Sierra Club Endorses Masur and Keith

The Loma Prieta Chapter of the Sierra Club has endorsed and for the District 4 seat on the San Mateo County Board of Supervisors, solidifying public perception of these individuals as the environmentally conscious candidates.

Eight people are that will be vacated when Supervisor Rose Jacobs Gibson concludes her term this year. The winner of the race will be charged with representing the interests of Menlo Park, Redwood City, and East Palo Alto.  

“Shelly and Kirsten rose to the top in terms of how articulate, informed, and committed they are to issues important to the Sierra Club,” said Melissa Hippard, the endorsement team leader for the Loma Prieta Chapter of the Sierra Club during this process.

The club works with government officials in San Mateo Couty to refine ordinances that outline how developers can use land, with the goal of preserving county parks and open spaces. It has about 9,000 local members who support the national mission to “enjoy, explore and protect the environment,” according to their website.

Specifically, the Sierra Club wants to work with the candidates to identify the areas where the county could place housing, and find funding for county parks.

“The idea is to move toward planning for the next generation of growth around infill and transit development to create new housing and jobs near transit,” Hippard said.

To make the decision about which candidate to endorse, the club sent questionnaires to each one to discern their environmental inclinations, said Mike Ferreira, a club member who specializes in Conservation Issues. The candidate’s viability, leadership abilities, and campaign organization were also scrutinized.  

“We want to work with people who have a strong chance of winning and be successful with their agenda if they win,” Ferreira said.

Only six of the eight candidates responded to the Sierra Club’s questionnaire.  and David Woods did not. The other candidates include , , and Carlos Romero.

The election is June 5.

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