OP-ED: Dan Dow gets an extra 2 years in office

OP-ED ~ California's Governor Gavin Newsom signed Assembly Bill 759 last fall, which extends the terms of elected sheriffs and district attorneys by two years, thereby delaying elections for two years until 2028 for San Luis Obispo County District Attorney Dan Dow and Sheriff Ian Parkinson. 

The law aims to increase voter participation in countywide elections and was co-authored by Assemblymember Kevin McCarty. Many California sheriffs are unhappy with the law, as it could lead to progressive sheriffs and DAs being elected due to higher Democratic turnout in presidential elections. 

SLO County voters are divided over Dow's re-election, with some believing he has provided sufficient reasons for a challenge, while others think that recruiting a qualified and reform-minded candidate to run against him in 2028 could be a challenge. 

The law's downside is that it creates a six-year gap between voters' decisions, while the upside is that political activists and donors have two extra years to recruit reform-minded candidates for district attorney. 

Meanwhile, Dow maintains his focus on public perp flogging and breezy scapegoating in his social media posts and press releases, leading some to call for a change in mindset to address 21st-century problems. Source: SLO Tribune ~ Tom Fulks