Sonoma has its first candidate for City Council

Sonoma businessman Jack Ding, who came within two percent of being elected in 2018, has declared his candidacy for another run at the City Council.

Two seats on the five-person panel will be contested in November. David Cook, who made an unsuccessful bid for the County Supervisor, said during that campaign that he will not seek another term as councilmember. The other incumbent is Amy Harrington; she has not as yet announced her plans.

The formal filing deadline is August 7. 

Ding describes himself as a first-generation Chinese immigrant, local financial professional and community activist. He moved to Sonoma in 20008.

“I’ve taken up leadership roles on several local nonprofit boards, offered my tax expertise to help low-income residents, represented taxpayers before Congress and served as commissioner and Chairman on the Sonoma Valley Citizens Advisory Commission. I know how to get things done. Now, I’m ready to do more.”

Ding outlined the issues he’d like to address as a member of the council: community safety and health, fiscal recovery from COVID-19, homelessness, a lack of affordable housing, “and the need for a more inclusive local government that supports all residents.”

Sonoma is a small town with a $22 million general fund budget that heavily relies on the sales tax and hotel tax, Ding said. “As a tax representative, I can help stabilize our city finances as we face a pandemic-driven recession, diversify our local economy and partner with state and local government to invest in more affordable housing in Sonoma Valley.”

As a volunteer and advocate for preserving Sonoma’s open spaces, Ding supports upholding the current Urban Growth Boundary (UGB). “And as a minority and immigrant, I’d like to provide a voice in local leadership that embraces diversity for our non-white population.”

Ding came in fourth in the 2018 election when three seats were contested. In the seven-person field, his 14% trailed Madolyn Agrimonti (15%), Logan Harvey (16%) and Rachel Hundley (23%)

Ding came to America in 1993 to study and earned his MBA at Dominican University. Upon graduating, he worked in tech before taking and passing his Enrolled Agent certification with the IRS. Ding now owns and operates Unicom Tax Service in Sonoma. He has two sons, aged 24 and 31.

For more information, JackDingforSonoma.com.