The Willow Glen Resident


Laurie Smith	Ruben Diaz

Fall sheriff's race will be a historic contest

Two assistant sheriffs are scheduled to face off this November

By Pam Marino

Santa Clara County is headed for a historic sheriff's race this fall between a woman and a Hispanic man.

Laurie Smith and Ruben Diaz were the two top vote-getters from a field of five candidates in the June 2 election. Both currently serve under Sheriff Chuck Gillingham as assistant sheriffs.

There has never been a female sheriff in California, and only white males have been elected to the Santa Clara County post.

Smith received 57,540 votes, for 24 percent of the vote. Diaz received 51,426 votes for 22 percent. He was followed by fellow assistant sheriff Tom Sing, Sgt. Jose Salcido and Sgt. Brian Beck.

"I was thrilled to be No. 1. It was a wonderful vote of confidence," Smith said.

Santa Clara County is known for its propensity to elect women to office, but Smith said it's an unknown how that will translate to law enforcement.

Smith was outgunned by Diaz, Sing, and Salcido in both money and endorsements. She raised $17,000 and loaned herself $40,000. Diaz, on the other hand, raised approximately $150,000.

"Because I didn't have as many resources, I had to really target where I thought I would be strong," Smith said. She credited a targeted mailing to high-propensity voters for her success at the polls.

In addition to money, Diaz had some high-powered endorsements from San Jose Mayor Susan Hammer and other elected officials, as well as from high-tech business leaders. He also had strong support from the Hispanic community in San Jose.

Both candidates had very similar issues at the core of their campaigns: domestic violence, youth and gangs, and high-tech crime. They both said they would continue to campaign on the same issues in the fall.

The platforms presented by Diaz and Smith may have resonated with voters more than the key topics chosen by the other three candidates. Although Beck also talked about gangs, from ads and brochures he appeared to be a single-issue candidate. Sing, who had Gillingham's endorsement, may have represented the status quo in a department that some say needs change. Salcido campaigned on the issue of change, charging that the department's organization and morale are in dire straits. Yet that may not have totally jibed with the public's perception of good service from deputies, as a Cupertino poll conducted earlier this year indicated.

In addition to his original core issues, Diaz picked up a couple issues from Salcido, saying he would also improve the department's morale and combat crime against seniors.

He predicted he would win in November because of diverse support from throughout the county.

Smith said she would continue to focus on issues and qualifications. Diaz is claiming that Smith is not as qualified as he is, but Smith said she believes they are equally qualified.

"It's going to be up to the voters who is the best candidate," she said. "Someone may be well-qualified and not be the best candidate."

The two candidates for November's runoff have pledged to run clean campaigns, with no negative ads or attacks on one another.

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