Heather Fargo
Encyclopedia
Heather Fargo is a former Mayor and former City Council Member
of Sacramento, California
. She was sworn in as Mayor in November 2000, replacing Jimmie Yee, and served until December 2008, when she was replaced by Kevin Johnson
.
degree in Environmental Planning and Management from the University of California, Davis
in 1975. In 1981, Fargo earned a Certificate of Completion from the Revenue Sources Management School in Boulder, Colorado
. She also completed the State and Local Government Executive Program at the John F. Kennedy School of Government
at Harvard University
in 1991.
in 1989 to a five year term as Sacramento was transitioning to even year city-wide elections. Fargo represented District One which includes Downtown
and Natomas. In the September primary, she came in second place to businesswoman Kate Karpilow but beat future City Councilman Ray Tretheway who came in third place and incumbent David Shore who came in fourth place. However, Fargo came back to beat Karpilow in November.
Upon Grantland Johnson's resignation from the County Board of Supervisors in 1994, Fargo decided to run for the Board. In that election, she faced attorney and community activist Roger Dickinson. In a closely fought election, Dickinson narrowly beat Fargo. After that loss she was re-elected in 1994 and 1998. While serving on the city council, (prior to becoming Mayor full-time), she was employed as a manager of the California State Parks Volunteer Program.
ran along with Robbie Waters who represents the Pocket and Greenhaven areas decided to run along with several lesser known candidates that included businessman and attorney Joe Genshlea and community activist Julie Padilla. Fargo, who won 22% of the vote in the primary and Kerth who won 20% of the vote made it into the November runoff, where Fargo was elected with just 53% of the vote.
received 46% of the vote.
Since neither received a majority of the votes, a run off election was scheduled for November 2008, where she was defeated by a margin of 58% to 42%.
During the primary election campaign, Fargo initially claimed that she had the support of all the city councilmembers. Yet, Councilman Robbie Waters, Steve Cohn, and Sandra Sheedy all ended up endorsing Johnson during the primary. On September 4, 2008 only Councilman Kevin McCarty endorsed Heather Fargo.
, an organization formed in 2006 and co-chaired by New York City
mayor Michael Bloomberg
and Boston
mayor Thomas Menino
.
In 2006, 2007, and 2008, Mayor Fargo was named "Best Local Elected Official" by the readers of Sacramento Magazine in their annual poll.
Because Fargo received a majority of the votes in the primary election, no general election was necessary.
Johnson and Fargo proceeded to a runoff election on November 5.
Precincts Reporting - 215 out of 391
Sacramento City Council
The Sacramento City Council is the governing body of the city of Sacramento, California. The council holds regular meetings at Sacramento City Hall on Tuesdays at 2:00 pm and 6:00 pm, with exceptions for holidays and other special cases....
of Sacramento, California
Sacramento, California
Sacramento is the capital city of the U.S. state of California and the county seat of Sacramento County. It is located at the confluence of the Sacramento River and the American River in the northern portion of California's expansive Central Valley. With a population of 466,488 at the 2010 census,...
. She was sworn in as Mayor in November 2000, replacing Jimmie Yee, and served until December 2008, when she was replaced by Kevin Johnson
Kevin Johnson
Kevin Maurice Johnson is the current mayor of Sacramento, California. He is Sacramento's first African American mayor. Prior to entering politics, Johnson was a basketball player in the NBA, playing point guard for the Cleveland Cavaliers and the Phoenix Suns...
.
Early life and education
Heather Fargo grew up in Davis, Santa Maria, and Stockton, CA. She graduated from AA Stagg High School. She received a Bachelor of ScienceBachelor of Science
A Bachelor of Science is an undergraduate academic degree awarded for completed courses that generally last three to five years .-Australia:In Australia, the BSc is a 3 year degree, offered from 1st year on...
degree in Environmental Planning and Management from the University of California, Davis
University of California, Davis
The University of California, Davis is a public teaching and research university established in 1905 and located in Davis, California, USA. Spanning over , the campus is the largest within the University of California system and third largest by enrollment...
in 1975. In 1981, Fargo earned a Certificate of Completion from the Revenue Sources Management School in Boulder, Colorado
Boulder, Colorado
Boulder is the county seat and most populous city of Boulder County and the 11th most populous city in the U.S. state of Colorado. Boulder is located at the base of the foothills of the Rocky Mountains at an elevation of...
. She also completed the State and Local Government Executive Program at the John F. Kennedy School of Government
John F. Kennedy School of Government
The John F. Kennedy School of Government at Harvard University is a public policy and public administration school, and one of Harvard's graduate and professional schools...
at Harvard University
Harvard University
Harvard University is a private Ivy League university located in Cambridge, Massachusetts, United States, established in 1636 by the Massachusetts legislature. Harvard is the oldest institution of higher learning in the United States and the first corporation chartered in the country...
in 1991.
City Council Years
Heather Fargo was first elected to the Sacramento City CouncilSacramento City Council
The Sacramento City Council is the governing body of the city of Sacramento, California. The council holds regular meetings at Sacramento City Hall on Tuesdays at 2:00 pm and 6:00 pm, with exceptions for holidays and other special cases....
in 1989 to a five year term as Sacramento was transitioning to even year city-wide elections. Fargo represented District One which includes Downtown
Downtown Sacramento
Downtown Sacramento is the central business district of the City of Sacramento. Downtown is generally defined as the area south of the American River, east of the Sacramento River, north of Broadway, and west of 16th Street. The central business district is generally defined as north of R Street,...
and Natomas. In the September primary, she came in second place to businesswoman Kate Karpilow but beat future City Councilman Ray Tretheway who came in third place and incumbent David Shore who came in fourth place. However, Fargo came back to beat Karpilow in November.
