Wheat holds kick-off event for Elk Grove District 3 City Council campaign, praises new by-district voting

Elk Grove City Council District 3 candidate Lynn Wheat held a campaign kickoff and fundraising event last night. Wheat is one of four candidates campaigning to fill the District 3 seat currently occupied by Steve Detrick, who has decided not to run for reelection.

The event was held at Chason's Crab Stadium on Sheldon Road in District 3 and drew over two dozen supporters. Wheat also revealed the theme of her campaign which is "Working For You" and her website, www.wheat4citycouncil.com.

A 30-plus year resident of the city, Wheat regularly speaks and participates in Elk Grove City City Council meetings. A registered nurse by profession, Wheat advocates for a variety of environmental issues, smart land planning principles, and fiscal discipline.

Wheat and the other three candidates are now campaigning for the District 3 seat on a by-district basis. Through the 2018 elections, city councilmembers resided in one of four districts but were elected by the entire city.

"We have to remember that the current city council resisted the call for district elections, and we have to ask ourselves why the resistance," Wheat said. "I have to assume the reason was to preserve the status quo. Money has been a barrier for many who would like to have served on the city council."

The high price of running a from-district campaign, Wheat noted, kept otherwise well-qualified candidates out of the process. The fact there are four candidates for District 3 and the possibility for more is a testimony to the positive effects of by-district voting is having already, she added. 

"A by-district election will offer me the opportunity to run a fiscally sound effective campaign as well as meeting and reaching out to all within district 3. A by district election offers the opportunity to focus on the concerns and needs of all District 3 people," she said. "District 3 is a more established area of the city, and our elected officials have been focused on expanding beyond our current city boundaries that District 3 has been neglected as other well-established areas within our city."

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