Tracie Cone, former owner and editor of The Pinnacle newspaper,
has announced her intent to run for a position on the San Benito
County Board of Supervisors in this year’s election.
”
This has been a longtime desire of mine,
”
she said.
”
I’ve been involved with this community since I moved here as a
reporter for the San Jose Mercury, and I wanted a way to stay
involved in community service.
”
Hollister – Tracie Cone, former owner and editor of The Pinnacle newspaper, has announced her intent to run for a position on the San Benito County Board of Supervisors in this year’s election.
“This has been a longtime desire of mine,” she said. “I’ve been involved with this community since I moved here as a reporter for the San Jose Mercury, and I wanted a way to stay involved in community service.”
Cone, 48, pulled papers Jan. 9 to begin the process of running for office. As a Paicines resident, Cone will be running for the District 4 seat come June 6, one of the largest districts in the county. Currently, Reb Monaco holds that district’s supervisor title and intends to run again as the incumbent.
“Tracie called me beforehand, which I appreciate,” he said. “But I think every politician runs again because they have unfinished business, and I certainly feel that way myself.”
While incumbents such as Monaco typically have an advantage while campaigning, Cone believes her competition’s incumbency will have little effect on the election’s result.
“I think if this were a perfectly harmonious board, then yes, that would be a difficult challenge,” she said. “But I think the current situations will speak for themselves.”
Cone sold The Pinnacle in 2004, five years after she initially purchased the paper, to publishing company MainStreet Media and stayed on for a year as publisher before a family health crises prompted her to quit. Initially, Cone had announced she did not plan to seek office, but when the same family health issue cleared up, she changed her mind.
Though the change from publisher to politician may seem like a big leap, Cone believes her experience in journalism is precisely what qualifies her to run.
“It was my job absolutely every day to talk to people in the community and listen to what they had to say,” she said. “And that’s what a good politician does.”
Cone was quick to point out, however, that supporting a political agenda for a newspaper and representing the will of constituents are completely different jobs.
“It’s really the exact opposite of what I was doing,” she said. “And I want people to know that I know the difference between the two.”
The focus of Cone’s campaign, she says, will be a push for government transparency. Other issues she hopes to tackle include housing, economic growth and gang prevention.
“I know what it takes to get things done,” she said. “I think I’m an excellent businesswoman, and you have to look at government like a business.”
While she has yet to actively begin fundraising efforts or campaigning, Cone says she has spent the past few weeks gauging support from residents and businesses within her district, and believes that the response has been mostly positive.
“People who know me know that I’m a very honest and direct person,” she said. “And I think they want to see that in a supervisor.”
Cone says she doesn’t believe any opinions she may have expressed in The Pinnacle will hurt her campaign. Certainly, however, not everyone will agree with Cone’s politics.
“I think most people know how I feel about her position on things,” said Supervisor Anthony Botelho. “But fortunately, we have a good democratic process. All I can do is encourage people to get out there and vote how they think is right.”
Danielle Smith covers education for the Free Lance. Reach her at 637-5566, ext. 336 or [email protected]
