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Five candidates vying for two San Luis Obispo County supervisor seats

September 16, 2025

By KAREN VELIE

The stakes are high for San Luis Obispo County’s 2026 primary election. Liberals are battling to maintain Democratic control of the Board of Supervisors, while conservatives are backing their preferred candidates in what is likely to be two close races

Five candidates are vying for supervisorial seats in districts 2 and 4. Even though the races are nonpartisan, political heavyweights on both sides are getting behind their favorite candidates.

District 2

For nearly 20 years, Supervisor Bruce Gibson has held a tight grip on the District 2 supervisor seat, but he is not running for reelection. Two of the top issues in District 2 are a push for wind energy farms off the coast of Morro Bay and a proposed battery storage facility on the coastline.

The district runs along the coast from San Simeon to Los Osos and includes a portion of San Luis Obispo. It currently has 7,414 more Democrats than Republicans.

Michael Erin Woody, a licensed civil engineer and Salinan Indian tribal council member, is running on a platform of environmental stewardship, government transparency, and giving voice to coastal communities he says have been ignored by local politicians. He is registered declined to state.

Woody has voiced opposition to offshore wind energy and the proposed battery storage facility in Morro Bay. He points to the Moss Landing battery fire as validation of concerns coastal residents have raised for a decade about dangerous battery storage facilities.

Jim Dantona, the president and CEO of the San Luis Obispo Chamber of Commerce, is running a campaign focused on three primary goals – increasing access to housing, preserving open space, and creating better-paying jobs. He is registered Democratic.

As head of the chamber, Dantona was a strong supporter of off-shore wind energy and battery storage. Dantona plans to step down from the chamber at the end of the year.

District 4

District 4, which includes Nipomo, Arroyo Grande and Oceano, has 1,270 more Republicans than Democrats.

SLO County Supervisor Jimmy Paulding won his District 4 seat in 2024. His focuses include public safety, water security, climate resilience, housing and senior healthcare. He is registered Democratic.

Paulding primarily votes in lockstep with Supervisor Bruce Gibson. His support of a battery storage plant in Nipomo is likely to be a key issue in the race.

Adam Verdin is a local businessman, pilot, attorney and community leader. He is focused on keeping our communities safe, prosperous, and affordable. Verdin is a registered Republican.

Verdin has voiced concerns regarding fire and safety issues at battery storage facilities. He is an advocate for affordable housing and improving health care in the county.

Tyler Brewer is the owner of Family Paralegal Associates and founder of Piper’s Fund dog rescue. He is running on a platform of fairness, transparency, and accountability. He changed his registration to unknown on June 2.

“As an independent populist, I believe government should serve the people — not special interests, not political insiders, and not the wealthy elite<” according to Brewer’s website. “District 4 deserves leadership that listens, acts, and delivers results for the working families, farmers, and small businesses who make our communities strong.”

Supervisor candidates who receive more than 50 percent of the vote in the June 2 primary will win the election outright. Races in which no one wins in June will end with a November runoff.

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Check out Jimmy Paulding’s website. He’s very transparent about what he does and why he does it. In my opinion, he’s been the best Supervisor in the last 50 years. His father was in law-enforcement. He has other relatives that were also great civic leaders. He knows what he’s doing and he’s doing it for the benefit of the community which he is such an integral part of. The website, by the way, is one of the best from any local politician that I’ve heard of. Do the research don’t fall for the propaganda.


2

I predict Woody and Verdin as the victors for one reason, a greater potential for functionality.


7

I live in Los Osos and I will vote for anyone, Democrat, Republican, Independent, or Undeclared as long as they are against the Battery Plant!


17

I can remember a time in this county that the Board of Supervisors was a non-partisan office. There were no donkeys or elephants involved. In fact, the state constitution still explicitly lists the job as without party affiliation, yet that’s what we’re most concerned about. We have to know which side of the aisle a politician comes from in order to vote.


Used to be we simply chose the right person for the job. We respected each other enough not to be swayed by labels. Today, it’s simply Democrat=good, Republican=bad or vice versa, without ever considering the character and strengths of the candidate. My old supervisor, Paul Teixeira, who unfortunately died in office, was a conservative, but I always felt he was fair and I campaigned for him. I believed he would do what was right for the county.


I guess that’s why I have been impressed with Heather Moreno lately. I guess she is a Republican, but she doesn’t seem to be as overt about it as her predecessor was. And while I often agree with Gibson on the issues, he has been way too partisan and I think Paulding would do well to step away from that and exert some independence.


Now, I have no idea about these candidates. I’m old and rarely get out anymore so I have no recommendations. All I know is that voters should actually listen to what the candidate says rather than look to see if they have a D or an R after their name.


17

Conservative’s are generally fair.


9

I agree and that’s why I have been dismayed over the last several years that the Republican party has been taken over by the reactionaries on the radical right who are neither conservative nor fair.


3

Amen to that! We have enough partisan BS in politics at the national level. It never used to be partisan at the county level, and it shouldn’t be now. They want you to reduce everything and everyone to left or right, R or D. It makes great news copy to pitch this as a giant left vs right battle, but that’s part of the problem. Just listen to the candidates and stop trying to place everyone into two buckets!


3

fairness, transparency, and accountability. — not special interests, not political insiders, and not the wealthy elite


12

I agree totally! And I think there are two candidates who would exactly fit that description. They are both unaffiliated to a party and therefore not burdened by the mechanisms and influences of either “side”. I look forward to learning more about them and how they would help to shape our communities to better serve the needs of our people and protect our precious, world class natural environment.


5

Unfortunately having two people running against Jimmy Paulding only helps to assure he will be re-elected.


35

True, but if Paulding gets less than 50% of the vote he will be required to run against whomever comes in second. There is still a chance to rid the Board of Supervisors of this corrupt politician.


53

Do SLO County a huge favor to turn the tide on long established bad management through DemoNcrats in power.


VOTE A STRAIGHT REPUBLICAN TICKET to fix SLO COUNTY.


American/Californian Patriot #Hispanics4Trump, #Hispanics4TRUERepublicans and the Rule of Law. ⚖️


POTUS DJT #45-47


Winning!


11

Jimmy Paulding has to be removed…

Please!!!!


32