After Supervisor Federal Glover announced his retirement in December, District 5 residents along the Contra Costa County’s industrial corridor will have a new representative for the first time since 2000 — setting the stage for an election that some say could reshape the politics of East Contra Costa County.
Jelani Killings, Shanelle Scales-Preston, Mike Barbanica and Iztaccuauhtli Gonzalez are all vying to take over the reins of District 5, which runs along the county’s northern waterfront, encompassing Martinez, Hercules, Pittsburg and a sliver of Antioch, as well as a dozen other unincorporated communities.
The competitive race is a sharp contrast to those in District 2 and District 3, where sitting Contra Costa County Supervisors — Candace Andersen and Diane Burgis, respectively — have a clear path to re-election, with no challengers in the March primary.
As for the District 5 contenders, Killings has served on the Pittsburg City Council since 2016, and currently works as an analyst for Oakland’s Public Ethics Commission.
His campaign for Contra Costa County is centered on three core pillars: government accountability, public safety and economic development. The 37-year-old Pittsburg native said he wants to help build consensus among residents and sees more similarities than differences in the diverse concerns he’s heard from communities across northern Contra Costa County.
“When I say I’m an independent and trustworthy voice, I stand on that — I’m not bound by partisan politics,” Killings said. “We all understand that we’re trying to address issues, but if it’s not done collaboratively, you’re actually doing more harm to the community.”
While he said he appreciates how the county’s $5 billion budget sustained and even expanded services, he wants to publicly audit how departments can most efficiently use taxpayer dollars. Additionally, he said he would push efforts to support criminal justice reforms with accountability that helps reduce harm — saying that progress blossoms when rooted within safe communities.
In addition to working as an ordained minister, Killings has served as a representative in the East Bay League of California Cities and Association of Bay Area Governments, as well as Pittsburg City Council committees dedicated to finance, economic development, and community development block grants.
With the region’s industrial past transformed by new technologies, Killings said he would prioritize creating more opportunities for education, employment and entrepreneurship as a vehicle for upward mobility and self-sufficiency for residents in District 5. He aspires to breathe life back into the same kinds of resources he had access to growing up — many of which, he said, have since been overlooked by past elected officials.
“We need leadership that will be bold and break away from the status quo,” Killings said, adding that he would be the first Millennial voice on the county board, if elected. “We need to be more solution-oriented, more accountable and more transparent to the public about the things that we’re doing.”
Scales-Preston is also a Pittsburg City Councilmember, currently serving her sixth year as a lawmaker in her hometown. During that time, the 45-year-old pointed to her work opening up a new youth center and skate park, addressing public safety concerns such as sideshows and gun buyback programs, and advocating for increased transportation options.
In addition to serving on several regional energy and transportation boards and serving as the current president of the League of California Cities East Bay Division, Scales-Preston also boasts experience in the federal government, having two decades under her belt as a top aide to Rep. Mark DeSaulnier, D-Concord, and his predecessor, George Miller.
“I’ve been able to work with local electeds each and every day, working with them on different projects and meetings,” Scales-Preston said. “I have built a lot of relationships over the last 22 years because they have seen me working out in their communities.”
Scales-Preston said a lot of her priorities were instilled in her growing up in Contra Costa County, where her father owned a small business and was a union member, her mother worked at a former local glass factory and her brother struggled with mental health.
Whether advocating for increased job opportunities in green industries, access to affordable housing or even health programs across the county, she said her past work experience will help her juggle the range of diverse community needs across District 5 — connecting with both longtime regional leaders and residents who may feel overlooked.
“People want to know that they have a representative that’s going to be on the ground with them, not just being an elected official,” Scales-Preston said. “I’m not making up my own plan, but rather creating shared goals and values where people feel like they have a voice.”
Barbanica was elected in 2020 to the Antioch City Council, where he said he’s focused on improving public safety, aiding small business success and developing dilapidating properties in District 2. In his campaign for supervisor, he said he hopes to expand the work he’s started in his hometown of Antioch to other corners of Contra Costa County’s District 5.
While he currently works as a real estate broker, the 21 years he served as a former police lieutenant in Pittsburg has helped him glean an intense backing from local police officers’ associations and law enforcement officials.
Gonzalez, a Pittsburg insurance agent and loan and real estate broker, is campaigning on a promise to empower community voices, improve efficiency in local government, combat crime and direct funding to the most vulnerable county residents. Explaining why he’s the best candidate to represent District 5, he citied his family’s past work as laborers, in addition to his own short tenure as a teacher, and subsequent 25-year career as a small business owner, according to his campaign website.
Gonzalez served as president of the Hispanic Chamber of Commerce of Contra Costa County, as well as a board member for the Associated Students Incorporated at Cal Poly San Luis Obispo, where he graduated with a bachelor’s in history.