By Williamena Kwapo | OBSERVER Staff Writer
Dr. Dawnté Early is set to announce her candidacy for mayor of West Sacramento in the upcoming election. She will face incumbent Martha Guerroro in November.
Early comes with a long history of leadership and dedication to the city. Serving as both CEO of United Way California Capital Region and on the city council as Mayor Pro Tem, she will have a campaign kickoff on August 14 in West Sacramento.
Early says her motivation to run for mayor lies in her belief that West Sacramento deserves leaders that truly care about the present and future of the city.
“What has inspired me is I feel like I can help,” she told The OBSERVER. “It’s a progression of continuing to lead as a city council member and wanting to take that leadership to a point that our city, which is a leader with strategic vision, to help really drive us forward.”
Elected to the West Sacramento City Council in October 2021, Early was voted in as Mayor Pro Tem in March 2024. Her tenure on the council has been characterized by a focus on community health and well-being. She has also served on the city’s Aging Commission for seven years, where she championed issues related to elder care and support.
“I support Dr. Early,” said former mayor of West Sacramento, Christopher Cabaldon. “I think she is a proven local and regional leader. She knows how to get big things done, take care of business, and has been a very effective member of the city council.”
Dr. Early’s platform prioritizes community safety. She aims to provide first responders with the necessary resources, improve levees and storm drains, allocate more funds for road repairs, address energy reliability and costs, and create additional housing.
“I think she puts the community first,” Cabaldon said. “She knows who she is, but she also knows the kind of hopes and dreams and the possibilities of West Sacramento as a collection of great neighborhoods and people just trying to make magic happen, and those are rare qualities in politics.”
Dr. Early’s career is marked by a dedication to health equity and public health. While serving as President and CEO of United Way California Capital Region, a role she assumed in November 2021, she’s focused on reducing poverty, building capacity in undervalued communities, creating meaningful partnerships, seeking equity in education, and making social justice investments in families across Amador, El Dorado, Placer, Sacramento, and Yolo counties.
“We need a mayor who provides steady and consistent leadership for our city’s critical programs,” Early says. “I’m committed to making West Sacramento work for everyone, and I think it’s important that people understand that.”
Early’s campaign for mayor of West Sacramento will coincide with Dr. Flojaune Cofer’s candidacy for mayor of Sacramento. If either were to be elected, they would be the first Black women elected mayors of their respective cities.