|
Getting your Trinity Audio player ready...
|
Hailing from North Fair Oaks, Maggie Cornejo is vying for a seat on the San Mateo County Board of Supervisors District 4, with a campaign that prioritizes the housing crisis and public safety as her key areas of focus to address what she said are the community’s most urgent needs.
With a solid decade of working behind the scenes in county government, Cornejo is setting her sights on making huge improvements in San Mateo County. Her campaign is all about tackling big issues head-on: making housing more affordable, protecting renters, opening doors to homeownership, and beefing up public safety. Cornejo said her deep ties to the community and her extensive professional experience are fueling her push for a San Mateo County that’s fairer and safer for everyone.
Cornejo’s campaign for the board supervisor is rooted in her life experiences, from her education at Garfield School and Menlo-Atherton High School to her current life in Redwood City. These experiences, she said, have not only tied her to the community but also given her a profound understanding of the local educational system and the broader challenges families face across San Mateo County.
A lifelong resident and devoted pet owner (to a beagle), Cornejo blends her role as the director of government and community relations at the Boys & Girls Club of the Peninsula with her deep commitment to San Mateo County. Her professional and personal life showcases her dedication to community service and her focus on addressing critical issues like housing and public safety with a personal and community-focused approach.
Representation Matters
But Cornejo isn’t just talking policy; she’s also putting a spotlight on her Latina identity and how it shapes her approach to serving District 4. Should Cornejo win, she would join Noelia Corzo as the second Latina to be elected to the San Mateo County Board of Supervisors.
In areas like Redwood City, North Fair Oaks, and East Palo Alto, the Latinx community is large and diverse. Cornejo, who is of Mexican descent, said understanding the unique challenges and cultural nuances of these communities is key to her campaign. She’s pushing for a county leadership that mirrors its population’s diversity, aiming to make sure everyone’s voice is heard at the table.
Her background as a Latina, Cornejo argues, equips her with the insights to advocate effectively for all constituents, ensuring a broader range of perspectives in county decisions. Cornejo imagines a San Mateo County where diversity shapes policies and community engagement, ensuring every resident is seen and heard.
“San Mateo County is constantly talking about being a welcoming county and being accepting, making sure people here feel safe and secure,” Cornejo said. “Regardless of what’s going on in the federal government or presidential elections, I want not only the people of District 4 but the San Mateo County community to feel safe, represented and to feel like they have a voice, and I want to be that voice for our community.
“I want to meet people where they are at, versus having this expectation of having our working families come to a board meeting at 9 a.m.,” she added.
Housing & Homelessness
Cornejo’s campaign zeroes in on the county’s housing crisis, where she envisions affordable housing becoming accessible to more citizens. Cornejo also ties her housing initiatives closely to her public safety strategies, arguing that ensuring housing stability for all contributes significantly to a safer community.
Cornejo advocates for connecting the unhoused with essential services and permanent housing. She underscores the importance of tackling this issue through empathy and comprehensive planning.
“We want the unhoused to have support and services that are crucial, but also connect them to housing,” Cornejo said.
Public Safety
With the backing and endorsement of San Mateo County Sheriff Christina Corpus, Cornejo said she is committed to bridging the gap between law enforcement and community members.
“I’m actually really proud to have Sheriff Corpus’ endorsement, and I look forward to working with her, and I think we could do a lot of great things for the community as a whole,” she said.
Cornejo stresses the need for better emergency preparedness in San Mateo County. She is pushing for more resources and education to address issues like sea level rise and flooding.
Cornejo joins Lisa Gauthier, council member of East Palo Alto; Antonio López, East Palo Alto council member and current mayor; Stanford University project manager and Redwood City resident Celeste Brevard; and Paul Bocanegra, Juvenile Justice Delinquency Prevention Commissioner and legislative coordinator for San Mateo County in the race to replace current Board Supervisor Warren Slocum who has reached the end of his term limit.
The primary election is set for March 5, with a possible general election on Nov. 5 if no candidate secures more than 50% of the primary vote.
Her endorsements include Corpus, Corzo, Redwood City council members Chris Sturken and Elmer Martínez Saballos, North Fair Oaks Community Council member Ever Rodriguez, former Redwood City mayor Dani Gasparini, San Mateo County Board of Education Trustee Hugo Torres and others.
