City Council member Sobek announces campaign for mayor

City Council member Lesa Sobek announced her campaign for Menifee mayor on Wednesday. (Staff photo)

By Doug Spoon, Editor

Surrounded by a large crowd of her supporters, City of Menifee City Council member Lesa Sobek on Wednesday announced her candidacy for mayor in 2024.

Sobek, who represents District 3 in the heart of the city, made the announcement during an event at Menifee Lakes Country Club. A member of the City Council since 2016, she is the longest serving member of the current council and was a Planning Commissioner for four years before that. In addition, she is a member of many regional boards and has been instrumental in the creation and development of many city programs, such as Menifee Better Together.

“I do feel I have built trusted leadership,” said Sobek, who is the first to announce her candidacy to replace Mayor Bill Zimmerman, who is termed out next year. “People have told me I have a way of bringing people together and getting things done. I continue to look forward to that. But this city would not be a whole lot without all of you. It’s you that make Menifee what it is.

“It’s you finding your niche and wanting to make a difference in Menifee. I am grateful to all of you for that. Together, we’re better.”

Sobek’s credentials as a mayoral candidate are evidenced by her resume of public service, which in addition to Planning Commission and City Council service, includes:

-- 23rd State Senate District Woman of the Year, 2022

-- 67th State Assembly District Woman of the Year, 2013

-- Riverside County Supervisor appointment to the Community Action Commission

-- Established the City of Menifee Military Banner Program

-- Championed the City’s Homeless Task Force

-- Created the annual “Menifee Better Together” clean-up day

-- RCA Regional Conservation Authority, Western Riverside County, board member and past executive board member alternate for the Western Riverside Council of Governments

Sobek on Wednesday received an endorsement from Zimmerman, Mayor Pro Tem Bob Karwin and council member Dean Deines.

“If I can say one thing about why she’s the best fit to be the next mayor, it’s that very seldom do you get an elected official that is a politician but before that she’s a public servant,” Deines said. “She’s been active for her district for all these years. She’s invested in our community and has served a long time. She knows everybody. It’s kind of the next logical step to bring her in as our mayor.”

“If you were to go back and look at every positive thing that’s happened in the City of Menifee in the last 10 years, I bet you’d find Lesa Sobek’s name attached to it somewhere,” Karwin said. “From things that are official in capacity to things that are not official in capacity to things that are just out of the goodness of her heart, Lesa Sobek has touched the lives of so many people in this town.”

Zimmerman added his words of support for his fellow City Council member.

“When Lesa told me she was interested in running for mayor, my first thought was, there’s nobody at City Hall who has the amount of experience in Menifee that she has. So who better to step into the role of mayor and work with the City Council and City Manager and his team?”

In her address to the audience, Sobek touched on some of the topics that are most important to her as she kicks off her mayoral campaign.

“Public safety is very important. That is my No. 1 priority, it has been, and it always will be,” she said. “If you don’t feel safe, you won’t want to live here. Our council took a step in 2020, we wanted local control, and we formed our very own police department. And what goes along with safety is our fire department. We’ve added a couple medic patrols and a new fire ladder truck. We want the city to continue to be safe.”

In acknowledging the concern of some about Menifee’s growth rate, Sobek took an optimistic approach.

“We are a boom town and it will continue to grow,” she said. "I’m sorry, Menifee will continue to grow. We are expected to be one of the largest cities in Southwest Riverside County. Many of the housing developments you see happening were approved by the county before we were a city and now that the market is right for them, they are coming. We are just trying to ensure the quality of life and that the people who come here want to be here.”

Another of Sobek’s top priorities is improving the City’s infrastructure.

“Another priority is the infrastructure and roads, the traffic,” she said. “I don’t know if you realize it, but in the last five years, we have spent over $100 million on infrastructure. We have a strategic plan and we’re looking at whatever we can do to help traffic in the city. It probably doesn’t happen as fast as you would like it, but we are doing the best we can as a city. Be patient. But we also need to hear from you. Share your thoughts with us.”

In addition, Sobek said she wants to work on the City’s social infrastructure, saying, “We need restaurants. We need a variety of parks and amenities. That’s a priority and we will continue with that.” She also stressed the need to create more jobs in the City to keep working residents at home.

Also introduced at the event was Daniel Temple, who announced his candidacy for the District 3 council seat.

“Daniel has lived here in Menifee for years; he’s raised his kids here,” Zimmerman said. “He served on our general plan advisory committee way back when we first started as a city. I remember admiring him and hearing his words. He’s articulate, he’s honest, and he’s the perfect person for District 3.”

Candidates who have pulled papers with the intent to run for elected positions must officially pull application papers next summer to qualify for the November 2024 election. So far, these are the only candidates to make such an announcement.