7 candidates selected in search for new San Mateo Co. sheriff: Here's who they are

SAN MATEO COUNTY, Calif. (KGO) -- Residents of San Mateo County are learning who is vying to be the next sheriff.

On Wednesday, San Mateo County posted bios, applications and a video of each of the seven candidates online.

The candidates are:

• Gilroy Interim Police Chief Kenneth Binder


• City Manager of Hillsborough John Doug Davis


• Former Assistant Chief of the San Francisco Police Department David Lazar


• Capt. Kevin Lee of SFPD


• Solano Community College District Police Chief Brian Wynn Huynh Travis


• Sgt. David Weidner of the San Mateo County Sheriff's Office


• Former SFPD Capt. Robert Yick

We spoke with former San Francisco police officer and current criminal justice lecturer, Jim Dudley.

"I live in San Mateo County, so I could say this: I feel like we in the community feel like we're sort of in limbo while all of this was happening, so it would be great who can hit the ground running," Dudley said.

All of the candidates are from the Bay Area, but four said in their applications that they just recently moved to San Mateo County.

RELATED: San Mateo Co. supervisors move to appoint new sheriff by Nov. 13 after removing Christina Corpus

"I don't know if that's a good sign. I would look for somebody with stability, somebody who knows the county and the issues that are happening here. I think we have 23 separate agencies within the county, and the sheriff is going to have to know about corrections and court room and security and patrol, unincorporated areas, three contract cities, and working with all the other cities in between," Dudley said.

All the candidates have extensive law enforcement backgrounds. Many of the candidates addressed the recent leadership failure within the Sheriff's Office.

Here are each of their qualifications, according to their applications and resumes:

Kenneth Binder

Binder began his 27-year law enforcement career in the Santa Clara County Sheriff's Office, working his way up to become undersheriff in 2020.

He briefly served as Acting Sheriff of Santa Clara County in 2022 after former Sheriff Laurie Smith retired early just before a civil grand jury convicted her of corruption and willful misconduct. Binder said in his application that in his role as acting sheriff, he helped stabilize the Sheriff's Office.

Binder also served as police chief for three cities that contract with the Santa Clara County Sheriff's Office, where he focused on employing "21st century policing," which is a modern policing approach that prioritizes community engagement and officer wellness.

Binder retired from the Sheriff's Office in 2024 before taking up the position of Gilroy Interim Police Chief in June this year.

John Doug Davis

Davis currently serves as the city manager of Hillsborough after a 34-year career in Hillsborough Police Department. He served as the Police Chief of HPD from 2018 to 2023. He is also currently the chief administrative officer of the Central County Fire Department where he oversees fire department services for Hillsborough, Burlingame, and Millbrae.

Through these roles, he has managed large budgets and has worked collaboratively with labor unions, according to his application.

Davis also has "long-standing" ties to the San Mateo County Sheriff's Office, where he was a member if its SWAT team. He also served three years as the commander for the Sheriff's Office Gang Intelligence Unit and Gang Task Force, according to his resume.

David Lazar

Lazar recently ended a 33-year run with SFPD, where he rose through the ranks to become assistant chief for three years under former Police Chief Bill Scott.

As assistant chief, he was responsible for overseeing 1,700 sworn and non-sworn staff.

He also has experience in promoting police reform and community policing. He established SFPD's Community Engagement Division with the goals of boosting community policing, reducing bias in the department, and evaluating use of force policies.

If appointed, his priorities would be trying to heal the Sheriff's Office through demonstrating strong leadership and bringing back honesty, professionalism, and transparency, he said. He would also encourage deputies to have a voice and allow them to contribute to the day-to-day operations.

Kevin Lee

Lee has been the captain of SFPD's Richmond Station since July and has more than 26 years of law enforcement experience in San Francisco. He began his career as a deputy in 1999 at the San Francisco Sheriff's Office, where he worked in corrections and court security.

He then transitioned to become an officer with SFPD, serving as a sergeant, lieutenant, and now captain. He is bilingual with fluency in Cantonese.

As captain of SFPD's Richmond Station, Lee oversees a multi-million-dollar budget, 75 sworn and civilian personnel, and he directs all aspects of field operations.

If appointed sheriff, he would focus on implementing 21st century policing values including strengthening community trust and promoting officer wellness, he said. He would also expand advanced technology to aid in policing, including the use of drones.

Brian Wynn Huynh Travis

Travis has more than 25 years of public safety experience and currently serves as Police Chief for the Solano Community College District. He helped establish the district's first POST-accredited police department from the ground up, according to his resume. POST, or the California Commission on Peace Officer Standards and Training, sets standards for law enforcement training programs and certification.

Originally from Vietnam, Travis relocated to San Mateo as young child with his siblings. He served in the U.S. Army before becoming a police officer in the South San Francisco Police Department.

Travis worked for 14 years in the Solano County Sheriff's Office and rose to the rank of lieutenant where he gained experience in budgeting, supervising and overseeing sworn staff.

He also has experience in directing Solano County's emergency response efforts as a commander for the county's Regional Mutual Aid Response Mobile Field Force Team and also as a manager for the county's Office of Emergency Services.

David Weidner

Weidner is the only candidate from within the San Mateo County Sheriff's Office. He has served in the Sheriff's Office for 25 years, eventually advancing to his current position as sergeant.

In the Sheriff's Office, he has held roles in corrections, patrol, field training for new deputies, and firearm instruction.

As sergeant, he oversees patrol and jail operations to ensure that deputies are complying with policy and use of force practices.

He is also the range master and lead training coordinator, where he trains hundreds of deputies in handling firearms. Additionally, he manages the nearly $1 million annual range and training budget.

His three priorities as sheriff would be rebuilding morale within the Sheriff's Office, improving training standards for deputies and investigating recent in-custody deaths in the jails, and boosting transparency, he said.

Robert Yick

Yick is a captain and second-in-command for the San Francisco State University Police Department, where he oversees daily operations, patrol staff, budget management, and managing public safety for large university events.

For 29 years, Yick served in SFPD. He held captain positions in the Central and Taraval stations as well as acting commander of the Metro Division, where he supervised three different stations.

During his time at SFPD, he has helped promote programs for community engagement, streamlined the officer hiring process, and implemented technology to boost efficiency, he said.

His priorities for the role of sheriff include ensuring that officers do not work with federal immigration authorities, holding himself and staff accountable, and boosting department morale through focusing on increasing staffing and prioritizing officer wellness, according to his application.

The seven candidates will go before the Board of Supervisors on Thursday at 1 p.m. in the Board Chambers, where they will be interviewed publicly. The board will then select a group of finalists, although an exact number of finalists has not been set.

The finalists will then participate in an open candidate forum on Monday, Nov. 10, where members of the public can submit questions to be asked.

Next Wednesday, the board of supervisors plan to appoint and swear in the new sheriff.

Bay City News contributed to this report.