REDWOOD CITY, Calif. – After a year-long battle over leadership of San Mateo County’s top law-enforcement agency, the Board of Supervisors voted 4-1 to appoint Kenneth Binder as the county’s next Sheriff on Nov. 12. Binder officially replaces former Sheriff Christina Corpus, who was ousted last month for misconduct and budget mismanagement.
“You have endured through corrupt leadership,” Supervisor Noelia Corzo said to Binder after voting for him. “You’ve done something that few others have been able to do, and that is unify our community. I believe that you will be a sheriff that San Mateo County can trust.”
Binder’s appointment follows one week of interviews, background vetting and arguments among residents and supervisors about what qualities are most important in a sheriff who will be responsible for restoring public trust to the disgraced office.
On Nov. 10, the Board of Supervisors held a public forum in which the overwhelming majority of individuals advocated for the appointment of former San Francisco Assistant Police Chief David Lazar, many of whom were colleagues and community organizers he worked with in the city.
Two days later, over 15 San Mateo County residents spoke before the final vote and endorsed Binder. Two endorsed Lazar.
San Mateo resident Rebeca Cuellar said, “ In Monday’s meeting, San Francisco told us what we need. Today, San Mateo is speaking. Please listen.”
“ He’s [Binder] not a slick politician. He’s not flashy. He’s standing here on his own record, not needing to bring groups of people from other counties to vouch for him,” said Nancy Goodman, Redwood City resident.
Many of Binder’s supporters, including the Office of Sheriff Sergeants and the Labor Council, cited his experience in corrections, background in a nearby county and prior leadership over a Sheriff’s Office recovering from scandal.
Labor Council spokesperson Julie Lind said, “He knows what it takes to rebuild an organization while also supporting those who keep it running. His deep experience in corrections not only gives him critical insight into this work, but it means he understands the real human impact of every decision.”
Binder’s 26-year career in Santa Clara County also drew scrutiny. During his interview, President of the Board of Supervisors David Canepa pressed him about his relationship with former Sheriff Laurie Smith, who was found guilty of six counts of corruption. Canepa questioned why Binder didn’t resign after learning of Smith’s misconduct.
Binder said he had no knowledge of her actions when she was in office, which were all “behind closed doors.” After her departure, Binder said, “I was the person who needed to be there…I was called to provide stability, honesty and integrity in the office. If I wasn’t there, who was going to do that?”
He added that when prison guards were charged with the 2015 fatal beating of a mentally ill inmate in the Santa Clara jail, the suspects were “arrested within a week” following his department’s internal investigation.
Reverend Evelyn Vigil spoke highly of Binder during public comment, with whom she worked closely with as a chaplain in the main Santa Clara jail. “Binder stepped in to listen to the issues, to take them seriously, to work with the community and the families, and of course to get these resolved.”
When supervisors asked how he would prevent in-custody deaths in San Mateo jails, Binder advocated for additional mental health and addiction resources and an expanded use of drug-detection dogs.
Both supervisors and residents were drawn to Binder’s extensive experience in both corrections and policing in rural unincorporated communities.
“ The coast is a very different place and the jail is a very different place. And our new Sheriff Binder has the background and the skills to be able to navigate both,” said Redwood City resident Diana Reddy.
Supervisor Ray Mueller’s district is often referred to as the “Land of the Sheriff” because it includes unincorporated rural and coastal areas solely under the Sheriff’s jurisdiction. Mueller noted he was looking for a candidate who understood his agricultural constituents’ needs,
In the Santa Clara Sheriff’s Office, Binder evacuated residents from the 2020 CZU Lightning Complex fires, coordinated multi-agency efforts to tackle drag racing on rural highways, oversaw a unit that engaged with farm workers and managed law enforcement in three contract cities.
In his closing statement, Binder said, “ I will work with the community to solve problems, our entire community, whether it be the farm workers in the coast or the biotech engineers of one of the many cities in the county, or whether it’s the people in the neighborhoods of North Fair Oaks.”
Binder said his first 90 days as Sheriff will focus on creating a stable work environment and hiring management officers can trust.
“The first thing I’m going to do is install an executive leadership team that has the respect and trust of the organization,” he said.
Binder said he will conduct a top-to-bottom audit of the department’s policies and internal affairs cases and prioritize restoring staffing and morale.
Binder will serve the remainder of Corpus’ term until January 2029, after which a regular election will be held. Several supervisors were clear they want a Sheriff who will remain in office after the term ends.
“We need steady, long-term leadership,” Corzo said. “Rebuilding an office, a sheriff’s office, with this much power and this many instances of abuse…it’s not easy to overcome that.”
”I’m in it for the long term,” Binder said. “If I’m doing a good job and the community and the board trusts me, I would love to run again.”
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