The Napa-Solano Central Labor Council has made it clear which candidates in local races it feels would be beneficial to the labor movement.
The council, which is comprised of more than 50 affiliated unions in the two counties, has endorsed 41 of the nearly 70 candidates it interviewed who are running in city council, school board, mayoral and other elections.
According to the council, candidates had to complete a questionnaire and take part in a Zoom interview held by the United Workers for Local Government delegation. Recommendations for endorsements were later discussed and ratified by the Central Labor Council’s Governing Board. The candidates were asked questions regarding public employees, education, building trades’ members, public safety and more.
“Those that were selected showed a commitment to support of working families and be open to listening to us as issues arise with our members,” officials wrote in a news release.
In Vacaville, a total of five City Council candidates were endorsed — one or two in each of the city’s districts. Shawn McMahon, chairman of the Parks & Recreation Commission, received the endorsement in District 1; and school board trustees Michael Silva and Sherie Mahlberg were endorsed for districts 3 and 5 respectively.
District 6 actually received a dual endorsement. Both Vice Mayor Raymond Beaty and retired teacher Jeanette Wylie have been endorsed in the district.
In the school board races, the council has endorsed Daniel Santellan and Joseph Cecil Conley — both of whom are running uncontested — in trustee areas 2 and 4 respectively, as well as Kelly Welsh for Area 6.
In Dixon, the council has thrown its support for Vice Mayor Steve Bird in the mayoral race, Planning Commissioner Kevin Johnson — who is running unopposed — in the District 3 City Council election, and former Councilman Jerry Castanon in the District 4 race. David Bowen, a teacher at Armijo High School in Fairfield, was the only Dixon school board candidate to receive an endorsement.