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With a final decision set for Wednesday, the three finalists vying to become San Mateo County’s next sheriff faced questions from the public Monday about how they would lead a department still reeling from the fallout of former Sheriff Christina Corpus’ ouster.
Moderators selected 11 questions from more than 400 submissions that touched on key issues, including how the candidates would build trust with immigrant communities, address the mental health and homelessness crisis, improve morale within the department and manage the agency’s more than $300 million budget.
The three-hour forum gave residents a chance to gauge how the contenders would lead the county’s 800-member law enforcement agency after years of scandal, and comment on how what they would prioritize actions during their first 90 days in office.
The finalists are David Lazar, a retired San Francisco Police Department assistant chief; Kenneth Binder, interim police chief in Gilroy and former Santa Clara County undersheriff; and Brian Wynn Huynh Travis, chief of police and director of public safety for the Solano Community College District.
The final decision for a new sheriff comes on the one-year anniversary of a county-commissioned report by retired Judge LaDoris Cordell detailing allegations of conflict of interest, retaliation, and misconduct by Corpus. The report set off a yearlong battle, with the county dedicating massive resources — disclosing at least $4.6 million in spending so far — to remove Corpus, who continues to challenge the process.
That same day the report was released, Deputy Sheriffs’ Association (DSA) President Carlos Tapia was arrested on suspicion of timecard fraud — an action union leaders said was retaliatory for his criticism of Corpus. While San Mateo County District Attorney Stephen Wagstaffe declined to file criminal charges against Tapia, he remains on administrative leave pending an internal investigation.
Corpus, the first Latina sheriff in the county, was elected in 2022 and removed from office last month. She became the first sheriff in California to be removed by a county board.
Her removal followed a voter-approved charter amendment giving the Board of Supervisors the authority to remove a sheriff after a two-week hearing in August, during which a hearing officer found she had engaged in conflict-of-interest and retaliation while in office. The amendment also allows the board to appoint the next sheriff, a power it will retain through 2028.
Corpus has denied allegations against her, including claims that Tapia’s arrest was retaliatory, insisting it stemmed from a legitimate timecard fraud investigation. She has appeals pending and maintains that her removal violated her rights and due process.
While the questions posed to her replacement candidates Monday covered a wide range of topics, the three men agreed on one key priority: in their first 90 days, they would focus on building an executive team and making strategic hiring decisions to implement reforms and stabilize a department in turmoil.
Lazar, who served more than 33 years with the San Francisco Police Department before retiring earlier this year, said he would move quickly to rebuild internal trust. He said he plans to meet with union leaders, rank-and-file staff, and county officials to draft a strategic plan addressing staffing and morale.
“My first 48 hours is really to sit down with the leadership team and the DSA, Organization of Sheriffs Sergeants, and both professional staff and sworn staff and develop a strategic plan on moving forward, on rebuilding,” he said.
He also expressed willingness to reinstate employees who left or were removed amid the fallout from the former sheriff, including Tapia.
Binder said his top priority would be installing an executive leadership team “that has the respect and trust of the organization” and either reinstating individuals unfairly investigated by the internal affairs department or holding accountable those with legitimate issues.
“But we need to do it fast. We can’t let that linger,” Binder said.
Binder previously said he plans to include former Assistant Sheriff Ryan Monaghan, whom Corpus fired in September 2024, and former Undersheriff Chris Hsiung, who resigned in June 2024, on his executive team. Both testified against Corpus during the August removal hearings.
Binder briefly served as Santa Clara County’s acting sheriff for about two months after former Sheriff Laurie Smith resigned in 2022 amid a civil corruption trial over allegedly granting concealed carry permits to political donors and VIPs.
Originally from San Mateo County, Travis, who spent most of his policing career in the North Bay, said his first 90 days would focus on restoring morale and fairness, starting with a listening tour of deputies, sergeants, and professional staff, while forming a new executive team and revisiting personnel decisions he described as unjust.
“I would go on a listening tour … just to make sure that we’re all on the same page. I want them to be heard. I want them to feel respected,” Travis said.
About 40 people spoke during public comment Monday, with most from San Francisco, to voice their support for Lazar as the county’s next sheriff. One speaker backed Travis, another supported Binder, and several others addressed broader public safety priorities in the county.
On Tuesday afternoon, the Deputy Sheriff’s Association announced it would not be endorsing any candidates.
“This is not a reflection on the candidates, who we find to be highly qualified for the position, but rather a reflection on the tight timeline afforded for this process, which has made it impossible to thoroughly vet each of the candidates to make a full and fair assessment of them,” the union said in a statement.
Though the influential union withheld endorsements, it emphasized that it views each candidate as a step forward for the department.
“The DSA believes each of the candidates represents a significant improvement in leadership over what the membership has had to endure for the last several years, and we appreciate every candidate agreeing that rebuilding this agency begins with a competitive contract to attract and retain the highest-caliber employees,” the union said. “We look forward to working collaboratively with whichever candidate the Board of Supervisors appoints to serve the remainder of this current term.”
The Board of Supervisors is scheduled to make its final decision at 9 a.m. Wednesday.
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Ryan Macasero
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