Statement on Election Integrity

Free and fair elections are the foundation of representative government. That means voters get accurate information about who is asking for their vote, and district representation means what it says: someone who lives in the community they’re asking to represent.

This week, San Joaquin County residents saw why that matters. A Stockton City Council candidate was arrested on multiple felony charges, including perjury and election fraud, following a multi-week investigation by the District Attorney’s Office. Our purpose here is not to comment on one case. It’s to say plainly where SDT stands on the underlying issue, regardless of who is involved or what office they’re seeking.

We want to be clear about two things at once, because both are true. 

First: allegations are not proof. An arrest is not a conviction, and the legal process (arraignment, discovery, and trial if it gets there) exists so guilt or innocence is determined by evidence, not by press release or social media pressure. SDT will not treat pending charges as settled fact, and we’d ask the same of anyone speaking on our behalf. That standard applies equally to any other unresolved allegations that have surfaced around this race, on any side. Due process isn’t selective.

Second: election fraud, if proven, is a serious betrayal of the people a candidate is asking to serve. Voters in every district deserve confidence that the person on their ballot is who they say they are and lives where they say they live. Anything less erodes trust in the whole system, and that erosion doesn’t stay contained to one race.

We’re stating our own standard clearly, in advance, so there’s no ambiguity later.

Any candidate convicted of an election fraud–related offense — including perjury connected to candidate filings, voter registration fraud, or filing a false declaration of candidacy — is not eligible for SDT’s endorsement, recommendation, or any disbursement of club funds, now or in the future.

This policy is triggered by conviction, not accusation, and it applies regardless of party.

San Joaquin County deserves elections it can trust and a candidate verification process robust enough to catch problems long before Election Day. We’ll keep pushing for both.

Signed,
Stockton Democrats Together Executive Board
David Sengthay, President
Travis Castle, Vice President
Colleen Keenan, Secretary
Allyson Aranda, Treasurer

Stockton Democrats Together is a chartered affiliate club of the San Joaquin County Democratic Central Committee.

PO Box 4311 · Stockton, CA 95204
info@stocktondems.org · stocktondems.org