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Woodside resident, Alayna Van Dervort Wagner, is the first write-in candidate to enter the Woodside Town Council race for the November election. Wagner filed papers on Sept. 23 to run for the District 5 seat against Hassan Aburish and she said she wants people to “write her name.”
In August, despite all district races being uncontested, the Town Council voted to continue with an election to allow voters to have an input on who they elect onto the council.
Wagner is originally from Auckland, New Zealand and has been a Woodside resident for seven years. She currently serves as chair of the town’s Environment and Open Space Committee and Vice Chair of the Climate and Sustainability Committee. Wagner is also the CEO of The Big Wild, a nonprofit that uses technology to find solutions to fight climate change.
She said she was inspired to run for Town Council after working closely with Council member Ned Fluet and seeing his success. She realized what someone with her background in natural resource management could bring to the council as a voice for the community.
Wagner brings nearly four years of experience on town committees and a passion for sustainability. She has worked with local and national leaders including the U.S Fish and Wildlife Service and the Bezos Earth Fund to bring actionable plans for the unique challenges of Woodside.
“Knowing what it means to build a house, to have natural disasters, to have emergency preparedness is essential for almost all of the concerns and issues that come up without our district,” she said.
Wagner’s campaign focuses on addressing the town’s infrastructure needs, wildfire risks, housing developments and preparing drainage for natural disasters. She feels strongly about representing District 5 and its “extensive resource issues” of flooding, drainage problems and fires.
If she were elected onto the council, she would like to “address town concerns in a more timely and financially responsible manner.” Wagner has observed that some of the council’s decisions are made with a lack of research and consideration of what is financially responsible.
As a conservationist and female candidate, Wagner hopes to bring a different perspective to the council with her background and experience. (Currently only one of the six council members is a woman (Mayor Jenn Wall).)
The filing period for write-in candidates opened on Sept. 9 and will close on Oct. 22. Wagner is the only write-in candidate as of Sept. 24.
For more information on Wager’s campaign visit wagner4woodside.com.
This isn’t Woodside’s first write-in candidate. A few years ago, an unopposed Nancy Reyering was defeated by a write-in candidate.
This may have been a first in State history.
On reading the article more closely, it may have been referring only to the current election. If so, it’s quite correct.
This young woman sounds like a very interesting candidate.