Placer County Supervisor races take shape as candidate filing for March primary closes

Ten candidates are throwing their hats into the ring to vie for open seats on the Placer County Board of Supervisors in the March 5 Primary Election. The candidate filing period closed Friday, revealing candidates for three Placer County Supervisor districts. The boundaries for Placer County Supervisor Districts were redrawn two years ago, which means some groups of voters may be voting in a different district on the March 5 ballot. District 3 represents Rocklin, Loomis, Penryn and a portion of Newcastle. There is no incumbent for this district. Anthony M. DeMattei, Mike Murray and Dave Butler are vying for the seat. The two candidates with the most votes in the primary will be on the November ballot. DeMattei is a Placer County Planning Commissioner and operates a mandarin farm in Penryn. He has been a Placer County resident for 26 years. Murray is a Rocklin resident who has worked in politics helping candidates get elected and advising while in office. Butler has lived in Rocklin for 25 years and describes himself as a professional executive director and small business advocate. District 4 represents Granite Bay and portions of Loomis and Roseville. Incumbent Suzanne Jones will face Karen Henson and Jeff Moss for the seat. The two candidates with the most votes in the primary will end up on the November ballot. Jones was elected to serve on the Placer County Board of Supervisors in March 2020. In 2010, she served three terms on the Placer County Board of Education. She also previously served as chairperson of the Granite Bay Municipal Advisory Committee and Commissioner for Placer County Older Adult Advisory Commission. Henson has lived in Granite Bay for more than 35 years. She is a Realtor and small business owner who is also known for being an active leader in local schools and serving in leadership at her church. Moss has been a resident of Placer County for more than 50 years. He spent 12 years on the Placer County Planning Commission and was a volunteer firefighter with the South Placer Fire District for 20 years. District 5 represents all of Auburn (the city and North Auburn), a portion of Newcastle, Colfax and North Lake Tahoe. Geographically speaking, District 5 includes nearly 80 percent of the land in Placer County. Incumbent Cindy Gustafson will face off against former District 3 incumbent Jim Holmes (who lives within the new District 5 boundary), Wayne Nader and Rick Chowdry. The two candidates with the most votes in the primary will be on the November ballot. Gustafson has been on the Board of Supervisors since 2019 and has lived in North Tahoe for more than 40 years. She also serves a number or organizations, including the Tahoe Regional Planning Agency, Placer County Local Agency Formation Commission, California Tahoe Conservancy and more. Holmes has served on the Board of Supervisors since 2005 and is finishing his fourth term. He is an Auburn native with more than 29 years of business experience and has also served on a number of Auburn-based organizations. Nader was born and raised in Placer County and has a 33-year career in banking. For decades, he has served on various boards, committees and councils in Placer County. Chowdry is a mechanical contractor who owns a Placer County-based commercial HVAC and plumbing firm. Registered voters should start receiving Voter Information Guides at the end of January. Feb. 19 is the last day to register to vote for the primary.