Voters in northwest Modesto will choose among the incumbent, a transportation planner and a former councilman in the November election to represent them on the City Council and grapple with such issues as homelessness, housing and economic development.
John Gunderson, 68, served on the council from 2011 to 2015 and this will be his third attempt since then to regain his council seat. He works as a guest teacher. Joel Campos, 34, is a senior regional planner with the San Joaquin Council of Governments, a transportation agency.
Councilwoman Rosa Escutia-Braaton, 56, was elected to the council in November 2020 and is seeking a second term. She and her two challengers are running to represent City Council District 1, which includes Kaiser’s Modesto Medical Center and the Vintage Faire Mall.
Escutia-Braaton
She said she is seeking another term to build on the foundation the City Council has built. Unlike the previous council, she has served on a council whose members have worked well together and treated one another with respect.