2024 Primary Election: Familiar faces taking a run at Eggman's termed-out Senate seat

Feb. 2—Three familiar faces will be battling to fill the California State Senate District 5 seat up for grabs on March 5.

Assemblyman Carlos Villapudua, former Rep. Jerry McNerney and former candidate Jim Shoemaker are all vying to fill the seat that will soon be vacated by the termed-out Susan Talamentes Eggman.

Villapudua has been a member of the California Legislature since 2020, winning two elections in the Assembly's 13th District, which encompasses Stockton, Tracy, Mountain House and parts of the Delta.

A native Stocktonian and former San Joaquin County supervisor, Villapudua said he's running for the District 5 seat to continue delivering for the county in Sacramento.

"From AB701, the only bill to pass the legislature last year that dealt with fentanyl dealers, to protecting our Delta," he said. "My record of accomplishment for the people I represent is second to none."

Passed last February, AB701 toughened penalties for dealing fentanyl. The bill, along with AB239, are some of the factors Villapudua says sets him apart from the other candidates. Passed in 2021, AB239 allows licensed winegrowers to fill their customers personal, re-fillable wine containers at wineries and tasting rooms.

Villapudua, 55, said the biggest needs facing the district include public safety, protecting the region's water supply, and the economy.

"I have introduced legislation for a referendum to amend Prop 47," he said. "Retail theft is out of control and small business owners no longer feel safe. Also protecting our Delta from the special interest water grab."

For more information, visit villupudua2024.com.

Although he was first elected as a member of U.S. Congress in 2007, McNerney first represented San Joaquin County in 2013 following a major redistricting, before retiring in 2022.

A native of Albuquerque, N.M., McNerney currently resides in Pleasanton and is now a senior policy advisor at Pillsbury Winthrop Shaw Pittman, LLP, and a Fellow at Stanford University's Institute for Human-Centered Artificial Intelligence.

McNerney, 72, said he is running because he can make a difference in the local community and in California, stating the region needs balanced, experienced leadership, and an economy that benefits all residents.

"I bring unique and valuable experience to the job," he said. "As your Congressmember, I have spent the past 16 years representing the communities I cherish, building relationships across every party, industry, and neighborhood, and learning our issues inside and out. From protecting the Delta and building a sustainable water future, to supporting law enforcement and serving our veterans, I have championed real, lasting solutions to the problems we face."

What sets him apart from his opponents, McNerney says, was that he is the only candidate that has produced "huge results" for the region's veterans, noting he secured some $400 million in federal funding for Stockton's veteran's clinic and nursing home in 2015, which is currently under construction.

He also drafted a law that improves care for veterans with traumatic brain injuries, and provides them with responsive services.

"As an engineer, a business owner, and a policy advisor, I have unique expertise with technological innovation and economic development," he said. "A greener economy is a stronger economy, so I kick-started many projects that have created countless local jobs and reduced air pollution. Businesses and workers alike trust me to put our communities first, which is why I have always been a staunch leader against the Delta Tunnel."

McNerney said some of the biggest issues affecting the district include affordable housing, public safety, homelessness and lack of sustainable economic development.

"Many people in our region are struggling with housing insecurity and homelessness," he said. "Our state government needs to invest in programs to get the most vulnerable members of our community off the streets. We must also incentivize affordable home construction to better keep pace with our region's population rate and market pricing."

For more information, visit jerrymcnerney.org.

This year will be the third time Shoemaker, 62, has run for public office.

The Clements resident unsuccessfully ran for the District 5 seat in 2000, and ran against Rep. Josh Harder in 2022 for the 9th District seat.

Born in San Pedro, Calif., Shoemaker has lived in the district for the last 34 years, and has worked in a variety of industries, including agriculture, construction, life insurance and real estate.

He currently owns his own construction business, and said he is running for state Senate because District 5 needs help.

"Parental rights have been violated by the last administration and the education system in California is a mess," he said. "Crime is running rampant because we are not holding criminals accountable for theft and vandalism. Our streets and neighborhoods are not safe. Our most valuable resource, water, is mismanaged and dumped into the ocean. These basic issues and policies need to be changed."

Shoemaker said what sets him apart from the other two candidates is that he represents the average working class citizen in the district.

His priorities are protecting the region's youth, building safer communities by holding criminals accountable, and preserving the district's most valuable resource, water.

He added that his campaign represents "of the people, for the people" without corporate donors or interests.

Shoemaker said the biggest issues facing the district include an increase in cost of living, a failing public education system and high taxes over-burdening residents, among others.

"I am committed to bringing back prosperity to California," he said. "The average Californian should be able to live in our great state without struggling to make ends meet. Families should feel safe in their communities and ensure that their rights are upheld without government interference and agendas preying upon the innocence of children."

If elected, Shoemaker said he plans to fix the district's failing economic, political, and social policies, prioritize protecting children and families, take a tough stance on crime, and responsibly manage water and energy resources to help lower costs for residents.

For more information, visit shoemaker4senate.com.