REDWOOD CITY, Calif. – The San Mateo County Board of Supervisors selected three finalists from a pool of six applicants on Nov. 6, in the first public step toward restoring leadership after the historic removal of former Sheriff Christina Corpus. Each candidate’s application was posted online and their interviews were held publicly to promote a transparent recruitment process.
The board advanced retired San Francisco Assistant Police Chief David Lazar, Solano Community College Police Chief Brian Wynn Huynh Travis, and Gilroy Interim Police Chief Kenneth Binder as finalists by popular vote.
San Francisco State University Police Captain Robert Yick and former Hillsborough Police Chief John Doug Davis each received one vote, while San Mateo County Sheriff Sergeant David Weidner received none.
County residents will have the opportunity to attend a public forum on Nov. 10 to hear directly from the finalists themselves.
With 17 local police departments across 20 cities, the San Mateo Sheriff’s Office is responsible for unifying law enforcement countywide. Officers operate two county jails, provide security for courthouses, manage task forces, support local police, oversee search and rescue operations, and act as law enforcement for unincorporated areas without police departments.
Who are the candidates?
The six applicants brought a wide range of law-enforcement and leadership experience to the interviews, which the Board weighed heavily when assessing readiness to manage a department of more than 800 employees.
Their professional experience spanned the Bay Area, reflecting regional expertise but few direct ties to San Mateo County. The only internal applicant, Weidner, was eliminated from the running.
Some candidates were long-time residents or spent their early careers in the county, while others only recently met residency requirements for consideration. Applicants who had the most extensive experience working and living in San Mateo County were not selected as finalists, suggesting the Board preferred hiring an external candidate.
Interview Questions
The Supervisors tailored their interview questions to address residents’ concerns raised in a special Board meeting, which included ICE presence, county jail conditions, and financial management, among others.
Many community members said it was essential to appoint a Sheriff who was committed to protecting the county’s immigrant population from ICE. Supervisor Noelia Corzo questioned finalists on the county ordinance barring cooperation with federal immigration enforcement, unless required by court order.
Supervisor Lisa Gauthier also asked how candidates plan to bring back accountability and trust to the recently disgraced Sheriff’s office.
Corpus was accused of nepotism, retaliation, conflicts of interest, discriminatory remarks, and financial mismanagement throughout her tenure, and after a year of legal proceedings, the County Board of Supervisors unanimously voted to remove her mid-term.
Referencing the past year of leadership instability, Supervisor Jackie Speier asked each candidate to list the steps they would take to repair morale among sheriffs and instill public trust, if appointed.
Board President David Canepa opened every interview by asking whether candidates planned to rehire members of Corpus’s command staff.
“As the agency moves forward, going back to the previous staff is not where we want to be,” Canepa said. “I think we move forward with new leadership.”
Candidates’ answers ranged from categorical denial to others who have already been in touch with former Sheriff’s office staff.
Canepa also asked about each candidates’ experience managing budgets. “The reserves have been eviscerated from about $30 million to $2 million,” Canepa said, referencing budget mismanagement allegations against Corpus.
Gauthier asked candidates about their experience working with diverse communities, especially those that have experienced overpolicing.
Several reports have highlighted racial disparities among San Mateo Sheriff Department’s arrests and use-of-force interactions in the past few years. The San Francisco Chronicle revealed officers were over two times more likely to stop Black people than white people during traffic stops.
Candidates brought up their support for programs such as Coffee with a Cop, attendance at neighborhood events, and long term beat assignments.
Corzo questioned how candidates plan to address incarcerated deaths in the county. There have been seven in-custody deaths since Corpus took office in Jan. 2023. Only two candidates mentioned preventing fentanyl from getting into the jails – Lazar and Weidner.
Speier sought a long-term commitment, and asked several candidates whether they would seek election again in 2026, arguing that meaningful reform could take up to a decade.
Although the posting set no formal prerequisites, the Board converged on seven priorities that informed their final alignment on the top three candidates: new leadership untainted by prior scandals, financial discipline, non-cooperation with ICE, jail safety, union collaboration, transparent morale repair, and a long-term commitment to run for election.
