Coalition for a Better Sonoma County

888 Third Street
Santa Rosa, CA 95404

The Coalition for a Better Sonoma County brings together organizations, groups and individuals to work toward a common goal – to ensure that our local government acts for the benefit of all the people, not just for the benefit of big money interests.

We are environmentalists, union members, neighborhood activists, and concerned citizens, who believe that by working together we can make Sonoma County a better place.

COPE of the North Bay, AFL-CIO
Sonoma County Conservation Action
Sonoma County Young Democrats
Petaluma Tomorrow
IBEW, Local 551
Housing Advocacy Group
Operating Engineers, Local 3
Sonoma County Latino Democratic Club
SEIU 1021
Concerned Citizens for Santa Rosa
World Stewardship Institute
Sheetmetal Workers, Local 104
Progressive Student Movement
UA Local 38, Plumbers and Pipefitters
UFCW, Local 101
North Bay Labor Council

Assemblymember Noreen Evans
State Senator Pat Wiggins
Sonoma County Supervisor Shirlee Zane
Cotati Councilmember Janet Orchard
Cotati Councilmember Pat Gilardi
Healdsburg Councilmember Mike McGuire
Petaluma Mayor Pam Torliatt
Petaluma Councilmember Teresa Barrett
Petaluma Councilmember Dave Glass
Petaluma Councilmember Tiffany Renée
Rohnert Park Councilmember Jake Mackenzie
Santa Rosa Mayor Susan Gorin
Santa Rosa Councilmember Veronica Jacobi
Santa Rosa Councilmember Marsha Vas Dupre
Santa Rosa Councilmember Gary Wysocky
Sebastopol Mayor Sarah Glade Gurney
Sebastopol Mayor Pro Tem Linda Kelley
Sebastopol Councilmember Larry Robinson
Sebastopol Councilmember Kathleen Shaffer
Sonoma Mayor Ken Brown
Sonoma Mayor Pro Tem Stephen Barbose
Sonoma Councilmember Laurie Gallian
Windsor Vice Mayor Sam Salmon
Windsor Councilmember Deb Fudge
Windsor Councilmember Cheryl Scholar

In March of 2002, Santa Rosa Councilwoman Noreen Evans, with others, convened a meeting of Labor Union representatives, environmental groups and civic organizations that were active in Sonoma County. All these groups were frustrated by the failure of local governments to act on the issues that concerned them, such as: living wage ordinances, project labor agreements, local land use planning, affordable housing, local representation for minorities, availability of health care options, water resource issues, and campaign finance reform.

They understood that they could make progress on these issues only by working together to back progressive candidates for local offices.

Over the next few months, they reached agreement on a statement of principles by which to measure candidates, and formed a political support group – the Coalition for a Better Sonoma County. The Coalition backed City Council and Junior College Board candidates in the November 2002 elections. Part of these campaigns was the first concerted outreach to Latino voters.

In 2008, the Coalition helped elect County Supervisor Shirlee Zane, achieved the first ever progressive City Council majority in Santa Rosa, re-elected a progressive majority on Petaluma's City Council and elected progressive candidates throughout the County.

As our presence in the community grows, our success with endorsed candidates improves. We look forward to the opportunity to support progressive candidates who agree to support our Statement of Principles.

We will have an on-line form soon, but in the meantime, please contact us to join the Coalition! We welcome all members who support our Statement of Principles and want to join in our goal of electing candidates who also agree with, and will abide by, our Statement of Principles.

Contact us to join.