David Weidner announces run for San Mateo County sheriff

David Weidner, a candidate for San Mateo County sheriff, announced his campaign and described the bid as "deeply personal." "My name is David Weidner, and I'm a candidate for sheriff. The reason I wanna be sheriff is deeply personal for me," he said.

Weidner said he has lived in San Mateo County his entire life and that he and his children graduated from Sequoia High School. He told listeners he has worked for 25 years at the San Mateo County Sheriff's Office, starting as a correctional officer and later serving in patrol after graduating from the academy.

He outlined a series of promotions and roles within the sheriff's office, saying he served as a sergeant and worked in corrections, patrol and transportation. "I eventually promoted to the position of sergeant. I've worked in all the core areas of the sheriff's office, including corrections, patrol, and transportation," he said. He said he had experience in the jail as a security sergeant, housing sergeant and intake sergeant and that he oversaw an alternative sentencing bureau intended to help incarcerated individuals learn job and life skills for reintegration.

More recently, Weidner said, he has served as the range master at Coyote Point, where he is responsible for developing and implementing post-mandated training, drafting contracts with allied local, state and federal agencies, and managing a balanced budget.

Describing challenges he has observed in the agency, Weidner said he had seen "their integrity and morale tested, and I've seen the loss of confidence in the residents we serve." He cast his campaign as focused on restoring institutional standards: "My desire to become sheriff has nothing to do with politics. My single goal is to restore fairness, rebuild trust, and return the sheriff's office to the high standards and dignity that our residents and employees deserve," he said.

He pledged that if elected he would serve the term he seeks and then retire. "When this mission is completed at the end of its term, I will retire, leaving the sheriff's office better and stronger than it was received and ready for the next administration," he said. "Together, we can and will rebuild this agency. Thank you."