Former Lincoln mayor leads in race to unseat City Council incumbent

The Abridged version:

• Former Lincoln Councilmember and mayor Spencer Short currently leads in his race to unseat incumbent Ben Brown on the Lincoln City Council.
• Both candidates have pointed to their respective accomplishments on City Council during their campaigns, arguing that the other was ineffective in leadership.
• Lincoln’s fiscal management and the City Council’s engagement with residents have emerged as key issues in the race.

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Former Lincoln mayor Spencer Short has taken the lead in his race to unseat incumbent District 2 representative Ben Brown.

As of Wednesday morning, Placer County ballot counts give Short about 51% and Brown about 47% of votes in the race. Short previously spent 16 years on the City Council representing the central and northeastern district, which includes Downtown Lincoln.

“The results feel pretty solid, and we’re waiting until we get the final numbers, but I’m very hopeful that they’ll remain as they are,” Short said. “I’m excited to serve District 2 again.”

Over 10% of ballots counted this far have been undervotes where fewer candidates were selected than required. These ballots will be returned to voters for resubmission.

Two reelection bids go head to head

Short has worked as a lawyer at national and local organizations for decades and currently serves on the board of Project Go, a regional nonprofit focused on affordable housing and energy efficiency. His campaign has leaned heavily on his performance on the Lincoln City Council from 2000 to 2016, after which he declined to run for reelection.

In an interview with Abridged by PBS KVIE, Short said he left City Council a decade ago due to new career opportunities. He chose to return to Lincoln politics this year after hearing concerns from local residents and business owners, who told him they feel District 2 has been left behind.

“As I spent more time with residents and business owners, they talked to me about a lack of connection with the council,” Short said. “That’s what drove me to run, some of that dissatisfaction from residents and business owners, and I’m excited to get that connection back.”

Brown, a consulting manager who has served on several county boards, has represented District 2 since 2022. His reelection bid has drawn support from notable figures in the community, including the entire sitting Lincoln City Council and state Assemblymember Joe Patterson.

Much of Brown’s campaign has also focused on his accomplishments as a City Council member, including addressing homelessness, improving financial management and strengthening public safety.

Though Brown’s campaign has been closely linked to that of District 1 Councilmember Holly Andreatta, early returns show a lag between the two candidates. As of Wednesday morning, Andreatta led her opponent by about 12 points, with about 800 more ballots counted in her race than in District 2.

Leadership differences mark campaigns

Debates over the city’s record of financial management have been central to the race. Lincoln currently faces a structural operations deficit and has placed a 1-cent tax increase on the ballot, which officials say will be used to bolster public safety. Support for the measure currently holds an 11-point lead in the polls.

Short has said that his return to the Lincoln City Council will improve financial accountability and that balancing the budget must always be a priority. He opposes the tax proposed in ballot Measure F, arguing that taxpayers shouldn’t pay for faulty financial management. Like other members of the sitting City Council, Brown supports the measure.

Brown has countered that many of the difficulties facing Lincoln have resulted from Short’s past leadership, especially on the issue of fiscal management. After Short’s tenure, Lincoln’s finances drew attention from the state auditor, which published a report in 2019 finding years of financial mismanagement and a lack of oversight and accountability.

“Lincoln spent years addressing the consequences of decisions made during Spencer Short’s time on City Council,” Brown wrote on social media. “We’ve made significant progress restoring the city’s finances and rebuilding public safety. But that history shouldn’t be forgotten.”

Short has distanced himself from the report, especially findings that the city inappropriately moved restricted funds to other funds facing deficits.

Both Lincoln City Council races have drawn attention over a candidate forum that was canceled after Brown and Andreatta announced they would not attend. Short has pointed to the incident as indicative of insufficient engagement with the community, which Brown disagrees with.

Counts for the next batch of ballots in this race and others in Placer County are expected to be released Friday, according to the county elections office.