Public invited to meet San Mateo County sheriff candidates at November 10 community forum in Redwood City
San Mateo County, California – The San Mateo County Board of Supervisors has named three finalists for the job of county sheriff. They are inviting people to a public discussion on Monday, November 10, at 6 p.m. in the Board Chambers at 500 County Center in Redwood City. The event gives people in the community a chance to hear directly from the candidates and find out how they plan to lead law enforcement and keep the public safe.
At a special meeting, supervisors chose Kenneth Binder, David Lazar, and Brian Wynn Huynh Travis as the three finalists to move on in the appointment process.
Binder is now the Interim Chief of Police in Gilroy. He has worked for the Santa Clara County Sheriff’s Office for decades, including as Undersheriff, where he was in charge of a $551 million budget and approximately 1,900 employees.
Lazar worked for the San Francisco Police Department for 33 years before retiring. He had many leadership positions, including Assistant Chief. He started his career in public safety as a Police Activities League Cadet and a 911 dispatcher.
Travis is the Chief of Police and Director of Public Safety for the Solano Community College District. Before that, he worked for the Solano County Sheriff’s Office for almost 14 years. He also served in the U.S. Army for 26 years, including deployments to Bosnia-Herzegovina and Iraq.
“From the start, the Board wanted this to be a process the public could see and take part in,” said Board President David Canepa. “Today, everyone had their first look at the candidates, and Monday’s forum will give residents another chance to hear directly from the finalists about their vision for public safety in San Mateo County.”
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The deadline for applying for the sheriff’s job was November 5. The Board interviewed six applicants on November 6 after going over all of the applications to see if they were eligible. Before the Board chose the three finalists, each candidate talked about their background, answered questions, and gave their closing speeches.
Supervisor Ray Mueller highlighted how important it is to choose a leader who can keep the community’s trust.
“Our mandate and responsibility is to appoint a sheriff who will provide steady leadership within the department and uphold the public’s trust in the office,” said Supervisor Ray Mueller.
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The final decision will follow a second round of public interviews at a special meeting on Wednesday, November 12, at 9 a.m. Spanish interpretation and accessibility accommodations will be available for both meetings. According to the County Charter, the Board must appoint a new sheriff by November 13, 2025.
Further details and candidate materials can be viewed online here.
