Thursday, September 15, 2011

Sacramento Bee: Mayor Johnson launches 2012 re-election campaign

Sacramento Mayor Kevin Johnson to seek second term, more congenial council

The Sacramento Bee
Published: Thursday, Sep. 15, 2011 - 12:00 am | Page 1A
© Copyright The Sacramento Bee. All rights reserved.
As Sacramento Mayor Kevin Johnson rolls into his re-election campaign, the ballot with the most influence over his political future may not be the one with his name on it.

So far, no candidate from the city's political establishment has come forward as an opponent to Johnson. If nobody emerges, Johnson will have more time and energy to work on influencing the outcome of four council races also on the June ballot, political analysts said.

That effort already has begun. Johnson's advisers said Wednesday that he had informed four-term incumbent Councilwoman Bonnie Pannell that he will not support her re-election bid and that he is encouraging a candidate to run against three-term Councilwoman Sandy Sheedy.

"I can tell you more than ever before there are people in the community that want to see change," Johnson told reporters following his announcement Wednesday that he would seek a second term. "It would surprise me if the same council members (who are up for re-election) are in place come June."

Of the mayor's critics at City Hall, the four council members up for re-election in June – Sheedy, Rob Fong, Kevin McCarty and Pannell – have been among the most outspoken.

And in a form of government in which the mayor needs support from a majority of the council to advance his agenda, Johnson has been unable to gather reliable political allegiances at City Hall. As a result, he has fallen short on many council votes on issues close to his heart.

Many expect him to play a role in supporting candidates against the four incumbents. Getting involved in City Council races is a way of life for Sacramento mayors – even those who worked with councils packed with allies.

Chuck Dalldorf, a public affairs consultant who was a chief aide to former mayors Joe Serna and Heather Fargo, said they both vetted council candidates and "wooed natural allies."

"It's a natural position for any mayor, but even more important for this mayor because his relationship with this council is so contentious," Dalldorf said. "And if nobody challenges the mayor, it allows him to spend all his electoral time in the next election year trying to find people who might be better allies."

Johnson campaigned for Councilwoman Angelique Ashby in 2010, when she defeated three-term incumbent Ray Tretheway. Ashby and Councilman Jay Schenirer – whom Johnson also supported last year – were the only council members who attended the mayor's re-election announcement Wednesday.

While the election is nine months away, there are already signs that Johnson will involve himself in the council races once again.

Steve Maviglio, one of his chief campaign aides, said Johnson is encouraging developer Allen Warren to run against Sheedy in the district encompassing north Sacramento neighborhoods. Warren said in an email Wednesday that he is "seriously considering running" and "the mayor's support would be a big boost should I run."

Kim Mack, who ran President Barack Obama's Sacramento-region campaign, is also running for the seat.
Maviglio said that Johnson informed Pannell earlier this week that he will not endorse her in her campaign for a fifth term to represent Meadowview and other south Sacramento neighborhoods. That message was relayed soon after a contentious council redistricting vote in which Johnson, Ashby and Schenirer were on the losing end.

While no candidates have officially launched campaigns for Pannell's district, local NAACP branch president Betty Williams has expressed interest. Williams was one of several people to introduce the mayor before his re-election announcement Wednesday and sat on stage with Johnson during the event.

While creating council allies will be a key for Johnson, he won't spend all his energy on that cause, said David Townsend, one of the mayor's political advisers. "He has a lot of other efforts out there, and my sense is that he is going to stay focused on getting the arena done."

Johnson launched his campaign for a second term with much of the same fanfare as in 2008, when he defeated Fargo. He told a crowd at the Aspire Capitol Heights Academy charter school in Oak Park that "Sacramento has come a long way, but it still has not met its potential as a city."

He said he would run an aggressive campaign that will include "listening sessions" around the city and door-to-door canvassing.

During his speech, Johnson said he had "moved this city forward" through initiatives on clean technology and tackling homelessness. He also mentioned a gang summit he organized, aimed at curbing youth violence, and a third-grade reading initiative his office launched in city schools.

And, of course, Johnson talked about what has become the signature event of his first term: keeping the Sacramento Kings in town for at least one more year as the city tries to build a new sports arena.

His focus on the arena has become the chief criticism of Johnson's one opponent so far – bounty hunter Leonard Padilla. Padilla said Wednesday that he will run for mayor for a fifth time and criticized Johnson and the rest of the City Council for devoting so much energy to keeping the Kings in town.

"I am tired of seeing graffiti, cracked sidewalks, roads in need of repair," Padilla said. "And we're spending money and time and effort trying to put money in (team owners) the Maloofs' pockets? That's just wrong."

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