Atascadero Politicians Face Off in Board of Supervisors Contest
The San Luis Obispo County Board of Supervisors will have a new member next year from the City of Atascadero.
The Candidates
The only question for SLO County’s 5th District voters to resolve is whether the new Supervisor will be Susan Funk, the Mayor Pro Tem of Atascadero, or Heather Moreno, the mayor of Atascadero.
Susan Funk and Heather Moreno are the only two candidates running to succeed Supervisor Debbie Arnold who opted not to seek re-election. At the same time, incumbent County Supervisors John Peshong and Dawn Legg Ortiz are running unopposed in the March 5th Election.
While the seats on Board of Supervisors are non-partisan, this race has already devolved along ideological lines. Susan Funk pulls a majority of support from the Left. Heather Moreno gets hers from the Right.
Endorsements
Susan Funk counts three SLO County Supervisors as supporters – Bruce Gibson, Jimmy Paulding, and Dawn Ortiz -Legg. Those three incumbents were backed by SLOCEA during the 2022 Election.
The San Luis Obsipo County Democratic Party has endorsed Susan Funk. The local Democratic Clubs of Atascadero, San Luis Obispo Club, Paso Robles, El Morro Democratic and South County are also supporting Funk.
Funk has a solid amount of support from organized labor. Her union endorsements include Central Coast Labor Council, IBEW Local 639, the Southwest Mountain States Regional Council of Carpenters -Local 805, Operating Engineers - Local 12, the United Domestic Workers and Plumbers & Pipe Fitters - Local 403.
Heather Moreno on the other side of the spectrum has the support of outgoing Supervisor Debbie Arnold and the endorsement of Supervisor John Peshong.
Moreno too has picked up support from labor, specifically from public safety unions. Her endorsements include the San Luis Obispo County Deputy Sheriff’s Association, the Atascadero Police Association, the Atascadero Professional Firefighters - Local 360, and CAL FIRE - Local 2881.
Developers are also supporting Moreno. The San Luis Obispo County Builders Exchange, the Associated Builders and Contractors of Northern California, and the Home Builders Association of the Central Coast have endorsed her candidacy.
Voter Demographics
By the numbers, the 5th Supervisorial District is a competitive seat for both of the major political parties. 38.11% of the voters are registered as Republicans, 35.06% are Democrats, 18.49% are not affiliated with either party, with the remaining 8.34% scattered around various minor parties.
When projecting turnout and looking only at likely primary voters, the district remains competitive.
Republicans are projected to make up 43.41% of likely turnout and Democrats 41.29%. Independent voters have a dismal history of voting in primaries. These non-affiliated voters are projected to only make up 10.91% of turnout.
Given this data the election between Funk and Moreno will come down to which candidate works the hardest. Specifically, who knocks on the most doors and gets the most voters to return their ballots or get to the polls on March 5th.
Since this will be a two-candidate head-to-head race, whoever wins that day will become the newest member of the County Board of Supervisors.
Brian Floyd is an author, historian, and political strategist who frequently contributes commentary to the Blade.
