End of an Elk Grove political era - former Elk Grove mayor, city council member closes campaign account
https://www.elkgrovenews.net/2024/08/end-of-elk-grove-political-era-former.html
July 31, 2024, ended a chapter in Elk Grove politics. With his California Form 410 filing, Elk Grove's first directly elected mayor and one of two candidates to unseat an original city council member closed his campaign finance account.
The form was filed by former Elk Grove Mayor and City Councilmember Gary Davis. The 410 was filed with the Elk Grove City Clerk which formally closed his campaign fund.
Even though Davis left office in 2016 without seeking a second two-year term, he maintained his account, which recently had about $33,000 in funds. In February, Davis transferred most of that money to his wife, Heather Davis, 's 2024 reelection campaign for her position on the Sacramento County Office of Education.
Davis first ran for the Elk Grove City Council in 2006 against Dan Briggs, who was on the first city council elected during the city's 2000 incorporation. Along with Pat Hume, who also unseated original City Councilmember Rick Soares, Davis saw a race that attracted hundreds of thousands of special interest money to support the two challengers.
In May 2009, Davis entered the race challenging Republican then-Congressman Dan Lungren for the November 2010 election. Davis dropped out of that contest in October 2009.
After winning reelection to the city council in 2010, Davis became Elk Grove's first directly elected mayor in 2012. Davis was not opposed in 2014, but in July 2016, Davis surprisingly dropped out of the race, opening the door for then-Elk Grove City Councilmember Steve Ly to win the office.
Even though Davis dropped out of that race, he maintained his campaign fund. He briefly entered the 2022 Sacramento Board of Supervisors race but dropped out once Hume declared his candidacy.
Although Davis was popular after his first election as a council member and mayor, his popularity had waned by 2016. Known for making big swings while mayor, his biggest failure was a push to construct a multi-hundred-million-dollar soccer facility in hopes of attracting a Major League Soccer expansion franchise.
One qualified success Davis enjoyed was his role in developing Elk Grove's District56 meeting facility and accompanying aquatics center. However, since opening in 2019, the aquatics center has been plagued by repeated operational failures and higher-than-expected operating losses.
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As a citizen who takes an interest in our local government I watched as Gary’s seemingly sincere attempt to improve the life of our citizenry slowly disappeared and the attention the title mayor had on him slowly turned him into an egomaniac and eventually led to his political downfall. I guess notoriety and attention are two difficult issues for most people to deal with, it takes over who they are leaving behind the simple person that just wanted to help. That person ceases to exist. It happened with Gary, it happened with Steve Ly and it’s happened with Bobbie Singh-Allen. Attention is a harsh mistress. Mostly harsh to us citizens.
Wasn't it Gary Davis who said politicians have a shelf live? Take note Mayor Bobbie!
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