves on the Modesto Culture Commission and on another panel that advises the City Council on federal housing money.
On his campaign website, he urges “business hubs” at vacant downtown sites and better relations between police and the public. He calls for more mental health services and for training residents for computer careers.
In the questionnaire, Bedford said he is running “because our city is disconnected from the citizens. None of the people that we have in office have even been through what our citizens are going through, so how can it govern us? I am an average citizen that been through the ups and downs and trials and tribulations. I’m here to give us our voice back and help the mental health and the homeless and 80% that’s struggling in our city.”
Bedford also spoke to his legal issues in the questionnaire: “Yes, I’m human. I’ve made mistakes in my life, some warranted, some by faith and some by mistake, but I learned my lesson through my trials and errors.”
Jones: ‘Build a bunch of affordable homes’
Jones is a frequent presence at council meetings and other events and an advocate for west Modesto. He serves on the city’s Board of Building Appeals, which deals with code violations.
“Let’s build a bunch of affordable homes, plain and simple,” Jones said in the questionnaire. “That way, folks won’t have to sleep in cars, tents, parks, alleys, or squeeze into overcrowded homes anymore. Time to make sure everyone’s got a decent place to live.”
Jones has served on the Stanislaus County Commission on Aging and on boards for the King-Kennedy Memorial Center and the Latino Community Roundtable. He took part in the effort to rename Mellis Park for the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr.
“I am for the will of the people, for the people,” Jones said.
Zwahlen: ‘I ran to heal the divide’
The incumbent helped secure voter approval in 2022 of a 1% sales tax that has boosted police, park and other services. She also supported the Community Police Review Board, created last year in response to officer-involved shootings and other concerns.
“I ran to heal the divide on the council and help move our city forward,” Zwahlen said in the questionnaire. “Our council is now functional and we work collaboratively even when we disagree on an issue.”
The mayor said she would work in her second term to increase housing at all income levels. She also urges “a stronger economic development plan to attract high-paying jobs to our city.”
