1 of these 3 finalists will be appointed as new San Mateo Co. sheriff Wednesday

REDWOOD CITY, Calif. (KGO) -- San Mateo County has three finalists who will be appointed as the new sheriff, and on Monday night, leaders and the public asked candidates why they should get the job.

One of the three candidates, Kenneth Binder, Brian Wynn Huynh Travis and David Lazar, will be appointed as San Mateo County's new sheriff.

One of them will replace Christina Corpus, who was removed by the San Mateo County Board of Supervisors, last month, and ultimately retired so she won't lose benefits.

RELATED: Former San Mateo County Sheriff Christina Corpus tells I-Team she will retire same day she was fired

On Monday, residents had the opportunity to hear directly from them in a public moderated forum.

One of the questions- what would their first 90 days as sheriff look like.

Candidates had two minutes to answer, below are a brief excerpt from their responses.

"I would also like to audit this organization from A-Z. Policies, procedures, last night I realized there's no Lieutenant who oversees the city at night, that person is shared with the jail, it shouldn't be that way," David Lazar said.

"So, first thing I'm going to do is I'm going to install an executive leadership team, that has the respect and trust of the organization. I'm also going to do a top to bottom assessment with my team," Kenneth Binder said.

"Look at the folks that were unjustly fired and bring people back based on their merit and not because they know somebody, and also yeah I would look to fill vacancies when possible," Brian Wynn Huynh Travis said.

Questions were selected from 400 submitted by residents, unions and organizations. Public comment followed, one resident expressed frustration the new sheriff was being appointed by the Board of Supervisors.

"The only way they get into position and be called the sheriff is through an election and this is not an election, so this is lawless so this is day one," one resident said.

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

Other residents were just glad to hear from the applicants.

"I'm thinking do I have a favorite? After what I listened to or not and I just don't know if I do or not," Menlo Park resident Pat McCombs said.

Jordon Lologo lived in San Mateo County for years but recently moved to Contra Costa County.

"I believe it's important to trust our supervisors in this decision, they have a tough one they got some pretty good candidates," Lologo said.

The Board of Supervisors plan to appoint and swear-in the new sheriff on Wednesday.

Here's a look at the finalists

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.

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.

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.

Bay City News contributed to this report