Upon Grantland Johnson's resignation from the County Board of Supervisors in 1994, Fargo decided to run for the Board. In that election, she faced attorney and community activist Roger Dickinson. In a closely fought election, Dickinson narrowly beat Fargo. After that loss she was re-elected in 1994 and 1998. While serving on the city council, (prior to becoming Mayor full-time), she was employed as a manager of the California State Parks Volunteer Program.
2000 Mayoral Campaign
Upon the sudden death in November 1999 of Mayor Joe Serna, Jr., Land Park city councilman Jimmie Yee became the acting mayor. Several candidates announced their intentions to run. Other than Fargo, three other councilmembers were also seeking the mayorship. North Sacramento city councilman Rob Kerth who represented an area immediately adjacent to Fargo's also decided to run. In addition, Steve Cohn, the city councilman for East SacramentoEast Sacramento, Sacramento, California
East Sacramento is a neighborhood in Sacramento, California, United States, that is east of downtown and midtown. East Sacramento is bounded by U.S. Hwy. 50 to the south, Alhambra Boulevard to the west, Elvas Ave. to the north and northeast, and California State University, Sacramento and the...
ran along with Robbie Waters who represents the Pocket and Greenhaven areas decided to run along with several lesser known candidates that included businessman and attorney Joe Genshlea and community activist Julie Padilla. Fargo, who won 22% of the vote in the primary and Kerth who won 20% of the vote made it into the November runoff, where Fargo was elected with just 53% of the vote.
2004 Mayoral Campaign
Fargo did not face as stiff competition in her 2004 re-election. Her main opponent was Ross W. Relles, Jr., a businessman. Other candidates were Deputy Attorney General Mark Soble and Lorenzo Patino Law School President Leonard Padilla. Virtually unopposed against candidates far less funded, Fargo won solidly in the primary election, thus no runoff was necessary.2008 Mayoral Campaign
The primary election for Mayor took place on 3 June 2008. Fargo received 39% of the vote, while former NBA star and Sacramento native Kevin JohnsonKevin Johnson
Kevin Maurice Johnson is the current mayor of Sacramento, California. He is Sacramento's first African American mayor. Prior to entering politics, Johnson was a basketball player in the NBA, playing point guard for the Cleveland Cavaliers and the Phoenix Suns...
received 46% of the vote.
Since neither received a majority of the votes, a run off election was scheduled for November 2008, where she was defeated by a margin of 58% to 42%.
During the primary election campaign, Fargo initially claimed that she had the support of all the city councilmembers. Yet, Councilman Robbie Waters, Steve Cohn, and Sandra Sheedy all ended up endorsing Johnson during the primary. On September 4, 2008 only Councilman Kevin McCarty endorsed Heather Fargo.
Environment
Heather Fargo was a founding member and the first secretary of the Sacramento Tree Foundation, which is considered an important voice in Sacramento’s environmental community.Gun Control
During her tenure Mayor Fargo became a member of the Mayors Against Illegal Guns CoalitionMayors Against Illegal Guns Coalition
Mayors Against Illegal Guns is a coalition of over 600 mayors who support a number of gun control initiatives that the group calls "commonsense reforms" to fight illegal gun trafficking and gun violence in the United States...
, an organization formed in 2006 and co-chaired by New York City
New York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
mayor Michael Bloomberg
Michael Bloomberg
Michael Rubens Bloomberg is the current Mayor of New York City. With a net worth of $19.5 billion in 2011, he is also the 12th-richest person in the United States...
and Boston
Boston
Boston is the capital of and largest city in Massachusetts, and is one of the oldest cities in the United States. The largest city in New England, Boston is regarded as the unofficial "Capital of New England" for its economic and cultural impact on the entire New England region. The city proper had...
mayor Thomas Menino
Thomas Menino
Thomas Michael "Tom" Menino is the mayor of Boston, Massachusetts, United States and the city's first Italian-American mayor...
.
Mayoral tenure
Mayor Fargo's tenure as mayor included disagreements with the Maloof family, owners of the NBA's Sacramento Kings, over the building of a new stadium.In 2006, 2007, and 2008, Mayor Fargo was named "Best Local Elected Official" by the readers of Sacramento Magazine in their annual poll.
2000 Primary Election for Mayor of Sacramento
| Name | Percentage of the Vote |
|---|---|
| Heather Fargo | 21.76% |
| Rob Kerth | 20.19% |
| Robbie Waters | 18.23% |
| Joe Genshlea | 14.68% |
| Julie Padilla | 11.68% |
| Steve Cohn | 9.08% |
2000 General Election for Mayor of Sacramento
| Name | Percentage of the Vote |
|---|---|
| Heather Fargo | 54.07% |
| Rob Kerth | 45.93% |
2004 Primary Election for Mayor of Sacramento
| Name | Percentage of the Vote |
|---|---|
| Heather Fargo | 59.77% |
| Ross W. Relles, Jr. | 20.91% |
| Mark Soble | 11.54% |
| Leonard Padilla | 7.78% |
Because Fargo received a majority of the votes in the primary election, no general election was necessary.
2008 Primary Election for Mayor of Sacramento
| Name | Percentage of the Vote |
|---|---|
| Kevin Johnson | 46.58% |
| Heather Fargo | 39.65% |
| Leonard Padilla | 5.83% |
| Shawn D. Eldredge | 3.44% |
| Muriel Strand | 2.79% |
Johnson and Fargo proceeded to a runoff election on November 5.
2008 General Election for Mayor of Sacramento
| Name | Percentage of the Vote |
|---|---|
| Kevin Johnson | 54% |
| Heather Fargo | 46% |
Precincts Reporting - 215 out of 391