This story originally appeared in the Post’s print edition on April 22.
By Emily Mibach
Daily Post Staff Writer
The 2024 election may seem like a long time away, but already people are entering the races for three seats on the San Mateo County Board of Supervisors.
Yesterday, Burlingame Councilwoman Emily Beach said she’s running for the seat held by the termed-out Dave Pine. She’ll likely face Millbrae Councilwoman Gina Papan, sister of Assemblywoman Diane Papan. They’re running for the district that spans from South San Francisco to Burlingame.
Beach already has endorsements from House Reps Kevin Mullin and Anna Eshoo, State Treasurer Fiona Ma, County Schools Superintendent Nancy Magee and former supervisors Don Horsley, Carole Groom, Adrienne Tissier and John Ward.
Beach has been on the Burlingame City Council for seven years and is currently the regional director of the North San Mateo County Career Center for JobTrain, a job training nonprofit.
Last year she ran against Mullin and Supervisor David Canepa to succeed former Rep. Jackie Speier, but lost in the primary. She’s also a former Army captain, having served in Saudi Arabia, South Korea and Texas.
Gina Papan has been on the Millbrae City Council since 2005. She is also a deputy state attorney general.
Papan and her sister Diane are the daughters of the late Assemblyman Lou Papan.
In 2011, Gina Papan ran for the supervisor seat in a crowded race that Pine ultimately won. She also ran in 2008 against Jerry Hill in the Democratic primary for the Assembly seat now held by her sister, and once held by their father.
Two more seats on the county board are up for grabs in 2024.
Supervisor David Canepa, who represents Daly City, Colma and parts of South City and San Bruno, is also up for election next year. So far, no one has filed to run against him.
Supervisor Warren Slocum is termed out. He represents Redwood City, North Fair Oaks, East Palo Alto and Menlo Park east of El Camino Real.
The only person to file paperwork to succeed Slocum is Redwood City resident Paul Bocanegra. Bocanegra is on the county’s Juvenile Justice Commission, serves on the board of the sheriff’s watchdog group Fixin’ San Mateo County and is a certified drug and alcohol counselor. He is also a co-founder of the nonprofit ReEvlolution, which provides programs for incarcerated youth and youths who have been released from juvenile hall.
Bocanegra became a criminal juvenile justice reform advocate after he was sentenced to life without parole when he was 17 and served more than 25 years in an adult prison for his role in a drive-by gang shooting. Bocanegra was paroled under a 2012 bill that allowed youths, who were sentenced to life without parole when they were children, to have a parole hearing after serving 15 years in prison. He left prison in 2017 and was discharged from parole in 2021.
There is talk that East Palo Alto City Council Lisa Gauthier will run. Gauthier, who was elected to council in 2011 and has served as mayor three times, is employed by the tech industry lobbying operation Silicon Valley Leadership Group, where she is vice president of inclusion and belonging.
It’s possible that Redwood City Councilwoman Alicia Aguirre, Menlo Park Vice Mayor Cecilia Taylor and East Palo Alto Vice Mayor Antonio Lopez will jump into the race as well.