Times-Herald
Times-Herald staff report/
Posted: 10/28/2011 01:01:20 AM PDT
Solano County Supervisor Linda Seifert has officially announced her intent to seek a second term in the June primary.
Seifert, 61, represents District 2 and voters in Benicia, parts of Vallejo, Green Valley, Suisun and Fairfield. Her re-election campaign getsunder way Nov. 17.
“I love the work and opportunity to serve the community,” Seifert said in a Times-Herald interview Thursday.
“The challenges that existed when I was sworn into office four years ago are still there and I want to continue to confront those challenges and make a difference in solving them.”
Voters favored Seifert in 2008 over former incumbent John Silva of Benicia who had served since 1996.
A retired attorney, Seifert had never served in public office before and Thursday said she is “deeply gratified” by her work as county supervisor.
“I went into office with my eyes wide open,” she said. “The challenges as well as the opportunities were all new to me. What I learned is that I thoroughly enjoy the work. I serve proudly and I work hard every day. I look forward to another term,” she said.
Her first term has been marked by challenges stemming from the lingering recession, high unemployment and foreclosure rates and continuous state budget cuts, she said.
She said she’s exercised fiscal responsibility in crafting new budgets, and is proud of efforts to help veterans, children and families.
Seifert said she is also proud of the “local preference ordinance” she
initiated, which the board adopted, to favor local businesses in the awarding of county contracts.
Under the new redistricting plan supervisors OK’d earlier this year, Seifert lost about 4,000 residents in east Vallejo to Barbara Kondylis’ District 1.
Those residents live in an area bounded by Georgia Street, Rollingwood Avenue, Columbus Parkway and Tennessee Street.
Though early in the campaign, Seifert has picked up some key endorsements from State Sen. Lois Wolk and Reps. John Garamendi and George Miller.
