Santa Clara County District 1 Supervisor Sylvia Arenas is facing a challenge from Morgan Hill Unified School District Trustee Rebecca Munson in the upcoming June 2 primary, with the incumbent defending her seat from a South County native who says current leadership is out of touch with the unique needs of the southernmost district.
Arenas, elected in 2022, points to what she characterizes as a sweeping expansion of county services in South County as her central accomplishment. Munson, a first-time candidate for county office, argues the district needs stronger fiscal oversight and more responsive leadership.
Arenas said her top priority has been correcting what she describes as a history of underinvestment in the southern part of the county.
Before her election, “South County was getting almost no board-directed grants to nonprofit services providers,” Arenas said, adding that she has brought that figure to about $1 million annually.
Arenas pointed to the relaunch of a county health clinic and urgent care center in Morgan Hill, expansion of cardiac services at Saint Louise Regional Hospital, and new investments in wildfire detection technology.
“In virtually every board discussion on investing in programs to serve our community, I ensure there is corrective action to fix previous underinvestments in South County,” Arenas said. “I have been an absolute broken record, but we’re making progress.”
Among her other cited accomplishments: a childcare center expansion program developed with fellow Supervisor Susan Ellenberg that she said will result in new centers in partnership with Morgan Hill Unified School District and Gavilan College, and the creation of a county Office of Economic Development focused on rural businesses and farmers.
Munson, meanwhile, said she is running because residents want better results than what they’ve seen under current leadership.
“Community members want and deserve a county supervisor that is present, accountable and puts South County first,” she said.
Munson stopped short of directly criticising Arenas’s decisions in office, instead pointing broadly to what she called insufficient responsiveness on homelessness, mental health services, affordable housing and public safety.
“There’s also a strong sense in South County that our communities need a more consistent voice at the county level,” she said. “Morgan Hill, Gilroy and San Martin have unique needs, and residents want to know those priorities are being heard and acted on.”
Munson said her experience serving on the MHUSD Board of Education has helped prepare her to represent South County on the Board of Supervisors.
“It has deepened my experience in government and policy making, reinforced the importance of responsible budgeting and required strong leadership and collaboration,” she said. “Just as importantly, it has kept me closely connected to the community through constituent engagement and public accountability.”
Both candidates identified the county’s finances as a pressing concern, though they framed the problem differently, with Arenas keen on defending existing programs and services while Munson seeks to cut costs.
Munson, who spent 18 years in banking before her school board service, said the county’s four hospitals are at the core of the fiscal crisis. She called for auditing the 88 county agencies for efficiency, identifying overlapping services and pushing the hospitals toward greater financial self-sufficiency.
“They’re not self-sustaining but instead are causing a financial crisis for the county,” Munson said. “The hospitals need to be operating more efficiently and effectively.”
Arenas framed the budget challenge in terms of protecting existing South County programs from federal funding cuts.
“As the county faces down as much as a billion dollars in cuts to our federal health system funding, I’m very concerned about the impact this will have on some of our investments in South County,” Arenas said. “We cannot take a step back.”
Homelessness ranked among the top concerns for both candidates.
Arenas said she has been pushing for better coordination between the county and cities, along with expanded mental health and substance abuse treatment capacity.
“We need to get those in crisis off our streets and into care,” she said. “The county’s role in this is critical, and it must be done in partnership with cities facing this challenge.”
For Munson, the cause of investing in mental health services for the unhoused is a personal one. Her brother struggled with addiction and homelessness before dying in 2022.
“They haven’t done enough to help with more permanent solutions and invested in preventative measures for people facing evictions, as well as supporting individuals with mental health services to address addiction or trauma they have faced,” Munson said. “I truly believe that with the right help, outcomes can be different.”
Arenas has received endorsements from local, state and national officials and representatives including all four other county supervisors, MHUSD President John Horner, State Sen. Dave Cortese, Assemblymember Gail Pellerin and Congressman Jimmy Panetta.
Munson has been endorsed by Cal Fire Firefighters Local 2881, San Martin residents John Murphy and Nancy Murphy, as well as Morgan Hill Mayor Mark Turner, who declined to comment.
District 1 encompasses the cities of Morgan Hill and Gilroy, parts of southern San Jose, and the unincorporated community of San Martin. The seat is one of five on the Santa Clara County Board of Supervisors, a governing body that oversees the county’s public health system, social services, criminal justice programs, land use in unincorporated areas and an annual budget of more than $13 billion.
Early voting for the June 2 statewide primary election began May 4.
