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As Antonio López campaigns for the District 4 seat on the San Mateo County Board of Supervisors, his focus is on tackling homelessness, economic disparities, and public services — issues that have long guided his work and continue to shape his vision for the county.
“I connected with so many of my residents and neighbors, and that’s when I found my calling, when I was speaking with voters and speaking with residents and telling them the change we could make,” said López.
López was born and raised in East Palo Alto after his family moved there from Mexico in the 1980s. As a first-generation college student, he attended Duke and Oxford and later completed his Ph.D from Stanford.
When he witnessed his father get furloughed and lose his benefits from the Employment Development Department, he felt he had a responsibility to serve his community. So when he saw three open seats at the East Palo Alto City Council, he decided to take a shot at it.
He first ran for the East Palo Alto City Council at 26 and serves as the EPA mayor. His work under State Sen. Josh Becker further solidified his commitment to serving the community.
During the primary elections for the San Mateo County Board of Supervisors District 4 seat earlier this year against four other candidates, López was the biggest spender, coming in at nearly $60,000; López lost to Lisa Gauthier by a huge margin.
Coming in at the final stretch for the Nov. 5 election, López says his reasons for running have not changed, but he has added more issues to his priority list.
“It is important as issues arise, that we’re able to pivot and adapt,” he added.
López says that while his campaign remains focused on core issues like housing and affordability, he is placing an additional emphasis on addressing the needs of the unhoused population. This shift came after he had engaged directly with residents in Redwood City and other parts of the district.
López’s campaign strategy said he wants to focus on a comprehensive ground game, reaching out to voters through advertisements and direct engagement and expanding to more Catholic voters.
According to López, the national political climate has shifted. He points to the younger Democratic ticket of Kamala Harris and Tim Walz as a sign that both the county and the country are ready for new leadership. He believes that the cultural moment demands fresh perspectives and leadership.
“If the president of the United States can go on record and say it is time to pass the torch, I think that says something about our cultural moment and nothing less is required for us to actually deliver for the community,” he added.
López expressed concerns over the 18% increase in homelessness in San Mateo County since 2022, pointing out the need for more effective actions by council members.
“The county says they have a plan, but with all due respect to my colleagues, is the plan working?” he said.
According to him, a more productive method is for cities to collaborate to share resources like shelters and meals.
He also expressed his concerns with the Hopeful Horizons ordinance passed by the San Mateo County Board of Supervisors earlier this year. The ordinance applies to unincorporated areas of the county and allows authorities to charge homeless people who refuse shelter after receiving two warnings with a misdemeanor.
López believes that while the Hopeful Horizons ordinance has good intentions, escalating citations and misdemeanors is not an effective solution to homelessness. He instead advocates for connecting homeless people with resources and a cross-county collaboration to address the issue.
“There really, truly needs to be a cross county, cross Peninsula collaboration to actually solve this thing, because otherwise we’ll pass those folks elsewhere, and then it’ll become another city’s problem,” he said.
López thinks child care is not getting enough attention in the county. He sees investing in childcare as a way to ease the burden on families and unlock more opportunities for people to stay in the workforce. According to him, the high cost of child care often forces people to make difficult choices “between paying rent and keeping their jobs.”
If elected, López plans to focus on key issues within his first 100 days in office. His priorities include supporting economic and infrastructure development in cities like Redwood City, aiding small businesses, especially those struggling post-pandemic, and addressing wildfire mitigation. He also plans on tackling the homelessness crisis in collaboration with other cities, aligning efforts with Gov. Gavin Newsom’s recent executive order.
“Do you want leadership that is going to be there for 12 years, lifelong politicians? Or do we want leadership that’s going to be there, ready and hungry for change?” López said in his message to the voters.
Antonio López and Lisa Gauthier will go head to head for the San Mateo County Board of Supervisors District 4 seat on Nov. 5.
For more on López, go to his campaign website at antonioforsupervisor.com.
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