Voters will decide who wins the San Joaquin County Board of Supervisors District 4 seat in the June 2 primary election.
In the District 4 race, incumbent Steve Ding, who was elected to the seat in 2022, will face challenger Travis Castle. Castle is a rancher, paramedic and businessman in Lodi.
The district the two men are vying for encompasses Lodi and surrounding unincorporated areas in the northern part of the county. Communities in the district include Acampo, Clements, east Stockton, Linden, Lockeford, Morada, Thornton and Woodbridge.
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The five-member board serves as the county’s primary legislative, executive and policy-making body. A supervisor is elected to a four-year term. Duties include overseeing a multibillion-dollar budget, governing unincorporated areas and providing essential regional services.
Ding is a Stockton native who has attended schools in downtown Stockton, Stagg High School and San Joaquin Delta College. He is also the owner and operator of Woodbridge Crossing Restaurant.
Castle has been a paramedic and firefighter for 20 years and continues to manage his family’s Acampo Castle Family Ranch which was started in 1973, according to his campaign page.
Priority issues for Ding include focusing on getting projects finished and keeping the county focused on results, homelessness with the approach of compassion with accountability, public safety, affordability for families, and fighting for agriculture and valley values.
Like his opponent, Castle’s top priorities include public safety, homelessness, agriculture and water. He has said he supports policies aimed at helping people exit homelessness.
During a candidate forum on April 18, Ding and Castle clashed over government accountability, homelessness, infrastructure and public safety.
At the forum, Ding highlighted his record in office, including hiring 65 sheriff’s deputies, road repairs and efforts to expand mental health services.
However, Castle pointed to what he called “systemic failures” in homelessness policy and government spending. He criticized costly proposals such as a canceled safe camping site for people experiencing homelessness and called for greater accountability.
Ballots may be dropped off at any of the county’s 27 secure ballot drop boxes. Voters can view hours and locations on the San Joaquin County Registrar of Voters website. On Election Day, voters may cast ballots at any of the county’s 130 polling places, the registrar of voters’ office or drop boxes. Voting is available until 8 p.m. June 2.
This story will be updated as election results come in.
Record reporter Victoria Franco covers public safety in Stockton and San Joaquin County. She can be reached at vfranco@gannett.com. Support local news, subscribe to The Stockton Record at https://www.recordnet.com/subscribenow.
This article originally appeared on The Record: Two face off for San Joaquin County supervisors District 4 seat
Reporting by Victoria Franco, The Stockton Record / The Record
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