A trip in Elk Grove's Political Wayback Machine - Does this 2016 alliance still exist?

If the saying that a month in politics can be an eternity holds water, what about eight years? Eight years in politics can be a century on the political time clock.

If eight years ago you predicted former Republican Vice President Dick Cheney would endorse a Black Democratic woman for the American Presidency, people would say you were smoking crack.

But here we are. Although it is less seismic and much less critical, it is worth looking back at Elk Grove's 2016 mayoral race.

That year, incumbent Mayor Gary Davis made a last-minute decision not to run for reelection for still unknown reasons and passed the baton, such as it was, to Elk Grove City Councilmember Steve Ly. Those two were Biden and Harris eight years earlier!

Kevin Spease had been a declared candidate before Davis' withdrawal, and Tracie Stafford entered what became a three-candidate race. Ly prevailed and served for two terms.

What caught our attention were the two mailers Spease sent city-wide with an endorsement of Bobbie Singh-Allen, an Elk Grove Unified School District Trustee at the time.  

Spease and Singh-Allen were elected to the Elk Grove City Council in 2020. Singh-Allen defeated Ly, and Spease won the open District 3 seat. 

The separation between Spease and Singh-Allen, especially in the last year, is noteworthy. Unlike Councilmembers Rod Brewer, Sergio Robles, and Darren Suen, Spease has broken from the mayor's oversized influence.

Spease has criticized the mayor's $300 million taxpayer-burdened zoo scheme. More recently, Spease told the mayor, Brewer, Robles, and Suen to shove their 300 percent city council pay hike proposal to where the sun doesn't shine.

Spease is unopposed for reelection this year and does not need campaign paraphernalia. Singh-Allen has two opponents and will likely send a few mailers soon. 

We are confident that Mayor Singh-Allen and Kevin Spease will not be cheek-to-cheek in those mailers!